leaders all. jack the 35 thousand dollar a plate fundraiser for president guess who connors, dave d'alswhatever , mr. marathon,who just had scratch that itch of his by selling his company , the legislature and of course our blithering nitwit ex bagman turned mayor topped off by the boston blobe editorial staff. ma
Gee, how about at least MENTIONING the name of Janet Marie Smith in this column. The woman did amazing, fantastic and almost other-worldly things to Fenway while she was here, and all the got for it was a one-way ticket out of town.
I was never a Save Fenway fanatic, and I still think there's plenty about the park that isn't 100 percent conducive to the "fan experience." But for what she had to work with, Janet Marie was a miracle worker, and deserves the lion's share of the credit for turning this part into something at least resembling a modern-day Major League stadium.
Another name that deserves a huge mention: Stephen Mindich, the owner and publisher of the Boston Phoenix, whose building would have been destroyed by the "New Fenway" plan. I was at the Phoenix in those days. We crusaded relentlessly against demolition, always being careful to disclose our own interest. Mindich, to his credit, turned himself into an enormous obstacle, and helped pave the way for the much better neighborhood that emerged.
You can give all the credit you want to the group Save Fenway. We do not have a new ballpark because John Henry makes more money by renovating the old park. Fenway has a lot of history. It also has a lot of seats that make it impossible to see the whole field. I am a season ticket holder. My seats face the bullpen.
Another big factor why we do not have a new park is the historic designation which gives henry a $40MIL rebate.
Ya know, Fenway Park in the 1990s was almost to the point of being decrepit. It may have been John Updike's "lyric little bandbox" in 1960, when he wrote that farewell column to Ted Williams, but by the 1990s it was hardly that. And when Camden Yards, Jacobs Field, and a few others, started springing up, Fenway looked pretty drab by comparison. Not to mention the fact that it had outgrown its demand. I remember getting trapped, many times, in post-game bottlenecks and wondering what would happen were there ever a fire there during a ballgame.
I don't see the people who tried to get a new ballpark built as evil. I'm not an architect, or am I a visionary in that regard. But I do know that all over America, ballparks have been razed, and new ones built, without all the drama and anguish that surrounded the suggestion that Fenway be razed and replaced. I remember being in Pittsburgh in 1985, and walked to the Pitt campus, where the left field wall (the one that Bill Mazeroski's 1960 World Series-winning home cleared) still stands. So does home plate. I was fine with that. As long as SOME of the history was preserved, that seemed good enough for me. Better than in Brooklyn, where there is scant (if any) reference to Ebbetts Field.
That was the side I was on ... the one that said you can have a beautiful new park like Camden Yards, with all the old-time baseball feel you want, but with 20th and 21st century accoutrements. There's no reason why you can't have the best of both ... and you can always turn parts of Fenway Park into historical landmarks ... and perhaps even incorporate the more significant parts of the stadium into the new design.
So I was disappointed when Henry et al bought the team and the park and declared they were going to explore ways to modernize the old ballpark. That was before Janet Marie worked her magic. I never imagined anyone could bring the park to life the way she has.
I can't say I'm 100 percent happy that we're still dealing with some of the more outrageous aspects of its limitations ... such as seats that have a difficult time accommodating anyone wider than Twiggy; poles that seem to be always in the way; seats that actually point AWAY from the action; and large parts of the stadium that are NOT visible depending upon where you're sitting in the stands. Janet Marie couldn't solve EVERY problem, maybe, but she absolutely did the best she could with what she had.
I am glad my childeren will have the opportunity to pay outrageous prices for the privilege of sitting in uncomfortable seats behind a pole. Then they can pass on the "lyric little bandbox" myth to their kids, who will pass it on to their kids, who will pass it on to their kids, and so on. Fenway will be there freakin' forever.
We could have had a classic "old-style" ball park with modern day amenities and much more comfortable seating. Some may call them activists, I prefer the term obstructionists.
The seats are uncomfortable because so many currant Americans have "supersized" themselves. Look at past film footage of thousands of fans attending many ballparks in the 1910's through the 1960's and you'll see your DNA. Our previous generations were of average height and weight because they ate more home cooked meals that were smaller portions. No one died from starvation or were mal-nourished. Many blame everything and everyone else for the weight gain. Look into the mirror to find the culprit. Use the seat size as an incentive to get into shape. Oh, ok, some of the views stink, that I'll give the critics. Those seats should be free.
Comments
An excellent example of a dedicated and passionate ad hoc group truly making a difference - despite being mocked by so many in the media at the time.
leaders all. jack the 35 thousand dollar a plate fundraiser for president guess who connors, dave d'alswhatever , mr. marathon,who just had scratch that itch of his by selling his company , the legislature and of course our blithering nitwit ex bagman turned mayor topped off by the boston blobe editorial staff. ma
Gee, how about at least MENTIONING the name of Janet Marie Smith in this column. The woman did amazing, fantastic and almost other-worldly things to Fenway while she was here, and all the got for it was a one-way ticket out of town. I was never a Save Fenway fanatic, and I still think there's plenty about the park that isn't 100 percent conducive to the "fan experience." But for what she had to work with, Janet Marie was a miracle worker, and deserves the lion's share of the credit for turning this part into something at least resembling a modern-day Major League stadium.
Another name that deserves a huge mention: Stephen Mindich, the owner and publisher of the Boston Phoenix, whose building would have been destroyed by the "New Fenway" plan. I was at the Phoenix in those days. We crusaded relentlessly against demolition, always being careful to disclose our own interest. Mindich, to his credit, turned himself into an enormous obstacle, and helped pave the way for the much better neighborhood that emerged.
You can give all the credit you want to the group Save Fenway. We do not have a new ballpark because John Henry makes more money by renovating the old park. Fenway has a lot of history. It also has a lot of seats that make it impossible to see the whole field. I am a season ticket holder. My seats face the bullpen. Another big factor why we do not have a new park is the historic designation which gives henry a $40MIL rebate.
Ya know, Fenway Park in the 1990s was almost to the point of being decrepit. It may have been John Updike's "lyric little bandbox" in 1960, when he wrote that farewell column to Ted Williams, but by the 1990s it was hardly that. And when Camden Yards, Jacobs Field, and a few others, started springing up, Fenway looked pretty drab by comparison. Not to mention the fact that it had outgrown its demand. I remember getting trapped, many times, in post-game bottlenecks and wondering what would happen were there ever a fire there during a ballgame. I don't see the people who tried to get a new ballpark built as evil. I'm not an architect, or am I a visionary in that regard. But I do know that all over America, ballparks have been razed, and new ones built, without all the drama and anguish that surrounded the suggestion that Fenway be razed and replaced. I remember being in Pittsburgh in 1985, and walked to the Pitt campus, where the left field wall (the one that Bill Mazeroski's 1960 World Series-winning home cleared) still stands. So does home plate. I was fine with that. As long as SOME of the history was preserved, that seemed good enough for me. Better than in Brooklyn, where there is scant (if any) reference to Ebbetts Field. That was the side I was on ... the one that said you can have a beautiful new park like Camden Yards, with all the old-time baseball feel you want, but with 20th and 21st century accoutrements. There's no reason why you can't have the best of both ... and you can always turn parts of Fenway Park into historical landmarks ... and perhaps even incorporate the more significant parts of the stadium into the new design. So I was disappointed when Henry et al bought the team and the park and declared they were going to explore ways to modernize the old ballpark. That was before Janet Marie worked her magic. I never imagined anyone could bring the park to life the way she has. I can't say I'm 100 percent happy that we're still dealing with some of the more outrageous aspects of its limitations ... such as seats that have a difficult time accommodating anyone wider than Twiggy; poles that seem to be always in the way; seats that actually point AWAY from the action; and large parts of the stadium that are NOT visible depending upon where you're sitting in the stands. Janet Marie couldn't solve EVERY problem, maybe, but she absolutely did the best she could with what she had.
I am glad my childeren will have the opportunity to pay outrageous prices for the privilege of sitting in uncomfortable seats behind a pole. Then they can pass on the "lyric little bandbox" myth to their kids, who will pass it on to their kids, who will pass it on to their kids, and so on. Fenway will be there freakin' forever.
We could have had a classic "old-style" ball park with modern day amenities and much more comfortable seating. Some may call them activists, I prefer the term obstructionists.
This comment has been removed.
The seats are uncomfortable because so many currant Americans have "supersized" themselves. Look at past film footage of thousands of fans attending many ballparks in the 1910's through the 1960's and you'll see your DNA. Our previous generations were of average height and weight because they ate more home cooked meals that were smaller portions. No one died from starvation or were mal-nourished. Many blame everything and everyone else for the weight gain. Look into the mirror to find the culprit. Use the seat size as an incentive to get into shape. Oh, ok, some of the views stink, that I'll give the critics. Those seats should be free.