Johan Santana no-hitter ticket reprints to sell for $50 at Mets.com

In a few short days, and for a price, New York Mets fans can buy something that could prove they attended Johan Santana's recent no-hitter — even if they weren't within a thousand miles of Citi Field when the last out was made. The team announced it will sell reprints at Mets.com for each of the 41,922 seats in the ballpark to commemorate the only no-hitter in the club's 50-plus season history. Season ticket holders get them for free, and those with packs get a discount, but any old Tom, Nolan or Jerry off the street can buy a no-no ticket for $50 and say "they were there."

The Mets probably got inspiration from the Miami Marlins, who pulled a similar scheme two years ago after Roy Halladay of the Phillies pitched a perfect game on their home turf. And what's wrong with the club getting a cut of the secondary market, considering one exists for actual tickets to the game?

It's a bit odd that 41,000-plus people could be walking around with tickets to a game that, perhaps, 20,000 attended. And yes, $50 is a lot of money for a ticket to a game that already has been played— no matter that it was a great game, and an historic occurrence. Especially considering you can spend $5 or $15 or $25 and see a game that hasn't happened yet. But people collect things; there's no sense in begrudging it. The reprints apparently will come on heavy stock and look like the Bob Ojeda ticket in the photo above. Good swag.

I would have suggested a retail price of $57 — for Santana's jersey number — but that's neither here nor there. There is a weird detail to this, however:

There is a limit of four seats per order. Fans can select a seating category and receive the best available seat in that location.

Yes, because where you "sit" for a game that already happened matters. Hurry, before all of the Caesar's Club Gold are gone! It's one thing for season ticket holders, who get a replica of the ticket with their own seat location (in case they lost, or creased, the real deal). The new one will be suitable for framing (and MLB thought of that, too!) There's possibly some nostalgia about where you sat for the no-hitter, provided you actually sat there.

But it's hard to imagine why anyone should care about the section, row and seat number of a game they didn't attend. Unless ... the Mets are planning a reunion? Maybe the ticket would be good for that.

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