Seemingly every batter has to back out of the box & call time several times an at-bat.
Not to mention working the pitch counts up to like, 6-5. (http://www.onionsportsnetwork.com/articles/extremely-patient-kevin-youkilis-works-count-to-65,6824/). :hyper:
Alright, lemme don my asbestos undies.
You can't realistically expect people to plunk down the equivalent of cable, electric, and phone for a month for three hours of watching guys chase a ball around.
Again, I know that Henry has NO intention of moving or building another ballpark near Foxborough or anywhere else, and Lucchino has said so. That being said, even with the renovations that have been put into the place, there's no way that stadium will last the 40-50 extra years they think it will last. Pay me now, or pay me later, so the expression goes. Would it make sense to build a sports megaplex down south? Meh--access to/from Gillette Stadium is bad enough already. Imagine it on a Sunday in September or October when both the Sox and Pats play. Out west, perhaps? Room to grow, certainly, but where? Worcester? Not even. North? Not enough of your fan base coming down from NH/ME.
What happens when, as in the 1980's, you can't get even 20K at Fenway?
The biggest issues I see:
(Leave Fenway as is):
--Historic ballpark
--Already well developed
--Year round use for concerts, hockey, etc.
(Moving/rebuilding Fenway):
--Increasing stadium size (ticket revenues can pay for cost of new stadium as long as attendance doesn't become an issue)
--Access
--Affordability to average fan
Bottom line, you're not going to make everyone happy, regardless.It doesn't matter if everyone is happy, only the ones who count. Fenway Faithful!
Nearly 700 consecutive sellouts say otherwise!
Does this ballpark make my butt look fat?
As far as general access:
As far as general access:
http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/bos/fan_forum/redsox_nation.jsp
Red Sox Nation Pre-sale, for $60 you can buy up to 4 tickets at face value before they go on sale to the general public/ ticket agencies. Or $299 and you are guaranteed to be able to buy 2 monster seat (I've watched batting practice from there and it is an awesome view).
We usually get SRO, 1st base pavilion or 3rd base, always an excellent view, and a merry crowd, for face value ticket ($25). We buy in 3-packs (2 tickets to 3 games guaranteed for face value). If it's a great game, you're on your feet anyway, right? I've been all over that park and the only place I don't love is the SRO behind home plate where you have to stand behind the yellow line and people are always walking in front of you. Still, I'd rather be there then at home, as long as I'm at Fenway. There are only a few sections I haven't been and the Monster is one of them - it's a dream of mine. Dream big!
Fenway rocks, I've had seats in the way back bleachers and also the padded seats on the third base line - those seats I could have reached over and touched the dirt warning track. A new stadium would be fairly difficult in Boston proper - which is a ton of the Fenway draw.H5 for Fenway Rocks, and I'll be back later to H5 for "Bankee" Stadium! :hyper:
Twice for work I've been fortunate enough to be invited to the new Bankee stadium. Both times the effect was a staggering from an experience perspective. But not nearly as thrilling as a Fenway game from the grandstands.
Once was the Legends Seats 3rd row about 35 feet off first base. Second was a private Luxury suite: private bathroom, kitchen, beer fridge, indoor sitting area with leather couch, 3 TVs, and a private balcony.
Sherry, I thought the DownEaster had special fares when going to Red Sox games. Do you take that instead of driving?
I don't have any desire to get rid of Fenway or Wrigley. They're absolute gems.
However, I have a major complaint about the Red Sox & Yankees games, specifically the players.
I tried to watch some of the Yankees/Red Sox game last night. Those games are simply painfully slow to watch. Seemingly every batter has to back out of the box & call time several times an at-bat.
It was a 5-2 final score, and took almost 4 FREAKING HOURS to play. The Rangers/Rays game started an hour afterward and was done before Boston/New York was over. Time of Game: 2:54
By comparison, the Orioles beat the Blue Jays 6-5 in 10 innings. Time of Game: 3:18
White Sox 8, Twins 6, Time of Game: 2:57
Angels 13, Mariners 6, Time of Game: 2:54
Dodgers 8, Padres 5, Time of Game: 3:08
Cubs 5, Giants 2, Time of Game: 3:04
Yankees 5, Red Sox 2, Time of Game: 3:59
F-ing ridiculous...
:banghead: :banghead: :banghead:
Hmmm, if it means we can get a home run derby park like the new joke of a stadium the Yankees built then maybe, just maybe.......H5 for blasphemy!
Nah, then I woke up.
My husband would love a new park, and that is primarily because he has been to almost every single MLB park in the Country and Canada, so he has seen the other side and the comfie perks that come with it. I think it is blasphemy to even consider such a proposal.
2-8 in your last 10. Lost last 5, including being swept by the Rays.
THE ****ING RAYS.
3 1/2 behind the Yanks and the only reason you're not FARTHER behind is because the Angels managed to take 2 of 3 from them this weekend.
Don't look now, but you're about to blow that monstrous 3 1/2 game lead in the Wild Card to...who else?
THE ****ING RAYS.
Blasphemy, indeed.
2-8 in your last 10. Lost last 5, including being swept by the Rays.
THE ****ING RAYS.
3 1/2 behind the Yanks and the only reason you're not FARTHER behind is because the Angels managed to take 2 of 3 from them this weekend.
Don't look now, but you're about to blow that monstrous 3 1/2 game lead in the Wild Card to...who else?
THE ****ING RAYS.
Blasphemy, indeed.
The RAYS? How about the JAYS!????!!? We lost to the ****ing JAYS.
I'm not afraid. I'm a Sox fan. I've suffered worse. Also, remember 2004. Miracles do happen!!!!111!!eleventy!
How many games are you behind THE ****ING RAYS?
Exactly. Next.
Rays aren't in my division. Learn your teams, toots. But if you are curious about the Wild Card race, we're 5 back, 1 1/2 games behind the Rays. 2 1/2 behind the Rangers for the AL West. And we don't have soft teams like Toronto and Baltimore to fatten up on for the next three weeks.
No matter, we'll still be there. And you'll still be Detroit's bitch, assuming you don't choke that measley 3 1/2 game lead away. Looking up at the RAYS. AGAIN. God it must suck in Red Sox Nation when you have to consider that possibility.
Rays aren't in my division.
Facing them at Fenway is always an upper hand. No worries. Winner, Winner, Fish for Dinner.
(http://images.cheezburger.com/completestore/2011/9/12/165a5b7a-af13-48b0-a286-2250ced9759a.jpg)
Wild card dear.... wild card. Unless of course your dream is 1st place with an 80 win record.
:whatever:
Only matters who the last team standing is after the World Series. I seem to recall that the Cards won it all after going a mediocre 83-78. Go figure. I also seem to recall that a former Angel (David Eckstein) won the WS MVP that year. Meh, not bad for a guy who could free-fall off the edge of a dime for 15 minutes.
Like I said, wave that Wild Card banner with pride.
Only matters who the last team standing is after the World Series. I seem to recall that the Cards won it all after going a mediocre 83-78. Go figure. I also seem to recall that a former Angel (David Eckstein) won the WS MVP that year. Meh, not bad for a guy who could free-fall off the edge of a dime for 15 minutes.
Like I said, wave that Wild Card banner with pride.
(sigh)...that was YESTERDAY. What have you done today?
Oh wait, lemme demonstrate.
Three of your starters (Lackey, Miller, and Bard) have gone a combined 0-7 in the last 10 games. All of them have ERA's over 10. Wakefield can't even manage an average of 5 innings per start.
Over the last 30 games, Crawford is batting .227. Pedroia is at .237. Lowrie is at .231. Even the performance of Ortiz and Gonzalez can't negate the fact that when you take away the 14-0 blowouts, your run production sucks.
About the only bright spot you can point to is the fact that defense is actually pretty good, although Scutaro is, to put it kindly, a sieve at shortstop. Saltalamachia sucks ass behind the plate, and if 'Tek was a horse, I'd have shot the poor bastard years ago.
And to cap it all off, we have Franconia, who, given the average team's talent, would be bagging groceries by now. Theo "Spreadsheet" Epstein overpaid mediocre players like JD Drew, etc., and kept guys long past the point they should have either moved on or retired, and now he's stuck. You're looking at $180 million worth of payroll, and about half that in talent. Older, not better.
Good luck fielding a competitive squad.
and if 'Tek was a horse, I'd have shot the poor bastard years ago.