Fenway alterations

I almost called this post “Fenway upgrades,” but I stopped myself, as I’m not sure all of the changes are upgrades.

The Coca Cola corner adds seats to the ballpark, which is good for those of us who have found getting tickets a challenge. But I’m not sure that “a sign nearly 43 feet long and just over 12 feet high,” with “1,059 light-emitting diodes” is going to enhance the atmosphere at the ballpark. However, it will be nice to see those ridiculous Coke bottles come off the light tower above the Monstah. So maybe that’s a push.

The Bleacher Bar and Grill is the latest in the trend of freestanding restaurants leasing space in major-league ballparks. I’m basically ambivalent about them. But the reality is that, with teams’ expenses going up, they have to do what they can to generate revenue, and I guess this is better than raising ticket prices or placing ads on uniforms, on the bases or in the grass.

Of course, these changes keep the team from building a new ballpark, which is something I don’t think anyone wants. But I would hate to see Fenway become more of a revenue center than a ballpark. I’d prefer to see it maintain its charm and avoid becoming like some of the circuses around the league that just happen to house major league teams.