What a Story

What a great piece by Dan Shaughnessey. Keep fighting Sam!


Red Sox fan's story

Sox promote their own

I love the fact that the Red Sox are actively campaigning to put Youkilis in the all star game. AND, that they partnered with another team to do so, kind of neat!

check it out here

RL

Dustin Pedroia Has a Career Night in Colorado

Dustin Pedroia has a career night in Colorado, going 5 for 5 with three home runs and 5 RBIs. Check out his postgame interview here with Heidi Watney as he talks about the night Next up, on to San Francisco!

Does anyone doubt he will be the next Red Sox captain? Fans love his hustle, toughness and desire to win. So does Sox management.

Jerry Remy, President of Red Sox Nation

Few people other than the baseball stars themselves have the kind of popularity Jerry Remy has in the New England sports scene. An average second baseman in his playing days (sorry Jerry, I love you!) he has grown as a broadcaster into a Red Sox ambassador. He began commenting in 1988 and continues today. In the past few years, he opened a restaurant on Boylston St, has his own website, and endorses several Boston retailers. He also occasionally appears on national Fox broadcasts. Last year, he spent the majority of the season on the sideline as he fought cancer and recuperated from ensuing depression. The fans, organization and players welcomed him back with open arms.

Why is he so popular? Simply put, he is engaging, funny, knowledgeable, candid, and accurate. He relates well to the players as a former one himself, and the fans as well. His popularity is a strategic draw for NESN viewership, as fans tune in to hear his commentary and often humorous banter with his co-broadcaster, Don Orsillo.

Looking forward to many more years of him in the booth!

RL

Red Sox Fan Throws Pizza

As it is a very hot and humid day outside, and people are probably dragging at the office, I thought I would post a humorous video from last season to make the day go by a little faster - a fan throws pizza at another fan for missing a foul ball. The ony thing funnier than the actual incident is the reaction of Sox broadcasters Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy. Enjoy!

PS - I will post later on Jerry Remy - the epitome of the Red Sox brand.

RL

Ryan Westmoreland: An Incredible Story

If you follow the Red Sox and their farm system, you know that one of their highly-touted prospects, Ryan Westmoreland, underwent extensive and extremely serious brain surgery a few months ago. He recently gave his first interviews, vowing to return to baseball. Here are a few articles that talk about his recovery.

The best article I have read relating to this is one by Daniel Barbarisi from the Providence Journal - it is an excellent feature story, with intricate details of his recovery.

The reason I am blogging about this, besides the incredible story itself, is how it relates to the Red Sox as an organization - they take care of their players. Building a brand starts with treating your employees well, and they certainly know how to do that. Well, people are noticing. Here is an excerpt from the article:

"'The Red Sox, in particular, have been amazingly supportive, all said. Once the seriousness of Westmoreland’s condition was apparent, the team immediately shifted the focus away from baseball, and concerned themselves only with his well-being.

'They were like a family to me,' Westmoreland said. “They took care of so much for me, they’ve been amazing the whole way, whether it’s plane tickets, or letting me sit in Theo’s box –– I can’t say enough about the Red Sox and what they’ve done.'

Westmoreland’s agent, Alan Nero of Octagon Sports, echoed that thought. 'I’ve been in this business 30 years, and I do business with all the teams, and I can tell you honestly, there’s not another organization in the world that would have done for the Westmoreland family what the Red Sox did,' Nero said."

I wish continued progress to Ryan and his family, and laud the Red Sox for their support as well - praying and believing!

(photo courtesty of the Westmoreland family to Providence Journal)

Mike Lowell - The Complainer?

I'm going to say something that most Boston fans probably won't like - Mike Lowell, stop feeling badly for yourself!

An article in today's Boston Herald titled "More Misery for Mike Lowell" Scott Lauber writes about how Mike Lowelll couldn't get a pinch hit in th ninth inning. Lowell's response? "It's par for the course." Amalie Benjamin's article talks about the same thing.

Mike Lowell's story this season is well-documented - the Sox signed Adrian Beltre in the offseason, effectively supplanting Mike Lowell as an everyday player. Beltre has played exceptionally well, so there is no room for Lowell to play everyday, or even a few times a week. It is a shame, I have confidence Lowell still has some gas in the tank. But a player who has been notoriously classy in the past has kicked the class to the curb in favor of whining, complaining, and being a poor sport. I'm sure the Red Sox are trying to trade him, but they're not going to give him up for nothing! Lowell, it happens. You have your health, your family, you are still making millions. You will get your chance, but please, quit the talking in the meantime. I don't want to not like you.

Sox Bid for 2012 All Star Game at Fenway

The Red Sox, in addition to serveral other MLB teams, bid for the chance to host the 2012 All Star game at Fenway Park. Unfortunately, they lost out to Kansas City, which has a new stadium. 2012 marks the year Fenway Park turns 100, so it is easy to see why the Sox desperately wanted to secure the All Star game in Boston. I believe Sean McAdam, a credible and esteemed baseball writer, broke the story, at least in the Boston market. Here is the link to the article. The extra attention the Sox would garner would be susbstantial, in addition to the revenue for the park and the city. This would have been a great PR program for the Red Sox. As Sean McAdam points out inhis story, the Red Sox ownership and executive circle refused to comment on the fact they missed out. In general, they almost never refuse comment. Interesting.

But, allow me to regress for a minute. The 1999 All Star game was extremely special and was held at Fenway. Nomar Garciaparra and Pedro Martinez were at the peak of their careers, and it was also during the home-run era (now notorious). It was especially significant because it was one of the last public appearance by the late and great Ted Williams. I've included some pictures above and below to reminisce! Undoubtedy, the Red Sox will have their own unique and spectacular celebration for the 100th anniversary of the Park, they will just have to do it organically and get creative! Nothing wrong with that. A challenge is good for everybody.

WEEI/Red Sox/NESN Jimmy Fund Telethon

Photos courtesy of the Jimmy Fund Telethon website.

The WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Telethon, scheduled to be held this year from August 19-20th is perhaps, (as advertised as well) the most important work that WEEI, NESN, and the Red Sox do each year. The 35 - hour telethon raises money for Dana Farber cancer patients, and includes calls in to the WEEI radio station from researchers, doctors, nurses, parents of cancer patients, and patients themselves. As a listener to WEEI for a long time and someone who has heard the telethon on air the past couple of years, it is nothing short of an incredibly moving fundraiser. People with hearts of stone melt as well. As the telethon conveys, cancer touches just about everyone, and as a community, we need to support each other. Donating even a little bit of money helps. If George Steinbrenner can donate, so can each of us as individuals :)

The telethon, which is sponsored by the Red Sox, raises money for their signature charity of many, many years - the Jimmy Fund. The relationship of the Red Sox with the Jimmy Fund has been well-documented over the past several decades, with Johnny Pesky, Nomar Garciaparra, and other notable Sox players visiting kids over the years. Partnering with a charity is a no-brainer for an organization like the Red Sox - to whom much is given, much is asked in return. The awareness the Red Sox can generate is substantial, and they recognize that. "It takes more than courage to beat cancer" is the slogan of the event, and it is true. The financial backing must be there in order to make advances and eradicate this terrible disease. The Red Sox endorsement makes all the difference to attract attention and awareness to this event.

Kudos to the Red Sox for their continued philanthropic work - the Telethon is in its ninth year and has raised millions of dollars to date. Is anyone aware of other sports teams doing similar work? Let me know if so, I'd love to see what they do.

Peter Gammons on Manny's Return to Boston

As an addendum to my post from last week on Manny Ramirez, check out the transcript of baseball guru Peter Gammons' interview on WEEI regarding Manny's return to Boston. Very good commentary on fan vs. player vs. pure baseball analysts' views of Manny and his time in Boston.

Peter's Gammon's WEEI interview

Here is the link to the audio transcript if you want to listen instead of read.

RL

Summer is Here and Baseball is in Full Swing

Because yesterday was the official beginning of summer, I thought I should reflect a bit on the Red Sox season as they approach the allstar break in July. They started the season off rather slowly, with injuries to the outfield, David Ortiz's batting woes, and inconsistent starting and relief pitching dominating the headlines. Since the end of May/beginning of June, they slowly stepped up their play through getting key backups to contribute on the field. That is what a 25-man roster is for, everyone needs to help! As of today, the Red Sox stand at 43-26, only .5 games behind the AL-East leading Yankees (grr). Red Sox Nation began to worry, and rightly so, when we fell eight games behind first place. Keep up the good work Sox!

On tap for the Red Sox is a three-game series at Colorado (hello World Series 2007!), followed by a weekend in the Bay area to play the Giants, and then they return home to play the Rays (should be a great, competitive series.)

The upcoming Rockies series makes me awfully nostalgic about the 2007 season. While 2004 undoubtedly broke the curse for the Sox, the 2007 World Series win was icing on the cakefor Boston fans, legitimizing the Sox as a prominent team that didn't win in 2004 as a fluke. We want to continuously win, not to just break the curse and leave to follow another Boston sport. The Red Sox continually prove their brand remains strong, as they are in the 500 range for consecutive sell-outs. Not an easy feat :) I'm sure the members of the Red Sox who were on the 2007 team are thinking about the Rockies and a possible return to the World Series this year. As a competitor, how you could not? Enjoy the video below that replays the last out of the 2007 World Series. I want another!

NESN's Sox Appeal

So I have admittedly praised a lot of the marketing, advertising and branding efforts of the Red Sox this season. Now, I thought I would mention a Sox program that didn't fare as well as they probably hoped - Sox Appeal. An article even appeared in the Boston Business Journal on it. Check out one of their advertisements in the Youtube video above. The reality show based on pairing Red Sox fans based on a few innings of a blind date at Fenway Park debuted in the summer of 2007 and followed up with a second and final season in 2008. NESN produced no shortage of advertising on their channel and website, and they seemingly had no problem casting the show. It was a neat idea at the peak of the popularity of not only reality shows, but dating ones as well. The episodes aired after Sox games (I believe,) and the NESN broadcast team did in-game promos as well, with admittedly humorous dialogue on how the taped show seemed to be going during the games.

Why did this series fail? I can think of a few possible reasons. Firt of all, NESN should have taken a closer look at the demographics of their viewers and the fans of baseball in general. Men and women spanning decades watch the Sox, and reality TV shows only appeal to a (I think small) percentage of the general TV viewing population. Red Sox Nation is not a niche-enough market to have broad appeal. People don't want to watch other fans go on dates, they just want to watch the games.

The content of the show itself was also a negative - having watched a few episodes, too many people on the show were very obviously there for the fame and recognition associated with it. People immediately pick can sense a disingenuous individual. Also, they didn't seem to pre-screen the dates. Other than the Red Sox, many of the couples had nothing else in common.

It would have been a great test show for off-season baseball, not during the season. However, I will give the NESN production team props for the name of the series - Sox Appeal is nothing short of clever. In addition, I applaud NESN and the Red Sox for trying something new - you cannot be afraid to fail!

RL

Thinking outside the Box

In honor of Family Fun Month at Fenway Park (which is in July, so a little early), I've included in this post a picture of myself with my brother Kevin and sister Colleen at a Red Sox game last year. I know I mentioned it in a post a bit earlier, but I took a deeper look at the website for the summer program, and it looks really cool. The main events for Family Fun Month include the Home Run Concert at Fenway by the Boston Landmarks Orchestra, Futures at Fenway (minor league doubleheader), the Cape Cod baseball league allstar game, and the Fenway Football challenge ( a European soccer game at Fenway)! All of those activities sound great to me, and two of them have nothing to do with a baseball game itself - the concert and the soccer game.

The Red Sox realize if they can draw fans of the Fenway experience in to events besides baseball, that they have the opportunity for more revenue, buzz, and identity in the Boston community. They are more than just a baseball team, they are a marketing and PR entity trying to keep fans in the city in the summer for some pretty cool events. The other important thing to note is that all of those activities appeal to a wide demographic - there is something for everyone, even non-baseball fans! If anyone wants to go with me to any of these events, post a comment, send an email, or give me a call - I'm sold.

Sponsorships and Advertising

When I went to the Sox-Diamondbacks game last week, I made a point to notice the advertising and sponsorships banners/signs displayed throughout the park. Some companies have been staples at the park for many years - Dunkin Donuts, Bank of America, Volvo, Budweiser, and Cumberland Farms (I think). I have been wondering how much a centerfield moster wall spot costs? I'm wondering if it is a multi-year contract signed with the Red Sox, or it is a renewable one on a year to year basis. Does anyone have an idea? I will have to look into this.

One particular thing I noticed and found amusing was the prominent banner for Scott's brand toilet paper. It seems like a rather odd product to be advertising at a park, since most of the traditional ones revolve around banking, cars, food, etc. How does a toilet paper company make an ad that resonates at a park? I personally think funny is the way to go, because people remember humor and appreciate it. Maybe something along the lines of "Flush with Us!" or something, haha. Instead, the Scott's advertisement just said, "Scott's used here." Pretty simple, and not funny. The only reason I remember it is because I thought it odd to see toilet paper advertisements. So, Scotts, next year you should lighten up and make it memorable for people who aren't trained to notice marketing, PR, and branding efforts.

RL

Father's Day at Fenway

Some of my earliest Sox memories involve going to Fenway Park with my Dad. I probably thought the Green Monster was an actual monster back then! Since then, my family has had the good fortune to have a share of season tickets from my dad's company behind home plate. It's only a few games per year, but it is so much fun. Espcially now, since they added cup holders and padded seats :)

I love the fact that the Red Sox are in their ninth year of hosting a Father's Day at Fenway event. I have never been but would love to go at some point. They also do this for Mother's Day. The Red Sox do a good job of taking advantage of outside factors influencing how they run their programming - holidays, commemorative occasions, and even factoring in other hometown teams - the game time tonight is moved up to 6pm so fans can watch the Celtics!! Not to mention bringing in hockey games and concerts to generate revenue for them. In addition, July is "Family Month" at Fenway, and a wide array of activities for young Red Sox nation will be offered. I will need to keep this Father's Day at Fenway in mind for next year; this Sunday I have a bachelorette brunch to get to and then dinner with my dad, but I will check to see how it turned out. A mental note: make sure to take my kids to Fenway when the time comes. Now there IS an actual green monster, too :)

RL

The Rain Held Off and Manny Musings

I went to the Sox game last night with my sister and some of her coworkers. A great game was played, and thankfully, the rain held off! The pictures above are from two years ago when I attended a very rainy game. We had fun, but it was a little miserable weather-wise.

On to the Red Sox and what is on tap for them - Manny Ramirez, the ever-controversial ex-Red Sox outfielder for the Sox, will return to Fenway Park for the first time, as an LA Dodger. It feels like yesterday he patrolled left field, for better or worse. From a branding standpoint, he was everything the Sox did not envision their players to be - selfish, immature, and behaviorally unpredictable. He would sulk and pout when he wanted to, but the organization (especially the players, Terry Francona, and the upper management) chose their words and actions carefully because his sheer talent was an unbelievable asset. There is no doubt the Sox would not have won championships in 2004 and 2007 without him. My question to you, fellow bloggers and followers, will you boo or cheer him? My bet is that the majority will cheer. Sox fans love their players, but especially love great players. I also believe upper management will have nothing but good things to say about him when asked tomorrow and this weekend - burning bridges is never a good idea. Look at the Nomar Garciaparra example - upper management was undoubtedly irritated with him in 2004 for his sulking and offputting behavior, but they welcomed him back when he retired and had a pre-game ceremony for him. I agree this was the right move, but it is interesting to see how strategic decisions must be made all the time about what kind of organization the Red Sox are - and I believe them to be very, very classy. Their brand will only grow stronger through embracing retired players and contributers to the organization. Here is a link to a great columns on Manny - Tony Mazarotti's. I hope you will watch tomorrow night, I know I will be :)

RL

A Great Website for Boston Sports

Hello everyone! It's hard to believe it is mid-June already, the Celtics are in the NBA finals at game 6, and the Red Sox are (somewhat) cruising along this month. Summer classes at BU are keeping me extremely busy, but I wanted to write a post and let readers know a little bit about a favorite sports media website of mine.

I want to bring to attention Bruce Allen's website Boston Sports Media Watch. If any of you following my blog are big Boston sports dorks like me, this website is a must to check out. Bruce Allen lays out the major sports stories of the day, linking to their sites and summarizing the content. It is basically a one-stop shop to check out relevant links and information that takes time to find unless you utilize Google Reader or RSS feeds. He has great drop-down menus on the side of the website that links to daily newspapers, blogs, teams, and has a live feed that posts reader comments. It doesn't lean one way or the other in terms of favoring specific outlets, rather, it gives all relevant options and let's the reader decide for theirselves where to navigate.

It is also a great way to see how journalists and bloggers alike view local sports teams, including the Sox, on not only the games they play, but their in-season transactions, marketing efforts, work in the community, etc. Check it out and let me know what you think!

Teammates Statue

In this photo by The Boston Herald's Matt Stone, Red Sox teammates Johnny Pesky and Bobby Doerr from decades ago pose next to a new statue outside the park commemorating their friendship. A great example of the Sox keeping the old and new members of Red Sox nation relevant. This unveiling got great media coverage locally.

Running for a Great Cause

Recently, the Red Sox teamed up with Mass General Hospital in support of Iraq veterans and military members who returned home with PTSD, or varied other ailments. The event, Run to Home Base was advertised on NESN, in the Boston Globe, and proved to be very successful. The Red Sox and the Red Sox Foundation, their charity, did an amazing job of marketing the run - it ends at home plate in Fenway Park! Who wouldn't want to do that?! I would seriously have considered running the race and raising money that day if I weren't out of town that weekend.

However, my point on this topic is that not only did the Red Sox get creative with advertising their brand and linking it to a charity, they also chose something RELEVANT and TIMELY, which is key to engaging potential customers, viewers, readers, etc. My guess is few people do not know a story about an Iraq or Middle East soldier who returns and begins their life as a civilian again. How hard must that be. I was particularly moved by the piece in The Boston Globe, by Bella English that ran the week before the race. I actually went to high school with Jonathan and had no idea he served in Iraq, let alone how young he was at the time and what he has suffered with since his return. His sister's strength and determination to help her brother is no less inspiring than his story.

I applaud the Red Sox for their work for this cause, and hope it continues for many years. Way to go!

RL

Enough Red Sox Executives Online?

The Red Sox are well into their season, at a 33-25 record as of June 7, 2010. Things are looking up as Mike Cameron and Jacoby Ellsbury gradually return to the field and give the outfield the look it intended to have from day 1.

As I continue to think about the ways the organization brands itself and its place in Boston sports media, (the purpose of this blog), today I did some browsing and discovered there are two front office members visibly present online: annonymous and John Henry, the Red Sox owner.

I just began following Twitter a few weeks ago, and does anyone else find it addicting? I certainly do. Finding the owner of the Red Sox online was pretty cool. I searched through his pages, and his tweets are part baseball commentary, Red Sox promotion (for example, promoting the new Nesn.com, and personal things he does in his spare time (for example, he tweeted from the Warner Bros. studio while watching a taping of "Hank." While I find it a big intriguing to see what the Sox owner is up to, I didn't find anything particularly compelling about his comments themselves, they are very fact-based and not bombastic or controversial at all. I certainly understand why, but I was hoping for a bit more.

The Red Sox Insider blog is written by an anonymous Red Sox front office member. A link from the home page takes a viewer to it, and I was surprised to find it is not updated that often - the last post is from May 7th (which is in press release form), and the one before that announces the Josh Beckett contract extension. By definition, a blog should be updated frequently, and definitely should not be advertised on their home page if it is not a true active blog. Because it is anonymous, I expect some good insights! If it can't be authentic and candid in identity, I least want to see some insider information, isn't that what the blog is called? A little disappointed.

In an age where front office members have the opportunity to connect with fans and media, I wonder if two people from the organization online is enough. I tend to think not, especially if the content is not there.

The Best Baseball Park on Earth

At a Red Sox-Angels game in September 2009 with fellow BU grad friends!

It was amazing to me that I have been going to Sox games since I was a little girl, and for the first time, went to a game with many newbies! I had the great opportunity to go with people who had never been and explain some of the Red Sox traditions (Sweet Caroline, the Green Monster, hating the Yankees, Fenway Franks, the history of the ballpark, etc). These are some of the many intangibles that make the Red Sox a valued brand in Boston, New England, and throughout the country. I will get into this in later posts :)

Special thanks to the BU COM grad program for showing the newbie graduates some Sox love and introducing them to the spirit, heart and soul of Boston :) And of course, for helping to introduce them to $7.75 beer at the ballpark.

Venturing In

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog! I am a novice blogger but am hopeful and optimistic I can do this and write some meaningful content that a niche audience will appreciate :) Perhaps I should introduce myself a bit first. My name is Rosie, I am a graduate student at Boston Univeristy and pursuing a master's in public relations. I chose the topic of the Red Sox and their presence in Boston sports media and the overall branding of the Sox for a few reasons. I am a huge fan of the team (of course, I am a Bostonian) and I love sports. I also have experience working with the sports/health industry, as I first interned at Comcast Sports Net and later at the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association. Following the Red Sox season is something I do every year, in addition to reading countless articles, blogs, websites etc. on their progress and on the players' journeys through the 162 games. The presence the Sox have on both a local and national stage is powerful and impressive. The fans themselves market the Sox, but the organization does so as well. I will attempt to look ito various avenues through which they do this, in addition to writers and fans. From time to time, I will throw in my own two cents on the season :)

Stay tuned!

RL