Plans for new spring facility illustrate Red Sox real business

Artist rendering of Boston Red Sox new spring
facility (Populous/Parker/Mudgett/Smith Architects)

Executives of the Boston Red Sox and officials of Lee County, Florida released drawings on Thursday of the team’s proposed new spring training facility, and embedded in the reporting was news of an adjoining plot of land that the Sox would control for future development.

For this observer, that last bit of information served as a fresh reminder of the divide that ultimately separates fans from ownership: while our membership in Red Sox Nation is a birthright, their is a function of investment, and we’d do well to bring this to mind whenever we wonder about payroll and other club decisions.

Having said that, let’s be fair: John Henry, Tom Werner, Larry Lucchino et al. have done a remarkable job of fielding a team that satisfies both parties. The pennants are contended for, the turnstiles spin, and all’s right with the world. But make no mistake, whereas for us it’s all about the proceedings between the lines, for them it’s about a much greater whole that includes on-field concerts, Roush Fenway Racing, a major stake in NESN, and an active presence on the real estate scene in the Fenway and, increasingly, in Florida.

According to a Peter Abraham piece on boston.com yesterday, “The Sox, at the cost of $5 million, would control the rights to a 20-acre parcel of land adjacent to the [new spring training] complex that could be used for business development. ‘That is years away,’ Lucchino said.”

The specific timetable no doubt is heavily dependent upon the speed at which the economy rebounds, and since Southwest Florida has been especially hard-hit, it would be surprising if ground were broken any earlier than at least several years after the new Sox complex opens (slated for 2012). But the owners are in no hurry – their lease with the county runs for 30 years following the grand opening – and in the meantime, they can watch and learn from similarly conjoined ventures like Foxboro’s Patriot Place, which is adjacent to Gillette Stadium and has become a destination unto itself.

Please don’t misunderstand; there’s not a single thing to criticize about the Sox owners’ strategy and plans – to the contrary; we should be happy they continue to actively seek new ways to bring in cash that is not subject to Major League Baseball’s revenue sharing rules (which are limited to club operations). But let’s bear it in mind the next time we’re having a Hot Stove discussion of the decisions they’re making about player personnel or ballpark improvements. They have bigger fish to fry than we generally care to focus on.