MA House Speaker Thomas Finneran said that state
lawmakers "have no desire to dig deep for extra money" for a
new Fenway Park, according to Scott Van Voorhis of the
BOSTON HERALD. Finneran's remarks came after reports that
the Red Sox would seek changes to the ballpark agreement
signed last summer. Finneran: "Santa Claus is fully engaged
right now with schools, health care and a host of other
concerns amid a weakening economy and some concern about the
continuing escalation of player salaries." Finneran noted
that the team signed a $160M deal for OF Manny Ramirez,
which "may not have exactly set the stage for the team to
ask state lawmakers for extra money." Finneran said if the
team were to ask for more financial help to pay for the
ballpark, "It is more likely than not that serious questions
would be raised" (BOSTON HERALD, 12/19). A BOSTON HERALD
editorial notes the team's "new round of whining" over the
ballpark deal and asks, "The Red Sox have got to be kidding,
right? ... The utter foolishness of the effort is exceeded
only by its hideously bad timing. ... If the Red Sox can't
make the financing of a new Fenway Park work under the
current rules of the game, then let them leave the project
to the new owners" (BOSTON HERALD, 12/19). Also in Boston,
Joan Vennochi cites one sports business exec as saying that
the Ramirez deal could add 10% "to the Red Sox overall
value, on paper, anyway." Vennochi: "It is nonsensical and
insulting for the Sox to argue they need more public money
to build a ballpark, if they can afford what they are now
committed to pay Ramirez" (BOSTON GLOBE, 12/19).
