Why? Don't people in Boston follow the Sox? Won't they demand access to the games? Why can't the Red Sox negotiate a better contract?
The locals will not let them build a new stadium anywhere around the city and moving to the burbs takes away the ability for people to walk or take the transit system to the games. (Move the Yankees to Westchester County and see how that one goes over).
No need. The Yankees broke ground on a new Yankee Stadium last month. Are you telling me that the locals in Boston are that much more difficult than the locals in New York?
The Sox charge the highest ticket prices in baseball which has made the stands packed with rich folk and corporate types.
How many seats are there in Fenway? I think that's your problem, right there. It's a great place to watch a ballgame, but there are so few seats they all sell for way too much money.
Frankly, it seems that Boston is willing to settle for pretty good. A pretty good TV contract. A pretty ballpark. A pretty good gate revenue. They do not demand better of themselves, so they get what they get.
The New York market is the largest media market in the country. How can a smaller market generate the same ad dollars? Bigger markets mean you pay more in ad costs. Both teams own their sports networks by the way.
Yes, the locals are difficult. They love the Sox but not in their backyard. The city limits are also small enough that finding the acreage available to develop is not a simple matter. The Yankees are building right near the current location. That possibility does not exist for the Sox location.
Fenway is undergoing expansion but right now they are at 35K max capacity going up to 37.5K. Every game is a sell out, concession stands have been added, more beer is sold at higher prices and anything else to raise money is being done.
You don't know what you are talking about with respect to what the fans want. They demand a winner every year regardless of what the long term cost is. This year the team traded 2 serious infield blue chip prospects and a potentially good pitcher for Coco Crisp, Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell. Lowell is a good player but he will be gone after next year, Beckett is too stupid and stubborn to learn how to pitch and Crisp hits like Wesley Snipes' character on Major League with his upper cut swing and lack of power. They were all bad trades but done to appease the fans. If they had held fast and allowed a rebuilding year the Sox would have a dominant infield for years (think about what the Mets have right now on the left side of the infield) and all on the cheap. That way, when Abreau type deals come about it's no problem to swing that deal for a short term situation.