It ain’t easy being a Yankees fan these days, what with the overpriced seats, a mediocre record, and the whole A-Rod deal.
But things can always get worse…and for many Yankees fans, last night they did.
With the game against the Red Sox not yet underway due to a rain delay, and no announcement from the team about a projected start time, many ticket holders began to inquire whether the game had been cancelled.
Many fans began leaving the stadium, with some claiming that stadium employees (carrying “How May I Help You” signs no less) had told them the game was cancelled.
That is, until they heard the 9:20pm start time announced over the public address system…then the panic set in.
A multitude of fans tried to gain re-entry to the stadium, only to be turned away by stadium employees. Irate fans pleaded with security personnel, to no avail.
Things turned somewhat ugly, but never got out of hand. The New York Daily News reported that only one person was arrested–a woman from White Plains, NY–after allegedly kicking a police officer who wouldn’t let her back in to the park.
For many fans, what started out as an enjoyable night at the ballpark, turned into a nightmare. Consider Becky Wright, who flew in with her son from Oregon after acquiring two game tickets for his 16th birthday. According to Wright, they were informed by the guys adorned in the “How May I Help You” signs that the game was called off. Or the sad case of Martin Watson, now $800 poorer after being denied re-entry to the stadium through Gate 6.
Jason Zillo, a Yankees spokesperson, says the team has a firm no re-entry policy. No freaking kidding.
Firm no re-entry policy or not, this was clearly a case of misinformation given by employees to fans, and an easy and sensible compromise could’ve been found. Instead the Yankees find themselves in a public relations disaster.
And it doesn’t look to good when a team employee, speaking on anonymity, sides with the fans, saying that what the Yankees did was unfair.
Oh, and they also lost the game 6-4. [NY Daily News]
