Sadly enough, I could go and see them just about any other venue, and would not have any problems. But when Fenway Park is the place to be–why would I want to go anywhere else? And, before you ask, The Stadium is completely out of the question…Yuk!

So here are my options if I want Sox tickets at Fenway:

Driving 6 hours to stand for 3 (Standing Room Only) Not happening…

Doing the obstructed view thing–which I have done already, and got a crick in my back from leaning over to see home plate, which was obstructed by the POST 3 feet in front of me. The thing about obstructed view is that you never really know HOW obstructed your view is going to be–until you chunk out the money and get the the park…

Going myself, or going with someone–and not sitting anywhere near them–which, again, I am not going to drive 6 hours to do….

Showing up at the Box Office day of and seeing if there is anything available–and if there’s not–then what? Back to the hotel to watch it on TV?

Buying from a scalper–which is not only illegal, but paying $100.00 for a $28.00 bleacher seat is just not going to happen…

OR, the option I should have went with in the 1st place: A Ticket Vendor Online…

So I went to Online Seats, an independently owned ticket agency, licensed in the state of Illinois. And Holy Buckets, did they have seats of tons of dates, and tons of location–even Red Sox/Yankee games, and while the prices are above face value, they are more reasonable than you think…

Specializing in selling premium seats and tickets for sold out events (and Fenway would certainly apply), Online seats has a staff with of over 33 years of experience in the event ticketing industry, to help you find those “gotta have” seats.

And not only do they do sports ticketing of every type imaginable, they also sell all types of theater tickets for Las Vegas and Broadway shows among others…

So if you could not get tickets to Fenway, have a golf fan in your life who would LOVE tickets to The Masters, or want to finally see The Lion King on Broadway, Online Seats has what you are looking for–Check them out!

Good Luck–and Happy Ticketing!

Yeah, I know, meaningless games (even the Mayors Cup…)–but I never want them to lose, so a losing record, even in Spring Training, bugs me…

And yesterday’s game was one of those “skin of their teeth” kind of games, as That Clay Person did not fare so well in his 2010 debut, giving up 3 runs on 5 hits while walking 2 and striking out 1–in 2 innings of work…Following him, Boof Bonser threw 2 scoreless…And Casey Kelly, facing pro players for the 1st time in his career, pitched a scoreless 7 and 8 th inning for the win, with 1 walk and 1 strikeout in the span…

And, as frequently happens in Spring Training Games, the unknown Mark Wagner was responsibility for putting the Sox ahead for good, with a homer in the 9th inning…

Daisuke is making good progress, with a 65 pitch side session over the weekend, using all of his pitches. Pitching Coach John Farrell weighs in on Daisuke’s progress: “Right now, it’s more a matter of refining the timing in his delivery and establishing a release point on each individual pitch, as opposed from a health standpoint that he’s not feeling anything, which he is not. It’s encouraging from that standpoint. He’s into progressional bullpens and ultimately to batting practice.” Nest step is another bullpen session, and then if all goes well, onto batting practice… The estimated time for his Grapefruit Leagues debut would be around mid March, which places him about 2.5 weeks behind all the other pitchers in terms of conditioning and readiness for the season….

Mike Lowell went to see his hip and thumb doctors over the weekend, so it should be anytime now when he can return to more extensive baseball activities…to this point, Mike has only been doing drills and batting practice…

Today: At 1:05pm, the Sox hosted St Louis, winning 7-6, as Josh Beckett, with his 2nd start of the season, went 3 beautiful, perfect innings,while striking out 3 and walking none, lowering his ERA to 1.80. Jonathan Papelbon, Okajima and the Demonic Bullpen Tandem (MDC & the incumbent Ramon Ramirez) also threw an inning each,with only Delcarmen giving up a run? So why 6 runs by the Cards? Dustin Richardson, and Randor Bierd (Yeah, I dont know who he is either,except that he came from Baltimore…) combined to give up the other 5 runs in 1 (yes ONE) inning of work. But Josh Reddick saved the day in the 9th, both tying the score with a double, and then winning the game with a walk-off single… the 9th

Coming up: Tomorrow, the Sox head to Roger Dean Stadium to play the Marlins tomorrow, with Tim Wakefield getting the nod, with Anibal Sanchez starting for the fish. 1st pitch 1:05pm…

Yay!  The day we have all been waiting for…the Red Sox officially kick off the 2010 Campaign with 2 games against Boston College Teams, one at 1:05pm, started by phenom in The making Casey Kelly, who, at 20, will be younger than some of the college kids he will pitch to and one at 6:05 pm, started by Boof “Yes-I-legally-changed-my-name-to-…Boof”  Bonser, who has pitched in the bigs since 2008, because he has been rehabbing from shoulder surgery…

Tim Wakefield has alot of fans–myself included–but yesterday, he had a very special fan who spent some time with him–an 18 year old Japanese girl who hopes to be the 1st woman to play professional baseball in Japan–by throwing the knuckleball…Eri Yoshida spent time in the morning watching Wake throw his side session, and then had the opportunity to
have a throwing session of her own, under the watchful eye of her mentor:  “I’m impressed. She spun a couple, but for the most part, it was very good. She was able to take the spin out of a lot of them and they had quite a lot of movement on them…It’s an honor to have somebody carry on a knuckleball tradition, and somebody that’s doing it because she likes what I do…But for her to come all the way to Fort Myers and watch me throw, it was an honor for me to just talk to her and give her some tips.”  And I dare anyone one to say there is a nicer guy man in all of baseball…

OK, I know JD Drew hits pretty well/and consistently gets on base.  I also know he has come up pretty big in some pretty key areas (The Grand Slam in the 2007 ALCS comes to mind)  But lets not get ahead of ourselves here–he is no Big Papi or Manny Ramirez, he is a solid #6 or #7 hitter…MAYBE a 5 sometimes…But #4?  C’mon…I don’t think so…

So Adrian Gonzales want Mark Toxemia money ($180 million/8 years). And this is a surprise WHY?  He will be 29 when his current deal ends next year–and he is certainly the type of player to build a franchise on, so why not? Now, whether he will get that type of money remains to be seen–it all depends on the market, and what he does up to that point…Will be interesting to watch–and will also be interesting to see how involved the Sox get…

Looks like Rocco Baldelli will not be playing this yerar, returning to Tampa Bay as a Special Assistant.  Still recovering from shoulder problems, he really cannot play at this point anyway.  Coupled with the fact that his channelopathy makes everything harder to come back from, it’s probably going to be a while…But Rocco doesn’t consider this to be the end:  “I don’t think I’m ready to retire, I’m only 28 years old. But at this point I can’t really do what I want to do on the field. I wasn’t comfortable going to spring training this year, because I wouldn’t be able to perform.”  Right now he is working with minor leaguers as part of his Special Assistant duties…

Looks like Mike Cameron is on the mend, taking batting practice and easing back into baseball activities.  Look for him to make his 1st start sometime this weekend…

So Johnny Damon wants everyone to like him now, because he no longer plays for the Skanks…You really don’t get it, do you Johnny?  The reason we were made (at least for me anyway) was your adamant declarations that you would never play for the Skanks–and then you go and play for the Skanks…and then start talking about how the Skanks are the best team ever…THAT is why I don’t like you. Johnny…and I don’t care if you play for the San Diego Grandma league, I am still not going to like you…I’m just going to be glad I don’t have to see your mug 19 times a year…

Thanks so much to stupid Dan for his article (http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2010/03/03/getting_into_a_sensitive_area/) on Adrian Beltre’s decision not to wear a cup-and his ripped testicle as a result…my life is now fulfilled…UGH…

Coming up: The Sox continue their 1st game of the season, vs Northeastern University. At the top of the 3rd, the Sox lead 3-0, as they just scored 3 in the bottom of the 2nd…

And it looks like always a virtual waiting room, never a ticket buyer this year, because my hour is almost up, and so is my chance to buy Tickets….CRAP…

UPDATE:  I did manage to get to the ticket buying screens on all of the Octover Skankee games–and after pressing the “continue” button like a BILLION times–the best I coudl do was Standing Room only–thanks, but no thanks…Not driving 6 hours to stand for 3…

So, I get this e-mail yesterday: I was selected as a “2nd Chance” Drawing Winner for the opportunity to purchase tickets to a Red Sox/Skanks or Red Sox/Dodgers game! Yay!! Beginning at 12 noon today, and until 12 noon tomorrow (or until the tickets run out), the chosen few have the “opportunity” to purchase up to 4 tickets to 1 game.

And of course, I have to be somewhere at noon. So I am taking 1 hour vacation after lunch, and will sit at my computer at home and try to get tickets to a game in the Skankee series in October–and if I cannot get out of hte virtual waiting room (’cause you KNOW there will be one) and get tickets in that 60 minutes–it wont be happening, as I dont think there will be tickets avialable by 9:00pm tonight, when I will be getting home…

Never had this chance before, nor have I ever been to a Sox/Skankee matchup–and I am sure as hell not going to risk my life by going to NYC–and Scranton/Wilke-Barre vs Pawtcket doesn’t count…so I reallyREALLY hope I can get tickets…

I’ll keep you posted…Whoo Hoo!

And here are the starting rotations for the upcoming contests:

March 3rd: Opening Day at City of Palms Park (and the last Opening day on this field)

1:05 pm against Northeastern University–Starter: Casey Kelly

6:05 pm against Boston College–Starter: Boof Bonser

March 4th: 1st Office Grapefruit League Game, as well as 1st Game for the Mayor Cup, at City of Palms

7:05pm against the Twins–Starter: Josh Beckett

March 5th: 1st Away Game (Lee County Stadium) and 2nd Mayor Cup Game

1:05 pm against the Twins–Starter: Jon Lester, then Tim Wakefield will pitch after Lester. And no, this is not an indication of Wake being moved to the bullpen–it’s just preferable than having Wake sit on a bus for hours on an away game, with his bad back, to pitch a couple of innings…

March 6th: As if the Sox haven’t seen enough of the Twins already–it’s back to City of Palms for Game 3 of the Mayors Cup…

1:05pm–Starter: John Lackey

Also that Day, 1/2 of the team will travel to Port Charlotte

1:05pm against Tampa Bay–Starter: Felix Doubrout (one of the many prospects in camp…)

March 7th: The Sox head to Sarasota

1:05pm against the Oreos–Starter: Clay Buchholz

I’d better get my MLB.TV, so I can watch the available games on my new Roku…

Hitting Coach Dave Magadan, after having to listen to all the “The Sox won’t have a good hitting team this year” nonsense, weighs in on David Ortiz: “David looks as good as I’ve seen since I’ve been here…last year and the year before — he came into camp and got a little pull happy and kind of lost his opposite-field stroke, and he kind of took that into the season…I think this year he’s realized that’s his bread and butter. He’s still got enough bat speed where when the ball is on the inside half of the plate, he’s going to be able to turn on it…” From his mouth to Big Papi’s bat–because I know think any of us what to live through the 1st 2 months of last year again…

Holy Buckets! Mike Cameron has been in camp like, 15 minutes, and is already hurt. He has to leave yesterday’s workout with a tight left groin. While it seems like a minor thing, as he was tested and his strength and range of motion was OK, they are going to rest him for a couple of days. From Mike: I’ll be fine. If I had to play a game, I could play a game…It’s precautionary, we jumped on things quickly. It’s kind of good to sit back and let the body catch up with the mind and listen to it for a change.” I really REALLY hope this isn’t going to be a “thing” with him all season…

Apparently Daisuke is coming along, playing catch at 150 feet–he must be going NUTS not being able to go out into the bullpen and thrown 391 pitches like he always wants to. But as a bullpen session is the next step, he’ll probably get a much shorter one sometime this week…

Mike Lowell took some grounders at 1st base over the weekend, the 1st time he has worked that position since being a prospect with the Skanks in 1999. From all accounts he did very well at 1st, which isn’t super surprising, as he is a good fielder, and should be better than last year, being ever further removed from the hip surgery…

And I guess it was bound to happen: Jacoby Ellsbury has gone over to the Darkside, which is pretty easy to do when Satan is your agent. In an interview this weekend, Jacoby basically said that he is not looking for any long term deals when the time comes (He is eligible for arbitration next year)

Remember Dr. Bill Morgan? The form Sox Physician who stitched up Curt Schilling’s ankle in 2004? Well, he has voluntarily given up his medical license pending a state investigation into unspecified allegations…No further comments or info is available at this point. He was the team doctor from 2001-2004…

OK, Jason Bay is now a Met, and he and the Sox have moved on…And we all know he was not happy with the contract offering in Boston–so he made his choice and went to the Mets. So why the rehash about the off-season he said/ they said crap? Is this really news? Its Spring Training folks, there is actual news to talk about now–we don’t need to talk about this anymore. Great. Thanks…

Coming up: It may not be baseball that counts in the standing (unless you count the Mayor Cup thing with the Twins) but its games–and for the next month, it’ll do…

Not that I expected anything less from Mike Lowell–there isn’t a more gracious player in the game. I know baseball is a business, and I shouldn’t get too attached, but I think the Sox are making a HUGE mistake about Mike Lowell…

Some highlights from Mike’s press conference yesterday: “I’m getting ready for a season. I think I’m pretty intelligent in a sense that there’s no real playing time for me here basically barring a major injury and I’m not really in the business of hoping somebody gets hurt so I can get at-bats. For me, I feel like I’m more prepared and ready for a full season than I was last year. So why shouldn’t I play more than I did last year? Whether it’s here or somewhere else? I can’t control that…I have to separate some things. I think there’s the baseball aspect of it and I think there’s (a) real life aspect of it and I’m very comfortable with where I am in my real life. You know what I mean? I feel I’m in a tremendously privileged situation. No one needs to feel sorry for me in life. Is my baseball situation not ideal? Yeah, it’s not ideal. I don’t want to diminish the baseball fact. But you never know what can happen…If I was on the trading block before, I can’t imagine that all of a sudden I’m not now… Have I enjoyed Boston? Of course I’ve enjoyed Boston….I love the fans…Part of my e-mails [from friends] are, ‘Check out the comments on this article.’ And I tell my wife to check it out, and she says, ‘You know how many people are really on your side in all this?’ I think they’ll be more emotional if Adrian Beltre starts off slow, and they’ll be much less emotional if Adrian Beltre starts off hot. That’s kind of the way it goes.”

What is very telling is that the Sox have not mentioned one word to Mike about possibly playing as a bench player.–so it seems that unless there is a catastrophic injury to someone, Mike Lowell will not be breaking camp as a member of the Boston Red Sox

MOPE…

Oh, and BTW, today is Mike’s 36th Birthday…

Let me just say this: I love David Ortiz–I think he was a phenomenal player, and greatly responsible for bringing 2 World Series to Boston. I hope he will be a great player again. HOWEVER, the fact that he feels the fans “gave up on me too early” in 2009, after watching his horrible 1st 2 months of the season, I have to completely disagree. Every game I watched that Big Papi played in during that span was painful and horrible to watch–PAINFUL AND HORRIBLE–but I hoped at every at bat, or every time he would get a hit that it would mean he turned the corner, and that the “real” David Ortiz would be back. Unfortunately, it was more of the same, for 2…long…months–but I NEVER booed him–ever…

I reallyREALLY hope he turns it around and is back to his former brilliance this year–and by all accounts, he is in better shape than he has been in a while–but what if he’s not? What if he is worse? His slump goes 3 or months? When is “giving up” OK? 6 months? Never? I hope we don’t have to answer that question in 2010…

The Sox completed their 1st full squad training today, with more of the same tomorrow–and then next week, some actual games…Whoo Hoo!

So Manny is telling everyone that this is his last year in LA? So what happens next year when he wants another ridiculous contract, and the only suckers takers are the Dodgers? Or, perhaps he will retire. And, if I had ANY regrets about him leaving the Sox (I didn’t but…) this would have ended those–maybe it will do the same for the whiners who are still upset Manny is gone: “It’s been great. I wish I could have been there (LA) a long time ago. It’s a great city and I had a blast there. I’m just happy the way they received me out there. It was unbelievable.” Yeah, Manny, cause the fans in Boston treated you like crap…..

Finally, BBA Founder, Daniel Shoptaw is doing a series, “Get To Know The BBA”, so Daniel and I sat down recently to talk about the 41st Blog of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance–Boston Red Thoughts. Check it out!