Rays fans are finding a cheaper way to celebrate the club’s pennant run: merchandise.
With World Series tickets averaging $2,400 and climbing, plenty of supporters are skipping the trip to Milwaukee and heading to local team stores instead. The payoff is a $50 shirt or a $45 hat - a far less painful way to mark Monday night’s Game 6 win and the franchise’s third pennant.
Official American League championship gear and World Series items went on sale as soon as the final out was recorded at Tropicana Field. Shirts, caps and limited-edition pennants were available immediately online and at stores after the victory.
Retailers say postseason sales are already tracking ahead of where they were in 2020. Demand has been strong for gear tied to homegrown stars, along with items centered on the renovated Tropicana Field. Bay Republic, the official store at Tropicana Field, is one of the main outlets carrying the championship collection, and pop-up shops around the Tampa area are also selling merchandise to meet local demand.
The exact inventory levels at those pop-up locations, and when restocks will arrive, have not been confirmed.
Game 1 of the World Series is set for Friday at 8 p.m. Eastern in Milwaukee, where the Rays will take on the Milwaukee Brewers in a matchup between two franchises still chasing their first World Series title.
For fans thinking about the road trip, the numbers are steep. Total travel costs are expected to top $3,100 per person, with secondary-market tickets for Game 1 starting at $2,400 and one-way flights from Tampa International Airport beginning at $432.
Staying in the Bay Area for Games 3, 4 or 5 at Tropicana Field is cheaper, though not exactly easy on the wallet. Entry-level tickets in St. Petersburg start around $1,100, while premium seats can reach $4,800.
Official parking passes at Tropicana Field start around $187 on secondary marketplaces like SeatGeek, with the pricier lots going higher. These postseason games also mark the team’s first season back in the fully renovated stadium.
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