According to Sean McAdam of Comcast Sports New England, the Boston Red Sox were rebuffed in their efforts to host the MLB All-Star Game in 2012.
Instead, the game will be hosted by the Kansas City Royals at newly renovated Kauffman Stadium.
Red Sox management had hoped to have the game at Fenway Park to coincide with the team’s 100th anniversary of playing at the Fens.
Red Sox miss out on 2012 All-Star bid [CSNNE.com]
Here is a press release from the Boston Red Sox concerning ticket prices for the 2010 season.
BOSTON, MA – The Boston Red Sox today announced prices for existing seats and standing room tickets available to the public at Fenway Park for the 2010 regular season and tickets available to the public for 2010 Spring Training games.
Following an across the board freeze of all ticket prices in 2009, approximately two-thirds of the tickets at Fenway Park will stay at 2009 levels or increase by $2 for the 2010 season and no single price category will increase by more than $5. In 2010, 63% of the tickets at Fenway Park will be $52 or less, with the lowest ticket price remaining at $12.
The team will hold prices at 2009 levels for all tickets available to the public for the 2010 Spring Training Games at City of Palms Park in Ft. Myers, FL. The Red Sox implemented an across the board freeze on all Spring Training ticket prices in 2009, and 2010 marks the fourth time in five years that ticket prices for games at City of Palms Park have remained unchanged. The 2010 Spring Training schedule and ticket on-sale date will be announced in the coming weeks.
2010 regular season ticket prices will be held at last year’s level in 12 areas of Fenway Park: Budweiser Right Field Roof Deck, Pavilion Box, Coca-Cola Corner Pavilion Reserved, Right Field Roof Terrace, Outfield Grandstand, Upper Bleachers, General Standing Room, Pavilion Level Standing Room, Coca-Cola Deck Standing Room, Right Field Roof Box Standing Room, Right Field Terrace Standing Room and Budweiser Right Field Roof Deck Standing Room.
Four areas of the ballpark (more than 48% of available tickets) will increase just $2: Infield Grandstand, Right Field Box, Right Field Roof Box and Lower Bleachers. Four categories will go up by $5: Field Box, Loge Box, Green Monster and Green Monster Standing Room.
“We approach the issue of ticket pricing anew each year and explore a number of models based on both current circumstances and future needs. After careful review and deliberation, we decided to implement a modest average increase, 3.8%, that represents the second lowest average percentage price increase over the past 15 seasons with the exception of last season when we implemented a price freeze across the board for all categories,” said Red Sox President/CEO Larry Lucchino.
“We are fortunate that Red Sox Nation invests in this team year after year, and we will remain true to our fundamental pledge to field a team worthy of the fans’ support by investing each year in a formidable roster of uniformed personnel at both the major and minor league levels,” said Lucchino. “We will also continue to be among the most active and aggressive teams in Major League Baseball in both the amateur draft and international player signings. Further, we will continue our ninth year of private investment, generated in large part by ticket revenue, to preserve, protect and enhance Fenway Park; these annual investments, including those underway for 2010, total well over $100 million and, have put us in a position to host Red Sox baseball at Fenway Park for the next 40 to 50 years.”
(Price increases for premium seating in 2010 will vary and be based on longer term contracts previously entered into. Distribution methods for Green Monster and Budweiser Deck tickets will be announced after the New Year, in accordance with past practice. The Red Sox special discount programs for Active Duty Military and Clergy will continue in 2010.)
The Red Sox organization and the members of Red Sox Nation together achieved several significant milestones in 2009. The team won 95 games during the regular season and reached the postseason for the sixth time in seven years. The fans continued to set a new all-time Major League sellout streak record and ended the season at the 550 consecutive game mark (going back to May 15, 2003). A new Fenway Park attendance record was also set, with 3,062,699 fans coming through the turnstiles during the regular season.
Fans’ first opportunity to purchase tickets for the 2010 season will be the annual, all-day “Christmas at Fenway” celebration on Saturday, December 12. Additional details for this popular holiday event, and the Great Fenway Park Yard Sale on December 12 and 13, will be released in the near future.
A couple of months ago I was contacted by Absolute Broadcasting General Manager Mike Winn about a new website targeted at active, sports minded women in the surrounding Boston and New England Area.
Winn represents multiple radio stations in Nashua, New Hampshire including WGAM Radio, 1250 AM Manchester, WGHM 900AM Nashua, and WSMN 1590 AM Nashua.
With that said, say hello to BostonSportsWoman.com the only online magazine dedicated to female sports fans in the Boston area.
I’m one of five featured bloggers, which also includes fellow Red Sox blogger Kayla Chadwick of Off the Monster.
I encourage everyone to check it out and pass the word around. The site promotes Boston sports, health and fitness, and events, including fundraising for charities. You can become a fan on Facebook and follow BSW on Twitter.
Amanda Bruno is a freelance sportswriter for The Springfield Republican and also writes weekly features for the Plus Papers on Wednesdays. She also writes over at Batter-up with Bruno where she shares her thoughts about the Boston Red Sox and the Boston sports media. You can follow her on Twitter @batterupbruno and can reach Amanda through email at brunosportshawk[at]gmail.com.
It’s game day for the UConn Huskies men’s basketball team as they will open play in the first round of Preseason NIT against the Colgate Red Raiders. Tip-off is scheduled for around 9:00 p.m. and the game will be televised nationally on ESPNU. If you can’t catch the television broadcast, you can listen to the game on the WTIC/UConn Radio Network.
UConn Men’s Basketball links
On the Lamb [David Borges – New Haven Register]
Another Lamb on the menu? [Ed Daigneault – The Republican-American]
Doron Lamb Makes Official Visit [Mike Anthony – Hartford Courant]
A Sunday in Storrs [Neill Ostrout – Connecticut Post]
Sunday in Storrs Part Deux (Lamb visits) [Neill Ostrout – Connecticut Post]
Lamb visits UConn [Gavin Keefe – The Day]
UConn vs. Colgate game day [Connecticut Post]
Lamb makes official visit to UConn [Connecticut Post]
UConn Men Counting On Extreme Makeover Vs. Colgate Tonight [Hartford Courant]
Preview: Colgate At No. 12 UConn [Hartford Courant]
Road to the Garden runs through Gampel [Hartford Courant]
Defense needs to pick it up [The Day]
Huskies face Colgate tonight [The Republican-American]
UConn men: schedule analysis [The Republican-American]
Dispute Centers on TBS/Major League Baseball Commercial
Bart Steele, a songwriter living in Chelsea, MA, has filed an appeal in his lawsuit against Turner Broadcasting, Major League Baseball, The Boston Red Sox, the rock band Bon Jovi, and other defendants. The case is Steele v. Turner Broadcasting et al, case #08-11727, and is pending in federal court in Boston. Steele argues that his song and an MLB/TBS commercial, which he believes was created using his work as a “temp track,” are similar enough to support his claim that the commercial infringes upon his copyright.
“Basically, the District Court believed the defendants’ argument that this was all a bunch of coincidences,” Steele says. “But it wasn’t. It was copyright infringement, pure and simple. In 2004, I wrote my Boston Red Sox-based country baseball anthem entitled ‘Man I Really Love This Team.’
“I emailed my song and also mailed the song with lyric sheets to the Red Sox and Major League Baseball several times, including in October 2004, June 2005, and June 2006. I also told them I had another version called ‘Man I Really Love This Town’ that could be used for any team in any town. To this day, neither the Red Sox nor Major League Baseball has denied receiving my letters, song, and lyric sheets. I never heard back from them.
“Three years later, MLB’s “I Love This Town” commercial aired on TBS, with Bon Jovi providing the audio. And I started getting phone calls asking me when I had sold my song. The answer was – and is – never.
“I was never asked for permission to use my work, much less paid or even given credit for it. Defendants admit, in Court documents, receiving my song in October 2004. Defendants have not denied receiving my letters informing them I had created a derivative work, which replaced “team” with “town.”
“Defendants admit “access,” which is a big part of any copyright claim. It is hard to believe TBS and MLB when they say their commercial.
Just a quick note before we get started this morning. I didn’t do them for the first men’s and women’s basketball games but I will be doing recaps with my thoughts about the game going forward. Plus what else can I really say about Tina Charles’ dominating performance yesterday and the ass whooping UConn put on Northeastern.
UConn Women’s Basketball links
well i have the microphone, and you don’t [Alysa Auriemma]
Looking to the future [Jim Fuller – New Haven Register]
Huskies Win…That’s UConn, Of Course [John Altavilla – Hartford Courant]
McLaren Sidelined/Geno Talks 2010 Recruiting [Rich Elliott – Connecticut Post]
Northeastern Rewind [Rich Elliott – Connecticut Post]
UConn women missing players, fans but not intensity [Roger Cleaveland – The Republican-American]
UConn women’s recruiting class finalized [Roger Cleaveland – The Republican-American]
Buck benefits from McLaren’s absence [Roger Cleaveland – The Republican-American]
UConn crushes Northeastern 105-35 [Connecticut Post]
Auriemma excited about new recruit class [Connecticut Post]
UConn women’s notebook: Championship banner unveiled [Connecticut Post]
UConn Women Roll To Victory Over Northeastern [Hartford Courant]
UConn Women: Wait Until You See The Future [Hartford Courant]
Top 10 Genoisms [Hartford Courant]
UConn in control from the very start [New Haven Register]
Auriemma pleased with recruits [New Haven Register]
Charles leads the way [Norwich Bulletin]
Blowout likely to be one of many this season [Norwich Bulletin]
Buck sees first time for Huskies in rout [Norwich Bulletin]
UConn’s simply too good in opener [The Day]
For Buck, it’s a start [The Day]
UConn romp a thing of beauty [The Republican-American]
Can UConn Meet Expectations While Searching for Both a Leader and a Point Guard? [Swish Appeal]
[flash http://ianbethune.com/pacmancotto1.flv w=320 h=240]
In a way that only Fitzy can, he brings us a great preview of tomorrow’s New England Patriots versus Indianapolis Colts game. As always, Fitzy’s videos are NSFW.
It’s game day for the UConn Huskies women’s basketball team as they open up the 2009-10 campaign with a game against the Northeastern Huskies. Tip is scheduled for roughly 2 p.m. at Gampel Pavilion and will be broadcast locally on CPTV. The game is also available on the internet for a fee through Hoop Streams. If you can’t catch the television broadcast, you can listen to the game on the WTIC/UConn Radio Network.
UConn Women’s Basketball links
UConn junior Maya Moore repeats as ESPN.com’s preseason player of the year [ESPN.com]
Another Inevitable Conclusion for UConn? [Fanhouse]
One last look back [Jim Fuller – New Haven Register]
My Platform For the 2009-10 Season [John Altavilla – Hartford Courant]
Blast From The Past [Rich Elliott – Connecticut Post]
Fifth-year Greene asserts herself [Connecticut Post]
UConn women’s gameday [Connecticut Post]
Another Perfect Season On Tap For UConn Women? [Hartford Courant]
Preview: Northeastern At No. 1 UConn [Hartford Courant]
Milestone beckons for UConn’s Greene [New Haven Register]
UConn women shoot for 40 straight wins in today’s season opener [The Day]
UConn women begin quest for perfection again [The Republican-American]
Two more members of the Boston Red Sox filed for free agency on Friday. They are pitcher Paul Byrd and utility infielder Chris Woodward.
Byrd pitched in seven games for the Red Sox in 2009 after coming out of semi-retirement. He went 1-3 with a 5.82 ERA.
Woodward came over from the Mariners after the Red Sox claimed on waivers. In thirteen games with the Red Sox, he hit .083 (1-12) with two walks.
My best guess is that Byrd will either retire or try to find a similar situation where he doesn’t pitch until the second half. Woodward could catch on somewhere as a utility infielder or provide depth in the minor leagues should he decide to continue to play.