OPENING “DAY” ?
March 24, 2010
The Red Sox opening “day” game currently has 6000 + unsold tickets. That’s a lot of tickets. Now, I’m not naïve enough to think that they won’t sell. The scalpers (I mean brokers) will see to that.
I’m actually kind of glad about this. For the past 5 years Red Sox management has looked at “Red Sox” nation as a giant ATM. They act as if they can basically take a crap on our chest, and as long as their singing “Sweet Caroline” we will say thank you, and ask for another.
Putting the Yankees on opening day and moving it to Sunday night is a perfect example of what I’m saying. [Aside: Why oh why are they putting the Yankees on opening day. It makes no sense. Opening day is good enough as it is. You don’t put chocolate on pizza do you? ]
Opening day is supposed to be a sunny afternoon game where you sneak out of work early to and have a couple of midweek/mid day beers, or you sneak your son out of school and have one of those father/son Normam Rockwell moments. It’s supposed to be what’s good about baseball. The game is never very good, so it’s the experience that you’re going for.
Instead, the geniuses on Yawkey (and to be fair in Bristol, CT and wherever the hell Bud Selig works) have figured out a way to screw even this up. Let me see if I can do the math.
Opening day is supposed to be a sunny afternoon game where you sneak out of work early to and have a couple of midweek/mid day beers, or you sneak your son out of school and have one of those father/son Normam Rockwell moments. It’s supposed to be what’s good about baseball. The game is never very good, so it’s the experience that you’re going for.
Instead, the geniuses on Yawkey (and to be fair in Bristol, CT and wherever the hell Bud Selig works) have figured out a way to screw even this up. Let me see if I can do the math.
Big recession + night game in early April + work the next morning + ESPN + Yankees + Easter = opening day?
Let’s say you want to take your son to the game. Here's what you need to do
(1) Acquire tickets. Say 200 bucks for average seats. 
(2) Leave your family. So what if they are all there for Easter dinner. Gotta go!
(3) Get into the city. 20 bucks on the train for two. Or you can pay 40+ to park (the Special “Yankee Game Surcharge)
(4) Sit through a 4 ½ hour game. ESPN = extra commercials and both the sox and Yankees work pitchers mercilessly.
(5) Bring a winter park - Average night time temperature in Boston on April 4th is in the mid 40’s
(6) Hit the ATM – two hot dogs, two sodas, a program and two hot chocolates will cost you just this side of healthcare reform. Actually probably around 35 bucks. Beers are $7 each.
(7) Get home around 1:00 AM. That is assuming you stay the whole game.Oh, and the commuter rail doesn’t run that late so you may need to get a cab.
There’s not a lot of people who can do all that. In fact, there are very few.
And it’s sad because the only reason this is being done is so that ESPN/MLB can sell their advertising inventory for the first “Sunday Night Baseball” game of the year.
So when you’re sitting in your office on Monday morning - sleep deprived and sick from sitting out in the cold for 5 hours, $350+ poorer, and with a wife who wont speak to you anymore - remember to hum “Sweet Caroline” and thank Larry Lucchino and MLB for such a great Opening “Day” experience.
There’s not a lot of people who can do all that. In fact, there are very few.
And it’s sad because the only reason this is being done is so that ESPN/MLB can sell their advertising inventory for the first “Sunday Night Baseball” game of the year.
So when you’re sitting in your office on Monday morning - sleep deprived and sick from sitting out in the cold for 5 hours, $350+ poorer, and with a wife who wont speak to you anymore - remember to hum “Sweet Caroline” and thank Larry Lucchino and MLB for such a great Opening “Day” experience.
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