Last weekend I traveled with some friends down to a Boston
Red Sox game (playing the Baltimore Orioles) for the first time in years. It
remains such a unique experience for an out-of-towner like me that I thought
I’d share some of my thoughts on this particular trip.
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Coming from northern Vermont like us, it can be
hard to get jazzed up for a game simply because of the bleak three-and-a-half
hour trip down the interstate, which offers next to nothing in the way of a
view.
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Now that parking lots in proximity to Fenway
Park charge upwards of $40 for a spot, taking the subway in, which we did, is a
much easier solution. Not only is it much more affordable, it may even be
quicker, as you don’t need to navigate snarls of traffic coming in or going
out.
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Life in Boston is certainly at a different pace
than Vermont. Not 30 seconds after emerging from the subway station, we
encountered someone yelling and threatening a ticket scalper, culminating in a mostly-full
bottle of Arnold Palmer being angrily thrown down the street (nearly soaking an
innocent bystander).
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No matter how many times you’ve been there, the
feeling you get as Fenway Park comes into view never gets old. The old
architecture, statues, fluttering banners and animated fans walking up and down
the sidewalks immediately infuses you with the kind of excitement one typically
experiences as a small child on Christmas morning.
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The Red Sox team store is an impressive thing to
behold. Approximately the size of a typical Wal-Mart, it has just about every
article of clothing and trinket associated with the team that one could want.
On the day we were there, popular 1980s-era player Sam Horn showed up to do a
meet and greet and sign autographs. Having met him before, it came as no
surprise at how gracious and friendly he was, even accommodating requests for
photographs.
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After hustling out of the store to make sure we
didn’t miss all of the pre-game activities, we were rewarded by hitting the
stands just as fans were being permitted to enter the field (in a roped-off
section that was essentially the warning track encircling the diamond). A
number of players were on the infield side of the ropes to interact with and
take pictures with fans as a thank you. Having never seen this before at
Fenway, it came as a pleasant surprise.
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Despite thousands of fans taking advantage of
the on-field opportunity, a friend and I were able to capture our own
“experiences.” We were both able to touch the Green Monster and take pictures
of each other in front of the looming home run stopper. I also got pictures
with Wade Miley, Noe Ramirez and Eduardo Rodriguez. Koji Uehara was next to me at
one point and had his arm on my shoulder but was so mobbed by fans that he
moved on. I swear, I’ve never seen that guy when there wasn’t a huge smile on
his face!
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Our seats ended up being $37 tickets on the left
field side family section, under the overhang. The view and the experience was
surprisingly good bang for the buck. The only complaint from this over
six-footer is Fenway’s famous lack of leg room, as my knees touched the back of
the seat directly in front of me for the entire game.
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A lady sitting behind us complained loudly after
we and the rest of the park leapt to our feet to applaud a home run by Boston
catcher Blake Swihart. “People aren’t supposed to stand up at baseball games,” she
matter-of-factly said to no one in particular. Fortunately, she didn’t have to
worry about suffering through another such occurrence, as she and her
companions were escorted out of the section moments later for drinking beer in
their seats—which are an alcohol-free zone.
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The Red Sox may not have had a very good season
but they sure have some impressive looking young players. Swihart hit his home
run. Henry Owens, the team’s starter that day, didn’t allow a run. Shortstop
Xander Bogaerts looks like a younger, better-fielding Hanley Ramirez.
Outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. appears to be performing ballet when he playing
defense. There is definitely reason to think that going to another late-season
game in the next year or two will have much more meaning.
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The performance of Neil Diamond’s classic Sweet
Caroline during the eighth inning never gets old. It’s hard to believe the team
thought about doing away with it last year. Swaying along to the crowd and
singing is an integral part of being a Sox fan.
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The Red Sox played a video board tribute to NESN
television announcer Don Orsillo, whose contract is not being renewed at the
end of the season. It was a nice way to remember the 15 years of solid work he
has put in as the voice of the team. The crowd contributed with a standing
ovation that lasted around a minute, and there were numerous fans waving sticks
with cutouts of Orsillo’s head attached. “Don Or-silloooo,” the crowd chanted,
as play got back underway…
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Overall, it wasn’t a particularly exciting game,
as Boston beat the Orioles 2-0. However, the real treat came after the last out
was made, as the Red Sox once again opened up the field to allow fans to run
the bases. After waiting in an indeterminably long line for about half an hour,
we were able to stroll around the bases. Although many of the staff who were
tasked with herding us sheep were not the friendliest (on more than one
occasion they could be heard telling us to “move it!”) it was a pretty amazing experience
for this life-long fan. As I was waiting in the queue to go out on the bases, I
noticed Tom Werner, the team’s chairman, standing 10 feet away. I beckoned him
over and asked him to take a picture with me, which he graciously did.
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After the on-field experience, it was a
relatively quick escape from the Hub. Other than briefly stopping for me to
snag a significantly discounted “Free Brady” t-shirt from a street vendor, we
made it back to the commuter lot from the subway without incident. Yes, going
to Boston for a game isn’t necessarily cheap, and for someone as far away as me
is a full day commitment. However, it’s an experience that never gets old, and
is something I hope to continue on a regular basis.
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