Yeah, I was there

So I wasn't crazy or fanatical enough to camp out all night, but I did get down to Hammons Field to join in the excitement of single-game ticket sales. While some people froze to death - but no doubt had the time of their lives - I picked up EA Sports' MVP Baseball 2005 for the ol' Playstation 2 (Springfield Cardinals now included in the game, but not Hammons Field), watched "Old School" and spent a cozy night in bed.

Mrs. Kess, Peanut, Bug and I didn't get down to the yard until noon or so and the line stretched from the right field box office until the gate near home plate on the first base side - not the main gate. Most folks were in a good mood, excited and anxious about getting tickets to the big Springfield Cardinals vs. St. Louis Cardinals exhibition game. We were there to soak up the atmosphere and maybe snag tickets to the home opener against Tulsa on April 12.

Tickets for the exhibition games sold out early in the afternoon, leading to a mass exodus from the ticket line. Good for us. By the time we got to the windows it was hard to find more than 2 seats together for opening night, but we made do. Yeah, it's not the first-ever game the Springfield Cardinals will play in Hammons Field, but it's the first one that will count. I couldn't be more excited.

It's cool to see the civic pride this team is bringing out. I wore my red home hat around Friday and people struck up conversations everywhere I went. Ticket sales were all over the local newscasts and above the fold on Saturday's News-Leader. Like baseball or not, this has brought a lot of excitement to southwest Missouri. Some duder in line behind me had driven all the way from Joplin to get tickets. The jerseys may say "Springfield," but the excitement is all over the Ozarks.

Here's what sucks...just six hours after tickets for the game sold out, they're already up on EBay. One jerk is getting $162.50 for two $18 tickets. The sellers are getting creative to get around Missouri's scalping laws. One says: "You are bidding on a "Night before ticket sales, Hammons Field" photo. A 'Once in a lifetime' shot of just how devoted the New Springfield Cardinal fans already are!  Included with this photo, the winning bidder will receive 1 pair of tickets (thats 2 seats!),valued at $10.00 ea to the Exhibition game between the Spfld Cardinals vs St. Louis Cardinals." The starting bid for the "picture"? Fifty bucks. The photo, by the way, looks to be a capture from Killian Construction's Web Cam. I feel bad for the families that waited in line for hours to take their kids to see the St. Louis Cardinals and came up empty handed. These EBay scalpers are making big bucks.

I'm off to College of the Ozarks now. The Lady ''Cats are playing for their fourth straight Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference championship and fourth straight bid to Nationals. Put this in the bank...They'll win.