The Boston Red Sox sold out 794 straight home regular season games and 26 straight home playoff games for a grand total of 820 consecutive home sellouts.
The streak ended last night as those fans who did show up sat through pouring rain, a rain delay, and a ninth-inning Boston meltdown against the Baltimore Orioles.
The amazing streak — 820 straight ballgames with Fenway filled to the brim — began in 2003 , and marks an era when the Red Sox won two World Series Championships (2004 and 2007) and made six playoff appearances. The sellout streak testifies to the team’s winning ways, star players, historic ballpark, and loyal fans.
With a down year in 2012 and tepid hopes for 2013, the end of the streak was written on the wall.
Still, the streak must be appreciated for what occurred in the 11 Major League Baseball seasons through which the streak continued. The championship trophy returned to Boston for the first time since 1918, ending the Curse of the Bambino, Manny being Manny, a historic late-season meltdown, the renewal of the Sox-Yanks rivalry, and one bloody sock.
To put the streak in perspective, the current top mark is the San Francisco Giants with 169. Got a ways to go, San Fran.