So this is going to be a bit of a long story but worth it if you are a Baseball fan. I am here in Boston on business and ever since I heard I am coming to Boston I wanted to get tickets to go to Fenway and watch the game. Just for the historic aspect of it and the fact that I probably won't be back in Boston for a while and why not check out a game when I didn't have to pay for any of the trip. I was looking everywhere for tickets leading up to Tuesday but didn't pull the trigger becuase the weather was getting bad and it had rained the past two days and didn't feel like paying the going price for tickets and have it rained out and not be able to get my money back or attend the make up game since I leave today. So I am at the convention we are there for and one of our clients comes up and starts small talking with us and mentions how another client we send a lot of business too gave him a ticket and he is going to the game. So my boss and I quickly go over there to talk to them and they tell us they only had 28 tickets and they gave them away and they had no clue that I would have gone and apologized. I told her that if by the off chance someone dropped out I would love to go. She told me there is probably slim to no chance she can but she will try because everyone confirmed for the most part. She called me about an hour and a half later telling me she hasn't had anyone drop out and she is really sorry. At the same time one new client we worked with came by and said I have an extra ticket if you want to go and i jumped at it and said "HELL YEAH" So I call her back and say thanks for trying but I found a ticket. I start walking back to my hotel to get ready and I get a call from her saying that a spot opened up and I could come alone. I got excited and said I'll be right there and ran back to their hotel because the shuttle was leaving. The reason I took their ticket is because they are one of the biggest companies in the industry and they know how to take out their clients. Today was no exception. So we get to the field and I'm expecting maybe a happy hour or something before the game with food but we walk into Fenway, they hand us our passes and then a blue band. We start following an employee of the RedSox and he takes us to the stands and then down the stairs onto the field for Batting Practice. I was in shock at this point. So I took a few pictures there and watched batting practice. Towards the end of batting practice one of the other people with us kept calling Papi's name and he ended up rolling a ball to her. I didn't notice that part because I saw the ball rolling and just picked it up. She started telling me how she asked for it and it was hers and I had no problem giving the ball right back to her since i just didn't know that had happened. She was really grateful and I was already enjoying myself at this game being the sports nut that I am. (This part of the story comes back at the end.) We take a group picture at the park and we are on our way from there. From there we take a tour of Fenway park and stop off for a Happy hour in a specific area of the park. Then go towards our seats. We end up having seats on the Famous green monster in dead center field. The view of the game was amazing. Not only did we sit there but they had a 5 course meal setup that they brought out every few innings. They also had all you can eat hot dogs, etc, etc. Not to mention anything we wanted to drink as well. So we are watching what ended up being in amazing game to begin with and Im just soaking it all up when they come around and hand us Authentic game jerseys and the picture that we took on the field. I got Josh Beckett for the jersey. So It's the bottom of the fifth inning some of the guys in our row have gone to the bar and are drinking and I'm just chilling there with a couple of other guys talking and checking out my fantasy team on my phone when I hear the crack of the bat and the roar of the crowd. I look up and see Youkalis has hit a mamoth shot into dead center and it is coming our way. I did not think anyone could have it that far. I follow the path of the ball as it comes closer to us and hits in the corner of our section on top of the wall as one of the other guys reaches to catch it with his hat. The ball hits the top of the wall through his hat and bounces at like a 45 degree angle right back towards me and literally comes straight into my left has as I was still holding my phone with my left. For a section I was in shock and was like what the hell? Then I did the normal holy crap I caught a ball and held it up and everyone was going crazy. 20 years of going to baseball games in Houston I have never caught a ball in my life and the 1 game in Boston that I luckily got into I caught not only a ball but a home run ball. That just topped off an already amazing day for me at Fenway. The lady that I had given the ball back to turned to me and said that is Karma, you gave up the other ball and got returned an even better one and I was like "I guess so!" Everyone was telling me how they don't know how I even caught it cause I didn't look until the last minute and the ball seemed to just come straight in my hands and stick there. Came back to the hotel later that night and got a chance to see the replay of the game on NESN and saw the homerum and I clearly saw myself catch the ball as well they showed me on TV for a while as i was showing off the ball to the rest of the section. All in all this had to be one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had as a sports fan. Something I will never forget. It just seemed everything happened like it was supposed to. Now I have to see if I can find a place to download a copy of the game or contact NESN so I can have a copy of it for safe keeping because I doubt this will ever happen the way it did again. I'll post some pictures when I get back to Houston, but i just had to share with my friends. PS. The game was amazing...19-17 Boston comes back ....
that is a amazing story, sounded like you had a freaking blast/time of your life, I saw the highlights on FSN Houston after the Astros game, and when I saw your thread title, I was like "you had to be there" and u were and a whole lot more. btw, u still own the your bar in Downtown? been meaning to ask because when we went to a playoff game and asked for you, the waitress didn't know who u were...
Amazing story, Stack. It is good to hear that kind of stuff happens to true baseball fans and not just corporate smucks that are there to be seen.
Cool story. Seems like a sports trip of a lifetime! I think all sportsfans need to take a trip like that once in their lives.
Yes I still own it but I'm not there as much for a while I was just doing by day thing so all the new staff didnt know me. Right now I'm there only on Sundays.
I'm still waiting for the part where Jessica Alba (or Biel or both) invites you back to her place and, yes, your wife said it was okay. Awesome story.
that's awesome!!!!!!!!!!!! and i'm glad it happened to a sports fan and not just anyone. my husband would be jealous of the whole thing.
Wow. Great story Stack. What an amazing game to be able to witness... and to catch a homerun ball no less... very lucky. I got to go the Twins-White Sox game a couple weeks ago where the fans started hurling hats onto the field after a bad call, and I thought that was pretty awesome.
That's awesome man. I got a chance to sit in a suite at Yankee Stadium a couple of months back during my visit to NY and it was an amazing experience especially because I was able to catch a Derek Jeter foul ball. Fenway Park is as historic/traditional as it gets and it doesn't get much better than catching a home run ball while sitting on the Green Monster for a sports fan.
GREAT STORY. "Luckyyyyyy!" I don't mean to take anything from your story, Stack, because it won't be shadowed by anything. Just wanted to share mine about a 'day' in Boston. I am not a baseball fan more than I am a football, basketball, or soccer fan (in that order). I am not a Boston fan at all. I don't despise the New York Y team as much, either, but I had a chance to go to Fenway when they had just signed Daisuke last season, at around this time (it was early July). I went with my coworker as we were in a convention and had some afternoon time. We had one of the best tour guides the place could offer. He explained how things were added, what was there first, the grandstand changes, what has been kept, the bleachers, even the lone RED seat and the story behind it. THAT is a LooOoOOoOoOooong freakin' way from HOMEPLATE, isn't it?! When we were sitting in the Green Monster's seats just to get a glimpse, the guide was testing us for players' retired numbers, and some kids were getting all of the answers right and the guide had to stop them from answering all the time. I thought: "and I thought I knew a lot about the Astros"... heck no, I didn't. As we were talking up in the GM, a player started running in the field. Some of the kids started shouting "Matse-something-aka!" I was all "who the eff is that?" I didn't know. My coworker said, oh, they just signed him last weekend. Goes to show you how much I follow baseball. The place is nostalgic. It is full of memories. It shows the U.S.'s past and present, and it made me realize how time has stood still in even the most FUTURISTIC places in the world. I almost shed a tear when I thought about how much we have seen the game change, the players evolve, and baseball as a whole. I think I shed a tear, even. I meant to post some photos way back a year ago, Stack24, but now I will just wait for yours.
Fenway is such a great experience. Your story wins hands down. I only got to yell at Lugo behind the visitor dugout (before the sox signed him). It was more like a strong heckle. My fantasy is to be on the Green Monster for a playoff game against the Yankees hanging out with Ted William's ghost who brings me a case of Sam Adams and maybe a Celtic dancer.
In that game, it seems like there might have been a home run ball for every person at Fenway... Really cool story.
Here are some pics...nothing all that since it was from my iPhone but wearing the World Series ring was nice.
Great pics...That is on my to do list...I'd also like to go to Yankee Stadium, but It'll be the new one and Wrigely field...
