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Plans to serve booze at White Stadium’s professional soccer matches in Boston have encountered pushback by critics of the city’s public-private rehab plan, but a ban on alcohol would effectively kill the $325 million project.
Buried in the city’s 321-page lease agreement with Boston Legacy FC, the National Women’s Soccer League team set to play home games at the rebuilt stadium, is a provision that allows the team to walk away from the deal should the city’s Licensing Board choose not to grant its application for a liquor license.
“If … both the Boston Licensing Board and the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission issue a final non-appealable decision in which the applicable entity refuses to grant such a liquor license (for White Stadium) … then the tenant may terminate both this lease and the stadium usage agreement,” the lease states.
“Upon delivery of such termination notice, the parties’ rights, responsibilities, and the obligations under this lease and the stadium usage agreement shall be null and void, and without recourse to either party,” the lease states.
Boston Legacy FC has signed a 10-year lease agreement with the city to share use of Franklin Park’s White Stadium with Boston Public Schools student-athletes.
The team is paying more than $190 million for its half of the stadium renovations, with the city’s $135 million half of the costs paid for by taxpayers.
The Boston City Council defeated a resolution last month, by a 9-3 vote, that sponsors Ed Flynn and Julia Mejia said sought to uphold state law restricting alcohol at public school facilities.
Mejia and Flynn argued that booze should not be sold during professional soccer matches and other private events held at Franklin Park’s White Stadium, given that it is a city-owned public school facility.
“The Boston Public School policy is clear and the state law is clear,” Mejia said last month. “Alcohol is not permitted on public school premises, except under very limited circumstances, which this situation does not meet.”
Most councilors disagreed, including Gabriela Coletta Zapata, who called the rule “antiquated” and said it was not applicable in this instance.
“I think generally this is an antiquated viewpoint of how we regulate alcohol,” Coletta Zapata said last month. “It ignores how Boston responsibly balances public use, economic opportunity and community activation. We can’t pretend that a blanket prohibition is the only pathway forward, especially in a shared-use facility like White Stadium.”
The Emerald Necklace Conservancy and a group of park neighbors suing the city to try to block the project have also argued that alcohol should be banned at the facility. The lawsuit, which alleges the professional soccer stadium use would illegally privatize public parkland, is under consideration by the state Supreme Judicial Court.
— Gayla Cawley
Not sure what to make of Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll tossing out the ceremonial first pitch the other night at Fenway Park while the governor was away in California. The stands were still filling up, but nobody seemed to be voicing their political feelings. Is that good? As the saying goes, any publicity is good publicity.

Firefighters responded to a boat fire off Dorchester Sunday afternoon.
The incident occurred around 1 p.m. in the waters off Savin Hill Yacht Club, according to Boston Fire Department.
The passengers on the boat got off safely, BFD said. But the boat did have to be towed to shallow waters.
Images posted by the department show other boats responding to put out the flames right next in front of the Rainbow Swash mural.
The MBTA Police responded to a call last week of a man urinating on the bus.
The call came in around 11 a.m. Wednesday that a male passenger was peeing in front of others on the bus near the Mass Ave. at Harrison Ave. stop, T Police said in a post on X.
After removing the man, officers said they discovered he had “14 warrants for his arrest for various [offenses] from numerous courts,” according to the T Police. The man was arrested.
BPD responded to 245 incidents in the 24-hour period ending at 10 a.m. Sunday, according to the department’s incident log. Those included two robberies, two aggravated assaults, two residential burglaries, four larcenies from a vehicle, and 31 miscellaneous larcenies.
All of the below-named defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
— Roman Lora, 24 Sumner St., Revere. Assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
— Maryann Valeyron, 31 Albion St., Lowell. Operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license.
— Irini Papa, 4 McDewell Ave., Danvers. Assault and battery on a police officer.
— Yaseen Ahmad, no address listed. Sexual conduct for a fee.
— Matthew Fitzpatrick, no address listed. Sexual conduct for a fee.
— Darren Francisque, 58 Gold St., Randolph. Sexual conduct for a fee.
— Angelo Furtado, no address listed. Sexual conduct for a fee.
— Rev. Mahayaye-Vineetha Thero, 145 College Ave., Somerville. Sexual conduct for a fee.
— Sundararahan Vaidyanathan, 13264 Middleton Farm Ln., Herndon, VA. Sexual conduct for a fee.
— Justice Wallace, 150 Ellington St., Dorchester. Unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.
— Jessica Hazard, 190 Mountain Ave., Malden. Trespassing.
— Julio Cortez, no address listed. Disorderly conduct.
What to know about MLB’s ABS robot umpire strike zone system
MLB launches ABS challenge system as players test robot umpire calls in a groundbreaking season.
The 2026 MLB season has surpassed the quarter mark, and after each team’s first 40 games, there’s plenty of reasons to tune in all summer long.
Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami has already proven doubters wrong by launching 17 home runs, Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes consistently looks like the best version of himself on the mound and Milwaukee ace Jacob Misiorowski is throwing harder than any starter in the majors.
The MLB action continues on Sunday as the Texas Rangers visit the Boston Red Sox.
Here’s everything you need to know to tune in for the first pitch.
See USA TODAY’s sortable MLB schedule to filter by team or division.
First pitch between the Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers is scheduled for (ET) on Sunday, June 14.
All times Eastern and accurate as of Sunday, June 14, 2026, at 6:32 a.m.
Watch MLB all season long with Fubo
MLB regional blackout restrictions apply
MLB scores for June 14 games are available on usatoday.com . Here’s how to access today’s results:
See scores, results for all of today’s games.
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox achieved something that they hadn’t done in over two months on Saturday.
The club won just its second home series of the season with a 6-3 victory over the Texas Rangers.
Boston’s other series win at Fenway Park came all the way back on April 8 versus the Milwaukee Brewers.
A lot has changed since that day, but the Red Sox’ lackluster play on their home diamond hasn’t. Saturday’s win improved their home record to 12-21, but that’s still the worst of any MLB team.
Nonetheless, a series win is a series win, especially against a potential future Hall of Fame starting pitcher like Jacob deGrom.
“It’s been a minute,” interim manager Chad Tracy said of securing multiple wins at home after the game. “It feels good. It’s no secret … we all know we have to play better at home. We’ve played two really good ballgames here to start. Won a series there (in April) and have a chance to go sweep one, so it feels good for the guys, for sure.”
deGrom didn’t have his best stuff, luckily for Boston. The 37-year-old tossed six innings and gave up six hits, two earned runs, and notched five strikeouts.
He left the game tied at 2-2 after his day was done, paving the way for the Red Sox’ bats to take advantage of the Rangers’ bullpen.
And that they did.
Ceddanne Rafaela drove in two runs on a timely RBI single in the seventh inning to give Boston a 4-2 lead.
After a similarly strong game the night before in which he hit a two-run home run and two doubles, Rafaela credited the warm weather for Boston’s bats getting hot. Perhaps Saturday’s continuation of 90-degree temperatures helped keep the offense going.
In the top of the eighth, Texas’ Jake Burger brought his club within one via a solo home run, but Jarren Duran had other ideas.
Duran launched a two-run homer to extend Boston’s lead to 6-3, which was ultimately the final score.
It remains to be seen whether the Red Sox’ latest series win is the start of a shift in momentum. Nevertheless, it’s undeniable that the team is playing better at home as of late. In their last 11 home games, they’ve hit .282 with 57 runs scored, 40 extra-base hits, a .340 on-base percentage, .465 slugging percentage, and .805 OPS.
“I think every win matters, especially at home,” Rafaela told NESN’s Adam Pellerin. “We want the fans to be happy and that’s what we try to accomplish. Show up tomorrow and get the win.”
Boston will attempt to complete its third series sweep Sunday at 7:20 p.m. Eastern Time. The game will be broadcast on NBC.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eJpjtyp7wk
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