Heroes and Villians you see around a ballpark

[Fenway]

The Boston Globe looks at two sets of characters you find at most parks

The Vendors
http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2010/08/17/for_fenways_hawkers_the_jobs_no_walk_in_the_ballpa rk/?page=full

It is a tough job - (and in Boston beer is only sold in the lower boxes) but vendors are part of the fun at the ballpark. Fans at Fenway because of long rows in the grandstand pass the food and money along.

The Scalpers

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2010/08/17/losses_piling_up_lately_for_areas_scalpers_at_fenw ay_park/?page=full

Some are good guys - some are maggots. I hate the ones that tell an out of town fan how good Section 1 at Fenway is when in reality it is deep right field.

I know one guy 'Kelly' who is in his mid 60's and scalps at Fenway, the Garden and Montreal. He made money scalping Expos tickets.

The scalpers at Fenway do have an honor code - they, not the police, took care of the maggots who were passing back scanned tickets to the street for resale. (One guy has never been found)

Whitey Bulger pretty much controlled scalping at Fenway for decades - easy money

The guys at USCF amuse me at times. I have seen one guy at 35th-SOX CTA trying to sell PARKING PASSES outside the station and not the off ramp :tongue:

The article mentons Ace Tickets which as a season ticket holder I MUST USE. The Red Sox did not join the Stub Hub deal with MLB and if the Red Sox find a season ticket on Stub Hub it is revoked.

The sellout streak is a farce as it seems unsold tickets wind up belonging to Ace at game time. Ace is also a big player on Addison St as they own a storefront with another name.

BTW the author talked about $52 field box seats at Fenway - they are out past Pesky Pole and are horrible seats.

[LITTLE NELL]

Was a vendor in the summer of 1962 and winter of 62-63 at all the sports venues in Chicago. Fun job as a kid because if I didn't feel like working I would quit early and watch the game. Always made money at Comiskey and made peanuts at Wrigley (no pun intended).
In 62 the Sox drew 1,131,,000 to the Cubs 609,000. Thats almost a 2 to 1 ratio, and most of those 609,000 were kids who maybe thier parents gave them 25 cents to spend at the park. I speak from experience because thats what I got when I was 11 or 12 and went to a game
Hard to make money at a Hockey game, the fans back then at the Stadium were glued to their seats and their eyes were rivited to the ice, they got their refreshments between periods.

[ewokpelts]

Fenway, Red Sox tix can now be sold on the hub. I put up a few so/sox tix, and it asked me for my barcode for eticketing. This happened early in the season.

[Fenway]

Fenway, Red Sox tix can now be sold on the hub. I put up a few so/sox tix, and it asked me for my barcode for eticketing. This happened early in the season.

My 2010 season tix handbook didn't tell me this. The date this was announced I was in the hospital so I didn't see it.

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/article/137587

Good to know - my seats have been in the family since 1964 and are primo so ACE always takes care of me. In 1996 they were $12 a game - today they are $85

But thanks good to know