My first visit ever to Fenway Park (1 Viewer)

[Charlie Steiner]

So my 8 year-old son won a contest to be an honorary bat boy for the game yesterday, and we had to be there2 hours early. Wanting to avoid city driving, we drove to the closest light rail station to go in by train. Even then, there was a sea of fans in full Red Sox gear--shirts, hats, jerseys of a wide range of players--from the station to the gates, which weren't due to open for about an hour after we arrived. My son got to stand down by the Orioles' dugout while they took BP. They gave him a ball and pen so players could sign it when they came by. He got several, the only one I know for sure was Kevin Millar (he seems pretty cool, genuinely enjoying being a major leaguer). The Red Sox were also on the field, waiting their turn. I never realized Curt Schilling is every bit as large as David Ortiz, though Schilling's mass was mainly in his upper body. They had a little ceremony before the singing of the national anthem, and he got to be on the big screen behind the outfield. After that, we settled into our seats on the foul side of the left field foul pole. There were a couple of Orioles fans in our section, and even though they lost the game 6-2, the few O's fans there tried their best to drown out the Red Sox fans and made sure to get their jibes in when Ortiz and Manny struck out.

For the most part, the Red Sox fans seemed pretty cordial and way more boisterous than the few O's fans we saw there, though there seemed to be a smattering of the stereotype Will Hunting wannabes around, but the day stayed incident free. One lady struck up a conversation with my son on the light rail trip back, praising Cal Ripken as an "awesome" ball player, and I got to listen to a group of 20-something guys rag on a guy wearing a West Virginia football jersey. The 'leader' of this group really needled the guy, including obtusely and intentionally I believe confusing WVU with Virginia Tech, until the guy finally blurted out "F*** the Mets," which indicated to me he must have known these guys, so the scary scowl on his face was only half-serious.

The only thing that confused me about the day was why the Orioles batted second.

 

[Pat Patriot]

So my 8 year-old son won a contest to be an honorary bat boy for the game yesterday, and we had to be there2 hours early. Wanting to avoid city driving, we drove to the closest light rail station to go in by train. Even then, there was a sea of fans in full Red Sox gear--shirts, hats, jerseys of a wide range of players--from the station to the gates, which weren't due to open for about an hour after we arrived. My son got to stand down by the Orioles' dugout while they took BP. They gave him a ball and pen so players could sign it when they came by. He got several, the only one I know for sure was Kevin Millar (he seems pretty cool, genuinely enjoying being a major leaguer). The Red Sox were also on the field, waiting their turn. I never realized Curt Schilling is every bit as large as David Ortiz, though Schilling's mass was mainly in his upper body. They had a little ceremony before the singing of the national anthem, and he got to be on the big screen behind the outfield. After that, we settled into our seats on the foul side of the left field foul pole. There were a couple of Orioles fans in our section, and even though they lost the game 6-2, the few O's fans there tried their best to drown out the Red Sox fans and made sure to get their jibes in when Ortiz and Manny struck out.For the most part, the Red Sox fans seemed pretty cordial and way more boisterous than the few O's fans we saw there, though there seemed to be a smattering of the stereotype Will Hunting wannabes around, but the day stayed incident free. One lady struck up a conversation with my son on the light rail trip back, praising Cal Ripken as an "awesome" ball player, and I got to listen to a group of 20-something guys rag on a guy wearing a West Virginia football jersey. The 'leader' of this group really needled the guy, including obtusely and intentionally I believe confusing WVU with Virginia Tech, until the guy finally blurted out "F*** the Mets," which indicated to me he must have known these guys, so the scary scowl on his face was only half-serious. The only thing that confused me about the day was why the Orioles batted second.

Congrats to your son.I was there as well. What a great crowd. Especially in the 9th when Beckett was going for the shutout. It was about 75/25 Sox fans to O's fans. Today it was more like a 50/50 split. Tough loss today.

 

[Dutch Kincade]

I actually grew up in Baltimore as a Sox fan (family and friends influence). The sox crowds the past few years have gotten ridiculously large...but not just at Baltimore...at Tampa and Texas a ton too (and of course Seattle and Toronto as always). I use to high-five (1990s) or talk to the few sox fans I would see at Memorial and then Camden, but now a days there are just too many fans. It is a combination of the Sox being at the pinnacle of their franchises popularity where as the Orioles are just about as insignificant as they have ever been.

I remember in high school in Baltimore taunting all the Oriole fans when the sox came to town and I would actually get responses. Now no one bothers. I use to loathe the Orioles...now I actually feel bad for them and wish they would become relevant again. The owner needs to go...it seems to be the breath of fresh air that has turned around many franchises, Boston included.

 

[Charlie Steiner]

It was just a surreal experience for me at first and it took some time to adjust. I've been to Orioles games before, just never when the Red Sox were in town, so I was completely caught off guard. I'm not particularly an O's fan--especially since Angelos took over and started running them into the ground--but I found myself pulling for the O's, if only for the reason that they were being treated like the visiting team in their own park. I'll give the Sox fans around us credit, though; they weren't very obnoxious or too smug, even though they very well could have rubbed their success in the O's fans faces all day. They seemed like baseball fans and not just Boston fans. Big difference in my book. Thanks for the replies.

 

[[icon]]

It was just a surreal experience for me at first and it took some time to adjust. I've been to Orioles games before, just never when the Red Sox were in town, so I was completely caught off guard. I'm not particularly an O's fan--especially since Angelos took over and started running them into the ground--but I found myself pulling for the O's, if only for the reason that they were being treated like the visiting team in their own park. I'll give the Sox fans around us credit, though; they weren't very obnoxious or too smug, even though they very well could have rubbed their success in the O's fans faces all day. They seemed like baseball fans and not just Boston fans. Big difference in my book. Thanks for the replies.

There are idiot fans that don every jersey but in the end Boston fans are hated and viewed as jerks mainly because of the overflowing bandwagon of loud jerks who love to talk smack from whatever team's perch that happens to be doing well. Glad you and your son had a great time

 

[Charlie Steiner]

There are idiot fans that don every jersey but in the end Boston fans are hated and viewed as jerks mainly because of the overflowing bandwagon of loud jerks who love to talk smack from whatever team's perch that happens to be doing well. Glad you and your son had a great time

There was a minor fracas in the lower level seats, but no one was tossed, just a lot of finger pointing. The most trash talking I heard all day (although one O' fan got in a "you wicked struck out" when Manny fanned) was actually on the train ride home, and it was one guy directing some grief at his WVU buddy. The final laugh was on him, though, as he was so busy taunting his friend that they missed their stop and didn't notice until the train reached the last stop on the route.

 

[tikigods]

Didn't the Sox play in Baltimore yesterday? :dunno:

 

[Pat Patriot]

It was just a surreal experience for me at first and it took some time to adjust. I've been to Orioles games before, just never when the Red Sox were in town, so I was completely caught off guard. I'm not particularly an O's fan--especially since Angelos took over and started running them into the ground--but I found myself pulling for the O's, if only for the reason that they were being treated like the visiting team in their own park. I'll give the Sox fans around us credit, though; they weren't very obnoxious or too smug, even though they very well could have rubbed their success in the O's fans faces all day. They seemed like baseball fans and not just Boston fans. Big difference in my book. Thanks for the replies.

Actually as a Red Sox fan, I thought it was a little too much. Everytime the O's fans would try to engage in the game through a chant or something similar, the Sox fans would start a "Lets go Red Sox" clap, clap....clap, clap, clap to drown them out. If the "Lets go Red Sox" chant was during a Red Sox rally, I thought it was fine but it seemed insulting to do it every time the O's fans tried the same.

 

[Charlie Steiner]

Actually as a Red Sox fan, I thought it was a little too much. Everytime the O's fans would try to engage in the game through a chant or something similar, the Sox fans would start a "Lets go Red Sox" clap, clap....clap, clap, clap to drown them out. If the "Lets go Red Sox" chant was during a Red Sox rally, I thought it was fine but it seemed insulting to do it every time the O's fans tried the same.

Compared to the kind of chanting and other shenanigans that could have happened, I'd say them drowning out the hometown crowd was tame, and as I said, I actually started rooting for the O's because of the overwhelming number of Sox fans. It can't be any fun to feel like the visiting team on your home field. At first, I thought it was insulting and obnoxious too, but I just got the point where I was and accepted what was happening. Plus, it was an interesting lesson for my son. I think he was confused and even started getting a little mad that so many people were rooting against the O's, even though he doesn't follow them(he knows more Red Sox players names than Orioles), so I wanted to try and frame the experience for him and diffuse his frustration by pointing out the good plays by both teams. I even pointed out that even though the O's starter (I don't have the box score handy and I can't remember his name, just that I'd never heard of him before, but he seems like he may develop in time) got roughed up, he didn't pitch badly--6 Ks and 2 or 3 walks despite allowing 4 runs. If my son continues to develop, he's going to play a lot of competitive sports, so I want to teach him early on that he needs to keep his head even when things don't go your way. FWIW, the Orioles cap he got was

 

[The Man from Laramie]

My first ever visit to Fenway was also a Red Sox/Orioles game. Martinez vs. Ponson IIRC. My roommate, who was with me had Pedro starting for his fantasy team, I had Ponson for mine. They both got shelled, the game went into extra innings, most people left cause it was a Tuesday night or something. We moved up closer where the drunken fans were chanting "MELVIN!" ad nauseum to Melvin Mora. Bronson Arroyo comes in around the 12th inning and gives up about 6 runs in the inning or so. Sox lose.

Fun times.

 

[[scooter]]

Didn't the Sox play in Baltimore yesterday? :dunno:

:whoosh:

 

[prosopis]

When Boston played here in Az I found it surprising just how organized a fan base they are. They seem to all know their chants and when to use them perfectly. Kinda eerie.

 

[tikigods]

When Boston played here in Az I found it surprising just how organized a fan base they are. They seem to all know their chants and when to use them perfectly. Kinda eerie.

We all have funny little mustache's and speak German too.