Farrell starts ticket program for lymphoma patients

For all the grief Red Sox fans give John Farrell on social media and on sports talk radio (which I’m sure is a lot of the same people), here’s an off-the-field reason why it might be a good idea to not criticize him.

This week, the Red Sox announced Farrell’s new ticket program. It’s called “Farrell’s Fighters”. The objective? Throughout the season, Farrell and the Red Sox will invite patients, who are undergoing treatment for lymphoma, to games. Their families will also be invited and the seats are described as VIP seats.

Not only will the invited guests have really good seats to the game, but they’ll be able to meet the manager, John Farrell himself. There’s also a ballpark tour for them; they can watch batting practice and eat a meal in the Dell EMC Club restaurant. I didn’t even know there was a restaurant in the EMC club. But then again, I’ve never had luxury seats to a Red Sox game. The press box is probably the best view I’ve had of a game at the park, which is a similar view from what I’ve been told.

As you probably remember, Farrell had a short bout with lymphoma in 2015 which put him away from the team from about early August to the end of the season. Fortunately, he caught it early and his chemo sessions were highly effective.

Farrell got his treatment at Mass General Hospital, which is where the first guest is getting his treatment. His name is Nate Bouley, and he’s 42 and from Sudbury, Mass. He is in his third remission and was diagnosed with cancer in 2015. He’ll be at Sunday’s game with his wife and two kids. Luckily, the weather looks nice on Sunday, so hopefully, they have a wonderful time.

Definitely a classy move by Farrell and the Red Sox organization to make this possible. It will mean a lot to many families across the commonwealth, and potentially beyond. It’s very important to bring patients and families joy during such a difficult time in their lives.