Earle and his buddy, Sean Driscoll, 16, of Hyde Park, arrive at Fenway Park at 1 p.m. for a 7:05 game against the Mets. They know the game is sold out; the Sox' last 263 home games have been sold out. ``I've been coming to Fenway since I was born," says Earle. ``I don't have a job. The demand is so high for tickets I can't afford it."
But Red Sox Nation knows no borders. Eventually they stake out the corner of Van Ness Street and Yawkey Way. Johnny Pesky stops by and Earle borrows a blue-tipped pen and has Pesky sign his T-shirt up by his neck.
``I hope you don't bite," the Red Sox legend says.
After 5 p.m. Yawkey Way, the main entrance to Fenway, is closed to traffic and pedestrians are asked to leave. Fenway security does a sweep to make sure no one is hiding in the Souvenir Shop or the concessions, including RemDawg's, which line Yawkey Way. Then, after turnstiles and fences are in place, Yawkey Way reopens to ticket-holders only. It becomes, in effect, part of Fenway Park.
On Van Ness Street, Boston police conduct their roll call right in front of RemDawg's perimeter fence, which has an 11-inch gap at the bottom.
By 6 p.m., Earle and Driscoll are eyeing the Iron Curtain. They can smell the grilled hot dogs and the sausages, the peppers and the onions from the Promised Land. They watch the pretty girls sitting at the picnic tables. But they also see several Boston police officers on the outside and the white-shirted Fenway security on the inside, all of whom are aware of the weak link in security.
They pace like expectant fathers.
``The waiting is the hardest part," Driscoll said later. ``You're eager and you feel all this pressure."
But these guys are veterans -- they sneaked in earlier this year under the fence. ``Besides," says Earle. ``This is a big game. Pedro vs. Beckett."
``We also sneak into the Garden," says Driscoll. ``We wait until the guy at the premium seating turns his back."
