Fenway Luxury Box Experience – Past & Present

Attending a Red Sox game at Fenway Park is a unique experience. These days I can only afford to sit in the bleachers, but I have had the pleasure of sitting in almost every section of the ballpark. You name it, I have probably caught a game there: centerfield bleachers, upper bleachers underneath the scoreboard, first row behind the bullpen, right field grandstand facing the monster (not home plate), infield grandstand, left field no alcohol grandstand, right field roof box, State Street Pavilion, Budweiser roof deck, on top of the Green Monstah, fifth row right behind home plate, etc.
Once when I was a kid my father, grandfather, and I all took in a Sox / Mariners game from the 600 Club (later renamed the .406 Club). For those you too young to remember, the 600 Club was the glass enclosed section behind home plate below the press boxes. People used to contend that the glass enclosure altered the wind pattern in the ballpark reducing the number of home runs hit. I think the Sox just had less power hitters. I knew this game was a big deal because my dad said we had to wear slacks and a collared shirt for admittance, and we couldn’t pay for food with cash, only with a credit card. If I remember correctly it was an afternoon game and Randy Johnson was pitching for the Mariners. I don’t remember who won, but Mike Greenwell got beaned with a Johnson fastball and was down for what seemed like an eternity. The experience seemed artificial being stuck behind the glass with an uptight privileged crowd. I figured I’d never get back to a luxury box again.  
That assumption was correct right up until Tuesday August 16th when I witnessed the Sox defeat the Angels 6-0 on a perfect night for baseball. Buchholz was dominant over seven innings and Kalish sealed the victory with his first major league grand slam. The box was so nice, I kind of hoped that Anaheim would claw their way back into the game so I could enjoy more baseball. It was like having a great hotel room stocked with food and beer, but with the Red Sox playing right outside your window. The bathroom had a small TV on the wall so you wouldn’t miss a second of game action. The staff was considerably more pleasant than other service providers around the ballpark. Really a first rate experience and my sincerest thanks go out to the people that made it possible. The box was a nice change of pace, but I couldn’t imagine sitting up there with any regularity. The rich just live in a different world I can’t begin to understand. A week later I was back in section 36, sitting in the rain, yelling at morons trying to start the wave, right where I belong.