October baseball

Back in March -- wanting to give my loyal blog readers ample opportunity to criticize or praise my managerial judgment -- I discussed our decision to be Official Hospital of the Boston Red Sox. The jury of my peers was split on that issue, but I want you to know that it is an intensely popular thing among our employees and physicians. Notwithstanding the (ahem!) high regard with which I am held by the staff, if I were to end this sponsorship arrangement, I would be dead meat. So I am happy to report that we were pleased to reach an agreement with the Red Sox to extend it for a second five-year term.

Here is a typical email from a staff member on the subject, when it looked like the team was imploding a couple of weeks ago, while our football franchise was doing really well:

Thank GOD! We have the Patriots to lessen the pain.
They won't break your heart like the SOX do 85 out 86 years!
Sincerely,
A lifelong disgruntled SOX fan!

PS. By the way, do you have any SOX tickets?

As you can imagine, when the playoffs arrive, there is a lot of interest in the allocation of our company seats at Fenway Park. We want to be really, really fair about this, while also using the opportunity to support a worthy cause. Here's how we solve the problem each year, as detailed in an excerpt from my email to the BIDMC community:

Dear BIDMC,

Now that a playoff berth for the Red Sox is assured, we can offer the long-awaited BIDMC Playoff Series Raffle. All are welcome to participate. As in the past, raffle tickets will be $5 each. You can buy as many as you like. As in the past, too, the proceeds of the raffle will be in recognition of a special group of people.

Who Benefits?
For the Divisional championship series, the proceeds will go to support the professional advancement programs of our Medical Technologists and other staff in the Pathology Department. These folks are among the unsung heroes of our hospital, performing millions of blood and tissue tests every year, running our blood bank, and carrying out other critically important tasks. Without them, the work of the hospital would grind to a halt. The proceeds of the raffle will give them scholarships to attend professional seminars. So, even if you don't win a game ticket, you can rest assured that your purchase will go to a worthy cause.

Which Tickets are These?
These are the two BIDMC corporate seats in Row 2 behind home plate. This is a view of the game that few get to experience, and here's your chance! We will pick three winners, one pair of tickets for each of the three potential home games. (Sorry, if you win the later game’s seats and there are fewer than three games, you will still get the tickets, but you will only get to use them by hanging them as decoration on your wall!)

We will do a separate raffle for the next playoff series, the ALCS, and the one after that, the World Series, if and when the Sox make it that far.

How Much, When and Where?
Raffle tickets cost $5 each. They will be on sale:

Friday, Sept. 28, and Monday, Oct. 1
11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
East campus Ullian dining area and west campus cafeteria

At off-site locations, the following staff members have graciously agreed to sell raffle tickets. Please be considerate and e-mail or call ahead before you visit:

** – Bowdoin St.
** – Lexington
** – Needham
** – 109 Brookline
** – Chelsea
** – Renaissance Center 5

The Rules
The raffle is for BIDMC, BID-Needham, BIDMC off-site, APG and CareGroup Corporate staff members and volunteers. You MUST HAVE A PHOTO ID FROM ONE OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS to purchase raffle tickets. There is no limit to the number of raffle tickets you may purchase.

If you work evenings or weekends, or cannot make the dates above, you can make a photocopy of your ID and ask a colleague to purchase raffle tickets for you, or you may contact Volunteer Services.

The winning raffle ticket will be drawn on Tuesday, Oct. 2, at 3:45 p.m. in my office. The winner will be informed via phone and e-mail, and the information will be posted on the BIDMC portal by 4 p.m.

Good luck!!