RED SOX GET SOME BIG NAMES BEHIND THEIR STADIUM PLANS

     MA House Speaker Charles Flathery called for the Legislature
to "authorize an umbrella study" of a convention center/stadium
plan before the end of the current session.  Flathery made these
remarks after meeting yesterday with two top Red Sox officials.
Red Sox VP John Buckley said the team is concerned that if the
city moves forward with a "just a megaplex or convention center,"
plans for a baseball facility may be neglected and that the team
"wants to be involved in the overall convention and sports
facilities planning (Phil Primack, BOSTON HERALD, 12/6).
     REDSTONE PARK?  Sponsors of a proposed 70,000-seat stadium
and a "rebuilt" Fenway Park are "aggressively pitching the idea
to potential investors," including Viacom Chair Sumner Redstone.
Although city support seems to be "flagging" for a combined
convention center-stadium, architects behind the idea will meet
with Redstone's daughter, Shari, about the proposal.  The Red
Sox' Buckley "expressed skepticism about whether Fenway Park
could be rebuilt on site and expanded to the 48,000 seats needed"
(Kindleberger & Vaillancourt, BOSTON GLOBE, 12/6).