Bleachers- Section 38, row 27, seat 10, $18.
Red Sox lose 1-3. With Kevin, Shers, and Milhavens? Tough game to watch- sun set on our eyes, we could not see either scoreboard, and PA system was very quiet.
Section 22, Row BB, Seat 4, $50.
Red Sox won 9-6. Paris picked these grandstand seats on the day of the game. Cal Ripken went 0-4 in his next-to-last game at Fenway. LEFT: That's Cal Ripken Jr. standing in the on-deck circle.
Section 6, Row 2, Seat 4, $25.
Red Sox won 7-5. with Paris and Kevin, on a cold, rainy, blowing night. The weather didn't just make it feel like a long game: it was offically the longest 8.5 inning game I've ever been to (3 hours, 31 minutes). That's especially long, considering each side only had 2 pitching changes apiece. Note the ultra-patriotic Stars-and-Stripes themed ticket: After 9-11, this seemed important, I guess. LEFT: We are well-bundled up, but I caught cold anyway.
Saturday, June 29, 2002 versus Atlanta Braves
Section 19, Row 8, Seat 6, $39.
Red Sox lost 1-2. A long, hot, sunny afternoon in the super-cramped wooden grandstand seats, with Paris. D-Lowe takes the tough loss; Kevin Millwood allows one earned run on four hits with ten strikeouts over 5.2 innings.
Wednesday, July 24, 2002 versus Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Red Sox lost 5-9. A delightful appearance by Frank Castillo, who allowed 6ER on 7H in 1.2IP
Wednesday, August 7, 2002 versus Oakland Athletics
Red Sox lost 2-3.
Wednesday, August 21, 2002 versus Texas Rangers
Section 39, Row 13, Seat 2.
Red Sox won 5-3. Bobby Howry (2 perfect innings) and Ugie Urbina (perfect 9th) combine to win and save it for Fossum. Meanwhile, Nomar goes 4-5 with 1 run scored and 2 RBI.
Section 42, Row 3, Seat 10, $20.
Second row of bleachers, directly behind visitors' bullpen.
Red Sox won 10-9 in 10 innings. Manny swats 2HR, Johnny Damon hooks walk-off HR around Pesky Pole. If you listen to WEEI and they play the clip of Jerry Trupiano yelling "Johnny Damon brings them to their feet...in delerium!", that was this game. Angels went on to win World Series. Game time 4 hours, 10 minutes. LEFT: A gorgeous sunset on a great night for baseball.
Section 37, Row 11, Seat 25, $20.
Red Sox lost 1-7. Night half of a doubleheader- Shea, Nomar, Manny, 'Tek, and Trot all get the night off.
Somehow Shane Andrews, Rey Sanchez, Rickey Henderson, Doug Mirabelli, and Benny Agbayani cannot get the job done in their place.
Red Sox lost 4-6. Fossum has a great night squandered: Allows 2 unearned runs and 6 hits, strikes out 10 over 6IP.
Alan Embree and Rolando Arrojo lose it for him.
Wednesday, June 11, 2003 versus St. Louis Cardinals
One Monster seat, and one standing room ticket, with Rebecca. | Red Sox won 13-1. Petey returns after 28 days off, shuts out Cards for 3IP. Manny & Trot hit HRs. Damon had 3 hits. Cardinals fans turn out in droves for this interleague game. Passionate crowd. This was the same night six Astros pitchers no-hit the Yankees on three BB and 13 Ks.
Wednesday, June 25, 2003 versus Detroit Tigers
Red Sox won 11-2. With Mom; Varitek seals All-Star spot with 3H, 1HR, 1RBI, and caught 2 stealing.
Wednesday, July 23, 2003 versus Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Section 149, Row GG, Seat 3, $65.
Red Sox won 10-4. With Kevin, who acquired tix at work. Nomar's 30th birthday. Trot hits 2HR, including GS. First appearance of LHP Scott Sauerbeck.
Section 100, Row FF, Seat 4, $65.
Red Sox lost 6-8. Just like last time, these tickets were won at a workplace raffle, this time by my friend Paris. BK Kim gives it away in the 8th, allowing 4 runs. Of course, the Sox bats didn't help, stranding 17 runners despite banging out 17 hits and drawing seven walks. Varitek, Garciaparra and Damon led the Sox with three hits each, while Damian Jackson and Gabe Kapler each drove in two runs.
Tuesday, August 26, 2003 versus Toronto Blue Jays
Mostly sat in front row of Section 15 with Mom and Paris. | Red Sox lost 9-12. A dramatic and exciting game, despite the loss. Several oddball umpiring calls, The Amazing Shrinking Strike Zone, the Jays mananger is ejected, and Kevin Millar hits an inside-the-park home run. Todd Jones throws 2 pitches and is hit with a pitch; the Twin Scotts (Sauerbeck and Williamson) lose it for the Sox, but B.K. Kim strikes out the side in the 9th. LEFT: Doug Mirabelli tags Eric Hinske out at the plate, but the umps rule Nomar interfered with Hinske on the basepath, and the run is allowed to score.
Monday, September 8, 2003 at Oriole Park, versus Baltimore Orioles
Camden Yards, Baltimore MD Club box 242, Row BB, Seat 5, $45 + $7 club fee.
Red Sox lost 13-10, in one of the sloppiest games I've ever seen them play. The Sox committed a season-high four errors in the game. On a controversial play late in the game, a furious Jason Varitek was ejected for arguing. Derek Lowe -- who would start the next night-- was also tossed for peeking at a replay of the play through a cameraman's view-finder. BELOW: The press box game summary, as spotted on the Oriole Park Tour.
Tuesday, September 9, 2003 at Oriole Park, versus Baltimore Orioles
Camden Yards, Baltimore MD Field box 28, Row RR, Seat 9, $45.
Red Sox won, 9-2, behind a stellar Derek Lowe. D-Lowe seemed to strike out more batters than usual- The patented D-Lowe Ground Outs were few and far between. He went six innings, allowing hits while walking two and registering five strikeouts. Nixon had to leave the game as he limped into second with a strained left calf. RIGHT: Ortiz is about to step on home plate and receive a firm embrace, after crushing a home run ball to Eutaw Street, setting an new franchise record for total team homers in a season (214).
Loge Box 103, with Mom and Paris. | Red Sox lost, 3-7. John Burkett was chased from the game in his shortest appearance of his career, as the Birds score seven in the first. If there's any silver lining to this game, it's that the rest of the Sox pitchers kept the O's scoreless for innings 2-9. David Ortiz swatted two HRs, one around the Pesky Pole, and the other below the Coke bottles in left. Talk about hitting to all fields! Thursday, September 25, 2003 versus Baltimore Orioles
Loge Box 102, with Mom and Dad. | Red Sox won, 14-3. The Red Sox clinch the AL Wild Card as they stomp all over Baltimore in classic '03 Sox fashion- lots of hits and lots of runs. The Sox were up by 10 or 11 right away, so most of the night was one big party. D-Lowe kept the Birds off the board until a weak dribbler in the 5th, spoiling his no-hitter. The nightly rendition of "Sweet Caroline" was by far the most heartfelt, resounding rendition I've ever heard- everyone was singing. After Ramiro Mendoza (!!) struck out Brian Roberts, "Dirty Water" blared louder than ever. The hats, t-shirts, champagne, beer, and cigars were all over, and the players went nuts. Next stop: Oakland, via Tampa Bay...
Friday, June 25, 2004 versus Philadephia Phillies
Loge Box 113?, with Mom. | Red Sox won 12-1, in a rain-shortened 8 inning game. Pedro Martinez went seven innings and allowed just two hits and one run to improve his record to 8-3. Ramirez swatted a homer, two doubles with 5 RBI. Mom and I left after the top of the eighth, and the game was called due to TVD (torrential vertical downpour) after 1 out in the bottom of the eighth. Mom and I watched the lightning as I got soaked waiting for a Green Line train at B.U.
Sunday, September 25, 2005 at Oriole Park, versus Baltimore Orioles
Camden Yards, Baltimore MD Section 47, Row M, Seat 16. $25.
As guests of my Aunt Nancy and Uncle Judge, Emily and I watched Red Sox win 9-3, in an almost embarassing fashion. The Atheys are Orioles fans, so it seemed almost impolite to root for the Sox as they tromped all over Baltimore. Ramirez and Damon homered, Wells earned his 14th win, allowing 6 hits (including 2 HR) over 6.2 innings. Photo: I peek at the action from the bleachers, during our stroll around the concourse. Nixon went 2 for 5 that day, with two runs.
Friday, August 25, 2006 at Safeco Field, versus Seattle Mariners
Safeco Field, Seattle WA Section 117, Row 15, Seat 16. $38.
Red Sox lost 6-0. Just another hapless loss in the continuing tailspin of the Red Sox. Emily and I enjoyed visiting Safeco Field. The aisles were a little cramped compared to AT&T Park and U.S. Cellular Field, but the strolling beer vendor sold me Red Hook, which made getting up irrelevant anyways! I don't appreciate the lengths they go to to entertain the Seattle "fans" between innings- between innings the JumboTron would show little animated games (which cartoon car will win the race? which hat is the ball under?) which elicited more crowd reaction than the game itself. I also detest the giant messages which prompt the sleepy crowd when it's appropriate to cheer: if the pitcher has two outs and two strikes on the batter, the MAKE SOME NOISE sign prods the crowd to notice something important is happening. All this makes me appreciate Fenway crowds all the more.
On the remote chance that Emily and I would end up on TV that night, I set my TiVo to record the game on NESN while we were out of town. During a pitching change in the eighth inning, Jerry Remy commented on the large number of Red Sox fans in Seattle that weekend, and mentioned that many fans fly out from Boston to see the games. While he was telling this story, who appeared onscreen? Nat and Emily, alongside two other Red Sox fans! If we look non-plussed, please note the score was 6-0. Also note the guy in the lower-left corner, in the grey shirt- he was so drunk he slept through the second half of the game.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007 versus Toronto Blue Jays
Section 27, Row 9, Seat 18, $40.
Red Sox lost 3-10. Paris picked up these tickets for face value only a few hours in advance. We were lucky to enjoy beautiful weather and great seats (see photo). The Blue Jays were even luckier: the Red Sox committed four errors, most of which led to Toronto runs, and Blue Jays pitcher Roy Halliday was great as usual. High points: Julio Lugo stole two bases and executed a perfect home-plate slide, dislodging the ball from the catcher's mitt; "Sweet Caroline" was especially impassioned; and the drunk fans around our seats were the friendly, loquacious type.
