I don't live in St. Louis (yet) so this story didn't really hit home. But the more I thought about it the more I felt pretty bad for those few people who showed up this morning at Busch Stadium for the first crack at single game tickets.
I say first crack, but that's not entirely true. As a member of Cardinals Nation -- a (hardly) "exclusive" club for fans -- I paid $20 awhile back and got several free things and a pre-sale opportunity for single game tickets that began Wednesday afternoon. Then I also won some sort of second chance drawing to buy Opening Day tickets plus tickets to other games throughout the season. I don't know exactly why I say this other than to brag.
But as game tickets went on sale this morning online, by phone and at local grocery stores, many older Cardinals fans showed up at the stadium hoping for a better shot at some of the biggest games of the season. Apparently radio stations announced the stadium box office would be open and even other outlets may have reported it too. So imagine the surprise when the gaggle of fans were told waking up early, skipping work and heading downtown was for naught.
I understand that Internet sales are easier and make more sense for the Cardinals. I understand it takes man hours to monitor web sales and phonelines. And I completely understand if you want to hold off on opening the box office for a day or two and only sell tickets through certain outlets.
But for fans without Internet, fans who would rather spend cash or fans who have made an annual ritual out of knocking down Busch Stadium in hopes of securing their spots in the facility for the summer, you have to feel for them. Cardinals ownership, marketing, sales department -- someone, is entirely to blame for this. They probably care very little as long as someone spent money somewhere. But how hard would it have been to solidify information across the St. Louis area about where to purchase tickets on a day that traditionally causes long lines and hours of busy signals?
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