The Red Sox’s 820 consecutive game
sellout streak at Fenway Park came to an end on April 10. I’m glad it did.
The
streak, which started in 2003, has surpassed all other sellout streak records
in major league sports. The
Cleveland Indians held the previous Major League Baseball sellout streak record
at 455 games. The Sox surpassed
that on Sept. 8, 2008. The next
milestone that they passed was to become the team with the longest number of
consecutive sellouts in major sports.
The Portland Trailblazers previously held that record at 814 games.
Now
that that streak is over, I can reflect back on all of the times that I have
gone to Fenway to find lots of empty seats in the park. I, like many others, am wondering if
all 820 of those games (794 regular-season) were really sold out.
There
is no simple answer to that question.
The Red Sox have been using definitions of the word “sellout” that
differ from what you, I, or even the Merriam-Webster Dictionary would say
sellout meant.
Sam
Kennedy, the vice president of the Red Sox told the Boston Globe that the Red Sox “operate by a definition that
is commonly practiced throughout Major League Baseball and professional
sports.’’
The
Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the word sellout as “an event for which all
tickets are sold.” The Red Sox’s
definition would be something like “an event for which all tickets are distributed.” According to the Boston Globe, last
year during the sellout streak there was an average of 800 complimentary
tickets given away every game.
While 800 tickets given away each game sounds like a lot, Sam Kennedy
said to the Globe that they give away fewer tickets than other major league
teams. The reason for that is
because of Fenway’s small size and high demand for tickets.
As
to what this means for you, the fans, well, simply go to the Red Sox official
website, www.redsox.com, and note that you
can now actually buy tickets to the games off of their website. During the streak, I would often be
asked how to get tickets to games, since many fans thought that it was
impossible or that you would have to get your tickets months in advance. The Red Sox, like most other MLB teams,
are now able to send out emails on a Friday saying that they have tickets
available to the weekend’s games.
It makes it easier and cheaper for fans to go to games.
I
once asked a Fenway Park staff member what his thoughts were on the sellout
streak, and his very blunt answer was, “I think it’s BS.” This is because from a general fan’s point of view, the park’s seats
aren’t all full.
The
end of the streak is good for a number of reasons. The streak had become a
distraction. The Red Sox don’t
have to think about that anymore.
The club can now focus solely on one thing. Baseball. You
win games with baseball not sellout streaks.
About
¾ of the way through last year, claiming that games were sold out reached a
point of absurdity. The stars were
gone and the fans were too. The
fans, not to mention some of the players, had given up on that year and huge
blocks of seats were empty.
You
also might have noticed that something has happened since the end of the
streak. As of this weekend, the
Red Sox had the best record in Major League Baseball. They have also tied their own franchise record of wins
in April. I won’t say that this is all because of the ending of the sellout
streak. But the Red Sox certainly
have gotten their priorities straight.
Follow Jasper Goodman on twitter: @Jasper_Goodman
Check out Jasper’s
blog:
www.goodmansports.blogspot.com
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