Scott Miller, senior baseball writer at CBS Sports.com wrote a piece on efforts by the Arizona Diamondbacks to award season tickets to fans going through difficult times. The club asked for fans to write a letter explaining why they should get season tickets. winners included a family of seven who are going through financial hardships and had asked for two season tickets to rotate among the kids. The D-Backs granted the family seven.
Another heartwarming example was of Mary Lou and Carl Tichenor, as written by Miller:
"The Tichenors had been charter season-ticket holders since the Diamondbacks were ushered into the majors in 1998. They both attended games for years, though eventually Carl's job working communications for a building technology company put him on the road too much of the time and Mary Lou would attend the games by herself. Carl estimates that his bride has missed fewer than two dozen home games since '98.
About five years ago, Mary Lou was stricken with a debilitating form of muscular dystrophy, and her muscles are getting more and more cranky. Saddest thing is, those muscles are doing pretty well when measured against the grouchiness of the bills that are coming due. She went from a wheelchair to a hydraulic wheelchair, and when that pooped out, the Tichenors had to purchase another one.
She's got Medicare, but Carl, 57, was laid off awhile back and you know the state of health care in this country. Incredibly expensive prescriptions, another hydraulic lift wheelchair, practically more doctors than blouses -- let's see, there's the neurologist, the heart doctor, on and on it goes because Myotonic Dystrophy Type 2 is a multi-systemic disease -- and, well, you know what was on deck to be whacked out of the budget.
Baseball tickets.
Carl read about this scholarship program and, though he hated like heck to sing a woe-is-me tune and his ego took a beating with each word, he wrote a heartfelt letter of application.
'I thought Mary Lou's joy at possibly benefiting from this would far supersede anything to do with my pride,' Carl said. 'I wasn't overly comfortable doing this, but I also expressed to the Diamondbacks that I was sure they would give it to the right people.'"
In a baseball world mired this offseason by the Mitchell Report, steroids, and the threat of congressional subpoenas to players (I'm looking your way, Roger Clemens) it's great to see a team give back to its fans, especially one that isn't known for having big pockets like the Yankees and Red Sox. But rather, it was by the Arizona Diamondbacks, a team with few superstars and a modest budget, who gave to disadvantaged fans the greatest gift it can: free season tickets.
For the entire 3-page article, the link is here. Also check out the talk back links at the bottom of the page. Initial fan reaction has been outstanding.
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