I was just thinking the other day about the 2002-ish debate over getting rid of Fenway or upgrading it. I recall Gammons and other writers writing off the upgrade plans as unrealistic dreams of hopeless romantics. I'm thankful the Sox didn't listen to that and that they didn't try to get a taxpayer-funded megapark.

I'll freely admit I was in favor of a new park then. They have done excellent work on the upgrade though. I wish the seats could be modernized but it's a small price to pay for staying in the same park with the history it has.

"Major league owners are famously reluctant to release franchise-specific financial information. However, Forbes estimates that the value of the Red Sox has climbed from about $500 million in 2002 to $900 million in 2011 — an impressive 7% annual growth."

Is this actually impressive? Seems par for the course in franchise appreciation. Arte Moreno bought the Angels about the same time and has seen more growth than that on a percentage basis. Though my guess is 900M for the Red Sox current value is a bit low, they would probably fetch 10 digits.

Anyway, bragging about a team's business acumen because of franchise value increases reminds me of the common folk 6-7 years ago who boasted about how smart they were because of their latest house appraisal.

Anyway, bragging about a team's business acumen because of franchise value increases reminds me of the common folk 6-7 years ago who boasted about how smart they were because of their latest house appraisal.

Franchise appreciation doesn't look like a bubble to me - the cartels guarantee profits through revenue sharing and the restriction of competition. It's a great little money-making vehicle, and on top of that it's obviously just gobs of fun - these rich folks love owning ballclubs and there will continue (up until the revolution, o'course) to be rich folks who want to buy your ballclub and get to make a tidy profit while having the time of their lives.

Franchise appreciation looks to me like a classic case of the ultra-wealthy creating the structures to shield themselves from the actual effects of a free market. That's proven itself a sustainable model over the last several decades.

Typical Harvard bias.

The stadium and business side is being discussed and Larry Lucchino's name (Princeton '67) is left out?

The stadium and business side is being discussed and Larry Lucchino's name (Princeton '67) is left out?

This is an article on the GOOD management skills, not EVIL management skills.