According to the Boston Globe, Red Sox mascot Wally is on “Team Rozanov” as the team hosted a “Heated Rivalry” theme night at Fenway Park Tuesday night, with a portion of the proceeds from ticket sales going to the Bay State youth services nonprofit OUT MetroWest.
Reports the Boston Globe:
Rachel Reid is famous for being a devout hockey fan, but last night at Fenway Park, the best-selling author of the “Game Changers” book series got to savor her baseball fandom by appearing as part of the “Heated Rivalry” theme night with the Red Sox.
The event, held during a face off with the Seattle Mariners, was the most popular theme night in Red Sox history, with 12,000 fans descending on the ballyard to celebrate the popular Canadian drama series, which centers on the steamy romance between rival hockey players Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie). (Rozanov plays for the Bruins-esque ”Boston Raiders” on the show.)
“It’s wild,” said Reid, standing near the home dugout before the game in a personalized Red Sox jersey after greeting the fans. “When I was writing these books, this is not where I thought things would end up. It’s really touching and lovely and I’m really excited to be here. I grew up a Red Sox fan. I love this park so much. So being able to stand here on the field is such an honor, and having so many people here showing love for my characters is really nice.“
Fans reveled in the “Rivalry,” excitedly collecting and immediately donning their limited edition Hollander and Rozanov jerseys; VIP ticket holders also received hats sporting the famous phrase from the series “I’m coming to the cottage,” with “cottage” crossed out in favor of “Fenway.” They snapped photos at a makeshift “Club Hollanov” on the concourse and danced during a pregame set deejayed by the UK artist-producer Harrison, whose cover of t.a.T.u’s early 2000s hit, “All the Things She Said,” scores a pivotal moment in the series. Wally and Tessie also got in on the act, with Wally sporting a Rozanov jersey and Tessie favoring Hollander.
