John A. Kaneb, who owns 2.3% of the Red Sox, also owns the
H.P. Hood Inc. dairy, which is closing a 23-acre plant the Red
Sox are considering as a site for a new ballpark, according to
David Halbfinger of the BOSTON GLOBE. City officials have spoken
recently to the Red Sox about building a stadium at the Hood site
as well as three other potential sites in South Boston, Roxbury
and Allston-Brighton. Kaneb said "there's no connection" between
his interest in the team and the decision to close the plant.
Kaneb: "Sentimentally, I'd love to see it become the home of the
Red Sox [but] ... there is [no influence] that I can bring to
bear, and if there were, I wouldn't use it." Meanwhile, Red Sox
Exec VP John Buckley announced the team will seek a naming rights
deal similar to the Giants' $50M naming rights contract with
Pacific Bell. Buckley: "If AT&T or New England Telephone want
to pay $50M and name the park after them, tell 'em to come talk."
Buckley said the Red Sox will not sell PSLs at the new ballpark
(BOSTON GLOBE, 4/18).
NOT STANDING PAT: Boston Mayor Thomas Menino said he would
not support the proposal by Pats Owner Bob Kraft and Bank of
Boston CEO Charles Gifford to build a 70,000-seat, open-air
stadium in South Boston. Citing the fact that area residents
fear a stadium would cause traffic problems and undermine the
construction of a convention center in that same area, Menino
stated he "had a lot of questions on the financial piece that
(Kraft and Gifford) did not have answers for." Kraft has pledged
to fund the stadium himself, with public money sought for
transit, roads and infrastructure costs (BOSTON HERALD, 4/18).
