Red Sox CEO John Harrington, "breaking his silence on
the team's quest for a new ballpark," said that expanding
Fenway Park "would be too expensive and -- despite the
city's efforts to keep the club where it has been since 1912
-- management still would prefer a new stadium elsewhere in
Boston," according to Tina Cassidy in a front-page piece in
the BOSTON GLOBE. Harrington said the team would like a
site in South Boston, "just far enough from the water" to
avoid any fog and damp wind. Cassidy writes that
Harrington's statements "made clear he believes rebuilding
Fenway would be too complicated, too costly, and,
ultimately, inadequate for the team's needs." Boston Mayor
Thomas Menino, who "says he is willing to do what he can for
the Red Sox, as long as it means keeping them where they
are," said that he "would focus more attention on the issue
of a new ballpark this fall, when the convention center --
his top development priority -- is expected to be approved
by the Legislature." Harrington: "Anybody who has ever
tried to rebuild or renovate a home knows it's a lot less
expensive, substantially less expensive, to build a new
house than to renovate it or refurbish it" (BOSTON GLOBE,
8/11). Harrington added that after losing "at least" $2M a
year since the '94 work stoppage, the team "will come close
to breaking even this season and are looking to turn a small
profit next season" (BOSTON GLOBE, 8/11).
