Tom Werner

We have enjoyed here on the forum by Tom weren't out of the Boston Red Sox try emirates. How are you Tom.

And today it's beautiful day and yesterday it was a beautiful day and hopefully this evening we'll be very exciting. Did you for much is talking and that's certainly.

I get Daisuke tonight's -- will be a second day of the town buzzing from dawn till to sunset and beyond. It was it was quite a crowd day yesterday Tom.

This very exciting opening -- is always exciting I'll never forget opening day 2005 but Charles Steinberg put on another wonderful show and I got goosebumps when I saw Yastrzemski come out from behind that center field that door.

His strength and -- are typically are Reggie Smith so want to say it was unbelievable and you know always very tastefully done you folks to a fabulous job bonnet. The mall in the U memorial tributes up on the big school bought out center field the reminder of those who have passed from us -- played such a significant role during their fabulous season.

Well thank you were just trying to I'm of their legacy and hopefully hopefully they'll be other heroes this year and going forward.

I'm sure I'm sure there will be domino you you you put your creative talents to work in many many areas. And I'm told and I want you do was share with me and the for a body and Cia you little. -- little work last night he had a Red Sox dinner last night after the game for for some the charitable work that to you folks always do which is always have among many great causes the F. In Boston did you do a top ten like a Letterman like top ten yeah.

They did do it -- him.

rumors out and none of the papers have anything so this is fresh material. You pick and choose whatever if you want to do the whole top ten or nothin' to do you know what you think with a three best -- I'll leave it to you because the other creative guy in of the audience.

Well you know cooking fortunately at 56 the mine does best of them and -- so -- I would say there's my favorite top ten list my favorite one was that. And it said that Daisuke Matsuzaka is teaching all the Red Sox players Japanese so that they don't have to converse with Dan Shaughnessy.

Anything to avoid shot to say anything to avoid child actors give that blank look as if but no carb bread -- built -- say don't compress they inspect and are carried out with Jack guy a Japanese issue. Hey if you're 56 years of age or want to go back to. The goose Bob -- describe but seeing the surviving members of the the that the dream team the impossible dream team introduced you were a young guy but I'm told that you may have been -- fresh entering -- fresh.

Yeah that was just entering Harvard 1967 I was a big baseball and I had never been to Fenway Park. And 1967 after I got into Harvard and in the spring and at. Started to follow the Red Sox and you know they -- a hundred to one underdog since the beginning of the -- they had an extraordinary team everybody knows that now that I remember going to Fenway Park for the first time that September. Missing the green monster and and sure right saarc Carl Yastrzemski that like -- pretend when David -- Monday when he richest -- with Austin and -- September he was all world. But it was the beginning of my love affair with a Red --

Interesting to note in directly however make the observation that you're obviously playing hooky from classes that have --

Remember you're -- bad -- going to this -- I'm glad it's the duty secret that however once you get and they don't really pay much attention to yeah.

I have been told that he had to be bred by my neighborhood befriended body in my law popular but to -- says very much the same thing -- his son -- by the -- has actually played for -- with the -- the captain of the baseball -- only just yeah the tradition -- that he's a great little -- the traditions the traditions continued so -- young guide evident at -- Iraq -- you get caught up in all the excitement. And that was a time when he could still get tickets

yeah and you I Irish not guilty to one game and some some men took pity on me and I was actually at the I think one of the first two games of the World Series it was really it was a really a thrill and that was a great team and it was just exciting to see them back yesterday.

What's the most intriguing -- of this year is of this season's you know this that this the scheme which lies ahead what do you find the biggest puzzle the biggest worry.

Well I think everyone was saying that are starting pitching is one of the best in the league. And clearly you know Jonathan Papelbon that performance he had in Texas and Sunday it was just awesome. So I don't think anyone would do would disagree that the real key is well we do in the seventh and eighth inning and we have some pitchers who have the talent but they're going to have to step up is that we're an extremely competitive division. They have blue jays are excellent the Yankees are excellent and Baltimore's better that's this year so. I don't think he wild card is gonna come from the east necessarily so we're going to have to win the division and people -- going to have to step up and and so there talent.

tell me a little bit about revenue sharing as I understand it eased the Red Sox how a team as well as the Yankees. You are aid don't walk TUN -- giving in to the revenue sharing pool of Iraq the teams that fall into that category of so how many and who that.

Well only year revenue sharing system and in theory is that is a good system because I think everyone believes that. That to their needs to be competitive balance in baseball I do think that the commissioner has achieved that we do pay an enormous amount of money into the central -- Obviously is -- in tax Payer we think that potential may have -- little bit too much to. Two are paying more than our share we don't mind paying a lot that it becomes a point where we say hey you know. Enough is enough but you know -- say yang -- great. It's a great and what's going on in baseball now attendance is an all time high. Ratings are strong people are hurt coming beginnings not just in Boston but everywhere so desecrate and.

And the Yankees would give up would pay how much a year at times.

The Yankees are paying little bit more than we are of course we're worried when they building new Yankee stadium that there revenues agreement worked suspects in the hand. We know we will will take our chances we have our talent we think our talent that we think our system is great are minor league system and so we're pretty confident.

And Thomas -- many distributed among all the other non don't know what teams surge is adjust sensibly given to the ones at the lowest end of the payrolls.

They would get the the lion's share of that. So you can you would guess and that Tampa bay would would be the biggest recipient and the Marlins.

Okay right. And it again anything be on the Red Sox and the Yankees to the Dodgers for example pay and they seem to be a profitable franchise of Wanda.

The Dodgers pain and as you would imagine the cups and so the giants opinions so those those are probably the top 45 teams.

And it's a little bit it it sounds really based basically to Robin Hood type of situations the wealthier teams end up making a contribution to try to equalize the the quest for talent.

Right and of course the debate you know from an economic point of view is it has picked -- gotten to a point where there may be a disincentive for investing you know. Every time we put two. Money into Fenway Park that that money is all -- so we're investing heavily in the future and we're not getting quite the kickback that we would like.

when I interviewed Larry Lucchino yesterday on the forum he talked about the really the decision you folks have made over six years now I think he characterized it as a how about a 125 million dollars into the the plant if you will look at capital investment. In upgrading and improving Fenway Park the amenities the concessions they restrooms the hold the whole experience.

Right well it's. It's been a a labor of love though in this this park obviously there's not just a great place for the Red -- to play integrate -- attractions for New England. And you know I mean we all know at the hundredth anniversary is coming up in four years and hopefully. People you watching them based on Fenway Park for a long time but I think part of the joy -- watching the 1617 comeback -- When Carl Yastrzemski yeah. This is standing and left fielder. Jim lundberg is his standing in the pitcher's mound and you -- you can remember. And if he's got a good memory this thing people in the same place.

Capsule it it is if it. It really has a hold on all of our memories now you came from California to come -- to go to have a -- a lifelong boss Tony and I can tell you what I hear constantly -- people don't people who really can't begin to articulate how much you've changed the experience of how positive it is if you still have the intimacy is still of the great sight lines the proximity to the field all the in the irregular the irregular contours of the outfield all the things that made fenway unique and special. Have been retained -- yet the experience itself folk almost every single fan. Has been improved and improve dramatically so the money while it might not give either return the arrow either return on investment that it hoped. There's a psychic return and I think the fans really a truly appreciative of the decisions you would mr. Henry in mr. Lucchino.

A year you 88 I preach I know we all appreciate those comments and I think it's as somebody who is you know now look at at big centrifuge supporter of the Red -- I believe that. We're just giving back with what we're getting these are -- offensive of the -- action without a doubt the greatest in baseball. And it it just makes -- work all the hard chairman where there night and day because we want to. Thank them for their support.

Well he turned -- pretty good for young kid who came here a little wet behind the years -- when it's that you were smart enough to cut class now I don't know if that was the first sign of extraordinary emerging intelligence that -- spent those idle hours or at Fenway Park and that's what we do we -- a guy this guy is a member of the Mensa society he knows what's important life skip class go to the ball game have some fun and -- and retain the memories.

I just want to include Australia -- my mother used to say to me. I'm never get anywhere all you do is watch baseball on television.

That it can can cherish those words from him Ahmanson not just on television Bob doll Watson entered prison and I actually on the team path nothing pretty good outcome Tom already agreed to join a stay what -- I talked fabulous to he had voice again and now we'll catch up I'm sure regularly during the season of -- stop