Jon Wallach: Is the Red Sox’s new reality unlike anything we’ve seen before? – Toucher & Hardy
got an email from the Red Sox last week about buying tickets. It’s nothing new. I’ve gotten them periodically ever since I purchased a pair of Pavilion seats for a…
got an email from the Red Sox last week about buying tickets. It’s nothing new. I’ve gotten them periodically ever since I purchased a pair of Pavilion seats for a Shohei Ohtani start at Fenway Park a few years ago, and I’ve also gotten them with some more urgency in the last 12-18 months from a woman who claims to be my “personal” contact with the team.
Welcome to the new reality. Red Sox fans have finally woken up. I looked at the secondary market for these seats, too. Opening day against Baltimore is now going for as low as $58 dollars. Then there are games 2 and 3 of that series with the Orioles. On Wednesday night, April 10th, you can currently get seats in the second row of reserved grandstand section 19, which is basically behind home plate, for $26 dollars apiece. Thursday against the Orioles $27 can get you a seat in row 1 of section 20.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 17: A general view of Fenway during the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Houston Astros at Fenway Park on May 17, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images)
It’s a mess, and, in any other year, I’d say that this would get the attention of ownership. Hit them where it hurts. Fewer tickets sold means fewer concessions purchased, fewer $50 dollar parking spots occupied near the ballpark and, maybe….MAYBE…..Those In Charge would care. However, if Those In Charge aren’t paying attention, the lack of funds coming in doesn’t matter too much.
I get the push from the marketing department. You want as many people to spend money on this team before they fall out of the race. The problem is that the Sox don’t play here until they complete a season opening 10 game west coast road trip. Even the best teams don’t come back with more than 6 or 7 wins from that kind of trip, and this team is much worse. Would YOU really spend a lot of money to watch a team that could very well be 3-8 or 4-7 after opening day at Fenway Park with no promise of getting better?
After opening day, I’d get used to seeing a lot of empty seats for at least a few weeks. The weather isn’t nice enough yet for the college kids to come or the tourists to visit the city. The question remains – 5 and a half years removed from the best team in the history of the franchise - Is anyone in the front office outside of the people who send E-mails paying attention?
JON WALLACH does headlines on Toucher & Hardy, weekday mornings on 98.5 The Sports Hub. You can follow Wallach on X/Twitter at @KenGriffeyrules
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The definitive list of places to get a roast beef sandwich in Massachusetts
(Editor's note: This article has been update from the original.)
In Massachusetts, specifically and especially in the North Shore, roast beef sandwiches are deeply ingrained in the culture. The options are abundant when it comes to toppings. Whether you prefer yours with cheese and slathered in barbecue sauce (3-way) or with nothing at all. When you’re looking for a hearty and robust sandwich, the North Shore has it locked down.
Modern Butcher
NNB Rating: 9.7
Address: 36 Maple St, Danvers, MA 01923
Contact: (978) 750-9829
Web: https://themodernbutchershop.com/
Bella's North Andover
NNB Rating: 9.6
Address: 1211 Osgood St, North Andover, MA 01845
Contact: (978) 258-1123
Web: bellasna.com
Londi's North Andover
Rating: 9.4
Address: 350 Winthrop Ave, North Andover, MA 01845
Contact: (978) 737-9099
Pete's Woburn
Rating: 9.3
Address: 100 A Winn St, Woburn, MA 01801
Contact: (781) 935-8879
Web: petesroastbeef.com
Anthony's Tewksbury
Rating: 9.03
Address: 1921 Main St, Tewksbury, MA 01876
Contact: (978) 455-2482
George & Leon's Maine
Rating: 9.01
Address: 9 Cumberland St, Westbrook, ME 04092
Contact: (207) 591-0280
Tessi's Tewksbury
Rating: 8.98
Address: 910 Andover St, Tewksbury, MA 01876
Contact: (978) 851-8700
110 Bradford
Rating: 8.995
Address: 691 S Main St, Haverhill, MA 01835
Contact: (978) 521-0232
Hap's Portsmouth NH
Rating: 8.95
Address: 2222 Lafayette Rd Unit A, Portsmouth, NH 03801
Contact: (603) 373-8455
Tostimo's Seabrook
Rating: 8.91
Address: 380 Lafayette Rd #6, Seabrook, NH 03874
Contact: (603) 814-1260
Geo's Amesbury
Rating: 8.88
Address: 143 Elm St, Amesbury, MA 01913
Contact: (978) 834-5902
Anthony's Methuen
Rating: 8.86
Address: 1111 Riverside Dr, Methuen, MA 01844
Contact: (978) 655-1400
Niki's North Andover
Rating: 8.73
Address: 208 Sutton St, North Andover, MA 01845
Contact: (978) 258-1355
110 Amesbury
Rating: 8.729
Address: 66 1/2 Haverhill Rd, Amesbury, MA 01913
Contact: (978) 388-3800
Web: rt110roastbeef.com
Anthony's Reading
Rating: 8.67
Address: 216 Main St, Reading, MA 01867
Contact: (781) 942-0100
Jamie's
Rating: 8.66
Address: 44 Margin St, Peabody, MA 01960
Contact: (978) 531-9942
Web: jamiesroastbeef.com
Rizzo’s Lowell
Rating: 8.6
Address: 131 E Merrimack St, Lowell, MA 01852
Contact: (978) 770-0664
Rizzo's Salem
Rating: 8.46
Address: 7 Paradise Rd, Salem, MA 01970
Contact: (978) 745-2524
Rockport House of Pizza
Rating: 8.49
Address: 19 Broadway Ave, Rockport, MA 01966
Contact: (978) 546-6066
Zeno's
Rating: 8.38
Address: 40 Central St, Ipswich, MA 01938
Contact: (978) 312-1497
Supreme Danvers
Address: 18 Maple St, Danvers, MA 01923
Contact: (978) 777-0606
Ramzi's Peabody
Address: 139 Lynnfield St, Peabody, MA 01960
Contact: (978) 871-2111
Nick's Pizza Beverly
Address: Address: 207 Essex St, Beverly, MA 01915
Contact: (978) 720-8972
Atha's Peabody
Address: 10 Sylvan St, Peabody, MA 01960
Contact: (978) 536-9915
Web: athastogo.com
Beefie Boys Truck
Address: The road
Mark's Wellesley
Address: 12c Washington St, Wellesley Hills, MA 02481
Contact: (781) 237-3850
