By Will McDonough, Globe Staff

This should make it easier for those pushing to keep Fenway Park as is to understand why that is no longer feasible.

Recently, the Cleveland Indians filed papers with the Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington seeking permission to become a publicly held company. To do this, they had to open their books, offering a real look at how a major league baseball team does financially. These numbers also show why a new park is critical to staying competitive.

This financial statement starts in 1993 when the Indians were playing in ancient Cleveland Stadium and drawing no one, and ends in 1997 after three years in the new Jacobs Field. In 1993, the Indians had gross revenues of $54,083,000. Four years later, in the new stadium, they had revenues of $140,030,000, nearly triple the Cleveland Stadium take. Those are gross figures. After taxes, expenses, etc., the Indians netted $3,858,000 in 1993. In 1997, they netted $22,570,000. At the same time, their player payroll went from $21,898,000 in 1993 to $66,125,000 in 1997, just about triple.

This is why the Indians went from the outhouse to the penthouse (the World Series in 1995 and '97) -- they could afford to get better players and keep them. They also are spending $3 million more annually on player development in the minor leagues than they did five years ago.