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BOSTON – The winning bidders for the Red Sox renewed their pledge Friday to expand Fenway Park but didn’t rule out the possibility of building a new stadium elsewhere.
The fate of Fenway, the oldest and smallest ballpark in the major leagues, was a key question during bidding for the team.
John Henry, who plans to sell the Florida Marlins to help finance the winning $660 million bid, and partner Tom Werner, the former owner of the San Diego Padres, left little doubt about their preference.
“Fenway Park is one of the great landmarks of New England,” Henry said Friday. “When I think of Paris, I think of the Eiffel Tower. When I think of Boston, I think of Fenway.”
The fate of general manager Dan Duquette, however, seemed more tenuous.
Despite a good offseason in which he acquired first baseman Tony Clark, outfielder Johnny Damon and pitchers Dustin Hermanson, John Burkett and Darren Oliver, he may be gone.
Larry Lucchino would become president and chief executive officer and will oversee baseball operations. He is the former president of the Baltimore Orioles and the Padres, where he was forced out by current owner John Moores in July.
Henry’s deal for the Red Sox – who own Fenway Park and 80 percent of the New England Sports Network – still must receive approval from 75 percent or more of the 30 major league owners, who could vote on the deal when they meet in Phoenix in mid-January.
“We do not own the team so it would be presumptive to start talking about changes,” Henry said, although Lucchino said some will be made.
Asked if he knows his fate, Duquette said “my fate is to help the Red Sox win the World Series.
“I’m looking forward to being part of their group,” he added. “I’ve always had a great deal of respect for Larry.”
In 1919, the Red Sox sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees, one year after their last championship, giving rise to the phrase, “Curse of the Bambino.”
Henry had a different view.
“We prefer to think of it as a spell which we intend to break,” he said.
The sale was announced Thursday after an effort by another group headed by Joe O’Donnell and Steve Karp, both from the Boston area, to join Henry and Werner fell through.
O’Donnell said he wanted more control of the franchise. He made no reference to an eight-year extension of the concessions contract given recently to Aramark by the current ownership, headed by John Harrington. O’Donnell also runs a concessions business.
Henry said he, Werner and O’Donnell had dinner after Thursday’s decision and added, “We’ll find ways to work together.”
Since the proposed sale is being made by the Yawkey Trust, which holds a 53 percent controlling interest in the team, and the proceeds will be distributed to charities, Massachusetts Attorney General Tom Reilly said he expects to meet with Red Sox representatives soon to make sure the trust “has appropriately discharged its fiduciary responsibilities to the charities.”
His office represents the public interest in the proper use of charitable funds.
Former Senate Majority leader George Mitchell of Maine, a member of the ownership group, said “the most important aspect” of a new or renovated stadium is increased seating capacity.
Studies done by current ownership showed that renovating Fenway isn’t feasible and backed a plan to build a ballpark next to Fenway, which holds 34,000 and opened in 1912.
But the new owners, with help from an architectural firm, developed a detailed plan to renovate Fenway. Les Otten, a member of the group, has met with neighborhood organizations and the Save Fenway Park! group.
“Our plan is to renovate and expand Fenway,” Lucchino said. “If we find that it is unworkable, obviously we will have to make adjustments.”
Save Fenway Park! was confident the stadium would be renovated.
“We know it can be done,” said Steve Wojnar, the group’s chairman, who distributed leaflets outside the stadium. “They committed themselves.”
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