by Michael Cutting

Created on: September 11, 2009

The Boston Red Sox franchise is one of the most recognizable and respected franchise in all of professional sports. The rich history of New England has spawned Red Sox fans all over the country, and these collective groups of displaced and diehard fans, along with generation after generation of Red Sox fans in New England, make up what is known as Red Sox Nation.

The recent success of the Boston Red Sox has only strengthened the brand, with two World Series titles in the past six years. This recent success has covered up many mistakes made by current management, where money has been spent unwisely on free agent talent, as well as missed marketing opportunities. If I were given the opportunity to run the Boston Red Sox, I would implement a two-step plan to ensure that the Red Sox remained a strong, viable franchise in contention for world championships in not only the present, but also well into the future.

The first problem with the Boston Red Sox is where they play their home games. Fenway Park is a rustic field with a rich tradition, and many of the Red Sox fans view Fenway as not only a field, but also as a shrine to New England's history. From Babe Ruth to Ted Williams to Pedro Martinez, Fenway Park has been the home to some of the games finest since its opening. However, the Red Sox need a state-of-the-art baseball complex that allows the team to enter the 21st century.

Many of the other Major League teams have seen the benefits of having a new ballpark. The New York Yankees are the most famous franchise in sports, and are beginning to understand the revenue potential of the new Yankee Stadium that opened earlier this year. If New York can tear down Yankee Stadium, then there is no reason why the same thing cannot be done in Boston. A new stadium for the Red Sox would solve many problems. Capacity could be increased from 36,000 now to upwards of 50,000 in a new stadium. Seating problems that exist in Fenway Park would not be present in a new stadium. Fenway Park is in the heart of Boston, making it more than difficult for anyone coming to Red Sox game from outside of Boston. The Red Sox could follow the trend of other teams who have recently built new stadiums, and find an area on the outskirts of the city, making accessibility less of an issue.

Another issue facing the Red Sox, and one that needs to be corrected, is the talent evaluation of free agents. The Red Sox are seeing the benefits of great amateur scouting, with more than half of their current

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