Rare spring training matchup at JetBlue Park sends ticket prices soaring

“We knew it was sold out, so we are just going to wait and see if they release some more tickets, so we will see,” said local resident Larry Blackwood.

Baseball fans like Blackwood sat outside in the hot sun Monday in the hopes of getting their hands on a ticket to a highly anticipated spring training matchup at JetBlue Park.

The Boston Red Sox are playing the Chicago Cubs Monday night and Tuesday afternoon. It’s a historic matchup between the two clubs, as they rarely play each other in spring training. The Cubs train in Arizona.

“I will not support the kind of money that baseball has become today, so if I don’t get in here at the ticket box standing room, then life goes on,” Blackwood said.

He says he’s praying he won’t have to tell his wife they can’t watch their favorite team play.

“She’s going to cry if she doesn’t get in,” Blackwood said.

Although, he’s willing to pay the price of admission.

“I’ll pay whatever they ask for here, whether it’s standing room only, a chair seat, I’ll pay that to the stadium,” he said.

However, Blackwood says he draws the line when it comes to purchasing tickets from a third party.

“…not a scalper,” he said. “I won’t pay that kind of money…$100 or whatever it is.”

Good news: Blackwood managed to get two tickets and only paid $33 a piece.

The Cubs and Red Sox both have their season openers later this week in Florida.