The Yankees released their 2008 schedule and new ticket prices today, you can download the .pdf here.

Before we get to the ticket prices, here are the important dates to circle on your calendar:

• March 31, home opener vs. Toronto
• April 11, the first 2008 Depressed Fan Live Blog of a Yanks/Sox game (@ Fenway)
• April 16-17, Boston's first trip to the Bronx, a two-game set.
• May 6-8, The Indians come to town, ripe for payback.
• July 3-6, The Sox come into town for a 4-game set. Yanks/Sox for a day game on Friday, July 4th. Sounds like a good way to start the holiday weekend.
• July 25-27, @ Boston for three.
• Aug. 26-28, Boston for another three in the Bronx.
• Sept. 21, Baltimore for the final regular season game to ever be played in Yankee Stadium. (How much would it suck if you bought tickets for this game only to have a rained-out make-up game played at the end of the season)
• Sept. 26-28, @ Boston, three games to end the season.

And now the ticket prices. Yes, the Yanks raised ticket prices. Yes, it sucks that it costs a small fortune to take a family of four to the game. Yes, prices keep going up and up, pushing the average fan right out of the stadium. Yes, the investment bankers clogging the lower levels getting drunk on fruity drinks and clacking away on their BlackBerries are a scourge. But you know what? That's the price we pay, literally, to root for a team that has a legitimate shot at the title every single year.

Yankees fans really can't complain, we don't have the right. The Yankees consistently put money into their team, more money than any other team, by far. In fact, the Yankees put so much money into their team, they wind up putting millions of dollars into other teams. Unfortunately, the money they "share" with the small market teams winds up going directly into greedy owners' pockets, and not into payroll. But I digress.

As New York fans, there is plenty to bitch about when it comes to ticket prices. If you're a Knicks' fan, and it would cost you $320 for decent seats to see them quit against the Cavs on Wednesday, you'd have a reason to complain. If you were a Mets fan and your team just announced a 20% hike in prices to watch a team that folded historically down the stretch this year, has made zero improvements thus far in the season and is treating long-time season ticket holders like squatters, you'd have reason to complain. If you're a Jets fan, well I just feel sorry for you. You've got more to complain about than most.

As Yankee fans, we reap what we sow. We love having this team on the field, granted, we'd love to be see some of the lard shaved off the payroll and see that savings reflected in our ticket prices, but we get what we pay for. The Yankees just signed Alex Rodriguez to the largest contract in the history of team sports, they brought back Mariano Rivera at above market value, ditto Jorge Posada. In effect, they did all of this for us, now it's time to pay the piper.

The ticket prices are probably going to limit the number of games I'm going to be able to attend this season. Honestly, I'm willing to make that trade for the opportunity to overpay for World Series tickets. I wonder how many Royals fans would trade a hike in ticket prices for a chance at relevancy, my guess would be every single one.