“Dear DAN BOGART,

Thank you for your 2006 Phillies ticket purchase at Citizens Bank Park. A summary of your order follows: 17 Game Plan-C”

Woot!! You read that right.. I am now the proud owner of a 17 game season ticket plan to the phillies. I am overjoyed. Yes I am sharing this package with some friends.. and selling off some games to others to make it affordable… however there are still at least 4 games I will be attending.. and this is 3 weeks before single game tickets go on sale.. of which I am sure I shall partake as well.

So this revelation is probably making you want to ask “But Dan, the phillies have not been to the playoffs in 10 years. They have arguably gotten weaker in the bullpen with the loss of wager, plus the metz are looking to become an elite team in the NL east. With perennial favorites the Braves and their 14 year streak of winning the NL East and the up and coming metz.. not to mention the marlins who have won the world series at least twice since their inception, not to mention twice since the phillies last made it to the playoffs… You would think the phillies are cursed.. or at least.. really bad! What would possess you to buy tickets to go see them fall short of expectations once again?”

Yes, yes.. I’ve heard all these arguments before… But the way I see it.. I freaking love baseball. When I was 40 pounds lighter I wasnt half that bad of a baseball player myself! Ok.. I wasnt great, but I totally enjoyed the game… and watching the game the past few years has been fantastic. I find myself at home most nights of the week in the summer, waiting in anticipation for the game to start, if there wasn’t a game.. I moped around the house for the night….

Going to baseball games is a fantastic experience.. maybe it’s part of being the hive mind… maybe being lost in the sea of red and white and cheering on my team with 40,000 other people just gets my goosebumps up… but also.. there’s nothing better then going to the game with the guys.. Matt, Andy and Jason and I had such a good time at our last game we went to… even tho we sat in a 4 hour rain delay! It was one of the best games I had been to! Yes the phillies lost.. and yes this lost was the one that kept them out of the playoffs.. but it was still a fantastic time. Not to mention we got free tickets for the rain delay! The night games are the best. After a hard day at work, it’s nice to sit back in those chairs and just enjoy being outside for the night watching a ball game. You just get so wrapped up in the game with all the sounds and the crowd and the sport. That ballpark is just gorgeous… a fantastic work of baseball art, you say Camden yards is neat? Well look at citizen’s bank park! The first few times I was there I just couldnt stop looking around, and it took me 3 games before I saw a win and the Liberty Bell to light up and ring! And took me 3 games to see it light up for a Home Run!

I was there for Howard’s first at-bat, Rollins last hit in philly for the streak, and Rollins #32 game hit streak in DC at the end of the season. I am still craving those playoffs.. I am still craving that World Series visit, and I’m still craving that World Series Win.

They say eagles fans bleed green.. well i bleed red! … um and blue and white!

So when you ask me “How could you have gotten phillies tickets and torture yourself so much?”… I ask you… “What took me so damn long?!”