PawSox tickets on sale Thursday
PAWTUCKET — A word to the wise if you wish to purchase tickets for the last PawSox game at McCoy Stadium, which for planning purposes is Monday, September 7 at 1:05 p.m. – keep refreshing the browser and keep the fingers nice and limber.
Single-game tickets for the final PawSox season go on sale Thursday starting at 10 a.m. via www.pawsox. com, by phone at (401) 724-7300, and in-person at the McCoy box office. Box seats for the Sept. 7 grand finale are close to being sold out through season ticket pans, group sales, and mini-plans.
In other words, the chance to witness history in-person could pass you by if you don’t act with the haste of a blazing fastball.
Finding a way into McCoy for the last time the PawSox take the field in Rhode Island figures to require spending big bucks on the secondary market once the PawSox hang a sign that reads a “sellout.” From the sound of it,
the potential is there for the curtain call at McCoy to rank up there as one of the all-time biggest R.I. sporting events this side of the annual college basketball rivalry between Providence College and the University of Rhode Island.
Again, it behooves everyone to act quickly when it’s officially gotime on Thursday morning.
“It’s heartening to see that response so far. Obviously it’s a popular game, but we’re planning a memorable weekend in general,” said PawSox executive vice president Dan Rea, referencing that Pawtucket will also be at McCoy for games on Saturday, September 5 (6:15 p.m.) and Sunday, September 6 (6:05 p.m.).
“It’ll be a culmination of an entire season of thank-yous and tributes. We’re looking forward to a great final weekend and a great final season in general,” added Rea.
The theme for the 2020 season is “Thank You McCoy” and will feature the PawSox once again holding the line on ticket prices. The lowest-priced tickets – $6 in advance for children & seniors and $9 in advance for adults – remain unchanged for the sixth straight year.
Green (Field Box) seats will again be $14 when purchased in advance, while the red seats (Reserved Box) will continue to be $13. General Admission tickets will cost $9 and General Admission tickets for children (aged 12 & under) will remain $6, as will tickets for seniors (aged 62 & over), veterans, and active duty military. Again this season, tickets purchased on the day of the game will cost $2 more than those purchased in advance.
In a new twist for 2020, the PawSox will provide fans with special giveaways or promotions at each and every home game. Among the most anticipated giveaways will be bobbleheads of four iconic Boston Red Sox championship moments – Keith Foulke’s historic last out of the 2004 World Series, Manny Ramirez’ memorable walk-off three-run home run in Game 2 of the 2007 ALDS, David Ortiz’ dramatic grand slam in Game 2 of the 2013 ALCS, and Andrew Benintendi’s acrobatic catch in front of the Green Monster in Game 2 of the 2018 World Series.
All aforementioned bobbleheads will be accompanied by audio of the play as described by Red Sox broadcasters Joe Castiglione and Dave O’Brien. The date for the Foulke giveaway is still to be determined, while dates for the other bobbleheads are tentatively slated for Friday, June 12 (Ramirez), Friday, June 26 (Ortiz), and Saturday, July 18 (Benintendi).
“It was [PawSox principal owner/chairman Larry Lucchino] instructing us early in the offseason to come up with a promotional schedule that’s bigger and better than anything we’ve done before … to really go out with a strong season and offer different opportunities throughout the year,” said Rea. “We’ll celebrate a lot of PawSox and Red Sox history. You’ll see special guests come back. We really wanted to have a robust schedule as far as events.”
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In terms of possible 2020 callups, nothing is guaranteed regarding Kevin Walker shifting from PawSox pitching coach to this season’s role as Red Sox assistant pitching coach.
There’s nothing, however, written in stone that says Walker can’t advocate for any of the pitching charges who are slated to open the season with the PawSox. For example, Walker spent enough time around Kyle Hart and Tanner Houck at the Triple-A level so that the art of familiarity could come into play should either pitcher find himself in the discussion as possible options.
“If you do get the chance to pitch in big-league camp or in the majors at some point, you have coaches up there who know what you’re all about and what it’s going to take to get big-league hitters out,” said Hart, who was added to the Red Sox’ 40-man roster this past offseason. “’Walk’ understands the analytics that are given to him as well as provides his own. He’s really good at game-planning and putting together scouting reports that are easy for us and the catcher. That’s something that’s going to translate well for the guys already in the big leagues and for any of us who get [to Boston]. Just having him up there figures to be helpful.”
Houck pretty much echoed Hart’s thoughts on having a potential ace in the hole in terms of Walker’s current job title.
“It’s a big comfortability factor because they know how you work based off working together before,” said Houck. “It’s like a catcher who’s caught you a hundred times. You just mesh well together because he knows what you’re thinking.”
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EXTRA BASES: With WEEI and Entercom announcing last week that Will Flemming is teaming up with veteran broadcaster Joe Castiglione for the majority of Red Sox games on the radio this season, Flemming becomes the eighth former PawSox broadcaster currently in the major leagues. … Spotted recently at McCoy Stadium for workouts have been relief pitcher Bobby Poyner and catcher Jake Romanski. Poyner was outrighted off Boston’s 40-man roster and assigned to Pawtucket earlier this week. Romanski remains a minor-league free agent. … Just two Red Sox made Baseball America’s Top-100 prospects list that was released Wednesday: infielders Triston Casas (No. 70) and Bobby Dalbec (No. 75). With Pawtucket, Dalbec swatted seven of the 27 homers he produced in 2019. He’s been mentioned as a candidate to make the parent club out of spring training. “You’ve got to keep the blinders on,” said Dalbec when asked last week at Fenway Park about realizing the goal of cracking the Sox’ opening day roster. … With Baseball’s Hall of Fame Class of 2020 now set – it’s head-scratching that one voter did not put a check next to Derek Jeter’s name – the spotlight now shifts to the newest member(s) of the PawSox HOF. An announcement should be coming soon. Expect this scribe in a future column to explain why the submitted ballot featured the names it did.