Q&A: Brewers single-game tix on sale

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- There’s still a chance to score tickets to Opening Day in Milwaukee, but you’ll have to be quick.

Approximately 100 tickets for the Twins-Brewers game on April 1 at American Family Field will go on sale via Brewers.com and other outlets on Friday at 10 a.m. CT, when the club begins selling individual tickets for home games through May 2. There’s better availability for subsequent dates, said Brewers president of business operations Rick Schlesinger; an average of 800 or so for each of Milwaukee’s three games against the Cubs from April 12-14, and an average of approximately 1,500 per game for other contests against the Twins, Pirates, Marlins and Dodgers.

Still, it figures to be a tough ticket. The City of Milwaukee Health Department authorized 25 percent occupancy for Brewers home games to begin the season.

“We didn’t want to shut out our fans who buy single-game tickets from coming to the ballpark,” Schlesinger said. “It's been 18 months since they've been able to see the Brewers live, and it was important to us to make sure that single-game ticket purchasers had access to tickets.”

Since getting approval for limited occupancy, the Brewers have re-drawn the stadium seating map into pods of two, four and six tickets, and worked with season-ticket holders to determine how many tickets would be left for individual buyers.

The club is selling tickets to only the first five series for now, hoping to get approval for higher capacity for subsequent series if COVID-19 data continues to improve.

“It was some dark times last year,” Schlesinger said. “And [now] there is a lot of energy, there's an excitement here, just seeing people getting ready. There's people on the field getting the field ready, people putting up the last bit of signage, getting the ballpark clean -- you know, just sort of the normal things we do in the last two weeks leading up to a normal Opening Day, all those are happening. And that's comforting, you know? It's exciting, and it feels like a sense of normalcy back to the ballpark. Psychologically, it's great to see the hum of activity happening.”

Here's more from Schlesinger on Friday’s on-sale date and the Brewers’ plans to host fans in 2021:

MLB.com: How much has the Spring Training experience prepped everyone for how this is going to go?

Schlesinger: “I think what's nice is I've actually attended some of our Spring Training games, and you feel the energy, even with a reduced capacity. It feels like you have a ballpark that's alive instead of a cold steel and concrete structure where players are playing in front of empty stands. I think the fans want to make sure that we can show people that we can do this correctly and safely, because our goal is obviously to get to full capacity. And one of the best ways to do that is by following the rules right now and showing the health department we can do this. So the Spring Training experience has been very enlightening. Obviously, it's a very different physical plan between the ballpark down in Phoenix and American Family Field, but the bottom line is we're learning about staffing and we're learning that the demand for tickets is extraordinarily high.”

MLB.com: What are you hearing from the Health Department about what happens after May 2?

Schlesinger: “Well, we're in constant communication with them. We have weekly calls and they have not given us anything specific in terms of what's going to happen after May 2. We understand. We obviously are working with them on our protocols, we're working with them in terms of monitoring what else is going on around the country in terms of capacities and how other ballparks are doing. They're digesting all that information and our goal is obviously to get that capacity number increased when we can. If that happens before May 2, great, but no definitive timetable has been established other than constant communication with them.”

MLB.com: I think you knew when the plan to sell single-game tickets was announced that the ban on tailgating would be a point of focus for fans. What feedback have you heard on that?

Schlesinger: “We've gotten a lot of inquiries and strong comments about the tailgating ban, and we expected it, and we understand it. Again, I'm optimistic that we will be able to get the tailgating ban lifted. It depends on the timing, obviously. But I think, frankly, it's an outdoor activity and we can do it safely. We're not going to be selling large tailgating tents or grids, so it's individual tailgating with the persons in your vehicle. I think we can convince the health department that is a safe activity and can be done responsibly. I'm optimistic, and as the weather warms up, it's such a focal point for our fans that it's hard for me to imagine baseball in Milwaukee without tailgating. To see the parking lot on Opening Day with no tailgating is going to be a little surreal. We'll continue to make our case with the health department.”

MLB.com: Based on what you've heard from your counterparts around pro sports and from local health officials, do you think there's full attendance by the end of the year?

Schlesinger: “I mean, that's the goal. I think everybody that I've talked to around the league has the same sort of goal. Having said that, we know that's not in our independent control. It's subject to local health officials, it's subject to continued vaccinations and the continued good numbers we're seeing on the decline in hospitalizations and decline in positive tests. I am optimistic, and I think, yes, I will see [a full house by year’s end]. That is not a decision we can make unilaterally. It depends on factors that are, frankly, unknown. But absolutely, I'm optimistic.”