2016 Fenway Park Changes (other than the new netting)

[Lose Remerswaal]

Had a great time at Fenway yesterday. A frustrating loss at Fenway is always better than a good day at the office! Noticed a few changes for this year

1) One of the billboards over the Monster Seats is for a company called "Selfeo". A quick search on the Internets suggests this is some kind of social media site. I hope the Sox got paid in advance for this advertising.

2) They seem to have turned quite a few food concession stands into alcohol stands. The small hotdog/sausage stand just inside the park off of Yawkey Way near the Van Ness end of the street is now a beer stand. I saw multiple Vodka Lemonade stands. The 3 stands behind home plate under the seats are now Beer/Pizza/Beer. There is a Savenor's meats stand on Yawkey Way next to a deli sandwich place. These are in between El Tiante's and the Fresh Fish Market stand.

3) The Fish stand now lists Clams and the Lobster Roll as "Market Price". They have magnetic signs, they could change the price daily if they wanted to, but instead you have to ask the price if you're interested.

4) the 3 windows that used to have hot dogs, etc, underneath section 13 or so are now "VENDORS ONLY" and I saw no one filling up their vendor boxes there, making fewer stands for patrons. Lines all over the park were crazy long.

5) SO many stands were out of food when I went looking in the 3rd inning. Either they were out of all food (hint: look for the short or non-existent line) or they were out of some things (wait in line for 5-7 minutes, ask for a hot dog, hear "sorry, sold out".)

6) the infield seemed to have a bit more grass and a bit less dirt areas

I'm sure there were other changes that I've forgotten already.

 

[Ale Xander]

7) There's some sort of virtual reality booth to view the inside of the dugouts.

 

[Maximus]

Steak tips sub was not good with rolls stale for Opening day? Goose beer stand was much better in handling demand outside of section 96 than last year. Park looked great as always. Great tribute to Papi and national anthem sung by his daughter.

 

[Mike Greenwall]

I thought I read in the game thread that the coke sign is gone. ?

 

[Jim Ed Rice in HOF]

6) the infield seemed to have a bit more grass and a bit less dirt areas

Good eye.
http://m.redsox.mlb.com/news/article/171693234/fenway-park-infield-undergoes-changes

 

[Ale Xander]

8) got rid of fan services booth by entrance to gs1-3 and replaced with Clean Well breastfeeding "room"

 

[Saints Rest]

6) the infield seemed to have a bit more grass and a bit less dirt areas
.

Remy discussed this a bit in the 1st inning on the broadcast. Interestingly, the change was at the request of the players. He also said that the composition of the dirt was made more out of clay which is supposed to cut down on bad hops.

(Fake edit: autocorrect does not like Remy; took me four tries.)

 

[geoflin]

There's a new time and temperature sign on the facade under the bud deck. It was nice to see the temperature in the mid to high 50's for the entire game.

 

[steeplechase3k]

I noticed something on TV that I'd never seen before, on the foul pole/line on the Green Monster there was a vertical line of lights. Has this been there a while and I never noticed? It has to be to help the umpires see the line in the shadow of the stands, but is it new?

 

[amh03]

Bathrooms are now sponsored - sorry, I can't remember by whom.

Food prices seemed higher to me - I think the steak tip sandwich is $13 or $14?

 

[PseuFighter]

It's been a few years now, but since they're kinda hidden at the entrance to the visitors clubhouse on the main concourse under about section 23/24, the veggie dogs are really great. They also have veggie burgers ans grilled cheese at the same stand, and probably because of its location + veggie fare, there never seems to be much of a line. Oh, and there's a machine serving reheated frozen knishes in the Big Concourse.

The VR thing is trippy, man.

 

[DennyDoyle'sBoil]

I noticed something on TV that I'd never seen before, on the foul pole/line on the Green Monster there was a vertical line of lights. Has this been there a while and I never noticed? It has to be to help the umpires see the line in the shadow of the stands, but is it new?

There have been what I think are reflective strips for a few years but I don't think there have previously been actual lights.

 

[joeflah]

There is video in each dugout to allow the managers to see into the bullpens. They can see whose warming up etc. instead of calling out there and asking. Several major league parks have this. Dirt decreased grass increased around 3rd, 1st and home. Not 2nd?????

 

[Hank Scorpio]

Not really a tangible change, but I've been to both home games so far, and they seem to be a bit stricter with tossing people out.

One guy was yelling at Zach Britton from RF Field Box 2, no profanity - something about "did you drive here, Britton?" - and got asked to leave by security. When he refused, a contingent of three cops removed him by force.

A couple of guys who laughed at him were told "they better cool it, or they're next".

Also, a group of four who sitting about five rows in front of me also got booted out for no obvious reason (they were sitting quietly from what I could see). Wonder if there were some policy changes, or if security was just being overzealous in my section.

 

[teddywingman]

So heckling will get you thrown out? Really?

 

[Mugsy's Jock]

So heckling will get you thrown out? Really?

Man, I would never have seen a game in the 80s.

[Charlie Leibrandt, Rick Manning, and especially Jim Eisenreich know what I'm talking about.]

 

[teddywingman]

Man, I would never have seen a game in the 80s.

No kidding, I would have been escorted from half the games I attended before the age of 25.

 

[twibnotes]

Anyone notice an increase in microbrew/craft beer options? I've noticed at the Garden you can grab a decent beer at certain spots now (e.g, Lagunitas IPA, Founders All Day IPA, etc). Seems like a trend the Sox should embrace.

Very disappointing to hear a guy was tossed for heckling a player. That's absurd.

 

[czar]

One guy was yelling at Zach Britton from RF Field Box 2, no profanity - something about "did you drive here, Britton?" - and got asked to leave by security. When he refused, a contingent of three cops removed him by force.

Maybe they just threw him out for subpar heckling since he obviously can't keep his Brittons straight.

 

[Minneapolis Millers]

So heckling will get you thrown out? Really?

If they enforced this in Philly they'd never have more than about 8 fans at a game...

 

[Rudi Fingers]

In the netting thread, I noticed a new video scoreboard above the existing third base side scoreboard. I'm re-posting the pictures here.

Last year's view...

This year...

 

[Hank Scorpio]

Bathrooms are now sponsored - sorry, I can't remember by whom.

Food prices seemed higher to me - I think the steak tip sandwich is $13 or $14?

I noticed this as well. Some stuff seemed absurdly high, even for Fenway.

$5.50 Fenway Franks, $7.75 Footlongs, $4.75 bottles of water, and I think Clam Chowder was $8.75.

I grabbed one of those personal pizzas for $6.50, which I guess is a relative steal. The pizza sucked though. The entire dough part was similar to a really thick cracker.

So heckling will get you thrown out? Really?

He had some words with another fan as well, but it was mild. During his heckling, some guy yelled at him to "be quiet", and he responded with "Yeah, sorry. Wouldn't want to be loud at a baseball game", then resumed heckling Zach Britton (who was warming in the pen).

I've personally been kicked out twice, both times in the late-90s as a teenager.

Once because I was hanging out by the bullpen bugging Derek Lowe. Lowe was cool about it, and was clearly amused. I was mostly being a dumb kid and asking him dumb stuff like if he could break a 20 or whatever. The bullpen cop was not amused. At one point, I went back down, looked over into the bullpen and saw a trashcan. I asked Lowe if I could throw my trash away in it, and he said it was fine. The cop shot back "don't even try it". I did it anyway, to which Lowe and a couple of others erupted in laughter. I ran back to my seat, but I got the four of us kicked out.

The other time was simply because we were running up and down the bleachers sitting on each others shoulders screaming like maniacs.

 

[Ale Xander]

Bathrooms are now sponsored - sorry, I can't remember by whom.

Clean Well, the same outfit for the breastfeeding

-------
Coors light up to 9.75 (in the stands at least)

I can't believe people are paying that much for piss water

 

[AZBlue]

Heckling? Within reason, I do not see the issue. Endless, screaming, repetitious rants? I would not be thrilled to have someone sitting behind me doing the latter.

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

I noticed something on TV that I'd never seen before, on the foul pole/line on the Green Monster there was a vertical line of lights. Has this been there a while and I never noticed? It has to be to help the umpires see the line in the shadow of the stands, but is it new?

There has been fluorescent illumination of the part of the pole against the a Wall for many years.

 

[Guapos Toenails]

8) got rid of fan services booth by entrance to gs1-3 and replaced with Clean Well breastfeeding "room"

There's a new time and temperature sign on the facade under the bud deck. It was nice to see the temperature in the mid to high 50's for the entire game.

Both were there last year.

4) the 3 windows that used to have hot dogs, etc, underneath section 13 or so are now "VENDORS ONLY" and I saw no one filling up their vendor boxes there, making fewer stands for patrons. Lines all over the park were crazy long.

They shut these concession stands down last year, or they would only open them after the game had started. I think it was a new fire code thing because of the bottle-neck walk way right there, lines of people at those stands would block egress etc...there are only 4-5 vendors working out of that room each game. I agree that it seems like wasted space.

 

[Guapos Toenails]

Also, there's a Del's Lemonade stand out by the Big Concourse now. If you're from Rhode Island you know this is huge.

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

There are no longer Kilbasas for sale at Fenway Park. I did a lap on Sunday as it's been a tradition of mine to get one during games as long as I can recall. And I think they've turned even more food stands into alcohol stands (see post 1). Approximately 50% of stands now sell beer or other spirits.

 

[Minneapolis Millers]

I blame the extra alcohol stands on the bullpen. And Farrell.

 

[glasspusher]

I blame the extra alcohol stands on the bullpen. And Farrell.

It's time to admit that Farrell is overrated when it comes to pitchers of any kind(possible exception for craft brews).

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

If they offered pitchers that would be change I could get behind!

 

[HangingW/ScottCooper]

They're looking to do more...
http://www.bostonherald.com/business/business_markets/2016/08/red_sox_owners_pitch_fenway_renovations

 

[bankshot1]

Not the bullpen changes I was hoping for.

If they remove Pesky Pole, can they go to a "virtual" electronic foul pole, that will beep if the ball passes through it?

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

I think it's just a new pole like the old one. Hopefully a bit higher and maybe a bit wider to avoid questions of fair/foul.

Getting rid of as many seats as possible in sections 4-7 is a great thing.

 

[soxhop411]

Not the bullpen changes I was hoping for.

If they remove Pesky Pole, are they going to a "virtual" electronic foul pole,that will beep if the ball passes through it?

I'm having a hard time visualizing a pole-less foul line.

I think they are just going to replace it with a new foul pole. The article does not say that the LED board is replacing the foul pole

 

[uncannymanny]

Replace, not remove.

 

[ToeKneeArmAss]

I think it's just a new pole like the old one. Hopefully a bit higher and maybe a bit wider to avoid questions of fair/foul.

Getting rid of as many seats as possible in sections 4-7 is a great thing.

And I hope they relocate it to where it's supposed to be - where the foul line intersects the wall. Right now it's set back a yard or so and it creates a HR "twilight zone" on top of the wall.

 

[Jim Ed Rice in HOF]

Net positive revenue wise. Adding 124 premium dugout seats (how long until there's no foul territory at Fenway?), adding 4 game day suites but eliminating a net 367 shitty outfield grandstand seats which are probably the most likely to be unsold anyway.