Fungoes details his plight in finding single-game tickets during the 2006 season. I tried on Saturday too, got the "High Volume" message the first time, and like the 26th man, said something along the lines of "Forget this." The way season tickets have flown out the door, I didn't see a positive outcome to this battle.

It seems to me there's something wrong when tickets sell that quickly. Don't misunderstand me; as a fan, I like to go to games and, as a little cog in corporate America, I like to keep my money in the stock market. But I think the Cardinals underpriced their tickets for 2006. I suppose there's a PR-angle to consider -- the Cardinals don't want Bernie Miklasz kvetching about ticket prices and then re-hashing payroll promises and urinal sales again -- and there are long-term relationships to maintain. My amateur opinion is still that prior to St. Patrick's Day a baseball team shouldn't be a virtual sellout for the entire season.

As for spring training, I am trying to convince myself not to squirm when the runs allowed pile up. As long as there's good news to report, I suppose that will work, even if the Mets fan at work is asking about mercy rules during Grapefruit League games. Rolen's starting Tuesday and almost as helpful to my emotional well-being is this tidbit from Leach on Jason Marquis:

This year, however, he intends to complement the sinker with a changeup as his primary offspeed pitch.

"I think it's really going to help me and make my sinker that much better," said Marquis. "I always should have been a fastball-changeup guy. I've always had a better feel for my changeup than anything -- of my offspeed pitches."

Woo hoo!

VEB raised a point about Brad Voyles. I think back to the 2003 season when the pitching-starved Cardinals had mid-season acquisitions like Esteban Yan, Pedro Borbon and Sterling Hitchcock, called up minor league journeymen like Gabe Molina and Kevin Ohme (who currently has the lowest MLB ERA in history!), and rushed Dan Haren to the majors. Left off that list was the 2003 PCL ERA leader, Jay Ryan. I've always assumed that the reason Ryan didn't get the call was LaRussa and/or Duncan saw him in spring training and didn't think he had the stuff to get major league hitters out. Judging by Ryan's subsequent record, they would've been right. All that is to say Voyles may have moved up a spot or two for the opening in July when Jason Isringhausen has his annual owie.