Photo by BobbyTechnology
Readers of today’s dead-tree edition of The Washington Post opened today’s Sports section to find a full-page advertisement paid for by the Washington Nationals. The ad, headlined “Gratitude,” is in the form of an open letter from members of the Lerner family. (It was also sent as an email to season ticket-holders and members of the team’s fan club.)
And even though the season ended in heartbreak last Friday, the Lerners’ letter reflects the real accomplishment of the Nationals’ 2012 season—proving that D.C. can, in fact, be a great baseball town.
“The electric atmosphere at Nationals Park during the last month of the regular season and into the playoffs is precisely what Major League Baseball and D.C. leaders envisioned when they brought baseball back to Washington,” the letter reads. “The crowds and the excitement along the Anacostia River brought new life to the Capitol Riverfront neighborhood and ignited a new spirit across the Washington community that became known as ‘Natitude.’ “
However, the feeling might not be so mutual today. Though the Nationals offered refunds to people who bought tickets to the National League Championship Series games that could have been played had last Friday’s game gone differently, the offer left ticket buyers a little shortchanged. Refunds are being issued for the tickets’ face value as well as a “convenience charge”—whatever the hell that means—but for now the Nats are pocketing the $4 “service charge” that was tacked on to each ticket order.
Assuming the average fan purchased two tickets, that comes out to about 90,000 ticket orders across the NLCS, totaling about $360,000 in service charges. A similar situation is playing out in Baltimore, where fans are upset that the Orioles will not be refunding the service charges on tickets purchased in case they advanced to the American League Championship Series.
A Nationals representative did not reply to DCist’s question if the team is planning to reverse course on the service charge. But, as Deadspin points out, there is precedent for baseball teams eventually refunding the nonsensical fees that get stamped on to already-expensive tickets. In 2002, the New York Yankees attempted to keep $1.5 million in fees on tickets to postseason games they did not play. (They were dispatched in the first round by the Anaheim Angels.)
After Yankee fans got miffed that the Steinbrenners wouldn’t refund the pointless fees, then-New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer jumped into the fray, eventually negotiating a 90 percent refund.
But, hey, at least the Lerners are appreciative of your moneyfandom.
In the mean time, here’s the Lerners’ open letter:
