Patience is a virtue but it didn't pay off for the Toronto Blue Jays fans who stuck it out until almost 3 a.m. at Rogers Centre for a watch party that saw more than 27,000 fans pack the stands.
The Blue Jays fell to the L.A. Dodgers 6-5 at Dodgers Stadium in Game 3 when Freddie Freeman homered in the bottom of the 18th inning. Though several hundreds of fans had emptied out of Rogers Centre by game's end, the remaining fans roared in disappointment when the game came to a close.
"(It's) pretty brutal honestly," said Jays fan Zaul Fereidooni right after the last out.
Fereidooni attended Game 1 and when he heard the stadium was hosting watch parties for fans during away games he jumped at the chance to get a few of his friends out to keep up with the World Series. Tickets to Rogers Centre watch parties were $15 -- a much cheaper ticket than any games at home.
It's been a much better way to enjoy the post-season, Fereidooni said.
"(With) how exclusive the World Series is, an opportunity to come for $15 was pretty good."
Karim Alzanoon and Noah Cappon who tagged along with Feridooni agreed. The friends said energy was high among the diehard fans who stuck around -- which was part of what kept them there until the end of the game.
"It's still worth it even though we have to get up on a few hours," Cappon said.
Single-game tickets for the World Series sold out in about an hour after going on sale last Tuesday. As of Monday night, the cheapest Game 6 resale ticket for general admission was more than $1,800.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford chimed in with his own remarks about high ticket prices before the World Series began, saying even he would be watching at home to avoid high ticket prices.
Ticketmaster said in an earlier statement that it doesn’t set or control World Series ticket prices.
Jays fans Adam Yang and Cristian Gonzalez said their Monday tickets into Rogers Centre felt like they were two baseball games in one, given how long the game ran.
“This the closest thing we’ve been to a game without going to an actual game. It’s the same vibe,” Yang said.
The two men, born and raised in Toronto and lifelong Blue Jays fans, stayed until the last out. Gonzalez said his father was also in tow earlier in the game, but left a little early.
Gonzalez said his dad followed the Jays' back-to-back World Series runs in 1992 and 1993. Gonzalez said he wasn't yet born the last time the Jays were on the world stage and it was special to share in the moment with his dad.
Watch parties will be held at Rogers Centre for Games 4 and 5 of the World Series, with ticket proceeds going to the Jays Care Foundation. The City of Toronto is also hosting free public viewing parties at Nathan Phillips Square.
The Jays are now down 2-1 in the best-of-seven matchup. Game 4 is scheduled Tuesday at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
Picture Courtesy: AP Photo/Ashley Landis
