Red Sox Take Fenway On The Road With Interactive Showcase
BOSTON (CBS) -- A new, interactive mobile experience is helping bring the Fenway experience beyond the ballpark.
The Red Sox Showcase truck will be making several stops around New England this summer to festivals and schools, bringing with it batting cages, World Series trophies, a virtual reality experience, and several other games and activities.
The showcase is part of the team's new Calling All Kids initiative, to bring children and young adults closer to the game. Red Sox President Sam Kennedy said that he wants all kids who come to see the team play have a good time, and wanted bring that same experience to those who couldn't make it to Fenway.
"We thought it'd be a great idea to bring a little bit of Fenway Park out into the community," said Kennedy.
At Faneuil Hall Wednesday, where the showcase was open to fans, Kennedy said the VR experience was especially immersive.
"A few minutes ago, there was a young 12-year-old boy who was experiencing virtual reality, and he didn't realize that he was standing next to the real Matt Barnes as it was happening," said Kennedy.
Barnes made an appearance at the showcase Wednesday, and the relief pitcher said he was thrilled to see the team is able to reach out to their fans.
"It's fantastic, the fact that they've been able to do this and make it an all-in-one experience away from the park, where you can come out and hit with walk up music, go experience virtual reality, see the World Series trophies, it's pretty cool," said Barnes.
Barnes tried his hand at batting practice and the kids' pitching activity, which wasn't as easy as it sounded.
"That's tough," said Barnes. "That strike zone's incredibly small. We're looking at a five-inch zone with a foam ball ... I took a couple of hacks at it, but I didn't get any in there."
To be fair, he doesn't usually practice with a foam ball.
Click here to see where the showcase will be this summer.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Ben Parker reports
