The last time the Boston Red Sox reached the playoffs, fans could walk down Yawkey Way to absorb the atmosphere, check out the game and join in the riots.
But during this year’s playoff run, fans could not get so close to the stadium.
A 2002 agreement between the Boston Redevelopment Authority, the Red Sox and Fenway-area businesses gave the Sox control of Yawkey Way, the street directly outside of the park, during home games. Now, during game time, only ticket-holders can access the street.
While businesses and vendors who operate on Yawkey agreed to the arrangement before it went into effect, some claim the Sox’s possession of the street has hurt business, according to David Patore, owner of Who’s on First, a popular bar on Yawkey. Patore said the Sox employ vendors to sell beer on the street, creating competition that hurts his business.
‘It differs from day to day,’ he said. ‘There’s beer service on the street, so people would prefer to be outside.’
Business is also affected when non-ticket holders do not know about the bar’s back entrance, which can be used during games, Patore said. The owner, who agreed to the arrangement ‘for the betterment of the team,’ said his bar is trying to inform customers of the second entrance by posting signs at the gates and on Brookline Avenue.
The Red Sox have not received any complaints from local businesses, according to Larry Cancro, senior vice president of Fenway Affairs.
‘I don’t see why we would,’ he said, pointing out that customers still have access to businesses across the street from the stadium, such as Who’s on First.
‘We’re working with [the businesses],’ Cancro said. ‘I believe they’re doing just as well or better [than they were before]. We want to benefit everyone.’
But many street vendors also say they are hurting because of the change.
‘The vendors used to be able to get closer to the field before the Red Sox took over the main street,’ said John Oversen, who has worked as a Boston Baseball magazine vendor for about 10 years. He said there were ‘no benefits to the Red Sox control of Yawkey … the fans are basically limited to the Red Sox prices.’
Ryan Goldhey, another Boston Baseball vendor, agreed.
‘Our sales were cut in half. Normally at a big game we might sell 300, maybe even 400 magazines. Now it’s like 160, 200, 240 – somewhere around there,’ he said.
Though the vendors are suffering because of the street control, most fans say they have not noticed much of a difference. Some even like the change.
‘It’s better for the atmosphere,’ said Scott Boucher. ‘There are no traffic jams.’
Another fan even suggested the area be expanded.
‘It’s great because you can stay outside and have a beer,’ said Kevin Notaro. ‘Smokers like it because now they can smoke. It adds to the festivities. I think they should make [the blocked-off area] bigger.’
Sox spokesman Cancro added to the list of benefits, saying the Sox control of the street has created more space for the fans.
‘The fans can move about more freely and have a place to gather and talk,’ he said. ‘That’s what people are looking for these days – room to stretch their legs and move about.’
But for some businesses, that extra space has caused more harm than good. Last month, Ryan Family Amusements, a candlepin bowling alley located under Fenway Park that rented its space monthly from the Red Sox, closed its doors.
‘They made us an offer to lease us 10 lanes,’ said bowling alley manager P.J. McCaul. ‘They would have made half the place a clubhouse and put a wall up. We just took all our belongings and got out.’
When the Sox bought the building two years ago, McCaul said he knew the corporation would take over the building.
‘I knew it was coming,’ McCaul said. ‘I’m not gonna bad-mouth them. It would have been great to come to an agreement. [The Red Sox] wanted to keep it. They loved the place. [It just] didn’t make economic sense.’
The Sox have not decided how they will use the bowling alley space, but Cancro stressed they do need the extra room.
When the Boston Redevelopment Authority approved the hand-over, they did so in an effort to ‘help the Red Sox navigate their future in Boston. We are [trying to] be flexible, but also mindful of the community,’ according to BRA spokesman Meredith Baumann.
The BRA is still listening to input from the community, but it felt giving the Sox control of the street was the best solution to an ongoing discussion, she added.
‘The Red Sox, as part of the arrangement, also needed to agree to make street improvements,’ she said. ‘It’s not just as if we’re giving them something for nothing. The city is reaping the benefits of the improvements.’
To declare that businesses are closing as a result of the Sox’s control of Yawkey is a ‘dangerous leap,’ Baumann said.
While City Councilor Mike Ross (Back Bay, Fenway) stressed that the plan would allow Fenway to stay alive, an argument used by supporters at the time the agreement was made, he said he does not think it was the ideal situation.
But Ross said he is encouraged by the Sox’s willingness to work with local businesses. The city council has not heard any complaints from businesses, he said.
This is an account occasionally used by the Daily Free Press editors to post archived posts from previous iterations of the site or otherwise for special circumstance publications. See authorship info on the byline at the top of the page.
