Pirates announce playoff ticket plans

PITTSBURGH — The Pirates aren’t printing 2012 playoff tickets just yet, but the team did announce the pricing structure and procedures Friday.

Season-ticket holders will get first priority to purchase playoff tickets at a discounted price, which will range from $12 in the upper grandstand to $235 in Row A of the Lexus Club. Half-season and 20-game plan holders are included as well.

They will have the option to buy their seat or a comparable seat for partial plan holders and purchase the number of tickets in their account. They also will be able to buy additional tickets at the regular price equal to the number of seats in their account and have access to individual tickets before they go on sale to the public.

“We will take care of and want to reward the loyalty of our season-ticket holders,” Pirates president Frank Coonelly said. “Those are the fans that have been with us through thick and thin — and far too much thin.”

Season-ticket holders will begin to get information in the mail on purchasing tickets Saturday.

“Our fans have waited far too long to get a letter in the mail like they’ll receive tomorrow,” Coonelly said. “They deserve to have that letter. Obviously it’s a tough battle that remains ahead for us beginning (Friday night) in St. Louis, but there are 44 games left to go in the season and, from Day One reporting to spring training, the players were focused on putting this organization in a position to give our fans postseason baseball for the first time in 20 years.”

Pricing for those without season tickets will range from $17 to $280 and will go on sale to the public in late September — no date has been set — for the wild-card round and National League Divisional Series. Future rounds would go on sale at later dates as necessary.

Individual clubs set prices for all playoff rounds up to the World Series but must follow guidelines set by Major League Baseball, and their prices are subject to approval by the league.

The Pirates also announced their 2013 season-ticket pricing. The average price in will increase from $16.11 to $17.21. Fans who put a deposit down on season tickets for next year also will receive postseason priority for this year.

This article was written by Channel 11’s news exchange partners at TribLIVE.

WPXI