Curtis: Fenway's 100th Birthday Celebration Comes To Fitting End ... With Another Loss
BOSTON (CBS) -- A season that began with the hope of redemption, the glow of a refurbished baseball cathedral and a great 100th anniversary celebration ended with yet another meaningless loss.
As the longest and most expensive 100th birthday party in American history came to a close last night at Fenway Park, I wonder if the owners realized or even cared that the team played its worst home baseball in nearly 50 years.
Season ticket holders at Fenway paid the highest average ticket price in baseball for the second fewest home wins. They also paid the most for watered-down beer, only to have the team distribute tickets to local ticket agencies to perpetuate a fraudulent sell out streak, which then prevented them from recouping any value for their investment.
According to a Team Marketing Report early this year, the average cost of a family four to attend a game at Fenway is $336.99, or roughly $300 more than the number of home wins.
That is like paying for Abe and Louie's and getting Ramen noodles.
Larry Lucchino and his minions could have made a very simple gesture after the great trade that unloaded their mistakes on the Dodgers. They could have offered season ticket holders 50 percent off their remaining home games toward next season's renewal. I highly doubt they will be getting many of those now.
In the final home stand of this putrid season, fans attending Fenway were subjected to a nonsensical eight-year celebration of the great 2004 team. Nomar Garciaparra returned on a duck boat holding the World Series trophy high above his head -- the same trophy which was won in large part due to his absence -- in front of a half-filled stadium (the only thing that would have made the night better would have been Orlando Cabrera jumping aboard and taking the trophy from him halfway around Fenway).
Adam Hyzdu was there for the great eight-year anniversary, as was Brad Mills (Millsy) and Terry Francona, the man who led the team to the championship who is still removing bus tracks from his backside. What a team.
The final game of the season against a team with a fraction of the Sox payroll in the late arriving Joe Maddons was delayed 30 minutes for the grand finale, the All-Fenway Team. Nothing quite like Carl Yazstremski coming off the bench and Trot Nixon making the first-reserve team over Jim Rice.
Another October without meaningful baseball, now five years removed from a playoff win with the most expensive ticket in major professional sports. It is time for a change on Yawkey Way.
Happy Birthday, Fenway.
Chris Curtis has produced 98.5 The Sports Hub's The DA Show the last three years.
Follow him on Twitter @_ChrisCurtis.
