Alexander Koziel was just like hundreds of other Milwaukee Brewers fans the night of Oct. 19 – watching the American League Championship Series with one eye and checking the Gametime ticket app with the other.
When it became clear the Tampa Bay Rays were going to face his Brewers in the World Series, he and his brother made the call: They were going to the World Series. In Florida.
They will be joined by hoards of Brewers fans, mostly from Wisconsin, who missed out on tickets for the games in Milwaukee but are taking advantage of much cheaper options in Tampa.
Fans who bought Tampa tickets early – in the event the Rays won the AL – wound up striking a huge bargain compared to a game in Milwaukee.
Grant Taebel and a friend bought tickets at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg for $470 each after Game 1 of the ALCS, at which point the Brewers led the Los Angeles Dodgers, 2-0, in their series.
Geri Wilkinson did the same and got in for roughly $400; using points for a hotel and flight, the total trip is less than $600.
Dan Turpaugh got tickets for $500 a game and will spend less all-in for three games than he would for one at home. Sam Kluender got seats for $480 to Games 4 and 5 in Florida, and is spending $1,250 in total while staying with family.
“I’m purposefully flying in on Sunday in case it’s 2-0 Brewers and ticket prices plummet,” he said.
Adam Dewane waited a bit longer until the Brewers won the National League pennant, but still got seats for $655 a pop in the outfield.
As of the evening of Oct. 19, the cheapest tickets for Game 1 in Milwaukee were $2,900 for standing room. If you want a seat, you better be prepared to pony up at least $3,500.
“Simple business decision,” said Zak Ehrmantraut, a lifelong fan who went to both NLCS home games but couldn’t stomach the $3,800 price tag he saw when he finally got into the American Family Field presale. Instead, he got three tickets to two games at Tropicana for $3,200, flight included.
By the sounds of it, there will be no shortage of Brewers fans in the Rays ballpark when the series flips for Game 3. For many, it’s a memorable way to take in their first World Series game – on top of being cheaper.
Some creativity with airfare and lodging is helping many Brewers fans manage the cost.
Yojuan Esquero has friends in the area, so it was a no-brainer to spend half of what it cost in Milwaukee to get in. John Barry is flying from Appleton into Punta Gorda for less than $300. Brayden Wierzycki got flights for less than $150 round-trip through Illinois to Orlando. Brian Sutton got round-trip airfare for two for $250 along with $400 tickets.
Shane Ager is a 20-game holder who bought a playoff strip of two seats to each game, but that isn’t enough seats as is to accommodate all of his family. He wanted to add a ticket to bring his son who goes to college in Florida and would otherwise not be able to go to a game, but the cost to add him was far more than a flight and two tickets in Tampa.
Some are even going to games in both cities. Chad Feller was nine in 1982, when his parents made him go to bed with the Brewers up two in Game 7 of the World Series. He cried the next morning when he was told they lost, so a $2,500 ticket to Game 1 in Milwaukee was an expense 44 years in the making. He already had a Florida vacation planned for when the World Series will be there, so he made the simple pivot and added a $780 ticket to his travel plans.
Feller, like most fans headed to Tampa, tried but failed to access tickets through the Brewers during the public presale last week.
Taylor Bretl was also in that boat, trying but striking out before swinging for $1,000 tickets along with his sister and dad as soon as the Rays jumped to a commanding lead in Game 6.
The stories of Brewers fans going to Tampa could go on for hours. Trent Mosley and his four brothers are headed down. Jonathan Judge is flying down with his dad. Ben Emmel, who lives in D.C., will meet his dad, who lives in Wisconsin, for Game 4. Jasper Ferris lives in New Orleans but is originally from Cudahy and felt compelled to take his two boys. Mike Sampson got in early enough to save $900 on his seat compared to what it’s going for now. “Game 5, player,” said Milwaukee media personality Bart Winkler.
You’ve surely heard the famous line from “Field of Dreams”: If you build it, they’ll come.
Milwaukee fans, including Casey Stanzel, who bought tickets with his dad and brother after the Rays’ clinch, have their own spin.
“We said, ‘If we make it, we’ll go.'"
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Priced out in Milwaukee, Brewers fans head to Tampa to save on World Series