NE Immersion Day 7: Cleveland Indians vs. Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park

NE Immersion Day 7: Cleveland Indians vs. Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park

By: Scott Slutsky and Sam Sinykin

Although the chance of rain threatened us, on our seventh day we embarked to historic Fenway Park to watch the Cleveland Indians take on the Boston Red Sox. Built in 1912 and home to the 8-time World Champion Red Sox, Fenway is the oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball. Before entering the stadium, we spent about an hour of leisure time on historic Yawkey way. The Sox ingenious model of creating a "tailgate atmosphere" for ticketed fans has increased the fan experience while simultaneously improving Sox revenues on food and merchandise. The atmosphere also included live entertainment such as a band, magicians and and free balloons for kids.

Once inside the stadium, we were welcomed by a buzz of commotion lead by passionate concessioners and screaming fans. As we began our trek to our seats, we absorbed the excitement of Fenway, and could not be more exciting for the start of the game. While heading to our seats, we continued to see the updated marketing and entertainment options that have become available to fans of all ages, including virtual reality, a kids zone and opportunities to take photos with mascots.

We then headed to our seats in the center field bleachers, only a few rows behind where Ted Williams hit his historic 502 foot home run in 1946. We got to our seats, listened to player introductions and the national anthem, and the game was ready to begin. As baseball enthusiasts, we decided to score the game using the scorecard provided in the game program.

Although there was a chance of rain, the game time temperature was 59 degrees with cloudy skies. Throughout the game, the skies cleared up and the temperature rose, and it ended up being a perfect day for a ballgame. One highlight of the game included seeing David Ortiz in his last season go 4-4, only a triple away from the cycle. Another highlight was seeing the hottest player in baseball, Jackie Bradley Jr., continue his hitting streak to 27 games. Finally there was nothing better than seeing the Sox pull out the 5-2 win on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. 

With a comfortable 5-2 lead heading in to the 7th inning, we could not help but notice the vast corporate sponsorships evident at Fenway Park. With companies like Infiniti, New Balance, Coca Cola, Scottrade and The Boston Globe, the Red Sox have successfully covered numerous markets. The sponsorships ranged from being on the historic Green Monster, to being seen on security and usher's jackets. With a thorough view of Fenway, our group had a great opportunity to see where the Sox and their sponsors placed advertisements. As evident with some companies being on the Green Monster and some being in smaller spots, the Sox have various levels of sponsorship deals with these companies. 

Add in a wonderful rendition of God Bless America in the 7th and Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline in the 8th, and the ball game was surely one to remember. After experiencing the business success of Yawkey Way, the bustling crowds inside the stadium, and the sites and sounds of the game performance, our experience at Fenway Park was one that we will cherish forever.