Thousands of Red Sox fans invaded the citadel of New York baseball last night, but not by storming the ramparts or charging through the gates. They did it casually, strolling inside with tickets purchased legally online, despite concerns that they would be denied entry to Yankee Stadium based on their residency and allegiance.
Before Game 1 of the American League Wild Card series on Tuesday, rumor circulated that the mighty Yankees would refuse access to Red Sox fans for their big playoff matchup. If so much as a whiff of Dunkin’ coffee was detected on their breath while pronouncing the word “Sawx,” they would be barred from entering.
The truth was less conspiratorial. Ticketmaster, the Yankees-sanctioned ticket seller, allowed sales only to credit cards with billing addresses in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut or Pennsylvania. There was no box to tick regarding which team buyers rooted for, but the implication seemed clear to some. Red Sox fans were not welcome.
“They’re scared,” said Will Ross, 22, a casino worker from Worcester, Mass., outside Yankee Stadium before the game. He had driven from Massachusetts with his buddy Ian Inangelo, 24, also from Worcester. “It’s a weak move,” Mr. Inangelo added. “They don’t want the smoke in their ballpark.”
But they got it, anyway, as Red Sox fans made their presence felt. Yankees fans dominated the crowd of 47,027, but a noticeable minority cheered for Boston in full voice, as they usually do in the Bronx. Shouts of “Let’s go Red Sox” were drowned out by “Let’s go Yankees” until the end, when Boston won, 3-1, and only the visitors cheered. Game 2 is tonight.
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The post Did the Yankees Try to Keep Red Sox Fans Out of the Bronx? appeared first on New York Times.
