Need proof this is an election year for U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr.? Well he just took a principled stand in defense of...the rights of Philadelphia Phillies fans to travel to the nation's Capitol to root against the Nationals. Casey, in a letter to Nationals owner Theodore Lerner, decries a new team "gimmick" that gives priority in home game ticket sales to customers from Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia.
"The Phillies have some of the best fans in the world and they shouldn’t be left out in the cold on tickets just because the Washington Nationals want a stronger home field advantage," Casey wrote, sending a copy of the letter to Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig.
This bubbled up in the sports world six days ago when the Washington Post reported on the plan by the Nationals, quoting Nats Chief Operating Officer Andy Feffer as saying he was tired of the Phillies fan invasion at his home games.
"Forget you, Philly," Feffer said in the Post. "This is our park, this is our town, these are our fans, and it’s our time right now."
You can read Casey's news release and letter after the jump.
Casey Calls on Washington Nationals, MLB To End Ticket Gimmick to Keep Phillies Fans from Games at Nationals’ Park in DC
In An Effort to Keep Phillies Fans from Games at DC Ballpark, Nationals Are Restricting Ticket Sales to Credit Card Holders from DC, VA, MD
Phillies Fans Annually Pack Nationals’ Park for Games; New Gimmicks Are Intentional Effort to Keep Them Out
Casey: Phillies Fans Shouldn’t Be Excluded from Ticket Opportunities
Washington DC- Today, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) called on Washington Nationals owner Theodore Lerner to reverse course on a reported plan to block access for Philadelphia Phillies fans to games at Nationals Park when the Phillies come to DC this year.
Annually, Phillies fans from Pennsylvania and around the region have packed Nationals’ stadium when their team plays in Washington. Recently, the Nationals announced a new gimmick to keep Phillies fans out. According to recent reports about the plan, tickets to Phillies/Nationals games in DC would first be made available to credit card holders from Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia – effectively limiting and potentially eliminating opportunities for Pennsylvania fans to purchase tickets.
“Phillies fans should have the same right that every other fan across the country has to purchase tickets and this gimmick by the Washington Nationals should be stopped right away,” Casey said. “The Phillies have some of the best fans in the world and they shouldn’t be left out in the cold on tickets just because the Washington Nationals want a stronger home field advantage.”
The full text of Casey’s letter to Washington Nationals owner Theodore Lerner can be seen below:
February 9, 2012
Theodore N. Lerner
Managing Principal Owner
Washington Nationals
Nationals Park
1500 South Capitol Street, SE
Washington, DC 20003
Dear Mr. Lerner,
I write regarding the recently announced “Take Back the Park” ticket policy at Washington Nationals Park and to respectfully request its elimination. I am concerned that dedicated Philadelphia Phillies fans will be unfairly denied access to games when their team plays against the Nationals.
It has come to my attention that residents of Washington, DC, Virginia and Maryland have been given special priority access to tickets sales on the dates in May when the Nationals and the Phillies compete. According to the team’s website, only credit card billing addresses from these two states and the District of Columbia will be processed for the presale, effectively blocking thousands of Phillies fans who root for their team by visiting Nationals Park. I appreciate the desire to enjoy a home field advantage, but this unprecedented policy solely and unfairly targets Phillies fans.
As the Nation’s capital, Washington DC uniquely plays host to visitors from across the country. In addition to the fans who visit exclusively for Phillies games, tourists from the Commonwealth who hope to include a game on their Washington, DC itinerary could be blocked from attendance. In the spirit of good sportsmanship and healthy competition, I urge you to reconsider the policy and immediately allow Phillies fans equal access to ticket sales at Nationals Park.
Sincerely,
Robert P. Casey, Jr.
United States Senator
cc: Allan H. Selig, Commissioner, Major League Baseball
cc: Andrew Feffer, Chief Operating Officer, Washington Nationals
i'm so glad this is what our politicians are concerned about right now.— AlexSp- yes and the republicans are concerned with destroying the country and making the rich richer while skimping on investing on our crumbling infrastructure in order to make their rich oil buddies richer. — tynol10
- republicans and tea baggers are destroying everything but thankfully the senate and the president are stopping most of their pathetic bills.
you can't just build a bridge and not invest in it. it won't stay up that way. republicans don't seem to understand that an investment needs repair, upgrade, etc.... and it will wind up costing more down the road in repairs if ignored.— tynol10 
Comment removed.- Comment removed.
- Um no. Democrats generally make a difference. They stand up for the good of the people. Not the good of the corporations. Casey has a good record and he has made a lot of difference including pushing for funding for transportation infrastructure. Something the republicans are dragging their feet with because they simply don't care about it. Republicans are destroying the country and democrats are trying to save it.
— tynol10 - What??? You know who takes the most money from Wall Street? I'll give you a second...yes, 0bama. — journalismIsDead
- republicans, oil companies. bankers. big companies. if you don't know this you're a total idiot. dems are the good guys and republicans are the bad guys. it's like a comic book. a child could understand it. — tynol10
- Before you take your next government handout or entitlement remember one thing:
Ask not what your country can do for you.— journalismIsDead - good. Casey is a damn good senator. Our infrastructure needs a lot of investment. And that will cost a lot of money but it will make people a lot safer. Republicans are cheapasses and don't care about the needs or safety of people. So the only people left to invest in our transportation infrastructure are democrats. So it's best we elect them in the next cycle or the cost will just go up and the probability of someone getting killed due to penny pinching on an old highway, bridge, or railroad track will skyrocket.
We need to elect democrats who want to make the investments we need and this is one of them.— tynol10 - You must be kidding. Not that Casey felt the need to waste his time writing this letter, but that Casey is still alive. I thought we were down a senator.— Wiseman6
- No threats? C'mon Case!— TheDude
- I thought this was gonna be something good. Like Casey would let you use his zipcode and address to purchase tickets.— subsonickharma
- Geographic discrimination! Is there a law or regulation we can throw at it?— manyhats
- Interstate commerce only regulated by the feds, something like that. — journalismIsDead
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David Gambacorta spent a small eternity writing about cops, drug dealers and serial killers. Now he’s writing about power and politics – which sometimes reminds him of the old crime beat. He joined the Daily News in 2005. And yes, he knows you’re not quite sure how to pronounce his last name. E-mail tips to gambacd@phillynews.com
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Catherine Lucey joined the Daily News in 2002 and has written about murderous drug gangs, political protesters and Harry Potter. After covering the 2007 mayoral election, she moved over to the City Hall bureau where she has been reporting on the Nutter administration.
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Jan Ransom, a native New Yorker, joined the Daily News in 2010 after graduating from Howard University. She has since written about the difficulty of filing police complaints, tax deadbeats and life after violent home invasions. She joined the Daily News City Hall Bureau in 2011 and has plunged headfirst into reporting on administration budget battles and City Council shenanigans.
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