Photo by philliefan99

Maybe Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey had a slow day, because yesterday he took to Twitter to complain of the Nats’ “Take Back the Park” plan, under which credit-card holders with D.C., Maryland or Virginia addresses get first dibs at tickets for a three-game series between the Nats and Phillies in May. Casey is apparently unhappy that local Nats fans would, you know, be given some priority for baseball tickets in their hometown, especially for a budding rivalry in which Phillies fans have made their presence well known.

Casey didn’t just settle for an angry tweet, though. According to the Philadelphia Daily News, he also penned a letter to Nats owner Ted Lerner (with a cc: to MLB Commissioner Bud Selig) complaining of the policy:

It has come to my attention that residents of Washington, DC, Virginia and Maryland have been given special priority access to tickets sales on the dates in May when the Nationals and the Phillies compete. According to the team’s website, only credit card billing addresses from these two states and the District of Columbia will be processed for the presale, effectively blocking thousands of Phillies fans who root for their team by visiting Nationals Park. I appreciate the desire to enjoy a home field advantage, but this unprecedented policy solely and unfairly targets Phillies fans.

As the Nation’s capital, Washington DC uniquely plays host to visitors from across the country. In addition to the fans who visit exclusively for Phillies games, tourists from the Commonwealth who hope to include a game on their Washington, DC itinerary could be blocked from attendance. In the spirit of good sportsmanship and healthy competition, I urge you to reconsider the policy and immediately allow Phillies fans equal access to ticket sales at Nationals Park.

The letter wouldn’t sound so foolish if he didn’t make it sound like this is a modern-day civil rights struggle and Phillies fans are baseball fandom’s Rosa Parks. Oh yeah, and if it didn’t come from a sitting U.S. senator. And if there weren’t already thousands of tickets available through unofficial channels.