Fenway Park Is Changing
So by now some of you have probably heard that Fenway's getting a shiny new scoreboard above the bleachers. And you probably figured there'd be the by-now-routine renovation of and addition of new seats (correct and correct). But how about something that's actually going to change how the park plays?
Well, that's what we're gonna get, as it looks like Fenway's large right field is going to get a little bit smaller as the Herald is reporting that the Red Sox are looking to widen the bullpens by nearly 10 feet, pending the approval of the Boston Landmarks Commission. That means more homers, particularly for the lefties.
So much for Fenway's reputation as a pitcher's park.
Presumably there's a few more seats on the way, lest the wider bullpen mess up the triangle in center, or make a new one in right. But either way, I'm not sure why the pens really need to be wider. Are we gonna see some triple-barreled action? Does the field at Fenway really need to be smaller? I don't know, but the Sox seem to think so.
(SBN Boston has more on the other renovations being done to Fenway)
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Sounds good to me.
Certainly encouraging in terms of them retaining Ortiz, who must be licking his chops.
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I don't like it
I don’t see the point of making it easier to HR at Fenway, which already inflates BA because of the lack of foul territory. It’s already a good offensive ballpark, even if it suppresses HR.
Moving the fences in will make it very hard on pitchers. Good luck signing FA. (Remember Schilling’s reservations? Theo had to show him stats that showed that Fenway’s reputation as HR park wasn’t true). I think this is a mistake.
I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.
Easier for left-handed batters to hit HR's?
This is clearly a sign that we’re trading for Adrian Gonzalez. Book it!
by South Coast Ghost on Oct 19, 2010 4:47 PM EDT reply actions
You know someone out there in fandom was going to say it
And then call into WEEI or somewhere and express their conspiracy theory.
by South Coast Ghost on Oct 19, 2010 5:21 PM EDT up reply actions
Or…
“I’ve been saying it for years: the Red Sox cloned Ted Williams in the 90s, and he’s just now reaching maturity!”
USG
by Ben Buchanan on Oct 19, 2010 5:24 PM EDT up reply actions
His frozen head is kept under neath Space Mountain in Florida
Or maybe that’s Walt Disney. Either way, they’re hittin’ 40+ HR’s in Fenway next year!
by South Coast Ghost on Oct 19, 2010 5:35 PM EDT up reply actions
You know how they built the bullpens for Ted Williams?
I think this renovation is beign done for JD Drew
(note sarcasm)
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by bestbostonsports on Oct 20, 2010 12:35 AM EDT up reply actions
I'm not sure how I feel about this, but
I think that I don’t like it.
"Every night I go to bed thinking about when I’m going to play again. I dream about playing at Fenway."-Ryan Westmoreland
Twitter: @BoldandBrash
10 feet is a pretty massive difference there
Should be interesting if it happens… can’t say I really have a problem with it.
Visualize what that might look like -- 15 to 20 HRs more by LHH at Fenway (Red Sox and others)

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Was there a HR hit right to second?
That’s hard to do.
by craig in calgary on Oct 19, 2010 9:21 PM EDT up reply actions
It was Ellsbury
HE IS SO FAST
Galactus does as he pleases. Because Galactus is drunk.
@#$%ing Twit: @blogtard
Looks more to me like it would only have increased HRs by 5, maybe 10 this season
10 ft is not that big on that scale. Luchhino said its probably only going to be 6 feet, too.
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This color thing is really stupid.
Based off of the color, there appear to be some singles that were hit over the triangle, about 420 ft.
"Every night I go to bed thinking about when I’m going to play again. I dream about playing at Fenway."-Ryan Westmoreland
Twitter: @BoldandBrash
by BoldandBrash on Oct 26, 2010 10:36 PM EDT up reply actions
Sounds like Manny. ;)
Galactus does as he pleases. Because Galactus is drunk.
@#$%ing Twit: @blogtard
So Fenway will play like Yankee Stadium in right field?
Ummm…… Interesting.
I love Lester and Pedroia!!! ITS MAN LOVE!
Don't...
like it. Not at all. I reserve the right to change my judgment during and after the 2011 season, but I don’t like it right now.
by TheDesktopNinja on Oct 20, 2010 1:02 AM EDT reply actions
The major impetus behind this appears to be the comfort of our pitchers, btw
Luchhino said we have the narrowest pens in the bigs and that its difficult for two guys to throw at the same time.
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In that case...
Expand the home bullpen only :P
by TheDesktopNinja on Oct 20, 2010 9:52 AM EDT up reply actions
So this is what the front office ment by "fix the bullpen" this year.
Problem solved.
Next on the list….;-)
by went9 on Oct 20, 2010 2:01 AM EDT reply actions 3 recs
At the risk of sounding like a 12 year-old girl
LOL.
Wait 'til next/this year?
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by nuthinboutnuthin on Oct 20, 2010 8:20 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Wouldn't the Sox need MLB approval to change the dimensions of the stadium?
I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.
I don't believe so, so long as the stadium conforms to the limits they set.
USG
by Ben Buchanan on Oct 20, 2010 12:13 PM EDT up reply actions
Well, nothing about Fenway conforms
I believe the approval goes for new stadia and changes within a season. And nothing too idiotic like the Pennant Porch from KC Municipal:
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh189/lwiedy/PennantPorch.jpg
(seriously, if you haven’t seen one of Charles Finley’s craziest ideas, go nuts)
Love the sheep grazing
"Every night I go to bed thinking about when I’m going to play again. I dream about playing at Fenway."-Ryan Westmoreland
Twitter: @BoldandBrash
by BoldandBrash on Oct 20, 2010 9:02 PM EDT up reply actions
MLB has some rules about..
where home plate is located, I believe they prefer a SW location, as most stadiums have the plate in that bearing for shadows and sunsets. There are some stadiums that have the home plates in the Northwest.. (ironically the two heavyweights of MLB, Selig and Reinsdorf have/had their stadiums’ homeplate on a N-NW bearing.. There are some safety issues for homeplate bearings.
If the Sox are really concerned about pitcher and fan safety, make the Pitchers wear batting helmets on the mound, and extend the backstop up to the first and third base sides as protection against maple bats flying around.
Right now, Henry is in Selig’s camp, he can probably do anything he wants. I can see MLBPA may file a protest for Sox southpaw pitchers, and may some other pitchers, but I don’t see a big problem.
Of course...home runs actually being impacted by bringing the fence in assumes...
that if they bring the fence in, it will stay the same height. Wouldn’t raising the fence counteract some of the distance it was moved?
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If they did that, they'd run into sightline issues in the bleachers and RF seating.
USG
by Ben Buchanan on Oct 20, 2010 8:20 PM EDT up reply actions
Do you think
anyone cares about the sightlines in the RF seating? The real solution, that unfortunately the ownership group never embraced, is to completely tear out the bleachers and RF seating and start over. The RF seats are unfixable, and are easily the worst aspect of Fenway Park.
There's definitely issues with their orientation.
But raising the fence would presumably make it so a handful of seats simply could not see the field much past the foul line.
USG
by Ben Buchanan on Oct 20, 2010 9:20 PM EDT up reply actions
They've made comments before that re-doing the RF seating bowl was something they eventually planned to tackle.
IIRC, it was supposed to be done before the 2012 100th anniversary, but I seriously doubt that happens. There’s virtually no way its cost effective. I’m sure at some point they will find a way to improve the situation, though.
You know my big wish for Fenway? Concession and bathrooms at the TOP of the bleachers.
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If that was their plan
They’ve done everything to make their current work a foolish investment. They wouldn’t have added the RF roof boxes, or the really-recent Cumberland Farms deck if they were planning on bulldozing all of it. And there’s no doubt about it, the only solution is to bulldoze everything from Canvas Alley to the monster.
Otherwise, they would have to nearly double the width of each row to accommodate the rotated seats, which would kill capacity in an already crowded park. Even then, you’re staring directly into the sun for the first 5 innings for 2/3rds of the season, and it’s still not exactly the angle you want. The bleachers also have some insane angles, like when you’re on the CF section right at the connection piece to RF, and facing directly to the middle of section 1.
There's no way..
They’d be able to complete that much work in a single offseason considering they’d have the winter to deal with. And to spread it over multiple offseasons or to work on it during the season would be very negative to the game in general at the park.
by TheDesktopNinja on Oct 21, 2010 11:01 AM EDT up reply actions
Understandable
But that doesn’t make the situation any better. Regardless, you still have, what, 20% of the park’s seats being effectively horrible? It could still be done in stages, and done in a way where construction only happens in the offseason.
So, hypothetically, you cut off the right bleachers at the CF-most column line, so you maintain that section of seating. The CF bleachers are bulldozed from the Monster to where it used to join the RF bleachers, and the new CF section is built (and yes, alskor, with a concourse at the top of the bleachers).
Next offseason, bulldoze the remaining RF bleacher section, and build from the new CF section to the break. Next offseason, from the RF bleachers to Section 5, then section 6 to 10.
The most difficult part is getting the angles right in the new design, which isn’t an easy step. But I managed to smush something in that worked, with functional sightlines for everyone.
Interesting.
I guess I’m not going to tell if its good until the Yankees play the Sox. Should set up for some possible shootouts.
Ortiz, Teix, new look Grandy, could have a good day.
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Longer games
Awesome!
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by CasanovaWong on Oct 21, 2010 3:22 PM EDT up reply actions
If the Sox want to seriously help the pitching staff..
they would widen the foul territory. I think other factors like wind, and weather can play a part of a ball hit in right field. However, The Sox should extend the ten feet into the stands, if they want a better environment for the bullpen.
yeah but clearly with the tons of seats that would eliminate, that's impractical
Probably don’t really want to make pitching there easier necessarily anyways.
Not only the loss of seats
But there is storage room behind the concessions stands, and that whole area is the only wheelchair-accessible seating in the bleachers.
I would think some of this is moving the pen outwards
and at the same time smoothing the seats and walkways, angles, etc… and probably squeezing a little more space for the stands underneath.
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