As someone who has only lived within 30 minutes of Fenway for every minute of an almost 50 year life, I know plenty of locals who wish the Red Sox played in a more modern stadium. While I certainly understand and appreciate the artistry of an old historic stadium, I also understand wanting modern comforts. I don't think it's a "take" to prefer the latter to the former.
On the other hand, knowing that for the Sox to play in a modern stadium they wouldn't be in downtown Boston, that makes me appreciate Fenway. I much prefer and enjoy the fact that three of our four major teams play in Boston proper and not suburbia.
Onto the question at hand I've thought long and hard about my change one thing would be - focused on the 84-24 period because it's my lifetime as a Sox fan. I think if I extended the period of time, it would be that Fisk in particular played his whole career as a Red Sox, but alas I was too young in 1980 to appreciate that decision.
The most devastated I have been as a Sox fan for a non-game result was Clemens leaving after 1996. I think if I were younger and more passionate about the Sox, I'd feel the same about the Mookie trade, but Clemens leaving crushed me. But his behavior subsequent to that departure quelled my anger to a large degree.
I keep coming back to the "retire as a Red Sox" thing. It angers me to no end that Tom Brady did not retire as a Patriot. It angers me that Ray Bourque did not retire as a Bruin and that trophy parade even more enrages me. It pleases me greatly that Larry Bird and Kevin McHale played full careers as Celtics and so even though they likely could have been dealt for some player capital, makes me very happy that Red did not do that.
When I think about the numbers on the wall, I want those numbers selfishly to belong to players who belong completely to the Red Sox (or at least played the majority of their career in Boston and finished in Boston) even if they may not have been great at the end. That applies to all but 26, 45, 42, and 27. 42 for obvious reasons. 26 doesn't bother me behaviorally. 21 should be up there someday but I'm over it. I look forward to 49 going up there.
I come back to Fisk. A top 5 player at his position in the history of baseball born in New England as a Red Sox fan who said he never contemplated leaving should have played his entire career with the team.
