Well, obviously, there was some big news regarding trans-Atlantic activity, last night.  John Henry, the owner of baseball’s Boston Red Sox is, potentially, the new owner of Liverpool FC.  Understandably, the fan reaction Merseyside is reserved, to put it in the best light, and, likely apprehensive, to be brutally honest.  The taste left in the Kop’s mouth from Tom Hicks and George Gillett’s tenure must make them nervous at the thought of another American taking charge of the club.  There are good things to be said about having John Henry as the owner of your club, though.

Before he owned the Red Sox, he took over the Florida Marlins from H. Wayne Huizenga, who, for a time also owned the NHL’s Florida Panthers and the NFL’s Miami Dolphins.  Huizenga, as the Marlins’ owner, did an Abramovich and brought in an impressive number of high priced free agent talent and a big name manager.  The investment paid off with a World Series title for the Fish, in 1997, but it put the club deep in the red.  While the fans were still celebrating their championship, Huizenga began a fire sale which saw virtually every member of the winning side move to a new club.  Seeing a bargain, John Henry purchased the club from the waste management and used car tycoon (there’s a combination!), for US $158M.

It didn’t turn out to be such a good deal for Henry.  Stuck in a stadium still owned by Huizenga and airing their games on his cable channel, the Marlins’ revenue stream was severely limited.  Further, having been burned by Huizenga, fans and politicians alike were opposed to financing a new ballpark for the baseball club.  With temperatures in the 90′s (30°C +) and unbearable humidity, even at night, drawing fans for a contending club in a four sport market was difficult, never mind a bargain basement youth squad.  Henry put in the time, taking losses over several years but was unable to win over the fans or political support.  Finally, he let it be known that, as he was interested in fielding a competitive team, he would have to move the club if no deal for a ballpark could be reached.

The Red Sox brain trust, CEO Tom Werner and GM Larry Lucchino flank owner John Henry.

Major League Baseball was already faced with a struggling side and a discontented owner in Montreal.  As the league viewed both men as the type of owners they wanted, they arranged a deal, allowing Henry to purchase the Boston Red Sox, a storied club languishing while its ownership was tied up in a family trust.  The Montreal owner, Jeffrey Loria, who was willing to develop a young team on a bare bones budget while continuing negotiations for a new park, took over the Marlins.  Finally, the league itself assumed caretaker status over the Montreal Expos, moving the club to Washington and renaming it the Nationals.

The swap took place in 2002.  Since then, with the revenue from their own cable channel to prime the pump, the Red Sox have famously broken the 84 year old ‘Curse of the Bambino,’ winning two World Series (Surprisingly, the Marlins, under Loria’s stewardship would win a Series, too, in 2003, but Loria would have to wait until 2009 to strike a deal for a new stadium in downtown Miami).

As well as developing the club’s cable channel, Henry looked into the prospect of building a new stadium for the Sox, who play in Fenway Park, the league’s oldest and smallest facility, with a capacity of approximately 32,000 seats.  As has been raised as a concern for Liverpool fans, he chose not to do it.

The decision has turned out, however, to have been the correct choice for the Red Sox.

The unique dimensions of Fenway

One of the special characteristics of baseball is that each and every park is unique.  It’s true that there is a special flavour to Anfield, as well as Goodison Park, Old Trafford, St. James’ Park, Turf Moor and any number of other footballing shrines.  That, however, is largely down to the fans.  The dimensions of the pitch are identical (or close enough for argument) from place to place.  In baseball, that’s not the case.  The diamonds don’t vary; bases are 90′ apart, wherever you go, and the pitching rubber, on the mound, is always 60’6″ from home plate but the dimensions, arc, height and backdrop of the outfield wall are completely different.

The Green Monster

Fenway Park, as well as being the oldest, is the most famous and idiosyncratic in its layout.  There is the short porch in right field, where fans are right on top of the action and well within reach of lefthanded power hitters.  Center field is deep and, with its unusual ‘corner,’ challenges both outfielders and hitters, with the former having to be fleet of foot to run down well hit balls and the latter needing to get all of the ball if they are going to have a prayer of knocking it out of the park, when slugging in that direction.  Lastly, there is the famed Green Monster, the massive, 37′ high wall in short left field, which tempts righthanded hitters to close their eyes and swing with all their might and challenges visiting leftfielders to successfully judge and then play the strange caroms coming off its facade.

It truly is a wonderful park; a piece of art which would be next to impossible to replicate and is treasured by the Red Sox Nation and baseball fans, in general, who often make pilgrimmages to see the historic ground.  It’s also true that Henry, in spending $50M to renovate the aged infrastructure and add 20% more seating, saved himself a lot of money, when you consider the cost of a new stadium.  But he listened and respected the passion that Bostonians harbour for their fabled baseball icon.  He won’t have the same revenues (or profits) available to him as the hated New York Yankees but he has enough to compete and win, while not consigning a monument to culture and beauty to the rubbish heap of history.

Kenright is willing but cold Henry win over the Kop on the idea of sharing a ground with the hated Toffees?

While not belittling the history which the stadium on Anfield Road has witnessed, I’ll repeat that it is more the fans, than the building itself, wherein the tradition lies.  Henry, as he does with Red Sox fans will listen to the opinion of the supporters.  With the lack of independent television revenues for the club and the lack of seating at Anfield, he is more than likely to come to the conclusion that a new park is the way to go.

Like a bad cold...

Although, it wouldn’t surprise me if he struck up an arrangement with Bill Kenwright, at Everton, to share in the cost and profit of a ground, in Stanley Park, which would rival Old Trafford.  Some of the Kop might find that a bitter pill to swallow but the two clubs, through their ancient feud, have always been tied together and often defined by one another.  While the flame of their rivalry will never go out, they need each other and such an arrangement might prove beneficial to both.

Still, I’m getting way ahead of events with speculation of that sort.  There remains the stubborn problem of Tom Hicks.  While his partner, George Gillett, is no longer in a position to borrow and has stated a desire to cut his losses, Hicks obstinately refuses to step aside.  He has vowed to fight, in court, any deal which doesn’t include a profit for him.

As the Liverpool board has accepted the Henry bid, it seems that matters will be left up to a judge, unless, of course, the Royal Bank of Scotland steps in, on the 15th, as is their right.  While the club has done everything it can to divest itself of the Texan, it may take the RBS assuming control of the club to push the deal through.  The question, then, is whether the FA will be lenient, recognising that one man has forced this action, out of greed, and that the club, undeserving, should not be assessed the usual 9 point deduction.

One hopes, for the good of Liverpool FC and the English game, that such a decision needn’t be made.

administration, anfield, boston red sox, curse of the babe, fenway park, florida marlins, george gillett, green monster, john henry, kop, liverpool fc, major league baseball, merseyside, red sox nation, royal bank of scotland, stanley park, tom hicks, world series