After San Francisco Giants pitcher Chris Heston threw a no-hitter at Citi Field in June, his family and girlfriend gave him their tickets from the game as keepsakes.
For Heston, there was added meaning to the souvenirs, since they were actual tickets and not just computer printouts with a bar code.
“Any time you got the real deal, it will make it a little more special,” Heston said.
In recent years, an increasing number of fans have strode through turnstiles with their ticket printed on a sheet of 8.5-by-11-inch copy paper or with the bar code for their seat displayed on a smartphone.