26 Wins to End Losing Streak!

The wins are adding up as Pirates get closer
to ending 19 season losing streak.
26 more!

I Got Two Who Needs Two

I'm totally a pro. I'm wheelin', dealin', exchanging, upgrading, printing tickets out of my ass. My first customer, Mike, who took his son to the fireworks game this past weekend, brokered a relationship between me and his buddy, who ended up coming down to meet me at my office yesterday to pick up a pair of tickets for the Sunday Cincinnati game on the last weekend of the season. Then Mike inquired about tickets for another fireworks game, August 25th I think, and of course he gets the very first seasonticketsbaby return customer discount. Way to go, Mike!

I had a kickball game last night (and we were on a 2 game winning streak -- shout out to the PSL Red Team aka North Korean All-Stars, Supreme Kickball Rulers) so I wanted to sell my tickets rather than attend the first game in the Cubs series.  As soon as I put them on craigslist Sunday night I got a few messages and arranged to sell them Monday afternoon near CMU.  Nice and easy, simple, straight forward, and the thing is, since my seats are excellent, people are very pleased with the arrangement.  They're paying less than face value, and I'm getting more than I paid for them.  So it's a deal for both.  They want to get more from me, and they pass my info along to their friends. 

Then a friend of mine got in touch with me. Local sports fan Tim McWig asked about tickets to a day game, to take his daughter to her first game since gaining consciousness. He decided to take Thursday August 16th at 4 against the Dodgers. He's my first paypal transaction, which is great. The Pirates season ticket holder online program lets you manage all your tickets: exchanges, transfers, donations, etc. (By the way, I can donate unused tickets to a children's charity and deduct them from my taxes. Sweet.) So I got my account set up online to transfer tickets to Tim. I just enter his name and email and send them over. He prints them out himself and we're good to go. No need to meet anywhere or exchange a million text messages. Brilliant - and modern. This is all part of the new experience.

Then comes the news that fellow Towson High and Carnegie Mellon alum Jeff Smith, The Chief, is on a road trip and will be in town this week!  Well, take me out to the ballgame and blast me with a hot dog canon, alright!  Let's all go down to PNC Park.  I got the ticket hookup, I'm the pro, I'm the VIP, I got this.  So I call up Kevin, my Pirates ticket representative, to see how this will all work.  If I want to add on any single tickets in addition to my regular ones, I get a modest discount on the price.  If I am actually exchanging  (current or future) tickets I already have then I get the full season ticket discounted price.  So, adding on gets me the small discount, but exchanging gets me the full discounted price.  

So it turns out that both tonight and tomorrow afternoon are pretty booked.  This is a popular ticket right now, and my price range -- Outfield Box -- is apparently very appealing.  So we can't get 5 tickets together tonight or tomorrow in my regular section or even anywhere in the same price tier!  (Well done Pirates fans, keep that attendance figure rising!)  So I can exchange my regular 2 for tonight, then add on 3 additional, and upgrade to Infield Box seats, or downgrade and go upper level (boooo).  So for the 5 Infield Box seats, for which face value would be 33$ I guess, I get 2 of them for 26$ (because of the exchange) and 3 of them (the ones added on) for 30$.  And of course no fees (although, hmm, I do need to check on that to make sure).  Not as extreme a discount as I get on my regular Outfield Box tickets, which is nearly 50%, but still nice.

For tomorrow's game there are 4 seats together in the Lower Outfield Box.  So I will exchange my 2 regular tickets for tomorrow plus 2 of my regular tickets for a future game, to get the 4 tickets together.  And because I'm exchanging 4 (not adding any of them on) I will get the full season discounted price.  Those are only 4$ more than my regular seats, and are also about 50% off.

Ok so this is pretty boring to almost everyone but me.  It helps me understand everything when I can articulate it on the page like this, though.  Plus it gives me a written record (qualitative data, in addition to my spreadsheets of quantitative data) that I can look back on.  Over the past week I've sold tickets via craigslist, through friends, and word of mouth.  I've sold 13% of my games and made back 25% of my cost.  And only 1 game that I sold -- one of the fireworks games -- sold for more than face value (3$ more).  So I'm selling them for less than people would pay normally, but still at a price that's beneficial for me. 

Another Game Another Win

Pedro Alvarez, get out of my dreams and into my car.  He's third in the National League with 21 homeruns.  Teammate Andrew McCutchen is 2nd with 22.  Sounds like a little Zoltan influenced rivalry.  McCutchen also happens to be first in batting average and third in RBI.

Here's what it looks like at PNC Park these days.  It's just different.  It's full.  It's loud.  Brooms flying. Pirate flags.  MVP chants.  Legitimate MVP chants.

28 Wins Away from Ending Streak

Pirates Win Again at Home, 29 Away from Ending Streak

The Pirates scored 4 runs in the 4th inning without even getting a hit.  Think about that.  No hits, 4 runs.  You never know what to expect with Carlos Zambrano, but you certainly wouldn't expect to score four times without getting a hit. Errors, hit by pitches, and walks.  

Yep, just 29

29 wins needed to end the streak

On a night when Zambelli, not the Pirates offense, supplied the fireworks (although Jordy Mercer was seen flashing the Zoltan after knocking a trip- trip- triple off the wall), AJ Burnett was stellar.  The Pirates continue to win games at home.  They get a really sharp starting pitching performance for the first time in a long time.  Once again they win a series against a team with a losing record, and they're set up for a chance to sweep. They're now 29 wins away from putting an end to the losing streak and 13 games above five hundred.  They continue to do what they've been doing, and the second half schedule continues to shape up nicely. I sold my tickets to tonight's game, so I hope Mike and his son had a great time. It was a sell out crowd.

First Sale, Niiice

Playoffs or bust, are you kidding me? Is that really the talk on sports radio? Is that really what people are thinking? That's a bit extreme, to be sure. Anyway, on to more important matters relative to this season ticket holder experience weblog.

Today I made my first ticket sale! I'm now officially a pro. This would have only been my second game of the package, but it made sense to sell. I'm going tomorrow afternoon, Tuesday night, and Wednesday afternoon. Tonight is a fireworks night. No thanks. I had a free t-shirt Friday yesterday, so I'm happy.

So I posted on craigslist this afternoon asking for 30$ each, firm, and got a handful of calls and emails right away. An hour later I was standing outside the new Target in East Liberty trying to convince Mike that my tickets were legit.

So he starts taking pictures and sending them to his buddy, flipping the tickets over and over. If they're not real, they're really good. Mike, if you are reading (since I did try to get him to look at my blog on his phone), I am not trying to make fun of you. You have every right to be skeptical. I'm glad you are a part of the seasonticketsbaby.blogspot.com family and I hope you want to buy more tickets. You and your son are going to have a great time tonight. The only minor issue with my seats is that the aisle is on the left, between you and home plate, and sometimes people walk in front of you. I had to yell at one guy last night -- a few times.

So yeah I made 60 bucks. I'll sell regular games for 20 each and fireworks or fan jam games for 30 each. Once I do that a few more times, I will have made back a a nice chunk of my money.  Free t-shirt Fridays, I'll go to those games.

Pancho No, Pedro Si! Bucs Win Again

Pancho no, Pedro si!

Yeah, son.  That's how you do it.  Pedro (more people should be yelling Pedrooooo when he comes up, like I do) Alvarez is second in the National League in homerun rate.  He homers every 14 at-bats. The rain held up completely.  The bullpen held up, again.  The homeruns flew, again. Bucs are 12 games over .500, the new high water mark for the season.  Neil Walker's double play was the crucial moment. 

30 wins away from ending the streak!

First Game of Season Tickets!

A fan of tix for this fan

PNC Park welcomes the Bucs home tonight for the first time since the all-star break!  Tonight represents my first official season ticket holder game.  Damn I got a lot of tickets.

Damn that's a tall stack of tickets

If the Pirates start sucking again, 

I can always make the world's most expensive flip book!

  Not a good forecest

31 Wins Away from Ending Streak

After dropping some major bombs in Colorado today and finishing up 3-3 on a bumpy road trip, the Bucs inch closer to ending the 19 year losing streak.

31 Wins Needed to End Losing Streak

Just 31 more

James McDonald was not good, but he didn't have to be.  Now the Pirates have a day off to travel home before settling in to a nice second half schedule.  Here's a great article about McCutchen's MVP bid.

Second Half Schedule: Helping or Hurting the Pirates Chances?

As I considered buying season tickets this year, the schedule played a major role in my decision making process for 2 reasons.

1) The Pirates worst performance this year came in April and into May. During that time they faced a lot of good teams and a lot of good pitchers. Even so, they stayed right within striking distance of .500. Last year, on the other hand, they stayed right around .500 while facing a weaker schedule.

2) Now going into the final 2 and a half months they have dozens of games against the 4 worst teams in the National League. They play an inordinate number of games against the Astros and Cubs from the Central, and Colorado and San Diego out west. Also the reverse of last year.

Let's take a look at the schedule starting with their first homestand after the all-star break.  How does it shape up for the Bucs?

Can J-Mac's dominance continue?

First here are some things to keep in mind. The Pirates are a losing team on the road this year. But they have the best home record in baseball. It's ok if both of those things continue roughly the same: mediocre or worse on the road, but stellar at home, fine. Similarly, the Pirates have played just adequately against good teams and pounded the bad teams. That's also fine, as long as it continues. So the point is, the Pirates need to continue to do both, to win 60-70% of their games at home, and win 60-70% of their games against bad teams. The rest of the season breaks down into the following 4 parts.

Part 1 

July 20th - Aug 2nd (13 games)

Between now and August 2nd they play 13 games: 6 at home against the Marlins and Cubs and 7 on the road against the Astros and Cubs.  The Astros and Cubs are terrible and Miami is under .500.  That's 13 straight games against losing teams.  This will be a telling stretch.  Can the Pirates raise themselves a few more games over .500?  They're not playing great right now, so I'll say...

Prediction: 7-6 

Part 2

Aug 3rd - 22nd (20 games)

Reds' Johnny Cueto!

The first weekend in August they play at Cincinnati, their first quality opponent of the second half. Just don't get swept.  1 out of 3 would be fine, 2 would be a bonus. Then they have an 11-game homestand and a short 5-game road trip.  The homestand is 3 series against the Western Division; then they travel to St. Louis and San Diego, their final trip out west this year.

The West has two teams hovering around .500 and two teams that are total clunkers.  This will be another telling stretch, with 11 home games, none against a great team.  Here's the Pirates' advantage.  Just like they need to win a bunch against the lousy Cubs and Astros in July, they need to come away with a bunch of victories during this long stretch at home in August.

So how does this leg add up?  Let's say they only win 1 in Cinci and split the road trip 3-3, that's 4 wins.  What about the 11-game homestand?  Hmm.  You'd like to see 7 or 8 out of those 11, but I'll make the conservative prediction of 6.  So that's 10 total from this part.

Prediction: 10-10

Part 3

Aug 24th - Sept 23rd (27 games)

Meaningful baseball in September?!?

This is a massive stretch.  27 straight games against NL Central opponents.  Here's where the second and third place teams can make up ground, or the leader can put a little distance between them.  Here's where I want my season ticket package to pay off.  Meaningful games in September!  Division leaders going head to head.  McCutchen against Votto.  McDonald vs. Cueto.  This is what I dished out the big bucks for.  Will we have meaningful pennant race baseball games?  Or will the Pirates fade from contention and send me scrambling to StubHub to try and sell off the rest of my tickets?

Remember, they don't need to be in first place, just in contention.  Just relevant.  Within striking distance of the division lead, or right there for a Wild Card spot.  That ballpark will be insane.  So, what's it going to be?

Let's say they play up and down a little and hover right around that .500 point.  I'll give them 14 wins out of the 27 games.  That will leave them just 1 win short of guaranteeing a winning record, with 10 games remaining.  It would probably put them close to, but not in, a playoff spot.

Prediction: 14-13

Part 4 

Sept 24th - Oct 3rd (10 games)

So here's what it comes down to. 10 games left. The 19-year losing streak almost all but erased. A chance at the playoffs. They finish with 6 games at home. That's a good thing. They'll get a crack at a couple of potential Wild Card opponents. They have 3 games against potential division leader Cincinnati, also a good thing. But then the final series. The last 3 games of 2012. Three games that could decide the fate of a magical season. And who do they play? The team that knocked them out of the playoffs 20 years ago and started the streak. The low down dirty Atlanta Braves.
Prediction: 5-5

This would give them 86 or 87 wins for the season.  It would end the losing.  It might even get you into the playoffs.  It would have me buying another season ticket package in 2013, that's for sure.

32 Wins Remaining to End the Streak!

32 wins remaining to end the streak. Get Fired Up.

Winning Engages Everyone

The Pirates and Steelers represent opposite sides of the spectator sport spectrum. Consider 2 different types of experiences. First...

"Yay PNC Park!
Bobbleheads and dippin dots!"

Pierogi races; stale nachos; fireworks; 8$ beer; 3 errors; a dozen men left on base; and some freakin' dippin' dots. No competition, no meaningful gamesmanship, no excitement, drama, or tailgating.

And you paid money to go to this event! Your night climaxed when you correctly guessed the attendance. 12, 364 Yes I got it! You cheered the loudest when the person spinning the prize wheel on the JumboTron decided to take the mystery box instead of the Pirates windbreaker. The box, you yelled with unbridled fervor, TAKE THE BOX!  Had they kept the windbreaker, you'd have gone home unfulfilled... This is something thousands of people paid to go do every night for years. Imagine if I showed up at your house dressed like The Highly Intelligent Oliver Onion, with a fifty dollar six-pack, and made you watch Jeremy Burnitz play the outfield. Does that sound like a good time? No, you'd be Fucking Pissed.

My twin

Now consider this.... A full stadium focused on the game, the team, the competition, the end goal of winning. Think Steelers-Ravens. The venue as a whole engages emotionally with the game. Everyone groans, oohs, and ahhs in unison. Think NHL playoffs. Even watching at home it's actual reality TV.

Great spectator sports = absorption

Remember when you read books? Like, a really good novel? You become the character, completely absorbed in their world. Your eyes race over the words, finger poised to flip the page (or scroll the screen). The author engages you, and you engage back. Good spectator sports take you to this level of absorption.

But sports don't end. There's always another chapter. A baseball season has 162 games. One hundred and sixty-two! Shakespeare himself only wrote 38 plays.  Well, Lady MacBeth meet Andrew McCutchen, because I just bought tickets to 38 Pirates games. To win, or not to win, that is the question.  The spectator needs a reward for engaging, and winning engages everyone.  Winning will change the experience at PNC Park.  It is changing the experience at PNC Park. Winning is what I paid to see. Without winning the tragedy unfolds.

The Pirates are 33 wins away from ending the losing streak, and 39 wins away from the playoffs. Tonight they head out west to face the last place Colorado Rockies. They need to win, and win again, before coming back home this weekend to face Miami. They lost first round draft pick Mark Appel over the weekend. They lost two out of three games to the Milwaukee Brewers. They lost both games that McDonald and Burnett started. Now it's time to start winning again.

33 Wins Away from Ending Streak

33 wins away from ending the streak