Sprucing up the old ballyard

Subject: Sprucing up the old ballyard Sat Nov 17, 2007 8:09 am

Sprucing up the old ballyard
More than 800 seats to be added at Fenway for '08 season
By Ian Browne / MLB.com

BOSTON -- The red crane that hung high in the air at Fenway Park on Friday morning removed one of the temporary suites originally installed for the 1999 All-Star Game, and it served as a type of symbolism in the mind of Red Sox president/CEO Larry Lucchino.

"If we had a sign up here, a caption, it would be, 'Your fan dollars at work,'" Lucchino said. "We've spent lots of money improving Fenway Park, and here's another illustration of where that money is being used."

So a few days after the Red Sox announced that ticket prices were being raised for the 2008 season, they were busy putting that increased revenue to work.

Those All-Star Game suites on both the right-field and left-field lines are being taken down so that new and improved suites can be added.

In addition, more than 800 new State Street Pavilion seats will be added, the majority of which will be on the third-base line.

"Those suites were put up in 1999 for the '99 All-Star Game and they were on a one-year permit, built to last for a short term and permitted to us for only a year," said Lucchino. "We've gotten temporary extensions of them from the city. Now we're going to make it a more permanent improvement up there and we can say adios to those temporary suites."

But you can hardly say adios to Fenway Park, which opened in 1912 but has been spruced up in each year since the ownership group led John W. Henry, Tom Werner and Lucchino took over the club in 2002.

The Red Sox, fresh off winning the World Series, are well underway in their Year VII Fenway improvements.

"We're hoping when our 100th birthday comes around in 2012 that we can declare victory and say that Fenway is going to be here for another generation," said Janet Marie Smith, the senior vice president of planning and development for the Red Sox.

In touting their latest improvements, the Red Sox spoke of "more seats, more space, more information, more food and improved circulation."

"We're talking about approximately 800 to 900 seats, plus several dozen standing-room seats up there, and I think it will add both aesthetically and capacity-wise in terms of revenue," said Lucchino. "I think it's another step in a long march to make Fenway Park -- to preserve it, protect it, enhance it and improve it."

In the space category, the Sox have added a standing-room corner beyond the seats on the third-base side, while at the same time adding restrooms and concessions that will serve the State Street Pavilion and the Green Monster.

In terms of information, the Red Sox will add some state-of-the-art scoreboards on the EMC level.

The biggest food addition will be the new "Bleacher Bar & Grill" restaurant, which will be open year-round and is scheduled to open in 2008.

Speaking of the bleachers, they were all gone on Friday morning. Because the Red Sox are waterproofing the entire seating bowl in the bleacher area, they had to remove the seats. They will be replaced with more comfortable bleacher seats in 2008.

The old seats did not go in the trash. Instead, they were all purchased by fans, with season-ticket holders getting the first dibs.

The one bleacher seat that won't be replaced is the legendary red seat -- marking by the tape-measure home run struck by Ted Williams on June 9, 1946.

"We aren't looking for any big 'wow' changes," said Smith. "We'll clean the place up, it will be much neater, and more seats are always a good thing. The things the fans will probably appreciate most are the additional restrooms, the stairs, the elevator we're adding in left field. It's a real testament to the bones of this place that it can take this much change and not change at all."

The circulation improvement is the new staircase that will go from Gate A on Yawkey Way to the back of the grandstand at section 27, as well as a new elevator and stairway in left field.

Even with all the changes, the Red Sox continue to try to keep a timeless feeling to Fenway.

"We are committed to staying here, we made that clear," said Lucchino. "But we're also committed to not changing the essential nature of Fenway Park. So being creative is key. This is our seventh year and it's the seventh year of Fenway improvements. I think everything that has happened so far has been met with general fan approval. I think this next installment will be met with the same degree of fan approval and satisfaction."

It isn't very often that a 96-year-old structure is worthy of being spruced up. Then again, Fenway Park is not your average venue.

"This is unique," said Smith. "This is the only park that's only the national historic registry."
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Subject: Re: Sprucing up the old ballyard Tue Nov 20, 2007 11:47 am

YAY OLD BALLYARD!!

Subject: Re: Sprucing up the old ballyard Tue Nov 20, 2007 12:18 pm

More teams should keep the old stadiums....like Tiger Stadium!

They need new seats there though, I have a pair!
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Subject: Re: Sprucing up the old ballyard Mon Nov 26, 2007 2:59 pm

I am envious! We should have kept Tiger Stadium

Subject: Re: Sprucing up the old ballyard Mon Nov 26, 2007 2:59 pm

I would pay 25 bucks a game to sit in the Tiger Stadium bleachers

Subject: Re: Sprucing up the old ballyard Mon Nov 26, 2007 3:00 pm

I miss all the shade of the lower deck bleachers on hot days

Subject: Re: Sprucing up the old ballyard Mon Nov 26, 2007 3:00 pm

Comerica Park sucks!

Subject: Re: Sprucing up the old ballyard Mon Nov 26, 2007 3:01 pm

At The Copa, COPACABANA! The Hottest ballpark North of Havana

Subject: Re: Sprucing up the old ballyard Mon Nov 26, 2007 3:02 pm

But we got to play all our first week home games in April in the daytime! Like the Fucking Cubs!

Subject: Re: Sprucing up the old ballyard Mon Nov 26, 2007 3:02 pm

Thanks a lot Selig and Mafia Mike Ilitch!

Subject: Re: Sprucing up the old ballyard Mon Nov 26, 2007 3:03 pm

Meanwhile Ilitch is donating millions of dollars to get Rudy G elected!

Subject: Re: Sprucing up the old ballyard Mon Nov 26, 2007 3:04 pm

RUDY G WILL BE EVEN WORSE THAN BUSH!

Subject: Re: Sprucing up the old ballyard Mon Nov 26, 2007 7:31 pm

Say what you will about the Sawks, Fenway Pahk is Censored

awesome

Subject: Re: Sprucing up the old ballyard Tue Nov 27, 2007 8:52 pm

But Tiger Stadium was better!

Subject: Re: Sprucing up the old ballyard Tue Nov 27, 2007 8:52 pm

It is a shame it will soon be no more!

Subject: Re: Sprucing up the old ballyard Tue Nov 27, 2007 8:53 pm

Makes me sick!

Subject: Re: Sprucing up the old ballyard Tue Nov 27, 2007 8:53 pm

Farewell Tiger Stadium!

Subject: Re: Sprucing up the old ballyard Wed Nov 28, 2007 2:44 am

Well yeah, that goes without saying.

Subject: Re: Sprucing up the old ballyard Wed Nov 28, 2007 3:13 pm

Man! Why did I say it? LOL!

Subject: Re: Sprucing up the old ballyard Wed Nov 28, 2007 3:14 pm

They had a nice picture of Tiger Stadium in the Free Press yesterday from 1996; There were piles of snow all around the stadium and on the Tiger Plaza board there was info on 1996 season tickets

Subject: Re: Sprucing up the old ballyard Wed Nov 28, 2007 3:15 pm

Probably never snow again in Detroit either!