The Sox Sell Out, But Scalpers Left With Tickets

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I joined 35,475 other Red Sox fans at the 503rd consecutive sell-out at Fenway last night. Despite the impressive record, I was surprised at how many desperate looking ticket scalpers greeted me along Yawkey Way. I held an extra ticket myself, and didn’t think I’d be able to unload it since just about every other guy was mumbling, ‘tickets, need tickets’ as we scarfed down our sausage subs before the game.

I asked just one guy, who came along and said he wanted something cheap. A sawbuck later he was seated beside us in grandstand section 11. He only stayed for three innings, explaining that he traveled the country a lot and had visited twenty parks this year. I guess a July night at Fenway against the unglamorous Oakland A’s was only worth an hour or so of his time.

It’s been a few years since I sat face to face with the Green Monster, and I wasn’t up to speed on the current traditions. They now include singing “Sweet Caroline” at the seventh inning, and bellowing YOUKKKKKK when chrome-domed Kevin Youklis gets up to bat. I was also somewhat alarmed at how many vendors were plying the stands, every other second a yellow-jerseyed young man would be either passing a drink or chucking a bag of peanuts to someone four rows up from me. And don’t get me started on the prices…peanuts and sodas conveniently priced at $4.50 or $4.25 so anyone except Scrooge has to fork over the change to the vendor.

Bill and I agreed that we both preferred the mellow sounds of the old Boston Garden organ to the jarring rock and roll that comes on just as soon as the baseball stops. And the new tee shirt that Fenway faithful buy has the Shandell’s line, “Love that Dirty Water” across the back.

Despite several gametime emails and a lot of photo taking and sending during the game, I did enjoy watching the sport of baseball in the world’s most storied stadium. Big Papi slammed a double to center field, and ended up on the bag standing. The Sox won the game 5-2, and even the ride home was easier than I thought. Since Harpoon beers sell for a whopping $7.75 each, it was easy to only have one.