Christmas at Fenway

[a700hitter]

I didn't get selected this year. Usually we have at least one poster that gets selected to attend Christmas at Fenway. If you got selected to attend, post about the experience here. It is a lot of fun. They have some players show up. They have a trivia contest. The WEEI guys are doing the show in the room. This year they are going to let people take Batting Practice. It's all really cool. These guys know how to treat the fans.

 

Tickets went on sale today on the internet and the phone. I got through and got tickets on the phone (only single games available) and on the internet. In past years, I sat in the virtual waiting room for 3 to 5 hours and most of the PAX were sold out. This season they made a lot of improvements. They show your progress on line which helps a lot. I waited about 45 minutes to an hour on line. The Opening Day Pax I couldn't purchase, but I did get 2 tickets for the Friar Pack and the Padre Pack. I got through on the telephone first. I got 2 tickets to April 30th and May 1st (Mariners) and May 7th and 8th (Twins). I am as happy as a pig in s***. I am never so happy to spend money as when I buy Sox tickets.

[Cocos Disciples]

Can you explain more about the virtual waiting room? How do they show the progress?

[a700hitter]

Can you explain more about the virtual waiting room? How do they show the progress?

On one end the screen shows the ticket office and you start off at the opposite side of the screen. As the screen refreshes, it shows you moving closer to the ticket office.

[boston22407]

my grandpa gold with the redsox travel agent something like that his name is jack and last name starts with m. hopefully we can get tix usually we can go to alot of games but I live in va and my grandpa does not like to go alone , cant wait to move up there so I can see the sox more in person

[colinsdad61804]

Christmas at Fenway (or should I say Christmas for Fenway). The event was a huge disappointment. I was selected to attend the event at 3:00 PM (my wife and 6 year old son attended as well) and by then there were no players signing autographs, most of the events (batting cages, raffles, Q&A with the manager, Fenway tours, charicatures, face painting) had ended. All they had was a viewing of the trophies (whoopie), a wii console (just one), a guy making balloon animals (line was huge since there was nothing else to do), and a bunch of junk signage and memorabilia of players you wouldn't want (lopez, delcarmen etc..) at the yard sale.

Oh yeah, and I forgot to mention, that it was 5:30 and we were still waiting for our turn to buy tickets (we gave up and just left). They stopped serving food and drinks at 4:00 and started cleaning everything up.

I wouldn't recommend anyone going to this event unless they get picked to attend at 10:00 AM. It :thumbdown

[mvp 78]

Well, I wasn't selected to attend, but I went as a tagalong with two of my friends. We got to Fenway right before 10 in hopes that we'd be able to see Crawford. Unfortunately, that meant my friend's wrist band was numbered fairly high so there was going to be a long wait until we were called for tickets. Anyway, it was a cool event to go to. Wally and Paws (the PawSox mascot) were there along with the mascots for the Spinners and BC. Santa was there in a Sox hat taking pictures with everyone.

 

Jason Varitek was interviewed by the PA announcer Carl Beane. The interview was fairly bland an not memorable. Tek was then available for autographs if you waited in a massive line. Carl Crawford followed with an interview that occured right after his press conference. His interview was a little better. He's excited to play against Carlos Pena when he comes to town with the Cubs. He said his son was a big Sox fan and Carl didn't realize that until he signed. He didn't stick around for autographs. Afterwards, Daniel Nava was interviewed to little fanfare. Fans asked a few questions. I was going to ask a question about when he'll finally get his 2nd homerun and if he was pressing at all over his next 187 ABs, but decided better of it.

 

The EMC club is pretty cool. All the Sox HOF plaques and "memorable moment" plaques line the wall. All of the CY trophies were attached to the wall next to some of the HOF plaques. Some pink hat gargoyle was leaning up against the Lonborg CY not knowing what it was, or just not caring. There were a bunch of gold gloves sitting in a case in the EMC club. I'm not sure if it was a complete set or not. All the MVP awards were in there as well. The WS trophies from 04 and 07 were down the hall. If you wanted your picture taken professionally it was $22, but they allowed you to use your own camera as well.

 

There was a raffle upstairs ($5 buy in) for a bunch of signed jerseys and balls (Reddick, VMart, Baldelli, Cameron, Scutaro, Oki), but not too much other stuff going on except for the mascots walking around. The food wasn't from Aramark, so the dogs weren't Fenway Franks.

 

We ended up getting ticket packs online long before our number was called, so we decided to leave and check out the "Great Fenway Yard Sale." On the way down to the outfield concourse, we were allowed to walk around the Monster seats, which was cool for some of the people who hadn't been up there before. The yard sale was basically the Filene's Basement of Red Sox items. There were two huge crates filled with bricks. If you bought a bag for $20, you could fill it with one brick and whatever else was in random boxes on the concourse. The other boxes had used jerseys (reds, greens, greys, and home whites) with a wide assortment of past Sox players for $65-$75. Since I'm not a Jason Shiell fan, I decided to pass. There were also media guides from the past 25 years, baseballs that were used as decorations, and other random items. You could even buy concourse tv's and other media equipment for $10-$25.

 

Things I didn't see: the closed off yard sale room with individually priced items and the batting cages. Apparently, you could take batting practice if you waited around long enough to have your number called for tickets. Since we had already purchased tickets online while we were waiting, we decided it wasn't really worth the wait.

 

All in all, it was a fun, free event. I had no real expectations of what it was all about since I had never been before.

 

Oh, walked into Fenway right before us for the Crawford press conference. I should have given him a chop block when I had the chance...

[Station 13]

700 your avatar is awesome.

[EXman369]

I have never heard of this before, its basically a free event for anyone and its lets you buy the tickets in advance?

[a700hitter]

I have never heard of this before' date=' its basically a free event for anyone and its lets you buy the tickets in advance?[/quote']You have to register for the even and get selected.

 

I heard they were going to let people take BP this year. The year I went I got selected to go at 10 am so everything was up and running.

[EXman369]

Thats cool ill try to register for it next year, i tried to get tickets and woke up too late and every game in june july and august i cant buy which sucks cause thats the only time ill be home from college

[a700hitter]

Thats cool ill try to register for it next year' date=' i tried to get tickets and woke up too late and every game in june july and august i cant buy which sucks cause thats the only time ill be home from college[/quote']The June, July and August tickets will go on sale at a later date, so don't give up hope. In December they sell the 4 Pax and certain single game tickets in April and May. Everything else goes on sale at a later date.

[EXman369]

No way! thanks man ill continue to watch the site cause im sure one of you guys will let us know when they go up for sale

[Cocos Disciples]

Do you remember when the summer games went on sale last year or when they will this year?

[a700hitter]

Do you remember when the summer games went on sale last year or when they will this year?

I'm not sure. I think they wait until Spring Training or the season starts.