This is no job for government intervention

COLMAN HERMAN'S assertion that ticket prices have gotten "absurdly out of hand" may come as a surprise to the more than 1 million fans who've poured into Fenway Park this year ("Ticket resellers win at fans' expense," Op-ed, June 10). Empty seats would be the indicator that prices were out of hand.

What he means is that prices are out of hand for people of modest means. So is driving a Lamborghini or wearing a Rolex. Do we want the Legislature to intervene on those prices simply because we might like to own them? The landscape is not exactly littered with examples of successful government price interventions.

Who's to say that "two times face value" is reasonable? Do we want the government to cap our home sales at twice what we paid? Although I am a huge fan of both the Red Sox and low prices, I'd rather have the Legislature working on more meaty issues than remembering "what being a fan is all about."

While Major League Baseball tries to promote baseball as America's pastime, it's obvious that it's no longer the social fabric entity for which Holman pines. The demographic shift from family to corporate has made a night at Fenway a different product with different customers.

But that's OK. Luckily, families of modest means have professional baseball options. You'll see them, wearing Timex watches, and driving Toyotas to games in Pawtucket, Lowell, and elsewhere.

MATT McCORMICK
Medfield