Fenway Park-it’s the oldest major league baseball park in the United States (built in 1912), and it’s also one of the smallest. When first built, the stadium was able to hold 35,000 fans but after minor expansions throughout the years, as of 2007, Fenway can now hold up to 38,805. Compare that to the largest MLB park currently in existence: Veterans Field in Philadelphia, PA which holds up to 62,400-a major difference.
Because of the team’s ongoing success combined with the park’s limited capacity, tickets to Sox games are a hot commodity. We’ve all heard the stories about season’s tickets being passed down from generation to generation; in Boston, families don’t inherit money and property, they inherit Sox tickets! So the big question here is…what’s a non-season ticket holding Red Sox fan supposed to do?
There are several ways to get your hands on Sox tickets (some involve illegal exchange of money for tickets so we can’t talk about that here) but if you’ve tried all the well known methods of ticket buying and still find yourself coming up short, here are some ideas as to how you might get yourself to a Sox game this season.
The Usual Ways
We all know there are a few ways to get tickets easily (although maybe not cheaply). Here’s a look at the two most common ways to get Red Sox tickets if you are not a season’s ticket holder.
1. Box Office
Even though we all know about this method, it’s still an option that you should try out. Despite the fact that we are convinced that every last seat in Fenway already belongs to a season’s ticket holder; that simply isn’t true. If you want to get tickets the old fashioned way, all you have to do is buy them at the box office. Keep an eye on your calendar because each year the Red Sox announce when their tickets go on sale. Once tickets are on sale, simply visit the box office and see what they have. For those in Boston, if you feel like taking a stroll down to the park, visit the box office on Yawkey Way and purchase your tickets there. For all others, visit the official site of the Boston Red Sox and click on the link for the Ticket Center. This is the ONLY site online that will allow you to purchase tickets directly from the box office. Once on the ticket center page, click on the link for single game tickets and find a game that works for you. The site comes complete with a seating chart so that you can see exactly where available tickets are located. Once you purchase your tickets, you can have them mailed directly to your home, or you can leave them at will call and pick them up before the game.
2. Internet
If you’ve tried the Red Sox official site and can’t find tickets for a particular game, your next best option is to visit other online sites that sell tickets. Some of the most popular are StubHub.Com or RazorGator.Com, but if you simply visit a search engine and type in ‘Boston Red Sox Tickets’, you’ll come up with several sites that sell game tickets. While this is a very convenient method for purchasing Red Sox tickets, expect to pay above face value for the ticket. These sites are designed to let season ticket holders (or any ticket holders) to sell their tickets to other buyers; its pretty much a legal way to scalp tickets. Prices are higher than face value because: 1. the seller is allowed to mark up tickets by a certain percentage, 2. the supporting site makes a profit off of the sale and 3. buyer’s have to pay taxes and shipping fees in addition to the price of the tickets. So what does this mean for us? Yep…we’re suckers for overpriced tickets. But hey, if you only get to Fenway once a year, this can be a great way to get tickets for the exact date you are looking for. And if you compare prices among several ticket sites, you’ll find that you can usually locate a price that isn’t too over the top.
The Not as Usual Ways
Now if you’ve exhausted all usual methods for getting your hands on some Red Sox tickets, it may be time to pull some unique ideas out of your hat. These may involve groveling, debauchery, self-imposed slavery or total lack of pride and self worth…but if it gets you Red Sox tickets than why not! Here are several unusual ways to get yourself inside the walls of Fenway.
1. The Sign On The Street Corner
Find yourself a sturdy piece of cardboard or poster board and make yourself a sign. Have it read “Will Buy Beer For Ticket”. You can also include concessions on the sign, but more is less right! So make your sign and head down to Fenway. Keep your eye out for that one guy that called every single one of his friends but just couldn’t find anyone to go to the game with him. Hold your sign up high and promise him that if he gives you his extra ticket, you’ll buy all his food and drinks while at the game. (you can also use this method on your friends who have tickets-I do it all the time for hockey games!)
2. Meet and Greet
If you’re a resident of Boston and a big Sox fans, then you probably know where the players hang out after the games. Every city has certain bars that professional sports players visit after a home game, so all you have to do is go to one of these bars and grease up the players! Now this method is probably much more effective for girls than guys, schmoozing with the players is a difficult thing to do in most instances…but you never know. If you hit it off you just might score yourself some tickets to the next home game!
3. Offer Yourself Up
Contact everyone you know who has seasons tickets (and if you’ve got guts…even people you don’t know personally) and offer your services in exchange for tickets. Create a business model who’s main focus is: Will _______ for tickets. You can fill that blank space with babysit, go food shopping, do chores, do yard work…basically anything you can think of. Many people will pay individuals for doing these services, so offer yourself up and request tickets instead of money.
4. Schmooze the Boss
If you’re in the Boston area and work for a larger company or corporation, chances are that company has tickets to a Red Sox game. What better incentive than to work for tickets. Drop some hints to your boss that you’re a big Sox fan and then show him/her just how dedicated you are to your job. Chances are you’ll be greatly rewarded when the boss hands you a pair of tickets to the next game.
5. Buy Tickets to an Away Game
Yes I know this method doesn’t get you inside Fenway Park, but if you are a die hard Sox fan, you’ll go anywhere to see them right? Do some research and find the closest MLB parks to your area and then check the Red Sox schedule to see if they play there. Its always great to see Red Sox fans supporting their team at an away game, and with this method, you can easily be one of those fans (though be careful if the closest stadium to you is Yankee Stadium!) Fenway is the smallest MLB park in the country, so it makes tickets hard to come by. But other parks are bigger so there’s a better chance of face value tickets being available. This is a great way to support your team and get to a Red Sox game.
These are just a few ideas for getting your hands on some Red Sox tickets without succumbing to the usual ways. Any method you choose, hopefully the end result will always be the same, and that is…you enjoying a Red Sox game. The ’08 season has just started and the hunt for tickets is officially on. Go Sox!
Sources:
“Fenway Park.” BallParks.Com
