Red Sox set to break MLB sellout record

The 456th consecutive sellout at Fenway Park will break the record set by the Cleveland Indians' die-hards, who packed Jacobs Field for all 455 home games played from June 12, 1995-April 2, 2001.

Records are made to be broken I guess, but this sucks.

10 months ago bogey021 Comment 51 comments 0 recs |

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Yeah, but it’s more like 456*, because they have a smaller stadium so this is being done with less people.

Have your cheap record, Sawx Nation. We had more people.

Steel Nick

by nickjs21 on Sep 4, 2008 12:39 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, that’s the ticket. Plus, the Boston MSA is twice as big as the Cleveland MSA and 33% bigger than the Cleveland-Akron-Elyria CSA, so they had a greater supply of people with which to fill their smaller stadium, so we still win. Also, they suck.

by FredOx on Sep 4, 2008 1:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Plus more disposable income per-capita, more college-aged people from out of town who are inclined to splurge when their hometeam rolls through. And then there are the ballpark pilgrims and the Japanese media and tourists and on and on.

by jhon on Sep 4, 2008 1:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

When it comes down to it, there might only be 4 or 5 actual fans in the seats on any given night.

by jhon on Sep 4, 2008 1:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

At first, I thought this ‘my stadium can beat up your stadium’ banter was funny, but then I did some research. It’s not as trivial a gripe as it may seem to be at first blush.

Fenway has a different capacity for day games v. night games. They need to cover some of the seats in the bleachers during day games to create a batter’s eye. They’ve been constantly expanding the capacity since 2001. When the streak started on May 15, 2003, it was 34,898(night) & 34,482(day). It went to 35,095(night) & 34,679(day) in 2004, 36,108(night) & 35,692(day) in 2006, 36,525(night) & 36,109(day) in 2007, and 36,984 (day) & 37,400 (night) this year.

Allowing for the playoff games in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2007, they would have played to 49 sellouts in 2003. They’ve played 67 home games so far this season. Figures for 2004 to 2007 are easy to find. I took their reported attendance for each season from B-ref.

In 2003 and this year, I assumed about a third of the games were day and two thirds were night games and calculated the attendance as 1,703,207 at sell outs in 2003 and 2,496,509 this year.

That makes the total attendance at Fenway during the streak 15,786,241.

The capacity at the Jake (since the entire streak took place before the name change) was 43,345. It’s even easier to figure attendance during that streak since it ended right after opening day in 2001. Opening day attendance in 2001 was 42,606. Again, I got the annual attendance figures from B-ref for all years other years except 1995. Allowing for playoff games during the streak, there were 29 sell outs during the first year of the streak.

Crunching those numbers, attendance at the Jake during the streak was 18,414,568.

That means 2,628,327 more fans attended games in Cleveland during our streak than have been to Fenway during theirs. That’s more than half the population of the Greater Boston or about half a million more than the population of Greater Cleveland.

Looking at it another way, that means that Boston would have to sellout another 71 home games – nearly an entire season – before their attendance at sellouts surpassed ours.

"It's hard to win when you don't score." Cliff Lee, 9/28/05.

by Harry Doyle on Sep 4, 2008 5:37 PM EDT up reply actions 6 recs

That’s the ticket! Nice work.

by Voltaire on Sep 4, 2008 6:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It gets tricky with the Jake seating capacity numbers, because of the temporary bleacher stands that were propped in CF, and the two additional bleacher sections (I can’t recall if they were added for ‘96 or ’97). Even still you’ve probably got a number that’s very close. Nice work.

by jhon on Sep 4, 2008 6:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Every year at the Jake except 1995 were just the hard numbers from the annual reported attendance. That was easy because every game of the year from 1996 to 2000 was a sell out, so attendance at sold out games were equal to annual attendance. Even 2001 at the Jake was easy because, unfortunately, the streak ended after opening day, so only one game was a sell out during the streak, and opening day attendance was easy to find.

I had to fudge 1995 at the Jake and 2003 and this year at Fenway, since neither of those are years where every game was sold out. I could probably come up with a hard number for this year at Fenway as well, since attendance to date is probably published somewhere – I just didn’t take the time to look for it.

I’m more confident in the number for Cleveland than the one for Boston since, among other things only one year is estimated and I didn’t have to vary attendance for day games v. night games.

The numbers I came up with are probably not precise, but but they are probably not off by more than a few ten thousands out of figures over 15 million.

"It's hard to win when you don't score." Cliff Lee, 9/28/05.

by Harry Doyle on Sep 5, 2008 11:16 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well, to be fair – what – what did I just say that? those Fenway tickets are god awful expensive. Back in the day you could go to the Jake for ten bucks.

Resident LGT beer kinda sewer

by mauichuck on Sep 4, 2008 2:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I still get in for under $10. Just have to be willing to seat pirate people.

by fwembt on Sep 4, 2008 2:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Bought two box seats in Fenway for a game against the Indians on June 29, 2005 and paid $250 to a broker. Wakefield beat Elarton. Like going to the opera.

by odradek on Sep 4, 2008 6:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Except you’ll never hear Sweet Caroline at the opera. Thank providence.

"A good body with a dull brain is as cheap as life itself."

by Fiddlesticks on Sep 4, 2008 8:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Meh, at least it brings attention to the previous record (ours), which was pretty amazing. I’m glad I got to go to a bunch of those games (mostly as a food service employee).

by jhon on Sep 4, 2008 12:59 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I was there when they retired the number 455. During a Saturday game where we beat the Royals to start 2002 at 10-1 (I think). Despite that hot start, the Jake was only half full on a weekend game.

Even though we had a hot start, it sure didn’t feel like I was watching the same team from the past. It really felt like an era had ended.

It didn’t seem possible that a team could break that streak in my lifetime. It seemed almost magical that all the conditions came together in Cleveland to make it happen. Congrats to Red Sox fans.

by Toxicadam on Sep 4, 2008 1:58 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Congrats to Red Sox fans

nope.

by Brick. on Sep 4, 2008 2:09 PM EDT up reply actions 29 recs

Rec. I will never congratulate the Red Sox on anything.

by fwembt on Sep 4, 2008 2:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

this hsould be the highest recced post of the year

by Gradyforpresident on Sep 4, 2008 4:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well I’m far too sensitive to peer pressure, it seems.

Steel Nick

by nickjs21 on Sep 4, 2008 6:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Eleventh’d

by Logodaedalus on Sep 4, 2008 6:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

17th’d.

--
In Cliff we trust.

by vbc3 on Sep 5, 2008 2:06 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

it may be irrational…. but I just hate them so much. so much so it has surpassed my Yankee hatred.

proverbial "moron in a hurry"

by 94neverout on Sep 5, 2008 10:10 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Then there’s the Marlins…

"A good body with a dull brain is as cheap as life itself."

by Fiddlesticks on Sep 4, 2008 2:20 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I went to a game like that once at Municipal Stadium, a night game in April against Boston. We counted all the butts in seats and got a whole lot less than the announced attendance.

by FredOx on Sep 4, 2008 2:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wow. On any given 10 acre parcel of land in Miami there must be at least 600 people doing something. Could it be that the team is actually displacing people?

by jhon on Sep 4, 2008 2:54 PM EDT up reply actions 5 recs

Just like Municipal Stadium: Want peace and quiet? Go to the ballpark.

by odradek on Sep 4, 2008 6:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It happened AGAIN? Didn’t they have 700 attend a game last year?

by Voltaire on Sep 4, 2008 6:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Einstein said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. You’re playing a baseball game in September between two teams that have no shot at the playoffs. It’s 90 degrees and 85% humidity. How many people could they expect to show up.

"It's hard to win when you don't score." Cliff Lee, 9/28/05.

by Harry Doyle on Sep 5, 2008 11:26 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Still, you have to see the humor in jhon’s point … that if they hadn’t built the stadium on that land at all, more than 600 people probably would have been in that space.

by Jay on Sep 5, 2008 11:33 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I loved jhon’s point, and he’s right. People are staying away from Marlins games in droves.

I was replying to Voltaire’s apparent disbelief that it had happened again. Nothing’s changed in south Florida. The team’s out of it. They were playing an opponent that is more dead than they are. It’s hot and uncomfortable to sit outside. I’m sure the beer’s expensive. Unless they change something it’s not going to get better, and I don’t suppose that lowering the beer prices would bring many more people to the ball park (present company excluded).

"It's hard to win when you don't score." Cliff Lee, 9/28/05.

by Harry Doyle on Sep 5, 2008 12:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I recommend $0.05, which would make the games quite interesting.

by FredOx on Sep 5, 2008 12:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Where’s Billy Martin when you need him?

by odradek on Sep 5, 2008 12:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I recommend $1 Beer Slurpees.

by Jay on Sep 6, 2008 7:26 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

this sounds horrible

by Gradyforpresident on Sep 6, 2008 11:23 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Meaning you’ll only have how many … eight?

by Jay on Sep 6, 2008 1:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

if it’s good beer

by Gradyforpresident on Sep 6, 2008 2:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

If it’s a stout in the summer.

Steel Nick

by nickjs21 on Sep 6, 2008 3:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

you were the strict beer season guy right? see i almost enjoy those discussions more than talking about the indians.

by Gradyforpresident on Sep 6, 2008 3:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I was the anti-beer season guy. I think that was Iron Nick.

Steel Nick

by nickjs21 on Sep 6, 2008 7:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

PBR of course.

by Jay on Sep 6, 2008 4:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I haven’t had a PBR in a while. Lots of Hefeweizens though.

by Gradyforpresident on Sep 6, 2008 4:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

That’s funny, I just had my first two a couple nights ago.

by Jay on Sep 6, 2008 4:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

First two for the summer, right? You can’t possibly mean of all time.

by Gradyforpresident on Sep 6, 2008 5:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

No, I don’t recall having them before. Plenty of other wheats, of course. I do enjoy a nice wheat in the summer, like lemonade.

by Jay on Sep 6, 2008 9:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

A friend of mine that works for the Red Sox informed me that ownership consistenly bought unsold tickets to keep the streak going. FWIW

by Roger Dorn on Sep 4, 2008 6:55 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Hello Roger,

If that is true, then I think an asterisk, or at least, us remembering this fact should help us to feel a little better, since I too thought that our streak would not be broken for some time, if ever. I’m not sure Indians’ management ever had to buy tickets to keep the streak going, since Indians’ tickets were extremely popular at that time (plus the fact the Cavaliers were mediocre and the Browns were poor in 1995 and then gone for the next 3 seasons, then poor again in 1999 and 2000).

I wonder if the Indians’ sellout streak would have continued longer if we had reached the postseason in 2000 (just one additional win from doing so) or if the Browns’ 3rd season in 2001 would have still led to our sellout streak ending at the time it did?

Just my 2 cents.

The "cream of the crop" doesn't always rise to the top.

by indiansfan on Sep 5, 2008 2:48 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

During the streak I had the number of a guy who worked for the Indians that handled group sales. Whenever I needed tickets I’d call the guy up. He’d sell me a block – usually 10-20 seats – of seats at face value. These seats were often corporate seats that company didn’t need for a particular game so they’d give the tickets back to the Indians for resale. And it didn’t make any difference who the Indians were playing. I got twelve seats to a Yankee’s game back in ’95.

Any way the point is that even during sellout streaks, most teams still have seats – ya just gotta know who to call.

Resident LGT beer kinda sewer

by mauichuck on Sep 5, 2008 7:03 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

On any given game I’d wager the Indians— any club, likely —“own” at least 50-75 seats at gametime. Probably more.

Steel Nick

by nickjs21 on Sep 5, 2008 10:09 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

There are definitely “house seats” all over the place at the Jake, or there were when I was an usher there in ’96. The only ones that I ever saw used were when Barkeley was in town for a hearing on his case when he threw a dude through a window in the Flats.

Il faut d'abord durer.

by CU Adam on Sep 5, 2008 3:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It seems impossible to get a ticket to Fenway unless you know someone or are willing to pay a lot of money to a broker. I would guess the team would do what the Tribune Co. does with the Cubs, and buy seats and sell them to brokers. The seats are fully occupied, either way.

by odradek on Sep 5, 2008 3:44 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well, it wasn’t every game, but there were numerous occassions in less popular games where tickets would still be available and then purchased by the club. I have no doubt that Fenway is a tough ticket, I experienced that for four years in college

by Roger Dorn on Sep 5, 2008 7:48 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Be thankful that the Q and not Browns Stadium is next to Progressive.

The Orioles were intimidated into changing their Sunday game into the day game of a Saturday day/night DH because of a Ravens game Sunday. As a result, the A’s will be playing 5 games in 3 days.

by palcal on Sep 4, 2008 8:23 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs