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Posted: October 17, 2007 7:02 PM
MLB Halts Dodd's Red Sox Fundraiser
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Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., had hoped to turn the playoff success of the Boston Red Sox into a big win for his campaign’s fundraising efforts. But Major League Baseball managed to call Dodd out before he even got to the ballpark.

The Dodd camp said last week it would enter anyone who donated $20.04 or more to the campaign into a raffle, with the prize being two tickets to sit next to Dodd at an American League Championship game. The amount was a nod to 2004, the year the Red Sox last won the World Series.

On Friday, Dodd’s campaign was informed that the contest violated the MLB’s strict rules regarding promotional giveaways, as playoff tickets are property of the league and not individual teams.

The campaign complied with the league’s request, and suspended the raffle. A Dodd spokeswoman said donors had the option to get their money back, or remain entered in a contest to spend a day with the senator on the campaign trail in Iowa or New Hampshire.

Dodd, a longtime Red Sox fan, still plans to attend’ game six of the series in Boston on Saturday, if there is a game to be played. The Cleveland Indians currently lead the best-of-seven series with the Red Sox three games-to-one, and have a chance to close it out at home on Thursday.