Overseas Fan - why the Red Sox

In the previous article in this series, you were introduced to the elusive Overseas Fan that lives far away from the Boston Red Sox. We pick up where we left off.

So how did I get to be a Red Sox fan?

My current job brings me to the US a few times a year and as luck would have it, our offices are just outside of Boston.

I got to go to my first Fenway game in May 2010. It was still sold out back then, but I got two standing room only tickets from an online auction site for me and my sister. We arrived early, on foot, and walked all the way around Fenway.

We ogled David Ortiz's car parked by the other players vehicles. Apparently David Ortiz likes Dunkin' Donuts as he must have stopped there for a coffee, which was in the center dash cup holder.

We watched Carl Crawford arrive.

We wandered down Yawkey.
David Ortiz's Bentley in player parking.

We walked the back side of the Green Monster, looking at the parking lot where Red Sox homers dent the cars parked there on a good night.

We stopped at the Bleacher Bar, which is epic as far as ballpark pubs, looking out at the center field grass from their garage door window.

Finally, we entered Fenway for batting practice.

As luck would have it, the Mariners were visiting. We watched them hitting and we got as close to the Green Monster as we could. We took pictures of each other with the Green Monster behind us. We went to the visitors bullpen where I stood less three feet from Felix Hernandez as he did his session (he was not pitching that day). I can't tell you how exciting it is to see his fastball from right behind him!

We found our section as the game was about to start, but it was not very easy to see the game.

We were third base side, almost into the outfield, in the walkway. Popped up balls were out of sight for 80% of their trajectory and we had to look for the player trying to catch it to determine where it was going. It was as if we were transported back in time, there could have been men standing around us wearing fedoras.

They sang for the 7th inning stretch.

Carl Crawford hit a massive home run, which we saw about 20% of as it left his bat into the night and out of our field of vision. This did not dampen the cheering around us one bit.

They played Sweet Caroline in the 8th inning.

It was magical.

I have been a Red Sox fan every since. I have since been to more games, at least 1-2 each year. Watch for the next installment of the Overseas Fan, where I will take you on a tour of some of my favorite places to sit at Fenway starting with my Green Monster experience as that is a story all by itself.

Post a comment or hit me up on twitter @ericschabell with your thoughts.

More by Eric D. Schabell