Boston Red Sox Fenway Park Changes

Fenway Park Stays the Same Despite Changes

© 2007 BestShowTicketsLasVegas.com

The oldest and smallest park in the entire Major Leagues, Fenway Park has made a myriad of improvements over the past few years and with the 2007 season just underway, one thing is certain for Red Sox fans; they’ll have a much easier time getting tickets.

Selling out every home game last season, with an average attendance of 36,180 fans per game, the Red Sox organization has continued to make improvements to Fenway in an attempt to squeeze even more fans and media into the park. Making various improvements around the stadium, including a new 5,000-square-foot back section club officials are calling the “third base deck,” Red Sox front office management has somehow managed to increase stadium capacity without adding any new seats. As well, new concession stands will be added in that area, while a new restaurant will be built under the bleachers in center field. Red Sox team President Larry Lucchino believes the addition of the deck around the third base area will provide thousands with a better experience at Fenway.

"It's something that will affect just about everyone who sits down the third-base line, which is the most congested part of the ballpark," Lucchino told the Gazette. "The opportunities for a more comfortable ballpark experience are going to be enhanced dramatically."

In addition, in anticipation of the arrival of Japanese pitching phenom Daisuke Matsuzaka, the club has also renovated all 26 of their private suites and expanded the size of the press box, making enough improvements to bring the legal capacity of the park to over 38,000. However, despite so many improvements this winter, Lucchino and the rest of the organization’s dreams of any improved Fenway Park are far from complete as Janet Marie Smith, the club's senior vice president for planning and development has vowed to eventually get the capacity to close to 40,000.

"We are well over $100 million in terms of investments we have made at Fenway Park," Lucchino told the Associated Press. "And we're still not finished."

Since John Henry and associates bought the team in 2002, Fenway Park has somehow managed to add seats above the green monster, a pavilion on the right field roof and various club sections, in addition to all the changes being implemented this season. However, despite those changes, Fenway still harbors the same nostalgic and old time baseball look that has made it a national landmark. To Lucchino, maintaining the park’s look throughout the development period is just as important as the changes themselves.

"You could, I suppose, graft onto Fenway Park some monstrous addition, which is utterly incompatible with the ballpark, “Lucchino told the Associated Press in January. "We feel what we are doing on an incremental basis is more in line with the preservation and protection of Fenway."

If those changes weren’t enough, other small renovations have been made recently around the park as well, including cup holders on all field box seats, various vending machines were fans can buy transportation tickets and the addition of a ladies bathroom on the third base side and renovations to men’s restroom that was built in 1912. More importantly however, there is also a proposal to replace the old wooden seats in the grandstand section before the 2012 season, allowing fans a more comfortable game watching experience.

Considering all of the recent changes to the park at 4 Yawkey Way the past few years, it’s easy to see how any young baseball fan could form memories that could last a lifetime there. However, with all the nostalgia and tradition that embody Fenway Park, it’s a safe bet to make that loyal fans will still flock there despite the various cosmetic changes.

With a few hundred more tickets now available because of the various changes, it’s a safe bet to make that the Boston faithful will continue to keep Fenway packed for years to come.

By Patrick Hickey Jr

Search Boston Red Sox Tickets | Search Fenway Park Event Tickets

Save in del.icio.us | Digg it!

TERMS OF REPRINT
You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free
of charge, as long as the bylines are included and you follow these rules:
*Email distribution of this article MUST be opt-in email only.
*If you post this article on a website, you must set any URL's
in the body of the article and most especially in the Author's
Resource Box as hyperlinks.

© 2007 | more articles