Fenway Changes: Just Stand, OK?

More standing room "seats" at Fenway are a fitting addition after the 2006 season. In 2004 the curse was broken. The oldest and smallest MLB park was outfitted with a new drainage system. In 2005 when the boys failed to repeat the 2004 feat the season was followed by a overhaul of the .406 club creating the open air posh seating now called the EMC club for a corporate sponsor (rather than to honor Ted Williams) on a lower deck, with the State Street Pavilion, also a corporate sponsor, now provides additional seating. Following the 2006 season where the Olde Towne Team seemed to peter out after the "Boston Massacre" hosting of the Yankees, tickets were easier to come by, scalpers were getting lower prices, and the improvements to Fenway happening this winter are somewhat fitting. The Globe sat in on the meeting and took the tour with Janet Marie Smith, senior vice president/planning and development, as she bragged about the improvements. A slideshow of the work in progress is available at Boston.com.

They're bringing parts of the park into compliance with ADA requirements and other codes and adding new seats more capacity at the park in the form of more railings for standing room seats. They're also planning on acting on the 1934 plan to construct a stairway from Yawkey Way directly to the grandstand seats, which should help some of the congestion. Fenway will remain home to the Boston Red Sox but will also get another curious tenant for the 2007 season: Charlie. The MBTA will be installing some fare vending machines that will allow spectators to add value to CharlieCards and buy CharlieTickets while inside the park. It'll be good visability for the T system, but if they've got some extra machines lying around we might suggest they install them inside the fare gates at some stations on the platforms. Government Center would be a perfect candidate for the addition, plenty of space to add some machines so you could add stored value to a card while you wait for the trolley to roll in – rather than waiting behind the 50 tourists trying to get their first CharlieTicket ever while you're trying to get home from work.

Fenway in winter image from Flickr user hereiam now