No tickets for Cubs - what to do ?
 

I will be in Chicago the weekend of
Aug 1st. I hope to attend a Cubs game. I checked their website but they list only single tickets.

What's my best options to obtaining a pair for Aug 1 game ?
How about rooftop seating beside the ballpark - what's it like and what do they cost ?

Thanks - ball fan from Toronto

Go to Wrigley about an hour before the game starts and buy tickets from someone with extras. Use your best judgment.

Go to stubhub.

You might try calling for tix and see if they have single seats, one in front of the other.

If you are only going to one game then I recommend getting seats in the ballpark.

Hang out at a bar near the stadium, just after the game begins, check over at the ticket office....I've scored good Will Call tickets that were released after the game began....done that a few times when I really didn't feel like spending alot and would just stay and watch at a bar if nothing became available.

Try the White Sox.

For certainty, you can use stubhub.com, but you'll pay a service fee in addition to whatever people are charging.

Otherwise, you can check craigslist in advance of the game (esp. in the couple of days before as peoples' plans change) for tickets. You can also try the concierge at your hotel, but inevitably, those will be expensive.

I see they are playing Pittsburgh that day, not a particular rival or a huge number of traveling fans. Scope out the ballpark as the game begins, and use your judgment in buying tickets on the street. Whit Sox are of course out of town that weekend.

It won't help you in this case, but often fans who are unable to see their team at home will travel to see them in an away game. This works out especially well when they play teams that have no crowds (see Florida Marlins!)

We've done all of the above and they worked out. Usually paid more thru ticket brokers.

Except you usually can't go see the White Sox if the Cubs are in town. :))

Stubhub can be good - I'd check out craigslist too.

http://www.stubhub.com/cubs-vs-pirat...0&flash8=1

There are some tickets there. Expensive but given the stadium and how well the Cubs are doing, it is expected. For a comparison, I am going the following weekend for a Cardinals - Cubs game and ended up with $200 tickets (Section 226). The rooftop seating is just as expensive so get a seat in the park.

We just got great seats on Craigslist for the Cubs vs. the White Sox about a week before the game.

On the same stadium-hopping trip, we used ebay, Stubhub and Ticketmaster for other games. The mark-up on Craigslist was less than on ebay or Stubhub. Paid by paypal and the seller fed-exed us the tickets before we left.

OK, I'm going to try this again. My first post got lost in cyberspace. Anyhow, this is going to be a bit lengthy, but will save you some money and possible heartache.

I've worked at Wrigley for the past 17 years as a "Peace Keeper" so I know what's what over here.

Buy only from the park itself or a licensed broker. They are plenty of them around the park, but, you'll pay through the nose.

If you want to try and get tickets from the park, arrive at least 2 hours before the gates open. They moved the "Day of Game" ticket sales to the previously shuttered windows on Addison St. Last weekend, they actually let people camp out in the Friendly Confines outdoor cafe. Arrive any later than that any you may end up with SRO (standing room only) tickets.

2 things to know, once you buy a ticket, you have to go right into the park and you can only buy one ticket. So, make sure your entire party is at the window so you can get tickets next to each other.

This was done to keep the scalpers and brokers from gobbling up the tickets.

Right next to these windows is the Cubs very own ticket broker. This opens up after the game starts and they charge premium prices for tickets. I still haven't figured out how this works. But, the other brokers took them to court and lost, so it made sense to the judge.

If you choose to buy from a street scalper (recognized by their scruffy appearance and calls of "Hey big guy, you looking for tickets"), you may come up on the loosing end of the deal. Since the Cubs have been doing so well, a lot of scalpers are selling counterfeit tickets. You can tell these buy licking you finger and putting it on the ticket. If it sticks, it's a fake.

Also, some sell SRO tickets as bleacher seats. You cannot get into the bleachers with a SRO ticket. In addition, make sure to check the date and opponent listed on the team.

Another surefire sign is if the scalper is more than a block from the park. By the time you get to the gate and realize you've been duped, they're gone. You're out money and you can't come in the park.

Some scalpers will walk with you to the gate and wait while the ticket gets scanned, to prove that it's a good ticket. Although they are a pain in the rear, at least these guys are honest.

If you do buy from a scalper, be aware that there is a city ordinace which prohibits ticket scalping within 2000 feet. It's hard to enforce around Wrigley do to the park being in a neighborhood (go to Sox Park and you won't sea scalper in sight), but the police will ticket you if they catch you.

If you have kids, don't sit in the bleachers. It's a zoo!.

There are 10-12 rooftops. Tickets are sold through the individual building's owner and/or website. A lot of them are sold for group outings so you may not be able to find tickets. You can't just walk up and buy a ticket on game day. Prices vary, but usually start around $75. This includes food and beer. Check out http://www.citysearch.com or http://www.metromix.com. Also Google "Wrigley rooftop tickets" or something like it. IMHO, the best views are from the roofs on Sheffield.

If all else fails, come down and hang out in one of the bars and watch.

One last thing, do not give money to the kids passing out flyers for a basketball team. It's a scam. Also, some of the Streetwise vendors (a newspaper that was started years ago to help the homeless earn money for a room) pull free add papers out to the boxes on the corners and try and sell them. Just say no to anyone asking for a "donation"

Good luck.

Very good, informative post, Blacknight.

tony1953, how was your weekend? Did you manage to get tickets to a Cubs game?

Blacknight - thanks for your advise.

Yes, I went to Sunday game and hit
the " Day of game" ticket booth about 15 mins before start of the ballgame. Got great seats ! - was about 30 seats up behind Homeplate.

It cost $66 per seat. I little more
than I planned to spent - I was thinking I might get the cheap seats for $50 each from a scalper.

Chicago's a great town - lots to do,
enjoyed the Blues Club and mighty
fine resturants.

Thanks all Fodor Talkers

hi fodorites,

sorry to bring up and old-ish thread ... DH and i are in a similar situation ... coming in from toronto from july 1 - 5 and want to catch a cubs game.

we'd like to go to the thursday night game (july 2) vs. milwaukee. there are only single tickets available for sale on the cubs website. we don't mind sitting one in front of another. there are pairs available via stub hub, ticketstub, etc. etc. but they are definitely premium prices. i.e. a $25 or $28 ticket on cubs.com goes for about $45-48 on the other sites.

i'm intrigued about this "day of game" ticket booth. however, since the game is close to july 4th, will we face a lower probability using this method?

i'm really not comfortable with scalpers. worst case scenario, we will just go through ticket stub et al. sorry to sound like a noob but we NEVER have problems buying tickets to a toronto jays game ... so we're definitely new to this with the cubs!

thanks!!!

The game is going to sell out. It is just a matter of when. You could try to get a ticket on the day but you will not be the only ones trying to do that. If you go that route then you can expect those tix to be gone and you will have to deal with scalpers or try to buy from fans entering the stadium (which is what a lot of scalpers do). Buying your own (hold up as many fingers as tickets you need) is likely to not be productive. The scalpers have the tix and they are in it as a business. I understand your discomfort but I don't feel it myself. Always bargain for a lower price.

So if you really don't want to deal with scalpers then your only choices are:
1) take what the cubs website offers now (ASAP)
2) bite the bullet and buy from stubhub.

Personally, I would go with stubhub if I were you. It is Wrigley Field, so the premium is for that. You can make up the high price for a Cubs game by coming out to Anaheim next year for an Angels game. When the Js were here two weeks ago they had great seats (View MVP) for $5.

hi mrwunrfl,

tks for the advice ... stubhub it is!

lilaki