by Marilyn De Angelis Pennell

Created on: July 16, 2008   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

IF I RAN THE BOSTON RED SOX: MY FIVE YEAR PLAN

OK, so I grew up in Boston and am a long suffering fan. I am a also a card carrying member of Red Sox Nation. These are my credentials:

*I hate the Yankees (except for Derek Jeter) as all loyal Sox fans do.

*I remember the champagne as it was uncorked in the Red Sox locker room, right before the Sox lost the 1986 World Series to the New York Mets.

*I still get chills when I think about talking on the phone to friends and family all across the country when the unbelievable happened and we won the World Series after an 86 year drought.

THOSE LOVEABLE LOSERS AND THE CURSE OF THE BAMBINO

Up until 2004, the Red Sox were loveable losers who lived with "the curse of the Bambino" and suffered in the shadow of Bucky Dent and Bill Buckner. Maybe these names are just a footnote in baseball history. But they represent what makes this franchise so storied.

In 2004, after 86 years, the Sox beat back "the curse" and made baseball history by being the first team to come back and win an American League Pennant -after being down three games- and going on to win the World Series. The Bosox did it again in 2007 and may be headed to the Fall classic this October.

SO, WHAT WOULD I DO IF I RAN THE RED SOX; MY FIVE YEAR PLAN:

SOX owner John Henry and his regime have smarts- -baseball smarts and business smarts. They had the good sense to bring in Curt Schilling and let Johnny Damon grow his hair. They let "Manny be Manny." The new management had the intelligence and intuition to figure out what was worth investing in and what was not. This has made all the difference. We kiss their World Series Rings. BUT, they are not perfect. These are some tips to make the Red Sox even better.

YEAR ONE:

1. First, I would sign Manager Terry Francona to a 10 year contract and would make sure that General Manager Theo Epstein doesn't run away again in a gorilla suit. These two, along with owner John Henry and his team, took a mediocre franchise and rebuilt it from the ground up. They are keepers.

2. I would also crack down on the ticket agencies who buy up huge bunches of tickets and resell them at ridiculously high prices. Essentially, I would make Fenway Park and Red Sox Games an All American Family Experience instead of something just for the well connected and well off.

YEAR TWO

1. Keep Fenway Park going for another 100 years. Build it up and expand. I would buy up more of the land around the park and create a green, vibrant and expansive setting befitting this

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