Your card is your ticket to the game

[Baseball is Life]

I just don't get the infatuation with the nice tickets. They're nice and all, but I just don't see it as that a big deal. A couple of my ticket partners have gone ape crap over it and say they will not renew for next year.

I politely explained that it's not about the tickets...it's about going to the games. I'm not sure the ninnies get it. We'll see if they follow through. Frankly, I wouldn't care if they come back or not. I tend to not get along with people with misplaced priorities and who don't get the big picture.

[Baseball is Life]

So after discussions with my rep and testing real-time:

- You cannot recall tickets distributed to cards of your partners.
However, your partner can now mail them on to another party.
Your partner can also recall tickets mailed to a third party.

- You CAN recall cards distributed via email, and re-distribute as desired.

I hope they will have this functionality in place for next year. Just gotta be real careful this year. Kind of a pain.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

So after discussions with my rep and testing real-time:

- You cannot recall tickets distributed to cards of your partners.
However, your partner can now mail them on to another party.
Your partner can also recall tickets mailed to a third party.

- You CAN recall cards distributed via email, and re-distribute as desired.

As a work around, can't your partner distribute them back to you or at least email them back?

[BossDetwiler]

I just don't get the infatuation with the nice tickets. They're nice and all, but I just don't see it as that a big deal. A couple of my ticket partners have gone ape crap over it and say they will not renew for next year.

I politely explained that it's not about the tickets...it's about going to the games. I'm not sure the ninnies get it. We'll see if they follow through. Frankly, I wouldn't care if they come back or not. I tend to not get along with people with misplaced priorities and who don't get the big picture.

I just like having a tangible keepsake from the game.  It's a neat little souvenir linking you back to that specific event, usually with a great design.  To some it's just part of the baseball game tradition.  I'm a sports memorabilia collector . . . cards, autographs, ticket stubs, it's something I enjoy doing.  I would certainly never NOT go to games because of it though.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I rarely get rid of a ticket to a game I went to until I do a big clean up.  I still have my ticket from my first trip to Memorial Stadium in 1986 to watch Oil Can Boyd pitch before the ASB.  He went nuts after the game when he found out he did not make the All Stars.  Of course, he was already nuts, but he let his inner flake express itself at that time.

[Baseball is Life]

I go to way too many games to keep tickets to ordinary games. I keep Opening Day, playoff games, etc., but probably not anymore since they're just the PDF things. No big deal.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

this will be the first season I go to 15 or more, although I may miss games due to the Frozen Four next week. 

[tomterp]

As a work around, can't your partner distribute them back to you or at least email them back?

No on the distribute, yes on the email.  I was panicking because my partner was about to get into his car in Florida for a several day trip and would not have easy laptop access.  But I got to him just before he left.

[comish4lif]

I just don't get the infatuation with the nice tickets. They're nice and all, but I just don't see it as that a big deal. A couple of my ticket partners have gone ape crap over it and say they will not renew for next year.

I politely explained that it's not about the tickets...it's about going to the games. I'm not sure the ninnies get it. We'll see if they follow through. Frankly, I wouldn't care if they come back or not. I tend to not get along with people with misplaced priorities and who don't get the big picture.

My complaint about the "commemorative" ticket would be that there's nothing commemorative about what they designed. When a Nat player does something memorable, or there is a memorable event (no-hitter, 3000th hit, etc.) it would be nice to have an actual ticket - and by just coming up with the most bland, generic ticket - it looks again like they didn't understand the issue.

I understand the folks that just want to have a stub from every game, but I don't know that if I was the Nats, I'd have been too concerned about those folks. But it would be nice to get a true commemorative ticket from a truly memorable event.

[blue911]

My complaint about the "commemorative" ticket would be that there's nothing commemorative about what they designed. When a Nat player does something memorable, or there is a memorable event (no-hitter, 3000th hit, etc.) it would be nice to have an actual ticket - and by just coming up with the most bland, generic ticket - it looks again like they didn't understand the issue.

I understand the folks that just want to have a stub from every game, but I don't know that if I was the Nats, I'd have been too concerned about those folks. But it would be nice to get a true commemorative ticket from a truly memorable event.

this

[Coladar]

this

This x2.

I've got my ticket to the 2005 and 2008 openers, Strasburg, Zimmerman and Harper's first home games, last years playoff matches and more framed above my Nat's 'shrine.' I saved *every* ticket I went to, tossing them in the STH box they came in as a momento. It also serves to let me know what games I went to. I can dig in my 2008 box, see every game I attended that year. If the ticket ain't in there, I didn't go to the game.

Losing physical tickets is a loss, no matter how inconsequential. The card is of no benefit to me, I'm not the type logging online everynight to check whatever promos or discounts they load on to it. Maybe some prefer it, find it advantageous. I don't, and won't. Hell, I liked being able to look when I ripped out my ticket for that night's game to see future matches and times. Last game of the homestand, I took a glance to see the next date and time, referring to it as a 'schedule magnet' throughout the season. For some segment of fans like me, those that don't check e-mails and Tweet or Facebook every 20 minutes, this is a net negative.

It'd have been nice if you could opt out and pay them however damn much they wanted to get a physical book of tickets for STHs, but c'est la vie. Over and done with, but that OD commemorative ticket was definitely proof they completely missed the point for some of the fans.

[Baseball is Life]

I remember when CDs came out, the album collectors mourned the loss of being able to flip through their albums, read the liner notes, admire the cover art, etc.

They didn't seem to notice that the audio was better, CDs required less room to store, were easier to maintain, etc.

This kind of reminds me of that.

The potential benefits of these cards outweigh their drawbacks. I, for one, LOVE the convenience of managing everything online and I'm willing to give up the printed tickets for that convenience. This new system has saved me the hassle of physically dividing and distributing the tickets, for one. I have two full plans and 18 partners. It would take me dozens of hours to connect with them to get them their tickets. It took me about 90 minutes this year to email them their tickets.

[butlerds]

Still, it would be nice if someone could buy a set of tickets in addition to the cards.

[psu2008]

I guess it may be a generational thing. I'm 27 and love the cards (BTW, so much better than Wizards and Caps). My dad is 64 hates them.

Having said that, there are some games I'd like to have stubs for. Either way I imagine this is the way all pro sports teams will eventually go.

[Baseball is Life]

Still, it would be nice if someone could buy a set of tickets in addition to the cards.

Agreed. It would be so easy for the Nats to allow ticket holders to create and order their own tickets online. I also agree with those who think the Nats underestimated the appeal of the printed tickets. My partners will tell you I did too.

[1995hoo]

I remember when CDs came out, the album collectors mourned the loss of being able to flip through their albums, read the liner notes, admire the cover art, etc.

They didn't seem to notice that the audio was better, CDs required less room to store, were easier to maintain, etc.

This kind of reminds me of that.

The potential benefits of these cards outweigh their drawbacks. I, for one, LOVE the convenience of managing everything online and I'm willing to give up the printed tickets for that convenience. This new system has saved me the hassle of physically dividing and distributing the tickets, for one. I have two full plans and 18 partners. It would take me dozens of hours to connect with them to get them their tickets. It took me about 90 minutes this year to email them their tickets.

That's because the audio generally wasn't better and was often worse!

Otherwise, I agree with your comments.

[PowerBoater69]

That's because the audio generally wasn't better and was often worse!

Otherwise, I agree with your comments.

Depends, analog is higher quality of you have a high quality system. CDs are more consistent since they are less prone to scratches, warping, and dull needles.

The bigger issues were 70 minutes of music on a CD rather than having to flip the record every 20 minutes and portability.

[tomterp]

The bigger issues were 70 minutes of music on a CD rather than having to flip the record every 20 minutes and portability.

Of course then they try to cram a double album into a single CD, which puts the advantage back to LP's for those instances.

[Baseball is Life]

I'm just glad somebody remembers the transition from albums to CDs.

[tomterp]

I'm just glad somebody remembers the transition from albums to CDs.

Who's transitioned?   

[mitlen]

Who's transitioned?   

+1

[1995hoo]

I'm just glad somebody remembers the transition from albums to CDs.

A CD is an album, in most cases (although I recall the experiment with CD singles, and I have a couple of 3-inch CDs lying around somewhere).

[Coladar]

Depends, analog is higher quality of you have a high quality system. CDs are more consistent since they are less prone to scratches, warping, and dull needles.

The bigger issues were 70 minutes of music on a CD rather than having to flip the record every 20 minutes and portability.

Well, this explains everything then. There's only one band I truly can say I'm a fan of everything they do. They released a new album last year, I purchased it digitally and physically. My physical copy is on vinyl. Also purchased their singles released from the album, again all on vinyl.

So clearly I'm an old fogey, despite not even being 30 yet. Give me my paper tickets and vinyl records, you young whippersnappers! And get the hell off my lawn!

[OldChelsea]

My collection is mostly CD's today but I still have quite a few LP's...still got 'em, still play 'em...I do not part lightly with old friends!

[PowerBoater69]

Well, this explains everything then. There's only one band I truly can say I'm a fan of everything they do. They released a new album last year, I purchased it digitally and physically. My physical copy is on vinyl. Also purchased their singles released from the album, again all on vinyl.

So clearly I'm an old fogey, despite not even being 30 yet. Give me my paper tickets and vinyl records, you young whippersnappers! And get the hell off my lawn!

of course to take full advantage of the analog records, you need an amp with tubes.