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Praying for Baseball
Summer is finally here, and with it, a return to normalcy for our national pastime.
Given the recent relaxation of COVID-19 protocols, many Major League ballparks are now operating at full capacity. This is a welcomed development for teams and fans alike, both eager to see stadium turnstiles spin once more. But for a sliver of Red Sox Nation, baseball’s resurrection is particularly satisfying. You might even say, it’s an answer to a prayer.
For decades, unbeknownst to many Red Sox fans, the clergy pass program has granted access to the ballpark for religious leaders of every stripe. According to Ron Bumgarner, executive vice president of ticketing, Fenway events and concerts, the program harkens back to the 1960’s.
In its earliest iteration, the pass allowed select clergy to purchase two standing room tickets at the discounted rate of $10. Over time the parameters of the program have evolved. Participating clergy can now buy tickets at half price, a system that allows for differing price points depending on the opposing team and day of the week.
Only three of baseball’s 30 teams currently offer a clergy pass program. Joining the Red Sox in this endeavor are the Cincinnati Reds and the St. Louis Cardinals. This wasn’t always the case. The New York Giants issued clergy passes to the old Polo Grounds as early as the 1920’s. The only team specifically named after a religious designation, the San Diego Padres, provided clergy a season pass as recently as the 1960’s. An argument could even be made that the ’69 “Miracle Mets” were blessed by an expanded contingent of faith leaders, courtesy of the club’s then fulsome clergy pass program.
Similar efforts have been introduced by the Red Sox front office in recent years, resulting in reduced pricing for students and both retired and active military. Bumgarner explains the expansion of outreach efforts in this way. “We strive to have the most diverse crowd possible. We want everyone to feel welcome at Fenway Park.”
While teams across the league share information regarding such initiatives, the clergy pass remains an anomaly within Major League Baseball. Perhaps its enduring legacy in Boston is due in part to Sam Kennedy, current CEO and president of the Red Sox. The son of an Episcopal minister, Kennedy attended dozens of…
