The New York Yankees have implemented a ticket sales policy for the upcoming American League Wild Card Series against the Boston Red Sox that restricts access to fans from outside four states. According to a message on Ticketmaster, only residents of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania are able to purchase tickets for the games at Yankee Stadium. The restriction is enforced by requiring credit card billing addresses to match those states; orders from outside these areas will be canceled and refunded.
A spokesperson for Ticketmaster explained the reasoning behind such policies: “Sometimes teams will place geographic restrictions on certain events to give local fans the best chance to attend,” as reported by NBC 10 Boston.
This move adds another chapter to the long-standing rivalry between the Yankees and Red Sox, which has captured attention for over a century. The competition intensified after Boston sold Babe Ruth to New York in 1919, leading to an 86-year championship drought for the Red Sox that ended in 2004.
Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story commented on the significance of this matchup: “Obviously a bunch of history there. Just as a fan of the game growing up, you know pretty well about the rivalry and what it means to both cities. … I think it’s the best in all of sports, so it’s going to be special.”
Fans residing outside of the restricted states can still purchase tickets through resellers, according to NBC Boston.
McClatchy News contacted representatives from the Yankees on September 30 but did not receive a response.
Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series is scheduled for September 30 at 6:08 p.m. ET on ESPN.
