Ticketless baseball fans in Denver

Updated Oct. 23, 11:50 a.m.; details at bottom.

What if you threw a World Series and no one came because they couldn't buy tickets?

That is the dilemma facing the Colorado Rockies on Monday after the baseball team suspended online ticket sales because servers were overwhelmed by traffic.

"We are as frustrated and disappointed as (fans) are," Jay Alves told The Denver Post, adding that team officials had no idea so many people would try to use the Web site.

The team said it would honor the several hundred tickets already sold but it's unclear how or when sales of tickets will resume for the series, which kicks off in Boston against the Red Sox on Wednesday. The series moves to Denver for game three on Saturday.

Tickets were supposed to go on sale at 10 a.m. MDT, but many fans reported getting messages at that time that the server was full when they attempted to make ticket purchases. The newspaper reported that the breakdown was due to a problem with the ticketing software operated by Paciolan, an Irvine, Calif.-based ticketing company. The problem reportedly also affected other Paciolan customers, including the University of Colorado football team.

Because ticket sales were planned to be conducted only online, many fans are apparently converging near Coors Field in hopes that the team will sell tickets in person through the box office; so many in fact that the police have closed streets around the ballpark and are erecting barricades, the paper reported.

October 23 update: A day after saying that ticket servers buckled under the traffic of 8.5 million hits, team officials now say the servers crashed as a result of an "external, malicious attack." Neither the team nor Paciolan offered any details about the attack, but some speculate that it could have been a denial-of-service attack.

Some 18,000 tickets for each game remain unsold, and the team plans to try to resume ticket sales Tuesday.

[tmccrack]

Total no-brainer...

That was a total no brainer... rather than selling to the local fans, Rockies decide to sell to the world. Then are surprised scalpers around the world over whelmed their servers.

[noldorin]

Agreed...

It was also disheartening to see the Rockies organization repeatedly say they are "frustrated"... I have friends who took a half day off work to buy these tickets. A simple "I'm/We're sorry, I/We take responsibility for my/our actions" goes a long ways.

[tomstar3000]

duh

I have been on all day, no way was I getting on. I had friends from NY, Boston and Rhode Island that had no problem. I believe the Rockies blocked most of the Colorado IPs from buying tickets so out of state people could get there hands on tickets to allow for more tourist dollars coming to Denver.

[jimmymist]

City of Denver/Rockies Contract?

Most MLB teams have in their contracts with the city that in an instance like this they will resort to reserve auction system- How is it that the Rockies could be so woefully unprepared for ONLINE ONLY ticket sales? I am sure Bud Selig and his mafia cronies will let the games move forward even if fans can't purchase tickets- after al we wouldnt want to be concerned about MLB fans now would we?

[bschmidt25]

Duh

When I heard they were *only* going to be selling tickets online, I saw this coming a mile away - especially with all of the scalpers out there trying to make a quick buck. They should have just sold them in person and limited the number of tickets each person can buy. Really bad idea...

[tomstar3000]

Rockies Ticket Website Dropping Packets From Colorado?

Did the Rockies limit ticket sales by denying access from IP originating in Colorado?

"After trying all day I could not buy tickets to any game of the World Series. Several friends attempting and with information that least 20 other people attempting to get tickets and failing, I assumed the Rockies were selling to brokers first. I have a learned that friends in New England had no problem buying tickets online, in fact it was easier than buying movie tickets....."