A swift kick in the head is free

I despise the Pittsburgh Pirates.

One of the many wonderful gifts that baseball has given us is the beauty of a definitive winner and loser. Unlike football and hockey, baseball games don’t end in a tie. Unless the team is managed by Lloyd McClendon. If it is, it’s acceptable to use all of your team’s pitchers, then take your team home before the game is over. Who cares about the fan (me) who paid money ($$) to see a full game (a winner and a loser)? Not Lloyd.

Today, I continue to despise the Pirates. I ordered three tickets to a Spring Training game. The tickets were $6, so $18 for the three. Then they added a $2.75 convenience fee to each ticket, adding another $8.25. There is something wrong with a convenience fee that adds 45.83% to the cost of each ticket.

Because I need these tickets for my annual Spring Training trip in March, I continued the purchase. Then I got to the ticketing options.

The first choice was mail delivery for $2.50. The second choice was leaving the tickets at Will Call for $2.50. The third choice was – Wait a minute. They charged me $2.50 to leave the tickets at Will Call? Why is there a $2.50 charge for them to print the tickets the morning of the game and hold them at the ticket window? That’s wrong. When I get there, I think I’ll just give them my wallet and let them give me back what they think I deserve.

Anyone that hears me chanting in a Boston accent that day, I won’t be rooting for the Red Sox; I’ll be rooting against the Pirates.

P.S. I will write about my Spring Training trip in March, so anticipate it until then. Go Phillies!