Cold, long wait for Phillies standing room tix

This afternoon's World Series ring ceremony had some hardy souls lining up early at Citizens Bank Park.

All the seats had been sold ten weeks ago, but at 11 a.m. 500 standing-room tickets went on sale, at $13 each.

"I'm very excited. I wish we were allowed in the stadium right now," said Ashley Beaver, 24, after getting a pair of tickets with a friend.

"Now we're going to Chickie's and Pete's, because we have two hours till the gates open," said the teacher's aide, who left Ocean City around 5:30 a.m. to get in line.

Long before then, Rob Weaver was already at the park, waiting in his car by 1 a.m.

About 5 a.m., the Temple student, 24, set up a sleeping bag on a step near the First Base Gate ticket windows.

A cold wind was blowing through South Philadelphia shortly after sunup as he woke up shortly before 7 a.m.

He was surprised he was the only person waiting overnight.

Last year, for the season opener, people had tents set up around midnight, he said, sipping coffee from a 7-Eleven mug.

Soon he was joined by two Northeast guys, Dave Cronin and Jay Pettit, who both work at Frankford-Torresdale Hospital.

When Weaver said he was also getting a ticket for his girlfriend, Cronin, 34, a registered nurse, said, "Same here."

"She's at home right now, snuggled up in bed."

The 2 p.m. ceremony should be special, he said. "It's never been done before at this ballpark. You never know what's going to happen. Hopefully, it's going to be awesome."

Rumor is that Pat "The Bat" Burrell will make a surprise appearance, Weaver said.

Cronin said he'd heard that, too.

Indeed, an online report confirms that Burrell plans to be there, then will hop a flight to join his new team, the Tampa Bay Rays, for a night game in Boston.

"It's going to be a long day," said Beaver, as she and a friend arrived from Ocean City.

She not only saw games during the playoffs, but attended the season's first two games.

"Hopefully, they'll win today," she said.

With even more reason to celebrate was Shawn Hogan, 35, a union carpenter from Levittown.

"It's my dad's birthday, and I'm trying to get him birthday tickets," he said.

The second ticket would be for his mom, he said.

Fans in line said they'd heard the limit was two of the $13 tickets apiece.

By coincidence, today is also the birthday of the mother of Ray Alfen, 50, a Little Debbie snacks distributor from Newark, Del.

Was he was also being the thoughtful son?

"No, I'm not," he said. "I'm not even taking her to dinner tonight."

That's because he'll be at the game with his daughter, son and son-in-law.

Before 1 p.m, all the standing-room seats were gone.