Over the last century many things have changed. Our nation has been through wars, economic depressions, gas shortages, and terrorist attacks. Nevertheless, despite the ever changing nature of the world we live in, one thing remains constant. Every spring the world’s best baseball players dust off their mitts, and prepare for the season. Over the last decade every Major League Baseball team has knocked down their original stadium, and built a new one to fit with the more modern aspects of the game. The only exception is the Boston Red Sox, and Fenway park. Fenway, one of the oddest looking ballparks of all time, is more than just a building that holds baseball games. Fenway is something more. The feeling of pure excitement and childlike bliss that people of all ages experience when entering Fenway, simply can not be matched in any other arena of life. For whether you are a young child attending your first game, or an old, rugged, season ticket holder, the feeling of excitement when viewing the thirty seven foot tall Green Monster can only be compared to events such as waking up on christmas morning.
The first thing that makes Fenway unique is the pure structural design of it. Having been to many Red Sox games thus far in my life, I can say I have sat all over the park. No matter where you sit, or how much you pay for a ticket however, no seat is without a flaw. These flaws are what make Fenway such a unique and exciting place to view a game. For the fun of attending a game at Fenway is not actually viewing the game, but is the environment of the game. The smell, the sound, the excitement of the fans around you, and the overpriced and undercooked hot dogs is what going to a Red Sox game is all about. Nevertheless, serious changes to Major League Baseball threaten the youthful fun.
When Fenway was purchased and built in 1911. The project costed five hundred and seventy five thousand dollars. While that was a lot of money for its day, it simply does not compare to the cost of everyday baseball operations due today. The cost of baseball these days must be looked at in four different ways, the cost of owning a team, the payroll of the team, the salary of players, and the cost of attending a game as a fan. First off, the cost of owning a baseball team has risen to incredible heights. In fact just yesterday the Los Angeles Dodgers were purchased for a whopping two billion dollars. This extreme price tells fans just how much baseball teams are believed to be worth. Secondly, the average payroll of baseball teams has risen about eighty million dollars a year, and some of the upper echelon teams, such as the Red Sox and Yankees pay more than double that for their teams each season. Thirdly, players are paid a ridiculous sum of money, the prime example is star First Baseman Albert Pujols, who was recently signed to a ten year, two hundred and fifty million dollar contract. This twenty five million dollar a year salary is nearly fifty times what it cost to build Fenway park 100 years earlier. Lastly, the price to attend a baseball game has risen way to high. Tickets range anyway from standing room only, for thirty plus dollars per ticket, to front row at Yankee Stadium, for sixteen hundred dollars per ticket. In addition to the ticket, fans are forced to pay upwards of thirty dollars for parking, and are forced to pay through their teeth just to get a Hot dog. God forbid you be of legal drinking age, and you will be forced to pay anywhere from eight to twelve dollars for one beer. Baseball is no longer a family event for the working and middle class, and is now a social event for the upper class. This sad trend has truly taken away from the grassroots origins of baseball.
Another sad trend that has taken place in baseball is that of buying a championship. Back when Fenway was built players often spent their entire careers with one team, and were the face of that town and franchise. In reading the article, I came across ten or fifteen names of long Red Sox players from the last century that I was well aware of, and has spent the duration of their career with the Red Sox. Players such as Johnny Peskey, Ted Williams, Carl Yaztremski, and Wade Boggs are still famous to this day, and are still well known faces of Red Sox nation. Players these days however, are no more than business pieces, as only a few Red Sox over the last two decades have achieved enough in a Red Sox jersey to withstand the test of time.
Similarly to the heros of your local team, another important group for young baseball fans, is the villains of the other teams. This similarly is also dying in the sport of baseball. Looking back on the history of Red Sox nation, I can give you names of horrible villians in pinstripes, such as Aaron Boone, Bucky Dent, Thurman Monson, and Mookie Wilson. Today however, it is almost difficult to hate the evil Yankees, as players such as Derek Jeter, and Jorge Posada are seen more as fair and honorable baseball players, then Red Sox killing villians.
One final change that is crippling baseball is the lack of childhood excitement about the game. While the game is slow, and not up to speed with our fast pace world, it still has a hint of beauty and elegance that is not found in any other sport. It used to be the case that kids were out playing baseball throughout the day in the summer, and at home listening to the game on the radio at night. In fact, even a decade ago when I was growing up there was far more excitement as children following baseball. By the time I was eight I could list every player on the Red Sox, and all of their statistics. This however, is no longer the case as kids seem more interested in Wii, Television and Computer games.
Until we are able to re-interest the young population in Baseball, and make ticket prices reasonable, baseball is no longer America's sport. While baseball will likely forever be America's pastime, it is quickly alienating itself and risks losing its glamour and excitement. For Red Sox fans like myself however, baseball will never die. For whether you are an eight year old attending your first game, or an eighty eight year old attending your last, once a member of Red Sox nation, always a member of Red Sox nation. I will walk through the tunnel and peer at the green monster, at opening day this year at Fenway park. I will be at the stadium to honor the one hundred year anniversary of Fenway park, and I plan to proudly wear the red “B’ on my hat. What I urge all friends and acquaintances to do is make sure they attend Fenway park once in their life. I guarantee, baseball fan or not, they will have a good time, and hopefully grasp the child like excitement that the boys of summer bring. For as long as we are able to appreciate that skills and abilities of the goofy looking guys in tight pants swinging a wooden bat, we will all be able to embrace the child that still lies within us.
The first thing that makes Fenway unique is the pure structural design of it. Having been to many Red Sox games thus far in my life, I can say I have sat all over the park. No matter where you sit, or how much you pay for a ticket however, no seat is without a flaw. These flaws are what make Fenway such a unique and exciting place to view a game. For the fun of attending a game at Fenway is not actually viewing the game, but is the environment of the game. The smell, the sound, the excitement of the fans around you, and the overpriced and undercooked hot dogs is what going to a Red Sox game is all about. Nevertheless, serious changes to Major League Baseball threaten the youthful fun.
When Fenway was purchased and built in 1911. The project costed five hundred and seventy five thousand dollars. While that was a lot of money for its day, it simply does not compare to the cost of everyday baseball operations due today. The cost of baseball these days must be looked at in four different ways, the cost of owning a team, the payroll of the team, the salary of players, and the cost of attending a game as a fan. First off, the cost of owning a baseball team has risen to incredible heights. In fact just yesterday the Los Angeles Dodgers were purchased for a whopping two billion dollars. This extreme price tells fans just how much baseball teams are believed to be worth. Secondly, the average payroll of baseball teams has risen about eighty million dollars a year, and some of the upper echelon teams, such as the Red Sox and Yankees pay more than double that for their teams each season. Thirdly, players are paid a ridiculous sum of money, the prime example is star First Baseman Albert Pujols, who was recently signed to a ten year, two hundred and fifty million dollar contract. This twenty five million dollar a year salary is nearly fifty times what it cost to build Fenway park 100 years earlier. Lastly, the price to attend a baseball game has risen way to high. Tickets range anyway from standing room only, for thirty plus dollars per ticket, to front row at Yankee Stadium, for sixteen hundred dollars per ticket. In addition to the ticket, fans are forced to pay upwards of thirty dollars for parking, and are forced to pay through their teeth just to get a Hot dog. God forbid you be of legal drinking age, and you will be forced to pay anywhere from eight to twelve dollars for one beer. Baseball is no longer a family event for the working and middle class, and is now a social event for the upper class. This sad trend has truly taken away from the grassroots origins of baseball.
Another sad trend that has taken place in baseball is that of buying a championship. Back when Fenway was built players often spent their entire careers with one team, and were the face of that town and franchise. In reading the article, I came across ten or fifteen names of long Red Sox players from the last century that I was well aware of, and has spent the duration of their career with the Red Sox. Players such as Johnny Peskey, Ted Williams, Carl Yaztremski, and Wade Boggs are still famous to this day, and are still well known faces of Red Sox nation. Players these days however, are no more than business pieces, as only a few Red Sox over the last two decades have achieved enough in a Red Sox jersey to withstand the test of time.
Similarly to the heros of your local team, another important group for young baseball fans, is the villains of the other teams. This similarly is also dying in the sport of baseball. Looking back on the history of Red Sox nation, I can give you names of horrible villians in pinstripes, such as Aaron Boone, Bucky Dent, Thurman Monson, and Mookie Wilson. Today however, it is almost difficult to hate the evil Yankees, as players such as Derek Jeter, and Jorge Posada are seen more as fair and honorable baseball players, then Red Sox killing villians.
One final change that is crippling baseball is the lack of childhood excitement about the game. While the game is slow, and not up to speed with our fast pace world, it still has a hint of beauty and elegance that is not found in any other sport. It used to be the case that kids were out playing baseball throughout the day in the summer, and at home listening to the game on the radio at night. In fact, even a decade ago when I was growing up there was far more excitement as children following baseball. By the time I was eight I could list every player on the Red Sox, and all of their statistics. This however, is no longer the case as kids seem more interested in Wii, Television and Computer games.
Until we are able to re-interest the young population in Baseball, and make ticket prices reasonable, baseball is no longer America's sport. While baseball will likely forever be America's pastime, it is quickly alienating itself and risks losing its glamour and excitement. For Red Sox fans like myself however, baseball will never die. For whether you are an eight year old attending your first game, or an eighty eight year old attending your last, once a member of Red Sox nation, always a member of Red Sox nation. I will walk through the tunnel and peer at the green monster, at opening day this year at Fenway park. I will be at the stadium to honor the one hundred year anniversary of Fenway park, and I plan to proudly wear the red “B’ on my hat. What I urge all friends and acquaintances to do is make sure they attend Fenway park once in their life. I guarantee, baseball fan or not, they will have a good time, and hopefully grasp the child like excitement that the boys of summer bring. For as long as we are able to appreciate that skills and abilities of the goofy looking guys in tight pants swinging a wooden bat, we will all be able to embrace the child that still lies within us.
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