Letters: A very disappointed fan of Phillies ALS Festival

THE PHILLIES dropped the ball on their annual Phillies ALS Festival. My daughter and I have been going to it ever since the first one at the Vet. If the Phils were winning or losing, we were there. Breezy 80-degree day, or cold, rainy night, we stood in the lines and had a ball.

Now that the Phillies are world champs, I guess now only the privileged few can go.

I attended the last Phillies home game before the so-called sale of the tickets on May 3 versus the Mets, and asked employees in the ticket windows and information booths about the sale of festival tickets. I was told that there was no word on the sale.

Three days later, on May 6, while the team was out of town, the tickets very quietly were put on sale without any advertising or fanfare. The tickets sold out, according to the Phillies, in less then three hours. How did an event that wasn't advertised on TV or radio sell out in such a short time?

When I called, I was offered general-admission tickets. A general-admission ticket to the festival is like buying tickets to a water park, and then being told you can't get wet.

I was later informed that the tickets were sold to season ticket holders after they received an e-mail from the team on the day of the sale. (Don't any of these people work?) I have three friends with season tickets who are still waiting for their e-mail.

If the Phillies win again this year, I just ask that they think about the average fan next year and give them a chance to attend the next festival.

My daughter and I are looking into becoming true-blue Met fans.

Joseph Browne, Philadelphia