FredLynn

Thats what I was referring to. Apparently its called a "sellout" even thought when the tickets are no longer being sold, sometimes hundreds of unsold tickets remain. The Sox executives explained it away with adminspeak. Here is the article: At 9:35 p.m. Wednesday, in the seventh inning of a game against the Oakland A’s, the Red Sox cut off ticket sales at Fenway Park with an estimated 300 seats unsold, according to a Globe gate-by-gate review and interviews with team executives. How the Red Sox define sellout streak At 10:19 p.m., the Sox announced the game was sold out. Seconds later, they said they had extended their sellout streak to 723 games, the longest in the history of Major League Baseball. But had Fenway Park really sold out all 37,495 seats? The answer, it seems, depends on how you define “sellout.’’ In a sequence of events that raised questions about the authenticity of the prized streak, the Sox stopped selling tickets for the game first at the ticket office on Yawkey Way when the game began, then at Gate E an hour later, and finally at Gate A deep into the game, with a sales clerk telling a Globe correspondent at each closing that tickets remained available. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a sellout as “something for which all tickets are sold.’’ The Sox embrace an alternate definition that permits them to declare a game sold out even if hundreds of tickets go unsold but others are distributed for free. “I can understand the confusion,’’ said Sam Kennedy, the team’s executive vice president. “But we operate by a definition that is commonly practiced throughout Major League Baseball and professional sports.’’ The Sox count the total number of tickets they distribute, including an average of 800 complimentary tickets each game to charities and others, as the basis for a sellout. They also count standing room tickets toward the total. Skeptics might call it a “distribution streak’’ rather than a sellout streak, given the team’s reliance on complimentary tickets. By giving away hundreds of tickets to Wednesday’s game and selling hundreds of other standing room tickets, the Sox kept their streak alive despite reporting a paid attendance of 37,434 - 61 seats shy of capacity. They did so by including the tickets distributed, which pushed the total to 37,819, exceeding the seating capacity by 324. In fact, the paid attendance fell short of Fenway’s seating capacity in all three games this week against the A’s, according to official box scores. Yet thanks to the distribution formula, the streak that began May 15, 2003 endures. Kennedy said the Sox do not give away tickets to keep the streak alive. He said the team generally gives away far fewer tickets than other major league team because of Fenway’s small size and the high demand for tickets. He said the average paid attendance last year was 37,714, which exceeds the seating capacity, and includes standing room. Using their own definition of a sellout, the Sox are closing in on the longest sellout streak in the history of US major league sports - 814 by the NBA’s Portland Trailblazers from 1977 to 1995. The Red Sox are on track to break Portland’s record early next season, despite nights like Wednesday when the temperature was 47 degrees, the climate clammy, and the opposition the weak-hitting A’s. Ron Bumgarner, senior vice president of ticketing for the Sox, said it is only nights like those in April and May when “my ulcers flare up’’ over the possibility of the streak ending. He defended the team’s definition of a sellout, saying the Sox need to hold back complimentary seats to accommodate families of teams, players, and umpires, among others. “No team can ever sell every single seat to every game,’’ Bumgarner said. Demand for tickets to Wednesday’s game was so weak that good seats were easy to purchase on the team’s official online sales site, http://www.redsox.com. Various blocks of 10 adjoining seats - the most a customer can purchase in a single transaction - were available on the site until the Sox ended online sales 2 1/2 hours before the game. At Fenway, a Globe correspondent was assigned to buy the last tickets sold for the game and determine whether additional tickets remained available. He began at the general ticket office on Yawkey Way as the game started at 7:10 p.m. There, he was directed to Gate E on Lansdowne Street, where the Sox make several hundred tickets available on the day of each game. The correspondent said he wanted to buy as many as six tickets but needed to wait until the last minute to see how many of his friends would arrive. He was the last person to consult the clerk at Gate E before it closed and was told there would still be tickets available at Gate A, which would remain open until the seventh or eighth inning. At Gate A, he was told sales would end at 9 p.m. At that time, he asked for a pair of tickets and was given adjacent seats in the infield grandstand section 15, row 13. He tried repeatedly to pay, but was told to take the tickets for free. “We try to take care of our loyal customers,’’ Bumgarner said. The correspondent saw the window clerk give away four more tickets moments after he received his. He then checked with the clerk just before the booth closed at 9:35 p.m. and was told that tickets remained unsold. Overall, Sox tickets remain among the hottest in baseball. Despite the team’s embarrassing collapse last September, the Sox entered the 2012 season having already sold more than 2.7 million tickets, putting them on track to exceed 3 million for the fifth straight season. They have sold 22,158 season tickets, with a waiting list of 8,500. Yet interest in single game tickets has lagged, which has been evident in the resale market. Jim Holzman, president of Ace Ticket, said he lost about $10,000 on tickets he had bought and was unable to sell for Wednesday’s game, not including about 100 tickets he gave to charities. "Right now, I’m losing money’’ on Sox tickets, Holzman said. "That’s the way it goes. It’s just part of the business. It turns out to be a wonderful time for someone to buy Red Sox tickets below face value.’’ Contrary to popular opinion, Holzman said, Ace Ticket plays no direct role in advancing the Sox sellout streak. He said the company, a Sox sponsor, would never buy tickets the team cannot sell on game days. “That would be insane,’’ he said. “How long would I be in business if I was losing millions of dollars buying seats I couldn’t sell?’’ Mike Janes, general manager of Fansnap.com, which aggregates online tickets from multiple sources, said the average resale price for a Sox ticket this year is $127, down slightly from the last three years. He said the average price of resale tickets for the A’s series at Fenway dropped to $91, but noted that the most inexpensive seats in the bleachers and outfield grandstands have been selling this season for much less than face value in some cases. But the Sox sellout streak - or distribution streak - appears safe for now.

I am just delighted that the fans have started to vote with their feet. They are sending a clear message to John Henry: put a better product on the field or sell the team. They are hitting him in the only place it really can hurt him: in his wallet. If this message is consistently delivered he will have no choice but to listen.

You won't be able to get any tickets. They sell out every game...right?

I would be delighted to use this series as one example to prove that small sample sizes are meaningless. That would mean that we are scoring runs in bundles against the BEST pitching team in the American League by a fairly wide margin, nearly half a run per game. Unfortunately, I do not think that will happen. Good pitching beats good hitting every time. And while I expect that by the end of the year the Orioles pitching will fall down as it always does, right now they are pitching lights out. If we are going to win any games in this series we will need to scratch out the victories and our pitching must be excellent. This is an important series for us. Gotta take at least two games.

Here is the article by Abraham: By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff I don't remember the year, but I remember it was in Minnesota at the Metrodome. As was his daily custom, Mariano Rivera was shagging flies in the outfield during batting practice. Running from gap to gap, he looked like a major league outfielder, not a relief pitcher. Alex Rodriguez was in the cage and three times in a row he drove balls to the wall in center field and three times in a row Rivera made unbelievable catches, leaping up and grabbing the ball before it cleared the fence. The third catch was as good as any you would ever see and A-Rod laughed out loud. As he walked out of the cage, he gave Mariano a "I'm not worthy" bow with both hands. You could see Rivera's smile from there. Some pitchers get their conditioning work in on a treadmill or by running from foul pole to foul pole. Mariano shags flies, always has. It must work, too. The man hasn't been on the disabled list since 2003. Rivera later told a few of the beat writers that he hoped to play the outfield for at least one inning before he retired but knew that was impossible because of the risk of injury and his immense value as a pitcher. Now we learn tonight that Rivera injured his right knee while trying to make a leaping catch in the outfield during batting practice in Kansas City. He has a torn ACL and is done for the season. Obviously this is major news in baseball and particularly for the AL East. It's hard to imagine the Yankees without Rivera. Plenty of people hate the Yankees, but Rivera has earned respect even in Boston. He transcends the rivalry in a way few have. Rivera is one of the best people in baseball and is nearing the end of a remarkable career, having hinted in spring training that he planned to retire. He deserves to go out throwing that cutter, not on the disabled list. Here's hoping we get to see to see him pitch again.

Rivera is likely done for the season...and for his career. By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff I don't remember the year, but I remember it was in Minnesota at the Metrodome. As was his daily custom, Mariano Rivera was shagging flies in the outfield during batting practice. Running from gap to gap, he looked like a major league outfielder, not a relief pitcher. Alex Rodriguez was in the cage and three times in a row he drove balls to the wall in center field and three times in a row Rivera made unbelievable catches, leaping up and grabbing the ball before it cleared the fence. The third catch was as good as any you would ever see and A-Rod laughed out loud. As he walked out of the cage, he gave Mariano a "I'm not worthy" bow with both hands. You could see Rivera's smile from there. Some pitchers get their conditioning work in on a treadmill or by running from foul pole to foul pole. Mariano shags flies, always has. It must work, too. The man hasn't been on the disabled list since 2003. Rivera later told a few of the beat writers that he hoped to play the outfield for at least one inning before he retired but knew that was impossible because of the risk of injury and his immense value as a pitcher. Now we learn tonight that Rivera injured his right knee while trying to make a leaping catch in the outfield during batting practice in Kansas City. He has a torn ACL and is done for the season. Obviously this is major news in baseball and particularly for the AL East. It's hard to imagine the Yankees without Rivera. Plenty of people hate the Yankees, but Rivera has earned respect even in Boston. He transcends the rivalry in a way few have. Rivera is one of the best people in baseball and is nearing the end of a remarkable career, having hinted in spring training that he planned to retire. He deserves to go out throwing that cutter, not on the disabled list. Here's hoping we get to see to see him pitch again.

I agree Your Highness. :clap:

I must be missing something.

Look, it is common knowledge that there is room for only one Couch GM per board. Username has already conceded that on THIS board, the person is ME. Therefore, only I will decide what is best for this team-from the comfort and safety of my home. Royals 4; Yankees 1.

SCM posted that Bard would have a huge problem with going back to the pen. I was responding to that post and not assuming anything that Bard would or would not do because, as far as I know, he has not commented on it publicly. I made no assumptions about his character whatsoever. Hope that clears it up. As for the Sox knowing what is best for this team, thats laughable. Look where they got us three years running. They are run by a bunch of buffoons in the FO. One buffoon left and another replaced him. Look at the bottom line.....and the bottom is where you will find our team right now.

Who cares what Bard would or would not want? Aceves wanted to start too; so did Padilla. They are simply EMPLOYEES. They are expected to do what they are TOLD to do. Same as every New England Patriot employee. This is part of the problem with this team. Its MEMEMEMEME. There is no "I" in "TEAM". If Bard refused to close I would trade him so fast it would make his head spin. We do not need MEFIRSTS on the team any more.

I moved the post with the link to the "This needs to be said" thread, which is where the discussion is buried. I agree: it looked ugly. When your knee gives out like that its usually ligament/cartilage. Hitting the wall could be a simple bruise. I wish him the best of luck in his recovery. He is a great player and a class act.

More Rivera information, including a video of what happened. Looks like his right knee gave out THEN he crashed into the wall: http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/7888133/mariano-rivera-new-york-yankees-carted-field-apparent-knee-injury

Maybe, but with the same doctors in different positions it does not engender a great deal of trust on my part. I am particularly concerned that the team doctor is now the head orthopedist. I think they should have cleaned house. There are so many great doctors in Boston; no need to settle for the guys that screwed up before with them. I hope it works out, but they are going to have to EARN my trust.

Here you go Forsythe. They did not clean house as they should have done: BOSTON -- After two seasons in which the Red Sox experienced health issues throughout the stretch run, there was a determination from the organization to make its medical staff run more efficiently. With that in mind, the Sox unveiled their realigned medical staff for 2012 on Thursday. The staff will no longer include a medical director, the position Dr. Tom Gill held for the last seven seasons. Instead, the Red Sox have installed a team of seasoned doctors. Larry Ronan will continue as the Sox's head team internist, a position he has held since 2005. Peter Asnis has been promoted to head team orthopedist after serving as a Red Sox team physician since 2005. Asnis is the head physician for the Boston Bruins and also works for the New England Patriots.

Its my understanding that the head of the medical staff was replaced, but not the other guys. Furthermore, they still use the same hospital, I believe. If that is true, I can say that within the same hospital most doctors practice a similar style of medicine. If you know that part of this is not true, let me know. I still won't trust them until they EARN my trust, but I am always ready to learn the truth about the facts.

I guess only time will tell. I will say this: I don't trust any information the Red Sox put out there, and I don't trust their medical staff. With their history you have to maintain a healthy level of skepticism.

In more relevant baseball news, here is today's Mazz column in which he agrees that this is a "rebuilding year, Red Sox style". He calls it a "bridge year". By Tony Massarotti, Boston.com Columnist In retrospect, going all the way back to the beginning of the offseason, maybe the Red Sox were just biding their time. Maybe the Red Sox had their eyes on 2013 far more than they ever did on 2012, and maybe the goal was to make them just interesting enough to draw your ire. If it looks like a bridge year and feels like a bridge year ... it's a bridge year. So here's question for you: given the way last year ended, would you be OK with that? Would you be OK with the highest average ticket prices in baseball and absurd parking rates to watch Will Middlebrooks and perhaps Ryan Kalish in lieu of Kevin Youkilis and Ryan Sweeney? The bet here is that you would. The bet is that Red Sox fans still angry over the conclusion of the 2011 would be tolerant of this season with the knowledge that there is a light at the end of the tunnel - in this case an infusion of youth and energy into a Red Sox clubhouse and core that feels stale and spoiled. One of the biggest problems with these Red Sox, after all, is that they have remained unlikeable. Youkilis is already on the disabled list again. Josh Beckett is missing a turn over the weekend. The Red Sox felt like a team that needed a major shakeup over the winter and team administrators did not provide it. Instead, Sox officials patched together an offseason with low-cost and stopgap alternatives, from the bullpen to the starting rotation to shortstop and the manager's office. Think about it: is Cody Ross here for the long term? Mike Aviles? Even Youkilis or Bobby Valentine? In some way, shape or form, all of them are keeping the seat warm for the next guy, just as Ryan Sweeney (who would be a good fourth outfielder) is keeping right field warm for Kalish, whenever he is ready. And then there is the matter of Daniel Bard, whose greatest value to the Red Sox, right now, is indisputably in the bullpen. If the Red Sox were hell-bent on winning a World Series this year as they have been in the past, they would have Bard setting up or closing. Instead, the Sox have resisted multiple urges to shift Bard in the relief corps, all with the idea of making him a more viable and reliable starter in future years. See a pattern here? Kevin Youkilis could be gone at season's end, the Sox holding a $13 million contract option on him for 2013. Daisuke Matsuzaka will be a free agent. David Ortiz will be up (again) and so will Ross and Kelly Shoppach. Additionally, the Sox will have decisions to make on players like Sweeney and Mike Aviles, arbitration-eligible players who may (or may not) price themselves out of backup jobs. More importantly, by the start of next season, Middlebrooks, Kalish, Iglesias and Ryan Lavarnway all could be on the big league roster with full-time jobs. (Middlebrooks at third base, Kalish in right field, Iglesias at shortstop and, perhaps, Lavarnway at any combination of catcher, designated hitter and first base.) If the Sox get lucky, maybe even Lars Anderson and Felix Doubront will thrust themselves into the mix. If all of this sounds premature with regard to 2012, it isn't. When the Red Sox made their decisions last fall, they did so with knowledge of the above. On some level, they expected Middlebrooks, Kalish, Iglesias and Lavarnway to make some transition to the major league level, so they traded lesser assets (Jed Lowrie, Josh Reddick, Kyle Weiland) to make whatever marginal deals they could. They weren't about to sacrifice 2013 for 2012, particularly after the way 2011 ended. As a fan, here's the one question that really matters: could they have started the process earlier and cut ties with someone like Beckett? How much would that have hurt their chances in 2012? The Red Sox don't look anything like a championship contender as things stand, and something suggests that the Boston fan base would be far more content with a relatively mediocre team of enthusiastic, energetic younger player than players than overpaid, underachieving veteran ones. The only real reason to keep some of the veteran pieces on this team is because, in theory, they are more established and have a better chance to win now, a belief that goes out the window so long as the Sox play .500 baseball. Obviously, there is still a great deal of baseball to be played this season. If things go right, given the relative absence of a middle class in the American League this year, the Red Sox could make the playoffs. If and when they get Andrew Bailey, Jacoby Ellsbury, Youkilis, Matsuzaka and others back, they could be a far better team in the second half than in the first. But if the Sox have more series like the one they just had, losing 2 of 3 to the Oakland A's of the world, they may find themselves in an interesting position approaching July 31. For the first time in a long time, at the July 31 trading deadline, the Sox could be sellers instead of buyers. As for Valentine, he is easily the most expendable of all "commodities," a 62-year-old manager on a two-year contract who had been out of the game for 10 years. Barring some sort of dramatic and unforeseen turnaround, is there any reason the Red Sox would bring him back next year? The Red Sox could have hired (potentially) a longer-term replacement in Dale Sveum, who at least would have fit the profile of what the organization was under the height of the Terry Francona era. Instead, they opted for a stopgap. Valentine subsequently feels like just another piece of rental furniture of a house full of them, which cannot help but make you wonder: Maybe the Sox have a far bigger renovation in mind in the very near future.