I had a lot of trouble finding a decent seat to last night's game 2. i didn't want to pay a lot of money for a ticket if i couldn't sit behind home plate. everyone i spoke to before the game (craigslist, ebay) told me that there was no way in hell i would a find a ticket in 100-120 (the sections between first and third) for the $180 i was willing to spend. only a few minutes into my quest i was able to find a single ticket in 118 for $180. however, i was convinced that i could find a ticket even closer to home plate.

but things quickly soured. at 8:10 i realized that calling "bird", the scalper from cincinnati, might be the best decision. when i finally caught up with him, he regretted to inform me that he had just sold the ticket. before i really had a chance to hyperventilate i bumped into a college friend of one of the phillies' players (i'm not at liberty to tell you who it was).........section 107, row ee, seat 4, which was directly behind home plate. face value was $225 and i was able to snag it for $179. i sat next to the player's friend and the player's parents. i was three rows in front of the auxiliary press box. friends of phillies' catching prospect lou marson sat next to me. the wives of phillies' players sat a row in front of me. and i was close enough that i could make out some of the celebrities who were seated between home and the rays' dugout.

not only did i get the ticket for less than face value. but if i had tried to buy that same ticket on craigslist or ebay, i'll bet that it would have cost me at least $600. on top of all of that, i got to see my boy, 'big game' james shields, get a victory.