What does $1,000 and 11 years of loyalty get you? For some Milwaukee Brewers fans, apparently a seat in the 400 level.

After 44 years, the Brewers are finally heading back to the World Series. But an old promise to some of their most loyal supporters has created an unexpected controversy ahead of their return to baseball's biggest stage.

Back in 2015, Milwaukee launched the ‘Timeless Ticket', selling just 1,000 tickets for $1,000 each and promising holders access to any future home game.

And there was no expiry date.

"Whether it's this season, the year 2050, or the 7th game of the World Series, all are valid games to redeem a Timeless Ticket," the Brewers advertised at the time.

The promotion also allowed holders to purchase up to three additional tickets to the same game at full retail price, with seats to be allocated based on the "best available seat locations" at the time of redemption.

For a team that had not reached the World Series since 1982, holding onto the ticket required some patience. And, eleven years later, that patience had finally paid off, or so the lucky fans who secured one thought.

With Milwaukee ending its 44-year wait for another shot at the championship, several hundred Timeless Ticket holders indicated they wanted to redeem theirs for the World Series.

But when it came time to cash in, the seats on offer were not quite what some had been waiting for for more than a decade. Some holders were presented with options limited to the 400 level or standing room, despite better seats reportedly becoming available in the public sale.

It left fans up in arms, calling out the club for seemingly failing to deliver on its original promise.

One holder, Danny Fochesato, bought his Timeless Ticket in 2015 with the intention of saving it for exactly this moment.

"We had a form, and it only had 400-level or standing-room options," Fochesato told ESPN.

"We couldn't even know what game we had. We just had to put a preference of which ones we wanted, then submit the form and just sit and wait to see what we got. I immediately was like, 'No, that's bogus.'"

The criticism eventually prompted the Brewers to acknowledge they had fallen short in handling the promotion.

Brewers president of business operations Rick Schlesinger said the club had been able to provide seats to all Timeless Ticket holders who requested them, but admitted mistakes had been made in the process.

"We subsequently erred in our internal communications on the logistics of fulfilling the requests," Schlesinger said.

"While we were able to accommodate all with seats, we received feedback from some that they were unhappy with their seat locations.

"Clearly, even with extraordinary limitations on available seats, we did not live up to the spirit of the program, and we have been working through a resolution."

And the solution may ultimately make the 11-year wait a little more worthwhile.

Any holder who applied to use their Timeless Ticket for the World Series before the deadline will now be able to keep their allocated World Series seats without surrendering the original ticket.

That means they can attend Milwaukee's long-awaited return to the World Series and still keep their Timeless Ticket to redeem at another Brewers home game in any future season.

"We regret our mistake and look forward to welcoming them to American Family Field for their World Series experience," Schlesinger said.

 

It is an unusual sideshow to what should otherwise be a celebration in Milwaukee.

But with the ticket drama now settled and a World Series ahead, the Brewers will just be hoping it is not an omen for how their long-awaited return plays out.

zoe malliaris
zoe malliaris
Zoe Malliaris is a sports journalist who also works as a radio producer at 3AW, with experience across digital, broadcast and social media. She covers the latest news and talking points across the sporting world, with a particular love for AFL.
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