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| Friday, November 10 | |||||
| Reader response: What you think about Fenway Park | |||||
| Some of you want it gone, others want it saved and some want a few changes. Here are your thoughts about Fenway Park.
Red Sox fans deserve new park As a lifelong Red Sox fan, I find it interesting (and frustrating) to read comments from "experts" like Jayson Stark who go on and on about the importance of saving Fenway Park and then list Camden Yards as their favorite stadium. Why should Boston fans be deprived of the chance to watch a game in comfort without squeezing into a seat that is too small for the majority of today's adults; with lines for restrooms that can last for an entire inning or more; with the worst concessions in the league; and the occasional pole blocking your view of the majority of the field? Why should we have to pay unbelievably high prices because of the paucity of seats? Why should the Red Sox, in this age of free agency, have to keep the worst clubhouses and amenities for players? From your experts' analysis, the best reason I have seen is because the Red Sox waited longer than everyone else to try and build a new stadium. Just because Ebbetts Field, the Polo Grounds and Tiger Stadium are gone does not mean Boston has to be strapped with an aging, decrepit stadium for eternity. I'd like to hear Stark's reaction if the rest of the country tried to tell Philadelphia fans that, like it or not, you must keep Veterans Stadium. Fenway belongs to Bostonians not baseball fans everywhere. And despite the picture you are painting with your Save Fenway coverage, the majority of Red Sox fans would like a new stadium. We should thank our good fortune that we were able to enjoy Fenway for as long as we have, but just because it is the oldest doesn't mean it never becomes antiquated. It is time for a new ballpark in Boston. The team, players and fans deserve it. Steve Savage South Boston, Mass. All this talk of saving Fenway and how historic it is is nice. But most of the people saying that don't go to very many games there. I go to Fenway park several times a year and the place is a dump compared to the newer ballparks. The seats are too small, a huge number of seats have obstructed views, the bathrooms and concourses are too small. I had top dollar seats for a game against the Mets this summer. Fourth row by the Pesky poll. However, the sight lines are so bad that you have to strain or stand to see home plate. Tom Smith Boston, Mass. I'm a Yankee fan so I can't believe I'm stating this, but maybe Fenway should be torn down then God may lift "The Curse of the Babe." Bob Haberling Atlanta, Georgia It's a part of history The Red Sox should do all they can to not commit an act that will fill us with emptiness after it is done. I want to be able to see the same look on my kid's face someday that my father saw on mine when first beholding the green gem. I couldn't see my own face back then. If I see his, I will know what mine looked like. Save our Park. Rand Refrigeri Boston I grew up in Chelmsford, Mass. Whenever I go home to visit, I always try to get to Fenway. Doesn't matter if it's Christmas time. I love that place. So many memories for me. I want the building to always be there. The whole building. If the Sox have to play somewhere else, let them build it. But don't try to recreate Fenway. It won't be the same. Make a ballpark out of the Jetson's instead. Just leave me Fenway to come home to. Chris Cocchiaro Los Angeles, Calif. Fenway Park can be saved, should be saved and must be saved. Michael Governor New York, NY I've been a die hard Red Sox fan ever since the 1986 World Series and the infamous grounder hit between Billy Buckner's 5 hole. But, through the years, no matter how bad or good the Red Sox played they always had the best baseball stadium in the world. Fenway epitomized all that is good with baseball -- cozy, intimate and historic. I finally had a chance to visit Fenway for the first time last year and, seriously, I had goose bumps as I walked up to the entrance. As I watched the game I thought about all of the games played, the players who played, and of course, the '86 World Series. What a night that must have been! I think Major League Baseball and the Red Sox ownership are killing a piece of themselves if Fenway is torn down. I can appreciate Coors Field, but, I'll never love it the way I love Fenway. Chris Denver Something needs to be done I love Fenway Park. I grew up in Boston attending Red Sox games as a kid, worked as a photojournalist at Fenway, and now am a Red Sox season-ticket fan living in N.Y. and attending 15 or so games a year. There is no park better for watching a baseball game anywhere (Sorry, Wrigley!). But Fenway is just too small -- many fans can't even get tickets, the seats are too cramped and the facilities are horrible. Most Red Sox fans know something needs to be done. Renovating Fenway is a far better option than building a new park. The Red Sox have not tried very hard to find a good renovation option. This ESPN series is one of the only widely disseminated communications that shows renovation is a viable option. "Save Fenway Park", not exactly as is, but with some serious upgrading. Michael Maher Chappaqua, N. Y. I am a Yankee fan. I think that Fenway should be saved because it has so much history. But the Red Sox definitely need a new stadium because I've been to Fenway a lot, and it is the worst stadium I've ever been to besides Shea. Mike Rye, NY Red Sox need new stadium to be competitive The team needs a new park. I would hate to see Fenway torn down, but in order for the Sox to compete in a few years, they need a park. I think the new plan is a great one, keeping all the dimensions of the park the same and of course keeping the Monster! Shawn Crossman Brighton, Mass I am a die-hard Red Sox fan, only 26 years old, who's favorite active player is still Roger Clemens. Boston has made several steps forward (Pedro, Nomar, Lowe) and a few backward (Clemens and Vaughn), but they have had one constant -- Fenway Park. The oldest stadium in the majors is a baseball icon and the greatest place I've ever seen a game (having been to most stadiums east of St. Louis). The wonderment of a downtown ballpark that has housed the greatest players of all time (Ted Williams, Babe Ruth, etc.), is truly felt and appreciated when visiting. However, it is time, for a new park to extend the tradition of Boston baseball. Unless baseball economics change or the Red Sox decide to increase the highest ticket prices in baseball every season, then a new higher capacity, fully luxury-boxed stadium is required for our beloved Red Sox to compete. Fenway is a true treasure and, as much as possible, should be preserved in the new stadium, but Boston simply cannot compete with reasonable ticket prices in today's baseball atmosphere. A new stadium would allow Boston greater flexibility in future signings and help with the future success of the franchise. I will hate to see Fenway go, but I believe it is the only reasonable choice to be made in today's economic climate. Kenneth Bartosch Elgin, IL |  | ||||