2010 Sox schedule announced; tickets in December and January

Major League Baseball has announced the Red Sox schedule for 2010, and at least as far as games with the Yankees are concerned, it is quite unusual. The Yankees come to Fenway to open the season for a 3-game series beginning April 5th, and they close the regular season with a 3-game series at Fenway beginning October 1st. The Yankees' only other visit to Fenway will be the first weekend in May. Between their May visit and the final series of the regular season, each team will be play about 130 games, with 9 of them being Red Sox-Yankee games at Yankee Stadium.

The Red Sox have not announced any ticket onsale dates yet, but plan on select April, May and September games going on sale during the second Saturday in December (their annual Christmas at Fenway event), and the remainder of the regular season tickets going on sale the Saturday between the NFL's conference championship games and the Super Bowl.

Ticket purchasing lottery for ALCS ends Friday Oct. 2nd

If you want to have a chance to buy tickets to potential ALCS games at Fenway, you have until noon this Friday to go to the Red Sox Web site and sign up. You have to submit your name, email address, etc. A new twist this year is that they are asking for your credit card number and expiration date when you sign up for the lottery. They don't charge your credit card until you actually go to buy tickets (if you are lucky enough to get selected in the drawing).

The rules state that there can only be one entry person. Each multiple entry for the same person will be disregarded and only their first entry will be considered. TIP: each entry that uses a unique email address will be accepted, even if it from the same person, so if you have a work email address, home email address, etc., you should enter them all. You just have to remember to check those email inboxes when they announce who won the drawing (which they haven't announced yet).

Yankees Sold Out, But Tickets Available for all 4 White Sox Games

As of 8 a.m. this morning there were no tickets available for the 3 games with the Yankees this weekend. The Red Sox Web site had no tickets, and neither did the 24-hour automated telephone ticket line at 888-REDSOX6 (888-733-7696). If you want to go to any of the Yankee games this weekend, that leaves these options: 1) Keep checking redsox.com and the 24-hour ticket line, as availability can change from hour to hour. 2) Call the ticket office and speak to a ticket agent at 877-REDSOX9 (877-733-7699). Call about once an hour, as the availability on game days can change very quickly. The ticket office is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., but it is only open Monday through Friday. 3) Go to the day-of-game ticket sales window near Gate E on Lansdowne Street. Unfortunately, this method requires you to line up at about 2 p.m. for a 7:05 game. 4) Go to the Scalp-Free Zone near Gate B and the Ted Williams statue on Van Ness Street. Go about an hour and a half before game time. There will be a Red Sox employee there hooking up sellers and buyers, and you have a good chance to get tickets for face value, but get there early.

The good news is that there are tickets available at redsox.com for all 4 White Sox games next week. A wide variety of tickets are available, with most in the $30 to $50 range, including infield and outfield grandstand, right field box, and the new right field roof seats.

Great Deal: Cape Cod League All-Star Game at Fenway July 23rd

The Cape Cod League All-Star Game will be played at Fenway Park on Thursday, July 23rd and all tickets are only $10. All seating for the 7:05 game will be general admission and the gates at Fenway open at 3:00 the day of the game. In the afternoon there will be a free autograph session with the All-Stars. The Cape Cod Baseball League is the premiere summer league for college players. One in seven current major leaguers played in the Cape Cod League and almost all the players who play in the All-Star game are selected in the Major League draft within 2 years. To purchase tickets, click here.