Boston Ballpark Faces Opposition

Opponents of the proposed new ballpark in Boston said at a City Hall meeting Monday that it is unfair for the city to consider spending so much money, claiming it would be a burden on taxpayers.

The Red Sox are seeking $275 million in public financing for their $627-million ballpark plan--$140 million from the city to purchase and clear land for the new ballpark and $135 million from the state to build parking garages, and improve roads and subway stations.

“We have a housing crisis, we have a health care crisis, we have a transit crisis, we have an open space crisis,” Helen Cox, a resident of the Fenway neighborhood since 1958, said at Monday’s meeting. “We do not have a baseball crisis.”

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The daily operations of the Ilitch empire of baseball, hockey, entertainment and pizza have been passed to two of Mike and Marian Ilitch’s seven children.

The Ilitch empire includes ownership of the Detroit Red Wings and Tigers, and Little Caesar Enterprises, the nation’s third-largest pizza chain.

Denise Ilitch, 44, and brother Chris, 35, will share the newly created title of president and oversee day-to-day operations of the family’s privately held companies, Ilitch Holdings Inc.

Notes

Mark Eichhorn, 39, who hasn’t pitched in the majors since 1996, reported to the class-A Dunedin (Fla.) Blue Jays after signing with Toronto. . . . New York Yankee pitcher Orlando Hernandez, diagnosed with a sprained right elbow, will meet with orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala., Wednesday to get a second opinion. . . . Cleveland right-hander Charles Nagy, recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his throwing elbow, gave up four hits and one run in five innings of a rehab start for the Indians’ triple-A affiliate in Buffalo. . . . Seattle second baseman Mark McLemore, suspended for five games for charging the mound May 20 when he thought Tampa Bay’s Esteban Yan intentionally threw at him in the batter’s box, presented his case in a appeal. . . . San Diego agreed to a contract with its first-round draft pick, left-hander Mark Phillips, and promoted right-hander Brian Tollberg from triple-A Las Vegas to start tonight at Arizona. . . . Houston third baseman Ken Caminiti had surgery to repair a tendon in his right wrist. He will be out eight to 12 weeks.