A Glimmer of Hope at Raley Field

A Glimmer of Hope at Raley Field

It all started one night while working at the River Cats game. I was working in Guest Services as an usher and was saying my usual "Thanks for coming out to Raley Field" to a couple as they were leaving the park when they handed me their tickets for the following day. They were season ticket holders but since the River Cats were winning the last day of the Division Championship Series against Tacoma, there would be no game the next day so the tickets would not be valid. The Glimmer started. I guess I could have put the tickets in the garbage, but thought, "what the heck", I'll see if they are still worth anything.

When I got to the Guest Services Office after the game, I nonchalantly asked what one could do If they had tickets for the next day? I was jokingly told they could be used for bookmarks! But then the glimmer increased. I was then told that they could actually be redeemed! Aha, I thought. Maybe I have something here. By this time, it was late and the box office was closed so I tucked them safely in my pocket and thought I'd continue my pursuit the next time I worked.

A week later The River Cats were playing Memphis for the PCL Championship. I worked on Friday and the River Cats had already lost two games in Memphis. Now they were on their home turf and that always helps but they'd have to sweep the next three games to secure their third PCL Championship in a row. I worked the first home game and on my break, I went to the box office to redeem the tickets. I was a little nervous because the process was taking longer than I thought. I mean, how long should it take to give me the twenty bucks? When the cashier handed me two more tickets for the game on the following day, I was disappointed. We were more than half way through the game in this series and Memphis was cleaning our clock. If we lost, then what would I have? The game continued and we never scored and lost the PCL Championship. Now, once again I held tickets for a game that wouldn't be played. Back to square one, but of course I had to work until the game was over and the crowd emptied from the park and by then the box office was closed.

Did I give up? Of course not. When one has a glimmer of hope, one continues until the hope is fulfilled or the glimmer is squelched. Now, I am thinking, there are no more games in the season so surely now, I will receive the rewards of my efforts and get the $20.

Last night, Raley Field threw a thank you party for the employees. Would the box office be open? You know, I'd find out. As I approached the box office, one window was open and I saw a notice that requested one to push the button for service. It wasn't long until a nice cashier appeared before me and I quietly slipped the tickets under the secured plexiglass window. Without a word, he took my tickets and I waited. Again, I wondered what could be taking so long. He was checking the computer for quite awhile and I was a little nervous. I didn't think I could get into any trouble or anything and he'd never know who I was because on this party day, none of us were in uniform or wearing name tags. Finally, he clicked on the mouse and the printer spit out two more tickets. What in the world? There are no more games. Then he informed me that a credit would be issued to the account upon which the tickets had been purchased. "Of course", I replied, and scribbled a signature on the credit slip. The glimmer of hope had now been dashed, but as it should have been from the beginning, the money was returned to the season ticket holder's account and that's what, by default, is called "Guest Services".