Playoff Sales are Good. Right?

It's awful, isn't it? The baseball playoffs are in full swing, and the Red Sox aren't a part of it. Even worse? The Yankees are! (For now.) It's a pretty annoying combination.

Need something to cheer you up? How about thinking about how amazing you'd look in some new Section 36 gear? Maybe think about that new tank top you've been considering. Or the hoodie you'll need for the cold winter ahead. Or maybe one of the many novelty items...bags, magnets, stickers...strike your fancy. Just the thought of all that wonderful gear is sure to bring a smile back to your face.

And if just thinking about new gear is fun, imagine actually buying some! Imagine buying some while it's on an amazing sale! Like...right now!!

That's right! Today through Sunday, the Section 36 store will be on sale! Don't miss this opportunity! 

So, head over right now and select something that you like. But, don't delay. Remember, the sale only runs through Sunday! Only a few days before prices go back to their regular levels.

Click Here Now!

And, as always, when you do get an item, send me a picture wearing it for me to share with the world! The blog, Facebook, and even Instagram! Not only would it be a great way to show the world your amazing outfit, but if you have a business or cause that needs promotion, it's an easy way to get a mention on Section 36!

Like Bridget did! (With some help from K. Garcia Productions)

This sweatshirt is on sale!

Or, like Bernadette did to show off how amazing this tank top looks on her.

This tank is on sale!

Or Phil did.

This tank is also on sale!

Or Holly did with her cozy new hoodie.

This hoodie is on sale!

Or Nicolette did with her great t-shirt!

This t-shirt is on sale!

Or like Allison did!

This t-shirt is on sale!

Or, like Sierra did!

This t-shirt is on sale!

But, first you need to buy something you like. There's a lot to choose from.

What will you get?

Audrey Getman Visits Section 36!

Section 36 has a new visitor! Audrey Getman is a world traveler, a history buff, and the current Miss Gate City. I was so excited that she was willing to visit with us to discuss those topics, and a few more.

So let's see what happens when Audrey Getman visits Section 36!

How did you celebrate winning the Miss Gate City crown?

The day that I won Miss Gate City 2020 I actually competed in two competitions on the same day. That meant two full competitions all packed into the time that we’d usually do one competition. Because of that, I was understandably exhausted! On my way home I grabbed some dinner, and then I actually went straight to bed.

What did you learn about yourself at the Miss Gate City competition that will help you at Miss New Hampshire?

One thing that I’ve found in my entire journey this season is that with talent specifically, and this sounds super corny, I have to believe in myself and believe in the song. When I felt myself getting nervous in the song during this competition, I powered through. Apparently that also resonated in the song and added an element of power and emotion to the performance, so that was something that I was able to learn how to do.

What are you most looking forward to about your time as Miss Gate City?

I’m really looking forward to promoting my social impact initiative

and getting to work on different service opportunities. One of my favorite things to do is donate my time to community service projects. I wasn’t able to do much of this during my time in college because of how hectic my schedule was. Now that I’ve graduated, I’m excited to start doing more community service!

How did you select your social impact initiative “Promoting the Value of History”?

One of the things I mentioned above that I’m excited about is my social impact initiative, “Learn the Past: Promoting the Value of History”. I just graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Classics. My love of history and classics has transformed into something bigger than I anticipated. I want to continue working with both fields and researching the different ideas that I have. That’s why I thought about this for my social impact initiative, because not only is it my entire life, but because I really believe that learning from history influences our future. There is the quote, “Those who do not learn the past are condemned to repeat it,” which is part of where my social impact initiative gets its name. History has been very cyclical, and the humanities have been extremely neglected. We don’t stress their importance as much as we should. I really enjoy learning history. I want to use my social impact initiative to help members of younger generations find enjoyment in it too. History isn’t just about learning and memorizing dates. It’s seeing how these big, great events have shaped the world we live in. I want other people to be able to see that too.

As a talented singer, what types of songs are your favorite to sing?

I love a good female ballad, I find them very empowering. I used to

sing a lot of Adele because her songs are super powerful and meaningful. I also love Disney music, and the occasional showtune. I pretty much just sing whatever pops into my head.

You’ve been able to do quite a bit of traveling. What your favorite place that you’ve visited?

The best place I’ve been to so far has been Athens, Greece. It was my first of two study abroad experiences (the second was a short 10-day January term trip to Rome). I was there for five weeks in the Summer of 2017. One of those five weeks was a travel week across various ancient and historical sites near Athens. Greece is my happy place and every single day I dream of going back. Hopefully I can study there in graduate school!

Who is your favorite Red Sox player? Why?

This may sound a bit weird because he’s such a rookie, but I love Michael Chavis. I think he’s outstanding and I’m just really excited to see where he goes in baseball, and I really hope he stays with the Red Sox. Mookie Betts is a close second, and before Chavis came on the team, Mookie was my favorite.

Is there a feature or activity at Fenway Park you would especially

like to experience?

 I’ve never sat on or been to the Green Monster, but I would really

love to someday. I think it would be such a fun experience!

What were you doing when the Red Sox won the 2018 World Series?

I was in a restaurant in my college town because they had a bunch of TVs and I had just finished a weekly student government meeting. A bunch of the members of student government got a big table at the restaurant and we ate and watched the game. It’s a relatively small restaurant, so we were able to get there before it got completely crowded. I have videos of the last at bat where Manny Machado went down on one knee after swinging, and the entire place just erupted. After, everyone poured out onto the street and sidewalks. Everyone was singing Sweet Caroline at the top of their lungs, and it was just such a great way to ring in my senior year.

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That must have been amazing!

As always, I want to thank Audrey for doing this interview, and for sending along the fantastic pictures. They really make the post a lot more fun to read.

As Audrey continues her time as Miss Gate City, I encourage you to follow her on her official Facebook page. 

I also want to wish Audrey luck when she competes for the Miss New Hampshire crown. It would be wonderful to have another former visitor take home that title! Could it be three in a row?

Thanks again Audrey!

Spoiler Alert: Things Cost Money

The Red Sox announced recently that ticket prices would be going up next year, on average. Some tickets would be going up, and some would be going down. But overall, it would result in an average increase of just under 2%.

I'm going to let you guess how fans reacted.

They went bananas. 

How can they raise prices after not winning the World Series? How can they raise prices even if they decide not to give Mookie $400 million? How can people be expected to go to games now? They're pricing out their fans!

It's the last couple of ones that bug me. 

Let's be clear. I want people to be able to go to games. I've said before that I'm amazed teams don't give away more free tickets. (It appears that the Sox have finally listened since they said they plan on having more heavily discounted or even free tickets available to some games in the future.) But, that doesn't mean all tickets need to be free. And it's not something that the Sox alone are guilty of. Taking an outing to any activity has an associated cost. Sure, a Tier 3 ticket in Section 36 will run you $37. Going to a museum? Expect to pay between $20 and $40. Going to a Broadway show? Triple that. At least. Compared to other family type outings, the Sox aren't out of line. In fact, considering the amount of time you spend at those other places compared to the length of a ballgame, the Sox are practically a bargain. So, how come people don't storm Twitter complaining about the prices of the Children's Museum?

Maybe it's because people don't post things like this.

This shows the “fan cost index” this location came up with for baseball games. People were outraged! How can I be expected to take my family of four to a game at those prices? $355?!?!? Baseball is ruining the family experience.

But, this is where it gets interesting. What costs are included in this index? Here you go.

Expensive tickets, beers, food, drinks, parking, programs, and hats. That's the bill that people are complaining about. Other places have standard cost indexes as well. Retail stores, for instance. But nobody complains that Target is too expensive because the cost index shopping cart is too expensive. You don't have to buy a gallon of milk and a bottle of spray cleaner every time you enter the store. You can go in and just buy a pack of baseball cards if you wish. But, I actually had people arguing with me that you can't expect people to go to multiple games at those prices. If you're buying a new hat every time you go to that game, that's really your issue. The Red Sox can't help you there.

Which is also the larger point. If you're including shopping and food, every outing is expensive. If you add the cost of the outfit you're wearing and the food you eat beforehand, even walking the dog is expensive. And more important than that, there's nothing the Red Sox can do to help you. 

Even if they gave you free tickets, if you're still eating dinner, and drinking, and buying clothes, and buying magazines, and parking in expensive lots...you're spending a fortune on things that aren't theirs to control. You're still in for an expensive night.

So maybe, just maybe, the Sox aren't out to price gouge you. Maybe the Sox aren't pricing out their fans. Maybe fans are just making too much out of a day at a game.

And there's really nothing the Sox can do to help that.

Kaitlin Moreno Visits Section 36!

Section 36 has a new visitor! Kaitlin Moreno is a world traveler, a talented orator,  the current Miss Litchfield County, and…another

Yankees fan. I was still excited that she was willing to visit with us to discuss those topics, and a few more. 

So let's see what happens when Kaitlin Moreno visits Section 36!

How did you celebrate winning the Miss Litchfield County crown?
I celebrated with my family at Fino’s Pizza in my hometown, Watertown. 

What has surprised you the most about your time as Miss Litchfield County?

What surprised me the most as Miss Litchfield County is how much support I’ve received. I’ve made new relationships with other MAO women and my fabulous LC scholarship team. I’m very happy to have met and gotten to know Phylis, Ashely, and Jenn- they are the best, most inspiring, and supportive pageant moms a girl could ask for. This was my first title I’ve ever won and I really didn’t know what to expect so it’s been really a delightful journey and learning experience.

Is there a specific goal you'd like to accomplish before you turn over your Miss Litchfield County crown?

My goal I’m actually on my way to accomplishing. I wanted to find a new place I can consistently volunteer and do something I haven’t

done before. I love animals and wanted to work with them and I will now be at Animal Haven in Manhattan volunteering 2 hours a week with their cats and dogs, helping take care of them and helping them get adopted. It’s something new and something I’m happy to learn more about and dedicate time to. I’ll also be volunteering during the holidays in Litchfield County as well, so I’m really looking forward to that and continuing my volunteering experiences in and out of crown and sash! 

How did you select your social impact initiative “A Moment of Magic: Restoring the Magic of Childhood”?

I chose A Moment of Magic: Restoring the Magic of Childhood because of my work with A Moment of Magic Foundation. It started as a club at the College of Mount Saint Vincent and after applying

to be a nonprofit, the club became official. Now AMOM has chapters all over the US at different colleges and universities. College students have the chance to volunteer as iconic fairytale characters, bringing childhood magic to pediatric hospitals. I loved volunteering in college and since I can’t directly volunteer with the CMSV chapter anymore, I’m happy to advocate for AMOM and bring awareness to pediatric cancer and how we can help and support kids battling cancer. I encourage people to learn more at amomentofmagic.org or follow them on social media @momentofmagicfoundation. There are many ways people can get involved or utilize their services. 

Your competition talent is original spoken word poetry. How does it feel to present your work on stage?

It feels so powerful. I loved watching slam poetry in college and always awed at their powerful messages and voices. I love the idea of creating imagery for people to get lost in. I hope my words resonate with people and gives them food for thought. I was so happy to do original spoken word poetry and hoped it inspired others on the Miss CT stage. I always hope to inspire others to write or enjoy the vast genres of literature in the world.

You’ve been able to do quite a bit of world traveling. What’s your favorite place that you’ve visited?

That’s such a hard question haha. I’d just like to say thanks first to

all my teachers that have taught me history and literature, because they always made it feel like I was traveling in time with the material and they inspired me to travel to see and learn outside the classroom. But I’ve loved each place for their own unique beauty and character. I’ll say Machu Picchu, I love sharing this trip. The hike up Machu Picchu mountain was INSANE. The challenge, the elevation, the history. Especially having native ancestry it felt like my sense of diaspora was settled being among a hub city for all of the Incan Empire. Every Incan from (what is now) Colombia to Argentina had to visit the city of Machu Picchu and carry a rock, we know this because scientists found rocks from different regions of South America that are not native of that area in Peru. With those rocks they created the path up the mountain, that same path is the one you hike. I hiked the same path my ancestors probably did and sat among godly sized mountains. It felt like an honor and I hope to return again to hike Wyana Picchu Mountain. That will hopefully be next year. My next trip is to Thailand in October which I’m very excited for! It’ll be my first time in Asia. 

As a Yankees fan, who is your favorite Red Sox player? Why?

Babe Ruth. I don’t that that one needs much of an explanation. 

What is your favorite Red Sox - Yankees memory?

I actually haven’t gotten to see a Yankee vs. Red Sox game yet but I’d love to. But my favorite memory around the whole rivalry is my childhood neighborhood playing pranks on each other. My mom one time stole (with permission from Mrs. Alvey) Mr. Alvey’s Red Sox flag off the front porch for April fools day...it took him a week to figure out who did it. Another neighbor mowed the NYY logo into their lawn... they were our only beloved Red Sox fans in neighborhood. It was all in good fun. I hope to have next door neighbors again like them, they were always my favorite family to visit. 

Which team has the brighter future, the Red Sox or Yankees?

I hope both so they can compete in the playoffs together sometime soon. That would be so fun to go see.

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Certainly think that would be a lot of fun.

As always, I want to thank Kaitlin for doing this interview, and for sending along the fantastic pictures. They really make the post a lot more fun to read.

As Kaitlin continues her time as Miss Litchfield County, I encourage you to follow her on their official Facebook page. You should also check out the website for A Moment of Magic, and follow them on Instagram. It's a great way to stay on top of everything that's going on!

Thanks again Kaitlin!

2019 Donruss Blaster

Yup. Another blaster I should have posted long ago, just after it came lout. I'm sure you've all seen as much of this product as you'd care to see at this point. You certainly don't want another post about someone opening a box.

But, you're getting one.

After all, I have not shared my experiences or opinions with the product. So, you'll have to just suffer through while I open this box.

Ready? Let's go!

Nine packs, plus one super special extra pack! Let's start with that one, shall we?

Hey, it produced a Red Sox! (Oh, excuse me, a "Boston" baseball player!) Look how shiny! Not sure the card really does anything for me, though. I do like the mini portrait in the corner, but overall it just seems meh.

Here's a base card of World Series hero Manny Machado. I think the border designs crop off too much of the picture for my taste.

Pack two produced this base of Francisco Lindor.

The third pack was headlined by this 1985 Diamond Kinds styled Alex Bregman card. If you don't have a license, and you're going with a "painted" picture...couldn't you do a better job hiding the fact that you don't have a license? I mean, it's a painting you can do whatever you want. Why put that blank blue cap on his head?

Like this! The fourth pack featured this Mookie Betts. See how the glasses obscure the blank cap? Couldn't Bregman be wearing glasses too?

Another Red Sox Boston player! I do like how the border colors match the team colors. At least on the cards I've shown so far.

Look everyone, it's Showtime! Of course, this is one of those odd "nickname" parallels. How often does Ohtani go by "Showtime"?

This pack contained another World Series hero. Of course Walker Buehler is closer to being a hero than Manny was.

Boy, they're really lowered the bar on what is takes to be a "Diamond King".

Here's another fancy parallel of a young superstar. I'll take it. The theme especially works for a team called the Nationals...but you'd never know that by looking at this card.

This was the best card in the final pack. Yeah...went out with a bang there. It did give me a chance to show off the '85 design on a base card.

Which I actually enjoy. I said it about the Archives box too. I like it when flipping through cards isn't the same design over and over. I like subsets. I like different designs in the base sets. It adds a little variety to the experience, which is a good thing.

Have you opened any of this product?

How did your box go?