A couple of weeks ago, my son TJ and I were on a Frontier Airlines flight to Phoenix to see games 4 and 5 of the World Series. We didn’t even have tickets, but that would soon change.
Two weeks earlier, TJ (literally a lifelong Rangers fan) came up with a plan. He said, “I think the Rangers and the Diamondbacks are going to the World Series and Texas will have homefield advantage. And the way the Rangers are playing, they might win it all in Game 4 or 5 in Arizona.”
On October 23rd, the Rangers won the American League Pennant against the Astros and punched their ticket to the WS. But who they would play wouldn’t be decided until the next day when the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Philadelphia Phillies in the seventh game of the NLCS. We had watched ticket prices in Phoenix during the NLCS. After Philly won the first two games at home, game 3 would be in Phoenix. The day of that game tickets dropped as low as $11. You read that right: eleven dollars. So, we had every expectation that ticket prices would be a lot cheaper than they would be in Arlington for a game 6 or 7. We estimated that we could probably go to two games and pay for airfare and a hotel for far less than it would cost to go to Arlington for one game.
It was time to set our plan into motion. As soon as the last out was recorded in Philadelphia, TJ got on the internet and booked three seats to Arizona on Frontier Airlines for October 31st, the day of game 4 of the World Series for $75 each round trip. His friend Sam Jamael from Austin decided to come with us and stay with his aunt and uncle. Texas and Arizona split the first two games so our plan for a Rangers winner- take-all game 4 was out.
The day before we left, TJ found that the D-backs had released some lowerlevel tickets for game 4, close to the foul pole for $750, but we thought we could do better. The day of the game, they released infield reserve tickets in the third level right behind home plate for $500 each. We pulled the trigger and bought three seats.
The only glitch was that the plane was to land at 4:40, leaving plenty of time to drop off our luggage and get to the ballpark in time for the first pitch at 7:03. Then we realized that was 7:03 Dallas time, 5:03 Phoenix time. We said, “Hold on, Ranger fans, this is gonna be close.” As it turned out the plane landed about 4:20, and we thought we would have plenty of time. However, it took almost fifteen minutes for the plane to get to the gate and for the door to open. There were at least 40 anxious Ranger fans on the plane.
Fortunately, we had traveled light, and TJ had an UBER reserved and waiting for us. We went straight to Chase Field and rented lockers to put our luggage in.
We got to our seats by the second batter in plenty of time to see the 2nd and 3rd inning where the Rangers scored five runs each and racked up an insurmountable ten-run lead adding another run before the end. Arizona tried to fight back, ringing up seven runs of their own. We had an awebelow some time and were surprised to see that, for the most part, their fans stayed for the whole game. I have to add that, for the most part, their fans could have not been nicer to us.
After the game, we were able to get to our hotel on the Phoenix light rail station right next to Chase Field.
The next day, TJ said that Sam told him his aunt and uncle who live in Goodyear, AZ wanted to take us to lunch. Sam came to the hotel and picked us up, and we met Margaret and Scott Haas at their beautiful home on the Wigwam Golf Course. We ate at a really good (New Mexico style) Mexican food place that was delicious. Then they drove us to the ballgame. We became instant friends.
We got to the ballpark three hours early and found another glitch in our plan. We expected we might get tickets from an aftermarket site for a couple hundred bucks but found that the inventory of tickets was dwindling while prices were rising. We knew it would be a once-in-a-lifetime game, so we decided to live a little. We bought baseline tickets in the tenth row a little in back of first base. We paid $690 each, far less than face value and likely thousands less than we would have had to pay for Game 6 or 7 in Arlington.
This was a much different game than the night before. It was a nail-biter as Nathan Eovaldi from Alvin, Texas put runner after runner on base and left them stranded. Things changed in the 7th inning when a hit from Garver brought Seager home. Then in the ninth, two more runs scored on a Heim single and an error. Then Semien ended his hitting dry spell with a solo home run.
When the Diamondbacks came to bat in the bottom of the ninth, TJ and I could barely contain our excitement. We had made friends with the Arizona fans around us, and unbeknownst to us a couple sitting behind us cooked up a very cool plan.
Before I tell you that story, I want to go back. In 2010, TJ and I were at the game when we saw the San Francisco Giants win the World Series in our ballpark. The next year, in 2011, the Rangers were one win away from winning the World Series. TJ and I decided to drive to St. Louis for game 6 of the World Series. We sat in row two of the right field bleachers and watched Nelson Cruz right us, miss the catch that would have won the game. The Rangers were only one strike away from winning twice. Ever since then, TJ has said the top of his bucket list was to see the Rangers win the World Series with his dad. More than just about anything, I have shared that feeling for the last 12 years.
On Wednesday, November 1st, we saw that dream come true with the final strike of the World Series. That moment was pure jubilation as my son and I embraced and waved our Texas Ranger banner and Texas flag. And without telling us, the Arizona Diamondbacks fans behind us recorded it all and air-dropped the video to TJ’s phone after the celebration died down. We were overwhelmed by the kind act of strangers to give us such a priceless gift.
Then thousands of Arizona fans stayed and celebrated with thousands of Rangers fans. IT WAS AWESOME!
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