Fenway Sellout Streak To End?

One of the bigger topics of discussion last season was the continuation of the Red Sox sellout streak despite the fact that the fanbase interest was no longer keeping this streak alive. The prevailing belief is that the ownership made arrangements for the tickets to be purchased and never used. so attendance at the park would be low, but the game would still be considered a sellout. As a result, tickets could often be acquired for significantly below face value on the day of the game and various ticket scalpers got left holding the bag. Many criticized the ownership group for keeping the sellout streak on life support out of their own pockets since it made the streak an insincere accomplishment. Larry Lucchino recently made a statement when asked about the sellout streak that would seem to suggest that the ownership will no longer be propping up the sellout streak.


FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The Boston Red Sox's record 793-game sellout streak at Fenway Park likely will come to an end in April, team president Larry Lucchino predicted Thursday.
"It's going to rest in peace sometime in April, I suspect," Lucchino said of the streak, which began in 2003 and is the longest in U.S. pro sports history. "That's not such a terrible thing. It's an extraordinary accomplishment."

Ticket sales for the 2013 season are down; Lucchino called it the most challenging year in this ownership's tenure in Boston. The team is expecting the home opener on April 8 to be sold out, but the streak could end as early as April 10, the second home game of the season.
"Some people have been guessing about it," Lucchino said. "Historically, for all of baseball, the second game of the season has been the toughest game to sell tickets for, so it could be as early as that. I have no doubt Opening Day will be a sellout.

I'd like to think that maybe Larry will be wrong on this one. Maybe he underestimates the optimism of a fanbase early in the season when there are still endless possibilities. That might carry the streak a little ways into the season. If the team gets off to a good start and builds some momentum they might be able to carry that further.