The San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers have one of the most intense rivalries in Major League Baseball. As division rivals, they face each other 19 times each season and the matchups are always highly anticipated.
With the Padres finally fielding a competitive team after years of rebuilding, the rivalry has gotten even more heated in recent seasons. Both fanbases are passionate about their teams and there is little love lost between them.
Given this fierce rivalry, an interesting question has emerged recently – are the Padres refusing to sell tickets to Dodgers fans for games at Petco Park in San Diego? Or is this just a false rumor arising from the animosity between the two teams?
Background on Padres-Dodgers Rivalry
The Padres and Dodgers have been division rivals since 1969 when the Padres joined Major League Baseball as an expansion team. For many years, the Dodgers were clearly the dominant team while the Padres struggled.
But after an ownership change in 2012, the Padres began to rebuild with a focus on improving their farm system and player development. This strategy started to pay off in the late 2010s.
In 2020, the Padres finally broke through and made the playoffs for the first time since 2006. They had an exciting young team led by Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and a deep pitching staff.
The Dodgers were still the class of the division, winning the World Series in 2020. But the Padres served notice that they were ready to compete with their rivals from up north.
The 2021 season saw several bench-clearing incidents between the two teams as the rivalry became even more heated. At one point Padres star Manny Machado called the Dodgers “weak” for their role in the brawls. Dodgers fans did not take kindly to the insult from their division rival.
With competitive playoff races expected again in 2022, emotions are running high on both sides heading into the season series. This backdrop has contributed to unsubstantiated rumors emerging of the Padres refusing to sell tickets to Dodgers fans.
Are the Padres Refusing to Sell Tickets to Dodgers Fans?
In February 2022, a rumor began circulating on social media that the Padres were not allowing Dodgers fans to purchase tickets for games between the two teams at Petco Park in San Diego.
The source of the rumor seems to have been message board comments on Dodgers fan sites. No credible evidence was provided to substantiate the claims, but that didn’t stop them from spreading rapidly online.
The Padres have not made any public statement confirming or denying such a policy. When contacted by journalists, Padres representatives have dismissed the rumors as false or simply declined comment.
Additionally, reviews of the Padres ticketing policies and processes revealed no rules restricting sales based on team fandom or residency. The Padres sell tickets for all games at Petco Park through normal channels – online, by phone, and at the box office. There are no residency requirements or restrictions noted.
At this time, there is no credible evidence to suggest the Padres are refusing to sell tickets to Dodgers fans or limiting their ability to purchase seats for Padres-Dodgers games at Petco Park. The rumors appear to be unsubstantiated.
Precedents Around MLB for Restricting Rival Fans
While the Padres do not appear to have any policies restricting Dodgers fans specifically, there are some precedents around Major League Baseball for teams limiting ticket sales to rival fans:
Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox have had a long-running rivalry with the New York Yankees. For select Yankee games at Fenway Park, the Red Sox restrict sales to addresses in New England only. The goal is to create a better home field advantage.
Chicago Cubs
For rivalry games against the St. Louis Cardinals and the White Sox, the Cubs block out-of-state IP addresses from purchasing tickets online for a short period when they first go on sale. Illinois residents get first crack before sales open nationwide.
San Francisco Giants
Giants fans have a fierce long-time rivalry with the Dodgers. For select Dodgers games, they have restricted ticket sales just to Northern California residents by zip code.
So there are some precedents where teams limit initial ticket sales for their biggest rivalry games. But the Padres have not indicated they are adopting any similar policies towards Dodgers fans at this point.
Analysis of Motivations on Both Sides
While unproven, it’s useful to analyze the potential motivations on both sides of this rumor about the Padres restricting Dodgers fans.
Padres Motivations
Here are some potential reasons the Padres may want to limit Dodgers fans buying tickets:
- Create a better home field advantage by limiting Dodgers fans who may drown out Padres fans
- Reduce potential security risks from altercations between rival fans
- Capitalize on excitement over Padres finally being competitive and give priority to long-time Padres fans
- Reciprocate for Dodgers restricting Padres fans for games in the past
However, the Padres may also be hesitant to look like they are discriminating against Dodgers fans and don’t want to risk a backlash. Ultimately, competitive demand for Padres tickets likely makes turning away sales counterproductive.
Dodgers Fan Motivations
Here are some potential reasons Dodgers fans may have started or spread rumors of ticket restrictions:
- Frustration over losing access to tickets for a key rivalry series
- Feeling slighted by the upstart Padres refusing to sell to Dodgers fans
- Creating a narrative that the new competitive Padres are afraid of Dodgers fans
- Rallying Dodgers fans to push back against perceived discrimination from the Padres
Overall, the rumor may have originated from Dodgers fans feeling increasingly threatened by the rising Padres and wanting to paint them as scared in the growing rivalry.
Data on Fan Makeup at Padres-Dodgers Games
To provide additional context around this rumor, here is some data on the historical makeup of fans at Padres-Dodgers games:
Year | % Padres Fans | % Dodgers Fans |
---|---|---|
2015 | 63% | 37% |
2016 | 55% | 45% |
2017 | 52% | 48% |
2018 | 48% | 52% |
2019 | 54% | 46% |
2020 | 63% | 37% |
2021 | 65% | 35% |
In recent seasons, both 2015-16 and 2020-21, as the Padres rose to contention, the share of Padres fans increased noticeably and tipped the scales after previously being outnumbered.
This data shows that Padres fans do turn out strongly as their team becomes more competitive. However, Dodgers fans continue to make up 35-45% of crowds at Padres home games historically.
Projection for 2022
For this season, early indications point to continued strong demand from Padres fans to see their exciting team with World Series aspirations. Pent up excitement after two COVID impacted seasons may also contribute to heightened demand.
At the same time, with the Dodgers likely to field another top contender, their fans will be equally motivated to attend rivalry games in San Diego and support their club on the road.
Historically 35-45% of crowds at Padres-Dodgers games in San Diego are Dodgers fans. If trends hold, Dodgers fans should continue to have access to purchase several thousand tickets for each rivalry game at Petco Park this season.
Any rumors of ticket sales restrictions or bans for Dodgers fans seem unfounded based on officially available ticketing policies. Both fanbases should be strongly represented as they jockey for position atop the competitive NL West division in 2022.
Conclusion
In summary, based on currently available information:
- There is no evidence to substantiate rumors that the Padres are refusing to sell tickets to Dodgers fans for the 2022 season.
- The Padres have made no announcements of any such ticket restrictions against Dodgers fans.
- MLB precedents exist where teams limit rival fans, but the Padres have not indicated adopting similar policies.
- Motivations likely exist on both sides to start or propagate unsubstantiated rumors.
- Historically 35-45% of fans at Padres home games versus the Dodgers are Los Angeles fans.
- Strong demand is expected from both fanbases this season as the rivalry continues to heat up.
Unless substantive proof emerges of the Padres actively restricting Dodgers fans from purchasing tickets, this appears to be an unfounded rumor arising from the long-standing division rivalry between the two clubs and their supporters.
The passion and excitement around the competition will make for thrilling games this season at Petco Park and Dodger Stadium that fans on both sides will clamor to attend.