You Win, Stan

Despite the horrid worse-than-05 pitching we've seen this spring, I just got off the phone with the Nationals ticket office. I renewed my miniplan.

I've had a number of reasons why I wasn't going to. Whether it was the lack of investment in the '07 team, to the PTSD I was diagnosed with after watching Ramon Ortiz pitch, there were a number of reasons. In the end, though, it came down to flexibility. For various reasons, I missed a number of games on my plan last year, and I'm not rich enough to be able to eat that many games.

But with the team's new ticket exchange program, that problem goes away. If I know I can't make a game, I can trade it in. Or if I'm scheduled to see a Joel Hanrahan start, I can cash that one in ahead of time, too. It's a wonderfully convenient policy, and one I expect not to see next season!

I'll be cashing in a number of those games to bring larger groups of friends (Yes, I have some -- some being defined as more than one) or to make sure that I'm watching John Patterson and not some of the other stiffs.

I went to about 40 games the first year, and a little more than half that last year. I probably won't go to that many this year, but I can already taste the cheap beer and those chili nachos! I'm getting my scorebook ready.

So, Stan, if you're reading this, you got me. You suckered me in. From the initial pitch convincing me I should move down to the cheap seats, to the follow ups informing me of the ticket exchange program, you worked hard for that $200, and your bosses should be proud. That's a few extra bucks they get to pocket under the guise of building the farm! (PS: I'll buy two more tickets if you make Guzman and Logan disappear.)