KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Last October, the Royals were the hottest ticket in town. This spring, they remain scorching.
On the heels of an American League championship, the Royals' season-ticket base has increased 35 percent from last season, according to senior director of sales and service Steve Shiffman. The Royals have sold out of their premium seating in the Crown Club, Diamond Club and Diamond Club Box, although suite rentals for single games remain available, Shiffman said.
In 2014, Kansas City reached the playoffs for the first time in 29 years and claimed the franchise's third AL title.
"Winning doesn't cure all evils, but it definitely helps on the sales level," Shiffman said. "Going to a World Series, having a great season, you're always going to be guaranteed a better sales time the following season because you don't have to pick a player and say, 'Here's our future.' People saw it, they witnessed it, they experienced it here.
"This was such an exciting, electrifying crowd of local Missourians, Kansas people cheering on their team. It was amazing. It truly was."
Shiffman said season-ticket sales could still grow in the 13 days until Opening Day in addition to in-season sales, and this year's sales should surpass 2012's, when Kansas City hosted the All-Star Game.
Season-ticket holders have priority access to postseason tickets, which became more likely to occur after last season's World Series run.
LET’S GO, ROYALS: Check out these photos of fans and the excitement around Royals baseball.
"Many people probably ended up going to brokers to get what they wanted for the postseason and probably paid an exorbitant amount of money," Shiffman said. "Tickets on the secondary market were just flying, five, 10, 12, 15 times higher than the actual price. ... We try and take care of our season-ticket holders."
Shiffman said ticket prices went up across the board, although by a pretty normal increase. Fans can still purchase season tickets for as little as $15 per game.
Opening Day on April 6 against the White Sox is sold out, although the season's first home game is typically sold out, regardless of the previous season's results.
"(Fans) come early and they sit until the very last pitch in the ninth inning," Shiffman said. "They cheer on their team and they're loyal to the Royals. I'm happy for them, what happened last year, more than anything else because they deserve it."
You can follow Matthew DeFranks on Twitter at @MDeFranks or email him at matthew.defranks@gmail.com.
