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Red Sox Have 2020 Bobblehead Backlog Waiting For Fans At Fenway Park This Season

BOSTON (CBS) – The Boston Red Sox and Major League Baseball have a bobblehead backlog to start the 2021 season.

With no fans allowed at games during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, millions of bobbleheads were put into storage.

The Red Sox had at least two such giveaways planned for last season with bobbleheads of Rafael Devers and Manny Ramirez.

Bobbleheads take months to design and make. Each one is even hand painted. Teams order the dolls at up to 50,000 at a time because the giveaways drive attendance.

"Bobblehead is still at the top of the list of what fans want as it relates to giveaways," Red Sox executive vice president and Chief Marketing Officer Adam Grossman told CBS News.

Some teams are now stuck with bobbleheads of players who are now on other teams this season.

"It's on a case-by case basis. We're fortunate that we didn't have that challenge this year. But there are times where they don't see the light of day," Grossman said.

bobbleheads red sox
Bobbleheads of Manny Ramirez and Rafael Devers were put into storage for the 2020 season. (Image credit: CBS News)

The Red Sox will hold off any giveaways until they have 7,500 or more fans in the stands this season. Right now Fenway Park is at just 12-percent capacity, which is about 4,500 seats available for fans.

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