Monday night, Jim Thome became only the 8th player in MLB history to hit 600 home runs. With Thome entering the elite company of only 7 others, we decided to take a look at how ticket prices for his chase compared with the last player to reach the milestone, Alex Rodriguez’s in 2010. To do this, we charted the average price for the 7 games leading up to the milestone.

Although the range for ticket prices was fairly similar–between $50 and $100 for both–the trendline was very different for each chase. For A-Rod, at 7-games out, the average ticket price was $47 for a Thursday game in Cleveland and then jumped to $94 for the first game back in the Bronx.  After a few ups and down, the 600-game sold for an average of $88, only 4% above the Yankees season average.  With impatience replacing anticipation, Yankee fans were not interested in overpaying, even with the chance to witness a signature moment in the new ballpark.

Thome’s chase started at home with a three-game set against Boston, which averaged $104. While one might argue that the Boston series skew the number, this years series was 33% higher than last years series at Target Field. With the team headed out on a seven-game road trip, Twins fans may have sensed that it would be the last opportunity to see 600 in person.

When Thome and the Twins hit the road, the first stop was Cleveland, where the series averaged $68, or 28% above the season average and 80% higher than the previous Twins-Indians series in early June. Clearly, Indians fans were hoping that Thome could reach 600 at the field he called home for 12 years. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be and the chase moved onto Detroit, where the series average price was $45, or 8% below their season average.

When the Twins arrived at Comerica, it had been eight games since 598, and despite his reputation as a Tiger killer, there was very little anticipation that he would hit two homers during the series, let alone in the first game. For the fans who had a ticket, they saw Thome once again fell the hometown Tigers. This time around, though, they had a nice consolation prize of witnessing something no one else ever had: 599 and 600 in the same game. Whether they paid the average of $47, or the get-in price of $8, it was a deal to remember for 36,211 baseball fans.

A-Rod hit his 599^th homerun on July 23^rd.  He finally connected for 600 yesterday. While separated by only 13 calendar days, the gap between 599 and 600 also contained 46 At Bats, four different opposing teams and 103 specially-marked ‘A’ balls.  For Yankees’ fans, the wait felt like an eternity, and relatively speaking, it was. Willie Mays, who was the next slowest, did it in 21.  The Babe did it in one.
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Over the course of his prolonged pursuit, interest from fans also waned.  The Average price for the first Yankees’ home game with A-Rod at 599 was $71.  After four home-games and one road-trip, the average price for the chance to witness baseball history was $46.
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For A-Rod, the thousands of popping flashbulbs that captured every pitch and swing had clearly become a burden.  Prior to the homerun, he had been mired in a 1-for-20 slump that had a few wondering if he’d still be the youngest man to hit 600 when it actually happened.   When it finally did, on a 1^st Inning, 2-0 pitch from Shawn Marcum, the weekday afternoon crowd was barely in their seats.  As ‘A-104′ came to rest in the netting above Monument Park, A-Rod rounded first base with outstretched arms, as if asking the baseball gods ‘what took you long’?
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As long as the wait seemed, it’s over now and Rodriguez stands alongside Bonds, Aaron, Ruth, Mays, Griffey and Sosa in the canon of homerun heroes.  Some will argue that, along with Bonds and Sosa, A-Rod’s 600 shouldn’t count the same as Ruth’s, Mays’ and Griffey’s.  Regardless of the performance-enhancing discount one applies, though, 600 is an achievement worthy of significant recognition.  For anyone able to catch yesterday’s August afternoon ballgame in the Bronx, it was also probably worth the $46 bucks (on average).

Target Creatures (Section 203) or Target 600 (Section 235)*

Thursday, 7/22, 7:05pm

- Target Creatures: 34 tickets in section 203, $50 or less.

- Target 600: 25 tickets in section 235, $30 or less.

Friday, 7/23, 7:05pm

- Target Creatures: 58 tickets in section 203, $40 or less.

- Target 600: 38 tickets in section 235, $30 or less.

Saturday, 7/24, 1:05pm

- Target Creatures: 59 tickets in section 203, $40 or less.

- Target 600: 36 tickets in section 235, $30 or less.

- Target Either: 10 tickets in eBay auctions, under $30, a couple w/ free shipping.

Sunday, 7/25, 1:05pm
- Target Creatures: 52 tickets in section 203, $45 or less.

- Target 600: 22 tickets in section 235, $30 or less.

- Target Either: 13 tickets in eBay auctions, all under $30, a couple w/ free shipping.

(*Data updated 7/22, 10 am. For up to the minute availability and prices click on any of the links.)