PHOENIX -- The most dedicated Arizona Diamondbacks fans waited nearly all weekend outside Bank One Ballpark for a shot at buying tickets to the World Series, but not everyone was lucky enough to walk away with a seat to the coveted games.

"The line wrapped around the ballpark and some were waiting there since Saturday," said Darrin Mitch, director of ticketing for the Diamondbacks.

The Diamondbacks won Game 5 of the National League Championship Series late Sunday, securing a spot in the World Series. Ticket booths at the ballpark stayed open throughout the night and the 40,000 tickets available for each of the first two World Series games in Phoenix were gone by 5:45 a.m. Monday.

"It was crazy. The line was awesome," Mitch said. "The line was longer than a bobblehead line and that's the longest line I had ever seen."

Mitch estimated at least 50,000 people were standing in line at the ballpark to buy tickets, in addition to those buying online or over the phone, he said. "Of course there were a couple of people who didn't get tickets and they weren't as happy."

There was a 10 ticket limit per person.

The ballpark normally holds about 49,000 people during regular season games, but fewer were on sale to accommodate season ticket holders, media, visiting teams and Major League Baseball personnel, Mitch said.

Second chance for tickets
The Diamondbacks offered a second chance Tuesday.

One upper deck World Series ticket for each scheduled World Series home game could be purchased if fans paid a $750 nonrefundable deposit toward a 2002 season ticket, said Darrin Mitch, director of ticketing for the Diamondbacks.

The deposit must be applied toward a full season ticket.

About 1,000 tickets per World Series game at Bank One Ballpark were available at $110 each through the promotion, Mitch said.

The promotion is valid until noon MT on Friday or until the tickets sell out. There also is a maximum of four deposits per account.

Fans paying the deposit will be placed on the season ticket priority list to select their 2002 seat locations at Bank One Ballpark in mid-January.