How Do We Pick Tickets?

If you're new to the group for 2010, or are considering it, here's how we figure out who goes to which games...

• In February/March, I ask you to submit to me a list of games that you want.  This list includes:

1. Date you want
2. How many tickets (2 or 4)?
   
3. New in 2010: Which section? (and will you change sections if your first choice is full?)
   
4. Choices should be listed in your order of priority.
   

This list can be as simple or complex as you like.  You can ask for specific games or you can just say - "give me 5 weekend games spread throughout the season."  You can list a specific alternate(s) for each game (e.g., Aug 13.  Alt: Aug. 15, Aug. 20) - otherwise I just go to the next game on your list if your choice is taken.  You could say - "one game in the Milwaukee series - date doesn't matter."  You can ask for 4 tickets - but say you'll take 2 if that's all that's left.  And so on, etc. etc.

• In about mid-March I take the collected lists and try to go through them.  So far, this group's schedules and the group size haven't really allowed for a meeting of everyone in a single place.  Usually I can get through most of the distribution during the first weekend of the NCAA tournament.
• Names are picked randomly.  Each ticket purchased gets you one "name in the hat" - though it's actually done electronically.  The more total tickets you purchase, the higher the probability for selection.
• However, each person gets their first game before anyone else gets a 2nd.  Everyone gets a 2nd before anyone gets a 3rd. Etc.  So the person buying 40 tickets has a better chance of being selected first over the person buying 6, but we won't be halfway through the 40-ticket person's choices before the 6-ticket person even gets a game.
• You're in the mix until your ticket allocation is complete - or I run out of choices.  After it's all done, if you don't have all your tickets, I go back to you with an updated list of availability and we do this for another round.  In 2010, you will be encouraged to list many alternate selections.

2010 Opener - The home opener is out of the random mix for 2010 only.  This game will be reserved for group members who joined in 2001 and 2002.

Club Seats - The Legends Club seats are part of our distribution process but my agreement with the seat owners is that they choose the games that they want first and then our distribution begins with the remaining tickets.  This will be the first time we've tried it, but I hope to have an availability list in mid-to-late February before you submit your lists.

Because payment is due in December, but we're selecting in March, we may have to do some readjusting of finances in March/April.  Maybe it turns out you wanted 10 Diamond Box and 10 Field Box but ended up with 8 & 12.  Or instead of getting 20 tickets total we only placed you in 16 and you decide not to take your last 4 from the remaining open games.  Best option is to estimate and pay for what you want in December and we'll adjust later if necessary.

We may also need to reconsider how to handle weekday afternoon games.  In the past, we've had a pretty liberal trade-in option with the Twins, but I expect that won't be as convenient for the first few years of Target Field.  I don't want to necessarily stick people who run out of game choices during the selection process to be stuck with multiple afternoons if they can't make those.