Over the years, Red Sox fans and ownership have debated if renovations to Fenway Park are necessary and/or only used to increase front office revenue. The cost of attending a game at “America’s Most Beloved Ballpark” has been a concern for Red Sox fans across the globe.
The big question Boston Red Sox fans are asking, is it time to construct a new Fenway Park?
This summer, I had the chance to attend two games at the relatively new PNC Park, in Pittsburgh. We sat in section 115, directly behind home plate, during the first game, and in a luxury box during the second. I was given the tickets from a family friend, but as a Red Sox fan, I had to check the price. Tickets for section 115 ran around $70 dollars each, keeping in mind the Pirates were playing the Dodgers, so they could have cost less.
On May 23, 2017, the Boston Red Sox will play the Texas Rangers at Fenway Park. This is no Yankee/Red Sox series, but it is a respectable American League matchup, between two competitive teams. A scenario that is similar to my trip to the Iron City. Seating at Fenway Park versus the Rangers (that would place an average attendee in the same proximity to the field that I had at PNC Park) would be found in Loge Box 124. For this game in particular, Loge Box 124 ticket prices range from $150-$190.
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Before we parade on the need for an affordable experience over the preservation of a national landmark, we have to dig into the fiscal demographics. Lets evaluate the fact that Boston is the fourth most expensive city in the United States -falling behind New York, San Francisco, and Honolulu, respectively. Boston is also the seventh highest property taxed city in the nation; with Massachusetts having the fifth highest median household income and the third highest per capita income.
Boston is economically thriving, as they rank first in lowest unemployment rate. It is safe to assume that your typical Bostonian can afford to spend more than someone in a city like Pittsburgh or Kansas City. But the high cost of attending a Red Sox game can be described only through the experience.
As a current resident of Arizona, I have seen first-hand what a lack of consumer support, an over-sized stadium, and economically accessible attendance (cheap tickets), can do to a franchise. I was once given four free tickets from a Diamondbacks fan at the gate, because he did not feel like attending the game anymore.
I am an admitted romantic and revel the idea of sharing in a proud history each time I attend a Red Sox game. Great moments force me to want Fenway to stick around for as long as possible (Pudge Fisk’s 1975 Game 6 walk off, Ortiz’s 2013 ALCS Game 2 grand slam, Ted Williams’ 502 foot homer, the list goes on). Fenway Park will forever be the perennial keystone that holds the New England region together. A small attendance level allows for the “lucky few” who will leave life-lasting memories each time they come to 4 Yawkey Way.
Oct 9, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Rain falls at Fenway Park before game three of the 2016 ALDS baseball playoffs between the Cleveland Indians and the Boston Red Sox. The game was postponed due the forecast of continued rain. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
The Red Sox are the owners of a sellout streak from May 15, 2003 to April 11, 2013. The streak lasted 820 games and is the longest in duration in professional sports history.
Fenway Park’s capacity currently sits at 37,497 (day) and 37,949 (night), with an average fan attendance of 36,486 in 2016 (the closest attendance/capacity ratio in the league). Not to say that some of us within the Red Sox Nation do not matter, but those who are able to find seating at Fenway, are helping to preserve the atmosphere that one can only find at a Sox game.
Fenway Park did not get the nickname “America’s Most Beloved Ballpark” frankly for being the oldest. Fenway is the foundation that molded together a fanbase that was World Series stricken for 86 years, the weekend getaway for Boston’s blue collar and eliteists alike, and was the chapel for prayer following a time of terrorism and mourning. Fenway Park is a staple of culture in Boston.
A new ballpark would surely increase annual profits, but at what cost? We never know how much something is worth to us, until it is gone. Sure, the pole obstructing your view of the field along the first or third base line can be annoying at times, but baseball games are not a couch experience. If you want 360-degree views and the freedom to stretch your legs in between pitches, than stay home and watch NESN.
After visiting modern ballparks like Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Arizona, and even the new Yankee Stadium, you realize that no stadium can be perfect. New ballparks around the league with high levels of attendance have reported issues, in respect to fan experience.
The $1.5 Billion cathedral in the Bronx, replaced the original Yankee Stadium in 2009. Since then, fans have complained about support columns (similar to those at Fenway) that block their view during a Yankees game. Fans also have to endure a huge restaurant in center field that blocks their vision of the opposite left or right field.
Citizens Bank Park was opened in Philadelphia on April 3, 2004, 92 years after the opening of Fenway. At a Phillies versus Red Sox game, I once waited in line for around two innings to use the bathroom.
I appreciate the renovations and the commitment to heritage that Sam Kennedy and John Henry have up-kept, over the years. The Red Sox have the highest average ticket price ($52), but you get what you pay for. Ask yourself, would you rather pay $18 dollars to watch the Diamondbacks lose and fill a quarter of the seating capacity? Or would you rather pay more money to enjoy the sights and sounds of the most historic ballpark in history, meanwhile enjoying the company of the “Golden State Warriors” of the MLB?
I vote for Fenway.
