Red Sox announce “Operation Sellout Streak” incentives

Fenway Fiction

The Red Sox are hoping for less scenes like this in the weeks to come.

In an effort to keep up fan interest and keep alive their record sellout streak, the Red Sox have announced special fan incentives for the remainder of the 2012 season.

Fans who show up at Fenway Park will now get a special thank you from management: tickets to another upcoming home game. “We want to thank the best fans in baseball for their loyalty as we continue to improve our team,” Red Sox president Larry Lucchino said after last night's 10-9 loss to Kansas City. “Let's show everybody how much we care by filling those seats for our final 13 home games.”

“Operation Sellout Streak” will attempt to extend professional sport's longest-ever sellout streak, which currently stands at 780 games but has come under scrutiny in recent weeks due to what appears to be thousands of empty seats at Fenway and the availability of tickets online for as little as 10 cents.

In addition to the free tickets, fans will also have the chance at additional rewards for showing their loyalty. Those who arrive at games before the third inning and stay until the final out will receive “I kept the streak alive” stickers, while those who stay off their cellphones for at least half the contest will get a free “I filled Fenway” poster depicting the ballpark loaded to capacity for a Red Sox-Yankees contest.

Fans will be rewarded for their loyalty.

“We know it has been hard for fans to get through some of these early-inning letdowns, or some of the late-inning meltdowns,” said Lucchino after Boston blew a six-run lead for the second time in a week. “Better days are on the way, but until then we hope Red Sox Nation will keep with us and keep the faith.”

As yet another incentive to keep fans coming, the Red Sox announced that a “mystery pitcher” will start one of this year's remaining home games. Bill Lee, who at age 65 became the oldest pitcher ever to win a professional game for the San Rafael Pacifics in the North American League last week, is rumored to be one of the candidates.

Bill Lee: starting soon at Fenway?