Sox Get Desperate And Offer Cheap Beer And Free Food At Games In April

Boston – Faced with the possibility of a dank April, dubious prospects, and swaths of empty red and blue seats, the Red Sox are ripping a page from the strategy manuals of down-market teams across Major League Baseball. They are offering free food and reduced-price beer. Yes, at Red Sox games, though only in April. Kids under 14 will eat free — well, before the third inning, provided they go to specially designated concession stands to pick up their Fenway Frank, Goldfish, and carton of juice. Around the park, buy one hot dog, get a second for free. Hot chocolate will be sold for half-price. And beer, which flows from the Fenway taps like liquid gold and costs almost as much, will be sold for $5 per 12-ounce cup, down from between $7.50-$8.50. It’s something that’s more likely to be seen in Kansas City, Mo., or St. Petersburg, Fla., or Arlington, Texas, than Boston, places where fans are often drawn by giveaways and Dollar Dog nights. But with all that went on in 2012 with the Red Sox, it’s clear that the team is ready to admit to fan dissatisfaction and capitulate to fan demand for a friendlier environment around the Olde Towne Team.

This is kind of weird right?  You just don’t expect a team with the longest sell out streak in the history of civilization to need to cut prices on concessions to attract fans.   Oh well.   It looks like the Red Sox inexorable descent into becoming the Pittsburgh Pirates continues.  It’s not just that this is just a desperation move.  It’s not just that this is a gimmick that only last place teams with horrible attendance use.  It’s not that the Red Sox are already waving the white flag in April.   It’s the fact that you know how much this had to kill the One Eyed Bandit.  That’s what makes this so scary.  Like for the past decade the Red Sox have literally squeezed every penny they could out of people. Selling bricks,, making movies during games, fake celebration nights etc.   So for them to give back even a nickel on beer prices must absolutely kill them.  Poor Larry.   Make no mistake about it.  This is what rock bottom feels like.