Derek Jeter Puts Some Pop in Red Sox Ticket Sales
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iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Derek Jeter’s announcement that 2014 will be his last year as a Yankee has sent prices for late-season tickets soaring, particularly at Fenway Park, the stadium of longtime rival Boston Red Sox.
Jeter, 39, announced his retirement in a long letter on his Facebook page around 2:20 p.m. EST on Wednesday. His last regular season game will be played in Boston on Sept. 28.
The average price for the Red Sox-Yankees game at Fenway on Sept. 28 is now around $398, up more than 59 percent since the time of Jeter’s announcement, according to TiqIQ.
The rivalry between the two teams is called one of the most contentious in all of professional sports, at least since Babe Ruth left the Red Sox for the Yankees in 1919.
Fans who want to see Jeter play his last home game at Yankees Stadium in the Bronx will have to be willing to pay a premium. Chris Matcovich of TiqIQ said by about 2:55 p.m., most tickets had been purchased or pulled down by brokers.
For the Yankees’ last home game of the season against the Baltimore Orioles on Sept. 25, ticket prices averaged $304.87 around 2 p.m. Wednesday. Two and a half hours later, the average ticket price for that game was $803.54, up 164 percent.
The Yankees and Boston Red Sox did not respond to requests for comment.
There was no word yet from the Red Sox on whether they will host a special ceremony honoring Jeter’s last game at Fenway. In September, Fenway hosted a special ceremony for Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera during his last game at the Boston ballpark.
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