Letter from Boston Red Sox Business By MASAKO YAMADA	フレームで見る  英文をプリントする  脚注をプリントする
レッド・ソックスで商売繁盛 ケンモア・スクエアは、ボストン大学の学生たちの間では夜遊びの場として有名ですが、野球ファンの間ではメジャーリーグの球団、レッド・ソックスのホームグラウンドとして知られています。試合の日にはファンが押し寄せ、付近のレストランやお店も稼ぎ時とばかりに商売に精を出します。地域一体が活気づく時です。

My office is located near the Kenmore Square area of Boston. Among young college students eager to have an exciting night out, Kenmore Square is known for its many nightclubs. However, to most native Bostonians, Kenmore Square is probably best known for Fenway Park, the home of the Red Sox.

I can always tell when there is a home game, because the area near my office suddenly becomes very busy. It sometimes seems impossible to buck the tide of people coming out of the T stations, and cars jam the streets as drivers search for parking spaces. Many of the people have on Red Sox T-shirts or caps, so their destination is unmistakable.

I have seen this scene many times, and I'm always a bit amazed by the sudden burst of energy in Kenmore Square. The river of people forms even when it's drizzling, or when the game is on a weekday. Trains from the suburbs stop near the stadium on game days as well.

Perhaps because the fans are so excited to be going to the game — I imagine many families from the suburbs travel quite a bit to get to the stadium — this influx of people adds a lot of life to the area. This isn't merely in terms of enthusiasm. They also frequent the local businesses and spend lots of money there, so they undoubtedly help keep the stores afloat.

On game days, the local pizza shop puts an outdoor pizza cart on the sidewalk so fans can grab a quick bite before the game. The Dollar Store sets up several tables right by the T stop, and the clerks loudly advertise their cheap caps and T-shirts.

There is a famous bar by the stadium called "Cask `n' Flagon," which is often nearly empty on regular weekday nights. (That's when they sell all-you-can-eat hot dogs and tacos to hungry students.) But it becomes packed when the Red Sox are on.

I have student coupons for some local restaurants with the words "Offer not valid on Red Sox game days," printed on them. These restaurants would obviously rather cater to baseball fans who are eager to have a good time than to students who are desperate to save a buck.

Parking lots also benefit from out-of-town baseball fans. On-street parking is very rare and often risky, so people often park their cars in private parking lots and garages. The normal fee rises dramatically during games. The closer the parking lot is to the stadium, the more it charges the fans. It's not uncommon to be charged $20 (¥2,100) just for parking. Since parking lots benefit more from baseball fans than from average car owners, they often shoo out those who aren't there for baseball before the game begins. People who rent out monthly parking spaces in the area (either for home or for work) often have to move their cars out on game days.

Stores affiliated with the stadium probably do almost all of their business on game days. The trinket stores sell the same caps and T-shirts as the Dollar Store, only at a much higher price. Official food carts sell common foods such as fried dough and sausage sandwiches at inflated prices. In spite of the premium cost, people flock to these businesses, perhaps because they want the full (official) experience of going to a game.

One kind of "private" business that is quite conspicuous is ticket scalping. I always see lots of scalpers hovering around the T stations before a game. Although ticket scalping is presumably illegal, they don't hesitate to yell out: "Anybody need tickets?"

Occasionally, I see fans yelling, "Anybody have tickets?" near the T stations. My guess is that during high-profile events such as the All-Star games, the black market tickets go for much higher than list price. However, I know that desperate scalpers sell tickets below cost on off nights.

Many other baseball stadiums double as auditoriums for rock concerts or conventions, but Fenway Park is exclusively a baseball park. I'm sure that the businesses in Kenmore would flourish even more if the stadium branched out into other fields, but the baseball fans add as much excitement to the area as it can handle. I enjoy it just the way it is.

Shukan ST: Oct. 15, 1999

(C) All rights reserved