A Fenway Thank You 36 Years in the Making

Allan Dines' father helped his son land a coveted job in 1976.

Thirty-six years later, Dines paid his father back for that "in" with a trip to Fenway Park for the historic park's 100th anniversary. And it was all possible because of that job in the 1970s.

Dines, who grew up in Wellesley and now lives in Wayland, worked as a vendor -- a hawker of hotdogs, ice cream and sodas -- at Fenway Park from 1976-1978. At that time, Dines said, "The only way you got a job [at Fenway] was if you knew someone at Fenway."

And Dines' father did.

As vendor No. 2220, Dines sported both the black and white striped shirt and later the red, white and blue shirt of H.M.S. Inc., as he sold concessions up and down the aisles of the ballpark. The buttons he wore advertised "Cold Coke .$50" and "Fenway Franks .$75."

Sometimes, Dines said, he would "forget" to leave the shirt and buttons behind when his shift ended. Dines' forgetfulness led to his own nostalgic collection showcasing a slice of Fenway history.

And this year, being the 100th anniversary of Fenway Park, nostalgia is all the rage.

Dines recently took his vendor buttons to in Wayland to get an idea of their value. While there, he ran into a Weston Red Sox fan who encouraged Dines to contact Fenway about displaying his collection as part of the anniversary displays set up around the ballpark.

Fast forward to April 20, 2012. The Red Sox are playing their 100th anniversary game and Dines is in the stands with his father. Along the right-field side of the park, Dines' slice of Fenway history is displayed on permanent loan to Fenway. As a thank you for those $.50 hotdog buttons and other vendor paraphernalia, Dines received passes to that historic 100th anniversary game.

Dines didn't hesitate to take his dad.

“I was just smiling from ear to ear," Dines said. "It took me 36 years to pay my dad back.”