The Blue Jays have restricted the sale of "their popular 'ballpark passes' this year, leaving many fans feeling disgruntled and left out," according to Brendan Kennedy of the TORONTO STAR. Some worry a "price hike might be next." The team has seen ticket sales "up and demand growing" following an offseason that included the addition of SS Jose Reyes and Ps R.A. Dickey and Josh Johnson, among others. But "frustrating fans" might be "simply the cost of doing better business" for the team. Blue Jays Senior VP/Business Operations Stephen Brooks: "It’s a good problem to have when there’s an increased demand for your tickets." Kennedy reported the "highly discounted tickets grant customers a seat in the nosebleeds for every home game excluding opening day for just $99." Prior to last season, fans could "present the fan pass card at the ticket window and receive a hard-copy ticket, based on what seats were available." A change was made last year in which each pass was "assigned a specific seat, and the pass itself was the ticket." The Blue Jays said that they "made the switch to experiment with digital ticketing and also to reduce scalping." However, only the "account holders were allowed to buy passes and sales were restricted to two per person" this year. Brooks said the decision to limit the passes was "simply a reflection of increased demand." Blue Jays ticket prices "haven’t increased in four years, but if the team succeeds in 2013 and demand continues to grow, expect the rules of basic economics to take effect" (TORONTO STAR, 2/7).
