New York Yankees And Free Market

This past Father’s Day I was in Minnesota where I took my 7 year old son to his first major league baseball game.  The Twins got beat by the Tigers but seriously, we could have been “10 run ruled” and I wouldn’t have cared.

It was a magic moment for me – a time in my heart that I’ll be able to revisit for the rest of my days.

However, my son is a Yankee fan – I HATE the Yankees- and it’s been HIS dream to see the Yankees.  Well, now that “the first game” is over, I relented and took him to Yankee Stadium this past Saturday.

Pettitte won, “Enter Sandman” played and Mariano saved.

Of all of it, I have to admit, “Enter Sandman” was moving.  Perhaps the greatest reliever in baseball was coming to go to work.  Pretty cool.

However, the story is about before the game.

Because the Yankees price their fan base out of the stadium, they never sell out.  And because I didn’t know where I wanted to sit, I bought tickets at the game.

We were in the ticket queue when a middle aged guy in his late 50’s approached us and asked if we were going to the game.  When I told him that, indeed, we were, he asked if we wanted to buy two of his 4 season tickets; he and his son were going and they had two extra.  “$125 tickets for $50 each.”

Sold.

We left the queue and stood in line at the gate.  We chatted.  His wife went to Duke – my son was wearing his Duke blues- and he and his family now lived here in New York.  The day was looking to be wonderful – nice guy, great weather and a Yankee game.

While standing there I reached into my wallet and gave him his hundred bucks.  Within 5 seconds we were surrounded by 3 NTPD officers.

The guy, shocked and stunned, tried to make the case that he didn’t “scalp” the tickets, we bought them for less than half value.  The officer became irritated and reversed the sale, taking the tickets out of my son’s hand and forcing the gentleman to give me back my money.  He further insulted him by making me count it not once, not twice, but three times “directly in front of me”.

I was free to go but the man was to be removed from Yankee stadium, arrested and fined.

God I hate the New York and the Yankees!