... Cub fans everywhere will set their clock radios to WGN, to go off at 6 am...
... they will be setting up banks of computers and telephones...
... because next Friday, February 24, is the day 2006 single-game tickets go on sale.
The first thing to remember about next Friday is:
Seriously, don't. You'll get tickets. Somehow. I can tell you that there's always a way to go to the game you want to attend, without paying a broker or a scalper outrageous prices.
Over the next week I'll post a few more things about the ticket sale. The first thing you'll have to do, if you live in the Chicago area and intend to try to get tickets at the box office next Friday, is to go to Wrigley Field and get one of their very attractive numbered wristbands.
The dates and times to do this are:
Wednesday, February 22, 11 am - 10 pm
Thursday, February 23, 7 am - 10 pm
Hint: in past years, the evening hours, after around 7 pm, are the least busy times. If you go during the afternoon, expect to wait somewhere between 60 and 90 minutes in line. The advance weather forecast for those two days isn't too bad -- partly cloudy, upper 30's, not too dissimilar to many Opening Days, so spending that much time outdoors won't be too stressful.
Now, if you don't live in Chicago, or figure you'll have better luck online, maybe you're setting up computers, figuring out browser tricks (hint: I've heard rumors that the 'open 50 browser windows at a time' method, which has worked in the past, may not this year), or using any one of a number of other computer secrets.
Think about this: if YOU can buy "Ticket Broker Secrets" on eBay, then anyone else can too; thus, pretty much everyone probably has them, and they're not very secret any more, right?
Hint: I have purchased both baseball and concert tickets on the phone in the past, and had MUCH better luck doing it that way than online. YMMV, of course.
Finally, I intend to set up a procedure here on BCB where you, the BCB reader, can post both "tickets wanted" and "tickets for sale" items. Note: please don't do this until I establish the procedure!! -- and, under NO circumstances will I allow BCB to be a conduit for sale of tickets over face value. What I want to do is to help people here connect with each other and help each other get to the ballpark.
Get some rest before next Friday. You'll need it!
Oh, one more thing. Here's what Mike Kiley wrote in today's Sun-Times about Kerry Wood and Mark Prior:
Sure, we all want baseball news. But give us NEWS, not a rehash.