If you’ve been following this column for a while, you know that I don’t just write about sports, but often I like to write about travel, as well. This week, I have a big travel tip for you, if you are considering applying for a passport.

Last week, during a long wait in line at the post office, I overheard a postal worker talking with a lady about her passport application. When it came time for the lady to pay, the postal worker informed her the cost would be $130.

Then she quickly corrected herself and said, “Oh no, you want the book and the card, so that will be $30 more, for a total of $160.”

Wait, what?

I wanted to shout out, “She doesn’t need both!”

However, I just bit my tongue.

You see, you don’t need a passport book and the passport card. The post office clerk should have explained that to this lady, but she didn’t, and instead she likely cost her an additional $30 for something she didn’t need. Just another example of poor customer service.

Allow me to explain. The passport card was created to make traveling between the United States, and Mexico and Canada, easier for people who live near the border and go across the border on a regular basis. It will also allow you to travel to the Caribbean and Bermuda by land or sea. It will not allow you to enter any of these countries by air.

To travel to any other foreign country or to travel by air, you would need the standard passport book. And guess what? That same passport will also get you into Mexico, Canada, and the other countries already mentioned.

Thus, if you ever plan to travel anywhere other than North America, and especially by air, then all you need is a passport book. There’s no need for both; no need to spend the extra $30.

Also, keep in mind, if you are applying for a passport for the first time, you will also need to pay an “Execution (Acceptance) Fee” of $35. If you need to renew a passport, you can do that by mail and not pay the Execution Fee.

I hope this information helps you will you plan your next international trip.

SPORTS NOTES

Las Vegas will host the National Football League Draft, on April 28-30. Dates for the 2023 NFL Draft were recently made official, and if you’re interested in attending in person, you won’t have to travel far. The 2023 NFL Draft will take place April 27-29 in Kansas City.

Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association voted recently to accept a new collective bargaining agreement, following a 99-day lockout that delayed Opening Day by a week. Forbes has now released its list of most valuable MLB franchises in 2022.

The average value of MLB franchises is a record $2.07 billion, a 9% increase year-over-year, due in part to the introduction of sponsors on uniforms and the expansion of the postseason. The influx of new sponsors has increased the valuation of MLB’s big-market teams.

The New York Yankees are valued at a record $6 billion, becoming the second-most valuable sports team in the world behind the Dallas Cowboys ($6.5 billion). The Los Angeles Dodgers have emerged as the second-most valuable MLB team with a $4.07 billion valuation, a 14% increase compared to 2021. The Boston Red Sox are close behind with a $3.9 billion valuation, up 13% compared to 2021.

At the bottom of the list, the Miami Marlins are the least valuable franchise in MLB; worth roughly $44.8 million.