Some parks age better than others (Fenway Park is a dump)

LA Times ^ | April 21, 2012 | Bill Shaikin

[presidio9]

The Boston Red Sox alumni took the field Friday, from Jim Rice to Carl Yastrzemski, from Johnny Pesky to Pedro Martinez, all in a graceful celebration of Fenway Park's 100th birthday.

If Frank McCourt had had his way, the party never would have happened.

McCourt tried to buy his hometown Red Sox in 2001, with a plan to build a new ballpark on his Boston waterfront parking lots. He had the right idea.

Luke Scott of the Tampa Bay Rays took a lot of grief last week for calling Fenway "a dump." He had the right idea too. The Angels have held Sunday chapel services in the shower because there was no other space available in the visiting clubhouse.

Fenway Park is a tiny ballpark wedged into a tiny city block, with tiny seats from an era before fast food had been invented, let alone Lipitor.

It is a dump, but it is a beloved dump, where Grandpa saw Ted Williams and Dad saw Carlton Fisk and the kids saw David Ortiz.

When the triumvirate of John Henry, Larry Lucchino and Tom Werner beat out McCourt and a host of others to buy the Red Sox, the new owners decided to rehabilitate Fenway rather than abandon it. If the outpouring of civic affection on Friday was any indication, the good people of Boston have long made their peace with Fenway's limitations.

McCourt moved on to buy the Dodgers, and to sell them. With ownership of the team set to change hands in eight days, the new owners — Mark Walter, Stan Kasten, Magic Johnson and Co. — ought to keep the Fenway experience in mind.

Dodger Stadium has room that Fenway does not — room to

[acapesket]

OH FGS! Will ya stop with the “Gay” crap?
It’s HARD enough being a BoSox fan already!

[acapesket]

See... there ya go!
Eric Fehrnstrom..(Romney suckup/idiot from Wayback) just tweeted on Drudge that O Blame all got booed on drudge!

My fellow moron fans do have a few good qualities afterall!

[acapesket]

Sorry... I am ti tie!
Fehrnstrom said on drudge that O blame got booed at Fenway!!

So THERE!

If I could still speaka da Eng.. I’d fight ya... but I gotta go to bed!
LOL

[raybbr]

Please explain how Fenway Park, the park itself, inhibits the Red Sox from winning the World Series? Please provide stats and data to back up your claim. I would really like to see that information.

[presidio9]

I thought I did. After an initial period of sucess in their new stadium, the Red Sox franchise proceeded to lose four WS in a row over a 96 year period. In the period since free agency was instituted they have averaged the second highest average payroll. Recent sucess notwithstanding, something must be blamed for the generally poor performance against the highest competition. The same time period since the Red Sox moved into Fenway, their chief rival has won 27 championships, 7 in the free agent period.

You can pick superstion if you like. My suggestion makes more sense. If you are a numbers guy, I welcome your compilation of statistics that proove me wrong.

[presidio9]

Your point about the Reds being the better team in 76 proves my point about the stadium's incentive to build your team around numbers guys who do just fine against lesser competition. Same goes for 67. And you people really need to give Bill Buckner a break. The Mets still had to whip their asses in game seven (and did). Come to think of it, the 86 Mets were probably better than either the 67 Cardinals or the 76 Reds. They played down to the level of their competition and won anyway.

[presidio9]

Please. The team mascot is Caroline Kennedy.

[Lancey Howard]

I saw a game there long ago and I looked around and realized that Babe Ruth played baseball games in that stadium. And so did Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Bob Feller, Ty Cobb... etc., etc. Fenway may be a dump, but it’s also a big piece of American history.

[raybbr]

I thought I did.

No, you haven't. Not even close.

After an initial period of sucess in their new stadium, the Red Sox franchise proceeded to lose four WS in a row over a 96 year period.

Explain how the park itself caused that. That was your claim.

In the period since free agency was instituted they have averaged the second highest average payroll. Recent sucess notwithstanding, something must be blamed for the generally poor performance against the highest competition.

Again, explain how the park itself contributes to their lack of success.

The same time period since the Red Sox moved into Fenway, their chief rival has won 27 championships, 7 in the free agent period.

So?

You can pick superstion if you like. My suggestion makes more sense. If you are a numbers guy, I welcome your compilation of statistics that proove me wrong.

I don't believe in superstition either. As to proving you wrong you made the initial claim and I asked to show how the park is to blame. Trying to turn it around on me is the sign so someone who is trying to bs and doesn't have any proof. So, basically, you ARE using some ethereal notion to explain their lack of success. Or, otherwise known as superstition.

[acapesket]

Wally the Green Monster would take exception to that!

Has Neil Diamond admitted somewhere that the song is about Caroline Kennedy?

Obama got booed on Opening Day...
doesn’t get much better than that!