October 18, 2023
Red October doesn't seem to be the same draw in the Grand Canyon State as it is in Philadelphia. After taking the first two games of the 2023 National League Championship Series, the Phillies are heading West for Games 3 and 4 (and potentially 5) against the Diamondbacks in Arizona.
While Citizens Bank Park has brought an electric atmosphere to the MLB playoffs, you could get into the game at Chase Field for the price of a burger and a beer at a Fishtown gastropub.
For Thursday's 2:07 p.m. first pitch local time in Phoenix, you could buy a ticket for as low as $26, including fees, for NLCS Game 3 on SeatGeek. Lower level tickets are going for as low as $46 as of this writing. Conversely, a potential Game 6 back in Philadelphia on Monday would cost $347 just to get in the door for a standing room only spot. If you want an actual seat, you're paying, at minimum, $476 on SeatGeek.
Sure, Phillies fans would love to pay a price that's as low as possible to get into CBP to watch the Fightins, but that's not the fine. This showcases the discrepancy in fandom, in passion and the very nature of sports in these two vastly different areas. Philly is a football town, but the way the Phils have captured the city's imagination over the last two falls has been nothing short of incredible. Older fans are transported back to their youth, whether that be the late '00s Golden Era, the dog days of 1993 or the 1980 championship run. New fans are now witnessing a class of outrageous characters and lovable figures leave their mark on the Delaware Valley. People want to make these memories!
It looks like not many people care out there (other than the Jimmy Eat World drummer...).
Between the snowbirds, Philly transplants out West and those willing to pay the price for some cross-country travel, I'm expecting a healthy amount of Phillies fans to be in the stands at Chase Field on Thursday. A round-trip flight from Philly to Phoenix on Wednesday that returns home on Friday would run $793 for a ticket as of this writing. That's a hefty price, certainly, but, hey, it's still cheaper than two seats in the nosebleeds at CBP.
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