Fenway Park, the oldest ballpark in baseball and the home to the defending champion Boston Red Sox. Unfortunately, Fenway Park is also home to the scarcest ticket in the game, as the Red Sox have sold out 388 consecutive home games. Given the popularity of the team, and the fact that Fenway Park has one of the smallest seating capacities in baseball, at 38,805, it is likely that the Red Sox will continue to put people in the seats and challenge the Indians record of 455.
Needless to say, if you’re like me, you probably sat patiently, either in the virtual waiting room online or outside the ticket windows at Fenway Park. And like me, you more than likely also got shut out while countless brokers made off with the mass majority of the available tickets, otherwise, you wouldn’t be reading this looking for ways to still find tickets. That being said, what options are left to us to secure tickets, aside from skulking up to a reputable scalper?
StubHub.com
There was a time and a place when Major League Baseball shunned ticket reseller sites, labeling them as nothing more than a scalper’s paradise. However, MLB seems to have taken to them, or at least taken their money under the guise of partnership, and has made StubHub “The Official Fan To Fan Ticket Marketplace of MLB”. The beauty of buying from StubHub, is that they pay the shipping and unlike auction sites, you are paying a set price. As a reselling site, you will be paying more than face value, but if you play your cards right, you can easily still get a good value. For instance, try to wait as long as possible to buy the tickets you desire, as the sellers often have put a setting on the tickets that triggers the price to drop after a certain date. Unfortunately, by doing this, you also run the risk of someone else buying the seats you want. The best option is to find a midweek game, against a team that isn’t typically a high draw, and lock them up when you can. For instance, if you want to see the Kansas City Royals on Thursday, May 22nd, you can get tickets for $42.00 and up. Whereas, if you try to find a game against a more highly touted opponent and on a weekend, you’ll pay much more.
Alternative Site: AceTickets.com
Ebay.com
For as great as Ebay is, when it comes to game tickets, it is definitely a seller’s market and you really shouldn’t go looking for tickets on Ebay unless you are truly desperate or you want to satisfy that competitive urge that can only be quelled once you’ve officially won your tickets and emptied your bank account. The key with working any auction on Ebay is to try to come into it as it is closing out, making your bid the last one that can possibly be received. Still, this is not for the light at heart or for the fan looking to get a ticket on the frugal side.
The Red Sox Foundation
If you still have the auction spirit in you, but you want to see your money go to a good cause, then look no further than then Red Sox Foundation. Throughout the year, the Red Sox will auction off selected seats, with the benefits from the auctions going to the Red Sox Foundation, which funds different charitable organizations, including the Jimmy Fund, The Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and youth baseball organizations. This is a great way to spend a lot of money, but at least you know that it will benefit someone in need in the end.
Take A Road Trip To Baltimore
For fans in the East, why not pack the family up and make a weekend of it? With the Orioles in the middle of a rebuilding year, they are not likely to sell-out many games this season, even when the Red Sox, the top road draw in 2007, coming to town. Camden Yards is a beautiful ballpark that really needs to be seen by most fans anyway, so why not give it a shot.
Alternative stops in the East: NY Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, Philadelphia Phillies
Join Red Sox Nation
Red Sox Nation used to just be a collective understanding of the fan base, but the Red Sox were quick to capitalize on the moniker and make it an official club entity. For the Ultimate Fan Pack membership, priced at $109.95, you get not only access to purchase tickets to sold out games, you also get a guarantee to two grandstand tickets, which are normally $30.00 to $50.00 apiece. While not the normal way of getting tickets, you are basically paying a surcharge to get two guaranteed seats, a charge that is likely to be less than what you would pay once you’ve worked your way through the various auctions or resellers.
So there you have it, the five best ways to secure Red Sox tickets if you weren’t lucky enough to get them already. Good luck, and I hope to see you at a game this summer.
Sources
What Is The Seating Capacity Of Fenway Park, wiki.answers.com
Boston Red Sox Tickets, StubHub.com
Boston Red Sox Tickets, AceTickets.com
Boston Red Sox Tickets, Ebay.com
The Red Sox Foundation, RedSox.com
Baltimore Orioles Schedule, Orioles.com
Red Sox Nation, RedSox.com
