But some of the architectural plans for a new stadium would keep the same goofy dimensions of the old Fenway.
Posted on 10/21/2003 3:22:51 PM PDT by presidio9
Edited on 04/13/2004 2:10:55 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
GRADY LITTLE'S future is not the only big decision looming for the owners of the Boston Red Sox. What will they do about Fenway Park? After the soul-crushing loss to the New York Yankees, the game of baseball -- and the second-guessing of Little -- take priority in Red Sox Nation. But the business of baseball can never be far behind. Long after fans learn whether Little will be judged for a season of decisions or one decision to leave Pedro Martinez on the mound in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series, the owners will be grappling with a decision about Fenway's future.
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
Ever since Harry Frazee used it for collateral to borrow 300k from the Evil Empire, the place has been a albatross around our neck!
I see. It was that short left-field wall (200 miles north in Boston) that caused Grady to send Pedro out for the 8th in New York last Thursday. And all this time I was thinking it was just that he's an idiot...
This is one of the great myths in baseball. Fenway has had times when it was a great hitters park. It hasn't been for many years. It's essentially neutral for scoring, and has been since the 600 club went up in 1985. It favors hitters in that there's little foul territory, and the left field wall is close. But it's hard to hit a ball out to right or center, it's hard to hit it out anywhere in April and early May, and the left-field wall turns HR and 2B into 1B.
And you can rest assured that the current GM understands exactly how the park benefits the club. It's no coincidence that he added left-handed hitters this offseason. One of the long-time myths is that Fenway's a right-handed power-hitters park. Nothing could be further from the truth.
But some of the architectural plans for a new stadium would keep the same goofy dimensions of the old Fenway.
Please. Pedro is a great pitcher and Little is taking way too much abuse for sticking with his best player. Bottom line: If the Yankees didn't take two of three in Boston, we are not having this conversation. Hey, I'm a Yankees fan, I hope they never move out of that dump.
This makes about as much sense as when the Yankees used to have the monuments out on the field.
It's not as good as you seem to think. Over the past 8+ years, the Red Sox and their opponents have combined to score ~1 1/2% more runs in Boston than they have on the road. 2 years ago it played as a pitcher's park. (It's very sensitive to weather conditions.) But people seem to think that it's a hitters paradise, and that's just not the case.
So I have some very fond memories of this ballpark. In a way, I sort of grew up in the place. It was the first place I went unaccompanied by an adult. I learned a few hard lessons in that park - such as the time I tried to buy a beer when I was 16 years old. I was immediately surrounded by ushers who escorted me out of the park. As a naive 14-year-old, I almost accepted an offer by a stranger for a ride home (once I realized he was probably a gay trying to pick me up, I disappeared into the crowd and fortunately lost him). Other than those two harrowing incidents and maybe the time that I had a disastrous date there with a girl I met working at the supermarket, I have had nothing but happy memories of the place. I was there for the last regular season game of 1978 season when the Red Sox tied the Yankees for first place. I would have ditched school the next day for the playoff game but my mother, knowing me well, insisted on driving me to school the next day and watched to see that I went inside.
I saw Carl Yastremski play there. Louis Tiant, Bill Lee, Dwight Evans, Tony Conigliaro in his short-lived 1975 comeback attempt, Carlton Fisk, Denny Doyle, Butch Hobson, Jim Rice, Fred Lynn, Wade Boggs, Bob Stanley, Roger Clemens, and dozens and dozens of other great Red Sox players over the years.
But despite all the memories, I will be glad to see Fenway get the wrecking ball treatment. I have no sentimental value attached to the place. It was already an old, decrepit building when I first went there in 1973 and 30 years later, it's only gotten worse. The seats are as uncomfortable as hell, about 20% of the grandstand seats are obstructed view, the sightlines from the upper grandstand are awful, especially out by Pesky Pole in right field. The bleachers, forget it. It's a fun place to kill a summer afternoon swatting beach balls, seeing the action in the bullpens and watching the drunks get thrown out by the ushers, but the action at homeplate might as well be a mile away. (Nothing beats the thrill however of being in the bleachers when a Red Sox homerun lands in the seats just in front or behind you!)
I haven't gone to many games lately because it's just so damn expensive. Still, I try to take my kids there at least once a season. I've been fortunate to get corporate tickets these last couple of years. But now it's more of a pain in the ass to go to a Fenway game, literally, for even with the weight I've lost, those seats are still very, very small. I would be very happy to see a new ballpark built, provided it is built with private money - the new owners are certainly capable of putting up a new ballpark without any public dollars.
He is for about 100 pitches. After that he's just another guy. Pedro at 100+ vs. Mike Timlin for 1-20? No comparison. No comparison whatsoever.
and Little is taking way too much abuse for sticking with his best player.
Uh, no, he's not. There is no intellectual justification for sending him out for the 8th. And even if you want to let him off the hook for that, you cannot justify letting him pitch to Matsui. Completely, totally unacceptable.
And it wasn't the first time. He's a horrible manager. He's the worst manager at managing a pitching staff that I've ever seen.
And we haven't even mentioned yet the idiocy of using the knuckleballer (given that a HR loses the game for you) as opposed to the sinkerballer and strikeout pitcher. Wakefield gave up a HR (one of the most predictable events of the night) with Lowe and Williamson never getting into the game. Wakefield shouldn't have pitched after the 8th or before the 15th...
Hey, I'm a Yankees fan, I hope they never move out
You'd be better off spending your energy hoping that they don't find a real manager during the offseason.
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