RED SOX INTRODUCE “NEW YEAR’S EVE AT FENWAY PARK”

RED SOX INTRODUCE “NEW YEAR’S EVE AT FENWAY PARK”

Families and Children Can Skate and Sled on the field,

Take photos with the World Series Trophies on the field,

And warm up in the EMC Club and State Street Pavilion Club

BOSTON, MA – The Boston Red Sox will introduce their first “New Year’s Eve at Fenway Park,” an ice skating and sledding event for families and children from 5-10 p.m. on December 31.  Tickets are on sale now at redsox.com/newyears at $40 per person.  The event is part of Citi Frozen Fenway, a 17-day period in which the ice rink will serve as host to a variety of skating and hockey events.

“We have the opportunity this year, with an ice rink on the field, to welcome families from all over New England on New Year’s Eve,” said Red Sox Executive Vice-President/COO Sam Kennedy.  “We are also bringing in a unique ‘Monster Sled’ in the outfield that will add to the fun of the event.”

Fans can select a specified half hour to skate when they purchase their tickets (subject to availability) but are welcome to come to the ballpark at anytime from 5-10 p.m. to enjoy the festivities. Ticketed patrons will have access to the new ‘Monster Sled’ throughout the night.

The State Street Pavilion Club and EMC Club will provide areas of warmth and comfort, including free hot chocolate for kids. In addition, groups of up to 22 people can make separate arrangements to celebrate, skate, and have dinner in a private suite that looks out over the ballpark. To book a suite, please call 617-226-6888.

The World Series Trophies of 2004, 2007, and 2013 will be on display on the field and available for photographs.  Fans are also invited to come down and take pictures on the warning track and in the dugouts.

Traditional ballpark fare will be on sale at concession stands in the temperature-controlled Home Plate Concourse.

The event is the first at Fenway Park in which skating and sledding are open to all of New England.

The Red Sox suggest that fans use public transportation. 

RED SOX HOLIDAY TROPHY CARAVAN STARTS TOMORROW

Tour Includes Visits to Boston-area Schools and Hospitals,

And the Chance for Businesses to Win a “Red Sox Holiday Pop Up Party”  

BOSTON, MA – The Red Sox will bring the warmth and cheer of the holiday season to Red Sox Nation with the 2013 Holiday Trophy Caravan, which will bring the 2004, 2007, and 2013 World Series trophies to Boston-area schools and hospitals, and give fans the opportunity to win a “Red Sox Holiday Pop Up Party” at work. The Holiday Trophy Caravan will take place Wednesday, December 11, through Friday, December 13.

The tour begins with visits to three Boston Public Schools that were chosen through social media after teachers and administrators were asked to explain why their classroom and students deserve to be selected. The schools will be surprised with visits throughout the day on Wednesday.

The trophies will go from the classroom to the streets on Thursday with the launch of the “One Duck Open Sleigh,” a Duck Boat with trophies, tickets, Wally the Green Monster, and World Series memorabilia to give away.  In the morning, the “One Duck Open Sleigh” will stop at South Station where morning commuters will have an opportunity to get their pictures taken with the trophies.

On Thursday afternoon, the “One Duck Open Sleigh” will visit three Boston-area businesses for a “Red Sox Pop Up Holiday Party,” where the winning offices will receive an office-wide holiday photo with the World Series trophies and a visit from Wally the Green Monster. Additionally, each office will receive 20 tickets to a Red Sox game in 2014 along with merchandise and memorabilia from the 2013 World Series. Businesses can tweet @redsox using the hashtag #WeWantTheTrophies explaining why their office deserves to be chosen.  

In addition to school and office visits, the three trophies and members of the 2013 Red Sox Championship team will visit patients at area hospitals on Thursday, December 12, and Friday, December 13. Red Sox players and uniformed personnel that will participate at various times include pitchers Craig Breslow, Brandon Workman, and Drake Britton, catcher Ryan Lavarnway, Pitching Coach Juan Nieves, Assistant Hitting Coach Victor Rodriguez, and Bullpen Coach Dana LeVangie.

Hospital visits include stops at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, the Official Hospital of the Boston Red Sox, Shriners Hospital for Children, MassGeneral Hospital for Children, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's Jimmy Fund Clinic, and Children’s Hospital Boston. A list of dates and times for each hospital visit is attached along with corresponding media relations contacts.

The Holiday Trophy Caravan leads up to Christmas at Fenway, which is the first chance to purchase Red Sox tickets for the 2014 regular season. Tickets are available starting on 10 a.m. on Saturday online at redsox.com, by phone at 888-REDSOX6, and at the 11th Annual Christmas at Fenway event. 

JOHN LACKEY WINS 2013 TONY CONIGLIARO AWARD

BOSTON, MA—Right-handed pitcher John Lackey, who led 2013 Red Sox qualifiers with a 3.52 ERA in 29 regular season starts, has been voted the winner of the 24^th annual Tony Conigliaro Award.  This honor is presented to a Major League player who has overcome adversity through the attributes of spirit, determination and courage that were trademarks of Tony C.

Members of the Conigliaro family will present the award at the 75^th Boston Baseball Writers’ Association of America’s annual dinner on January 23, 2014, at the Westin Copley Place in Boston.  Major League teams submit nominations and an independent 12-person panel does the voting.

Despite missing all of 2012 recovering from Tommy John Surgery, Lackey put together one of the best seasons of his 11-year major league career this past year.  He finished second on the team with 189.1 innings pitched and ranked seventh in the AL with over four strikeouts per walks (161 SO/40 BB).  The former All-Star overcame a missed season and also came back from 2011, when, pitching through injury, he was saddled with a 6.41 ERA while making 28 starts before undergoing offseason surgery.

The Red Sox began the award in 1990 to perpetuate the memory of Tony C., who had died that February following an eight-year struggle to come back from a massive heart attack that left him severely handicapped.

Lackey received six first-place votes and 35 points in the voting while Diamondbacks right-handed pitcher Brandon McCarthy had 33 points, and Marlins rookie right-hander Jose Fernandez had 17 points.  Left-handed pitcher Scott Kazmir (Indians) and designated hitter Victor Martinez (Tigers) also received votes.

Past winners include: Jim Eisenreich (1990), Dickie Thon (1991), Jim Abbott (1992), Bo Jackson (1993), Mark Leiter (1994), Scott Radinsky (1995), Curtis Pride (1996), Eric Davis (1997), Bret Saberhagen (1998), Mike Lowell (1999), Kent Mercker and Tony Saunders (2000), Graeme Lloyd and Jason Johnson (2001), Jose Rijo (2002), Jim Mecir (2003), Dewon Brazelton (2004), Aaron Cook (2005), Freddy Sanchez (2006), Jon Lester (2007), Rocco Baldelli (2008), Chris Carpenter (2009), Joaquin Benoit (2010), Tony Campana (2011), and R.A. Dickey (2012).

Tony C. became the youngest player (at age 20) to lead his league in home runs when he hit 32 in 1965, and the youngest in American League history to reach 100 homers (22 years, 197 days).  His promising career was tragically cut short when he was hit in the face by a pitch at Fenway Park on August 18, 1967.  He missed all of 1968, made an inspiring comeback in 1969, and was traded to the California Angels after the 1970 season.  Tony played one year with the Angels and then made another comeback with the Red Sox in 1975, his final major league season.