And with the Sox on a tear lately, the raunchy tee business has been particularly good.
Doyle estimates he's made hundreds of designs over the years. Most come and go depending on the season, though one of his first designs — a Kelly green t-shirt that reads, “LeBron is a [hygiene product that starts with D],†in all-caps letters — remains a perennial bestseller.
“All I had to say was, ‘LeBron…,†Doyle recounts, and customers respond: “‘what size?'â€
His designs have traveled near and far, from locals after games to website orders from Singapore and Australia, where the shipping fees cost more than his $25 t-shirts. They've also made their way inside Fenway Park; Red Sox relief pitcher Liam Hendricks was photographed wearing a Doyle shirt that features the famous Citgo sign, but instead of “Citgo,†the sign reads, “Fah Q.†(say it with a Boston accent).
Doyle said he usually tries to be a little oblique with his design, mostly to avoid conflict with parents of young children. He prefers double entendres, such as the shirt featuring a baseball player hitting a long ball above the words “Balls Deep†in big Red Sox-style letters.
“I try to be clean about it for the most part,†said Doyle, with a not-so-veiled reference to his rival. “I try to not be as straight out with it, as other people are.â€
On the other hand, Zavala, who aspires to be a full-time artist, said his sales are better with the more vulgar designs.
“This is what the market kind of demands on the street,†Zavala said. “This is a college town, so they just want fun, adult humor.â€
It's a battle of wits and business savvy, of who can make the more eye-catching shirt, who can attract more people coming out of games and rushing to get home. Beyond the business, the fight is also a bit personal. Doyle and Zavala worked together for the same t-shirt company before getting into a dispute that both seem reluctant to discuss. Each branched out on their own: Doyle creating Wicked Dick Tease in 2019, and Zavala Boston Champs in 2020.
There isn't much they agree on these days, but they used the same word to describe the t-shirt industry: “cutthroat.â€
Licensing rules prevent them from setting up shop before 8 p.m., both men said, leaving a tight window to sell at events that typically start in the 7:00 hour.
On Wednesday night at 8, when most fans were already inside Fenway Park, the tactical planning and strategizing outside had begun: With two workers and three stands of t-shirts, Doyle staked out a stretch of Commonwealth Ave. between the bridge over the turnpike and Kenmore T station. Zavala had his own helpers but just one stand, which he set up on the corner of Commonwealth and Brookline avenues directly in front of one of Doyle's. He also came equipped with two massive speakers that blasted music for hours, and a microphone to call out to pedestrians.
Wednesday also happened to be the night the Red Sox' 15-game winning streak ended.
A win or loss makes all the difference in the t-shirt business. For Doyle, it can mean either selling out his hottest designs, or watching dejected fans rummage through the $5 clearance bin. For Zavala, a tough season — like the Red Sox were enduring until the last few weeks — might mean selling a few hundred t-shirts in a month instead of a few thousand.
On Wednesday night after the game, most of the 38,000 fans in attendance hustled past the t-shirt stands to the train station. A few yelled to Zavala that his shirts were vulgar, but others thought they were funny, and he made a few sales.
Red Sox fan Lonnell Wright bought one of Zavala's shirts that declared its wearer a “slayer†of certain female anatomy. His reasoning was simple: “The name is fitting.â€
For Sox fans from out of town, the shirts can represent a sort of only-in-Boston keepsake. Pat Hinners, from Virginia Beach, Va., picked up five t-shirts from Doyle after a game this week. Three of them are variants of the “Balls Deep†shirt. Why?
“Can't get this back home.†he said.
The beginning of the baseball season was rough for sales for Doyle and Zavala both, but July has shaped up to be a good month. When the Sox keep rolling, the dirty tees keep selling.
Maria Pemberton of the Globe Staff contributed to this report.
Karyna Cheung can be reached at karyna.cheung@globe.com.
