Fans snap up Phillies tickets at record rate

Want two seats together at a Phillies game in April? You'll have to sit in an area behind a foul pole - and it won't be on a weekend, according to phillies.com.

Yesterday, regular-season tickets began vanishing at a record rate - exceeding even the pace of last year, when every game sold out.

Single-game tickets went on sale at 8:30 a.m., and within nine hours, 70,000 were gone - the most ever.

Officially, the club announced 15 sellouts, but that only hints at how slim the pickings have become.

The opening three-game series, starting April 1, is sold out. The next two games, against the Mets, have standing room only - unless you buy a single ticket. The same was true of all three games in the next home series, starting Friday, April 15, against the Marlins, as well as for the next home game, Friday, April 29, against the Mets, according to www.phillies.com.

The next day's Mets game sold out.

But adjacent seats were available - behind foul poles - for April 7 against the Mets, and for all three games against the Brewers, starting Monday, April 18.

At least, as of this morning.

The message "Tickets for this game are currently unavailable" comes up for all of the following games as well: May 24 (Roy Oswalt bobblehead giveaway), June 12 (Father's Day), three late June Red Sox games, July 23 (a Saturday afternoon game), July 28 (fireworks), July 30 (a Saturday), Aug. 16 (Placido Polanco bobblehead), and Sept. 22 (Fan Appreciation Night).

By Monday, another half-dozen to a dozen games could sell out, said John Weber, vice president for sales and ticket operations.

Know, however, that "no tickets" doesn't necessarily mean "zero chance." Fans have three longshots for getting tickets through the club. (The after-market always has tickets - at a premium, of course.)

1. A few hours before every home game - even official sellouts - 500 standing room tickets are put on sale at Citizens Bank Park.

2. An online lottery lets some fans buy tickets for Opening Day (April 1) and the three Red Sox games (June 28-30). Go to phillies.com, click "Tickets" and then "Ticket opportunity." Sign-up deadline is Wednesday for Opening Day, March 9 for the Sox.

3. If at first you don't succeed, try again. Occasionally, more tickets are released for a game. And even if you get a "currently unavailable" message at phillies.com, click "Check availability" - you might get lucky.

Fans can buy tickets 24 hours a day at phillies.com or from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays at the ballpark or by calling 215-463-1000.

Besides the regular season games, the Phillies will play exhibition games against the Pirates on March 29 (7:05 p.m.) and March 30 (4:05 p.m.).

Some spring training tickets are also available.