BOSTON: Will McDonough wrote that four "top" Boston
business execs said the critical report Boston Herald report
on Red Sox CEO John Harrington's handling of the Yawkey
Estate was written "to stop a new Fenway Park." The execs
feel that a new ballpark would double or triple the price of
the Red Sox and "remove most Bostonians interested in buying
the team from the picture" (BOSTON GLOBE, 3/27).
CINCINNATI: Geoff Hobson reported that "all signs point
to" the Reds limited partners matching Larry Dolan's $65M
offer for Reds President & CEO Marge Schott's controlling
interest of the team (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 3/27).
HOUSTON: The Astros plan to "market their association"
with the Astrodome this season, their last in the 35-year-
old facility. The season-long celebration will include
giant photos of 27 former players on the outside of the
building, an Astrodome photo retrospective in souvenir
programs on opening day, a reproduced poster of all 81
ticket stubs available at the end of the season and a
nostalgic TV ad campaign (David Barron, HOUSTON CHRONICLE,
3/28). The Astros reached a franchise record in season-
ticket sales this year by topping the 14,000 mark Friday.
The previous mark was 11,243 sold in '98 (Astros).
