The most powerful evidence yet that the economy is in a serious recession

The Boston Red Sox are not raising their ticket prices for the 2009 season:  The Boston Red Sox today announced the team is holding prices at 2008 levels for all existing seats and standing room tickets available to the public at Fenway Park for the 2009 season. The team will also hold prices for all ...

By , a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and co-host of the Space the Nation podcast.

The Boston Red Sox are not raising their ticket prices for the 2009 season:  The Boston Red Sox today announced the team is holding prices at 2008 levels for all existing seats and standing room tickets available to the public at Fenway Park for the 2009 season. The team will also hold prices for all tickets available to the public for 2009 Spring Training games at City of Palms Park in Ft. Myers, FL. "We have been listening to fans, friends, and family about the challenges they are facing in light of the current adverse economic conditions," said Larry Lucchino, Red Sox President/CEO. "We are also grateful for the unwavering faith and support our fans have shown us year after year and we hope our ownership's decision to hold prices for the upcoming season will in some way help ease the burden on Red Sox Nation." The move marks the first time in 14 years, since 1995, that the team has held ticket prices across the board. As the Boston Globe's Chad Finn points out, 1995 was the first year after the 1994 baseball strike, so you'd have to go back even further to see a move like this that was taken in response to the overall economic situation.  UPDATE:  The current economic climate is even affecting Yankee ticket sales.   ANOTHER UPDATE:  David Pinto offers an intuguing alternative explanation:  "I wonder how much getting a cut of ticket reselling plays into this?"   

The Boston Red Sox are not raising their ticket prices for the 2009 season

The Boston Red Sox today announced the team is holding prices at 2008 levels for all existing seats and standing room tickets available to the public at Fenway Park for the 2009 season. The team will also hold prices for all tickets available to the public for 2009 Spring Training games at City of Palms Park in Ft. Myers, FL. “We have been listening to fans, friends, and family about the challenges they are facing in light of the current adverse economic conditions,” said Larry Lucchino, Red Sox President/CEO. “We are also grateful for the unwavering faith and support our fans have shown us year after year and we hope our ownership’s decision to hold prices for the upcoming season will in some way help ease the burden on Red Sox Nation.” The move marks the first time in 14 years, since 1995, that the team has held ticket prices across the board.

As the Boston Globe‘s Chad Finn points out, 1995 was the first year after the 1994 baseball strike, so you’d have to go back even further to see a move like this that was taken in response to the overall economic situation.  UPDATE:  The current economic climate is even affecting Yankee ticket sales.   ANOTHER UPDATE:  David Pinto offers an intuguing alternative explanation:  “I wonder how much getting a cut of ticket reselling plays into this?”   

Daniel W. Drezner is a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and co-host of the Space the Nation podcast. Twitter: @dandrezner

More from Foreign Policy

Newspapers in Tehran feature on their front page news about the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing the previous day, on March, 11 2023.
Newspapers in Tehran feature on their front page news about the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing the previous day, on March, 11 2023.

Saudi-Iranian Détente Is a Wake-Up Call for America

The peace plan is a big deal—and it’s no accident that China brokered it.

Austin and Gallant stand at podiums side by side next to each others' national flags.
Austin and Gallant stand at podiums side by side next to each others' national flags.

The U.S.-Israel Relationship No Longer Makes Sense

If Israel and its supporters want the country to continue receiving U.S. largesse, they will need to come up with a new narrative.

Russian President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at the Moscow Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden during an event marking Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at the Moscow Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden during an event marking Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow.

Putin Is Trapped in the Sunk-Cost Fallacy of War

Moscow is grasping for meaning in a meaningless invasion.

An Iranian man holds a newspaper reporting the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, in Tehran on March 11.
An Iranian man holds a newspaper reporting the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, in Tehran on March 11.

How China’s Saudi-Iran Deal Can Serve U.S. Interests

And why there’s less to Beijing’s diplomatic breakthrough than meets the eye.