Springfield is a baseball town.

JimNasium · 02-25-2005, 10:54 AM

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Sorry Royals fans............

News-Leader.com | True Ozarks

Published Friday, February 25, 2005 Gearing up for ticket frenzy

Fans stretch their dialing, typing fingers and break out the tents as Saturday nears.

By Kary Booher
News-Leader staff

Come Saturday morning, Sid Kiely plans to be on the horn from Oklahoma City, calling the Springfield Cardinals ticket office, hoping to reach a human. Oh, if only he can get through and buy a couple of tickets to the April exhibition games featuring his boyhood team, the St. Louis Cardinals.

"I'm going to see what I can do," Kiely said. "I'll just dial and re-dial, I guess. But I'm a little concerned."

Kiely acknowledged that his main concern falls squarely on whether a flood of phone calls will shut down the phone system and keep him from getting through to buy one of the roughly 3,000 tickets up for sale. However, the Springfield Cardinals and the man who installed the phone system expressed confidence Thursday that phone lines are equipped to handle a high volume of calls when tickets go on sale at 9 a.m. Saturday.

More tests will be conducted today, and the company handling the team's online ticket sales also insisted its system has sound safeguards in place for those who buy tickets off its Internet site.

To understand the demand, know this: The first man in line, Eddie Bruhn, arrived about 6 a.m. Thursday at Hammons Field, and there's already a ticket offer posted on the online trading site eBay.

By Saturday morning, club officials anticipate the phones ringing nonstop. The club is making only a limited number of tickets available at the four ticket windows, online at springfieldcardinals.com and by phone. Tickets available online will be separate from those sold at the windows or by phone. A four-ticket limit has been set for each order.

The phone lines have been a concern, even for team officials. Construction and the moving of offices last month created several problems.

"But we feel confident that the phones will handle the volume," said Matt Gifford, Springfield Cardinals general manager. "We have the capability to handle people in a queue. If you get a busy signal, you'll just have to call back."

Although 863-2143 is the only number to call for tickets, callers will be welcomed by an automated voice and should expect to be placed on hold. The club will have eight staffers taking ticket orders, but the phone system will allow for 16 callers to sit on hold, said Dennis Brown of Brown Communication, the company installing the system.

When full, "there is going to be a busy signal," Brown said. "It's not going to crash."

Kiely, a Springfield retiree who will be out of town visiting relatives Saturday, hopes not.

"I've been a St. Louis Cardinals fan my whole life," he said. "We usually go to St. Louis games once a year to see them play, but my wife said we'll just see them here."

To handle online orders, the club has contracted with tickets.com, an online site that also handles ticket sales of Major League Baseball games.

Internet users can link to the ticket site through springfieldcardinals.com, but that link won't be posted until 9 a.m., Springfield Cardinals media relations director Mike Lindskog said.

A spokesman at tickets.com also said its site will not post Springfield Cardinals tickets until that time and, when tickets are sold out, a message will be clearly posted.

The ticket site also will allow for only four tickets per order.

"We have all the faith in the world (with tickets.com) that it's going to be fair for everybody," Lindskog said.

Those buying tickets at the window will receive their tickets there. Tickets from orders taken by phone or Internet can be mailed or picked up at the will-call window. A $5 service charge will be added for each phone order, and tickets.com charges a $2 service charge for each ticket purchased, Lindskog said.

It's the situation that now faces Kiely.

"But it's my fault," Kiely said. "I waited too long to do anything about it. If I don't get the tickets, I'll just get some for another game."

Copyright © 2005, The Springfield News-Leader, a Gannett Company.

02-25-2005, 10:54 AM	Topic Starter
JimNasium Voodoo Chile Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: At the crossroad Casino cash: $-763143	Springfield is a baseball town. Link Sorry Royals fans............ News-Leader.com \| True Ozarks Published Friday, February 25, 2005 Gearing up for ticket frenzy Fans stretch their dialing, typing fingers and break out the tents as Saturday nears. By Kary Booher News-Leader staff Come Saturday morning, Sid Kiely plans to be on the horn from Oklahoma City, calling the Springfield Cardinals ticket office, hoping to reach a human. Oh, if only he can get through and buy a couple of tickets to the April exhibition games featuring his boyhood team, the St. Louis Cardinals. "I'm going to see what I can do," Kiely said. "I'll just dial and re-dial, I guess. But I'm a little concerned." Kiely acknowledged that his main concern falls squarely on whether a flood of phone calls will shut down the phone system and keep him from getting through to buy one of the roughly 3,000 tickets up for sale. However, the Springfield Cardinals and the man who installed the phone system expressed confidence Thursday that phone lines are equipped to handle a high volume of calls when tickets go on sale at 9 a.m. Saturday. More tests will be conducted today, and the company handling the team's online ticket sales also insisted its system has sound safeguards in place for those who buy tickets off its Internet site. To understand the demand, know this: The first man in line, Eddie Bruhn, arrived about 6 a.m. Thursday at Hammons Field, and there's already a ticket offer posted on the online trading site eBay. By Saturday morning, club officials anticipate the phones ringing nonstop. The club is making only a limited number of tickets available at the four ticket windows, online at springfieldcardinals.com and by phone. Tickets available online will be separate from those sold at the windows or by phone. A four-ticket limit has been set for each order. The phone lines have been a concern, even for team officials. Construction and the moving of offices last month created several problems. "But we feel confident that the phones will handle the volume," said Matt Gifford, Springfield Cardinals general manager. "We have the capability to handle people in a queue. If you get a busy signal, you'll just have to call back." Although 863-2143 is the only number to call for tickets, callers will be welcomed by an automated voice and should expect to be placed on hold. The club will have eight staffers taking ticket orders, but the phone system will allow for 16 callers to sit on hold, said Dennis Brown of Brown Communication, the company installing the system. When full, "there is going to be a busy signal," Brown said. "It's not going to crash." Kiely, a Springfield retiree who will be out of town visiting relatives Saturday, hopes not. "I've been a St. Louis Cardinals fan my whole life," he said. "We usually go to St. Louis games once a year to see them play, but my wife said we'll just see them here." To handle online orders, the club has contracted with tickets.com, an online site that also handles ticket sales of Major League Baseball games. Internet users can link to the ticket site through springfieldcardinals.com, but that link won't be posted until 9 a.m., Springfield Cardinals media relations director Mike Lindskog said. A spokesman at tickets.com also said its site will not post Springfield Cardinals tickets until that time and, when tickets are sold out, a message will be clearly posted. The ticket site also will allow for only four tickets per order. "We have all the faith in the world (with tickets.com) that it's going to be fair for everybody," Lindskog said. Those buying tickets at the window will receive their tickets there. Tickets from orders taken by phone or Internet can be mailed or picked up at the will-call window. A $5 service charge will be added for each phone order, and tickets.com charges a $2 service charge for each ticket purchased, Lindskog said. It's the situation that now faces Kiely. "But it's my fault," Kiely said. "I waited too long to do anything about it. If I don't get the tickets, I'll just get some for another game." Copyright © 2005, The Springfield News-Leader, a Gannett Company.
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