Become a Fenway Park Fanatic

Date: Monday, August 3, 2009

Only in Boston, Massachusetts can you find a place like Fenway Park.  It is the oldest active ballpark in Major League Baseball today, with a plethora of great moments and players in its archives. Fenway Park hosted its first official game on April 20, 1912. In this game, the Boston Red Sox beat the New York Highlanders—better known today as the Yankees. The rivalry will continue this summer so don’t miss your chance to relive history.

The two teams faced off in 1912 in front of 27,000 fans, but luckily today their stadiums have larger capacities.  Unfortunately, the historical 7-6 Red Sox win in 11 innings did not even make front-page news due to the Titanic sinking only a few days before it. Their “big games” weren’t even played at Fenway.  They were played at Braves Field to accommodate the larger crowds like in Games 3 and 4 of the 1915 Worlds Series. That was the year that Boston beat the Philadelphia Phillies in front of over 42,000. Currently, Fenway’s capacity is just under 40,000 and not only are all games played there (big or small), but every home game since May 15, 2003 has been sold out. You’ll have fun no matter where you sit because you will be in a Red Sox Nation sandwich.

Like wine, Fenway gets better with age, but our memories do not.  So many legendary moments have occurred at Fenway, how are we supposed to remember all of them? Thankfully, different parts of the park have acquired their own nicknames to help us remember which moments occurred in which locations.

Duffy’s Cliff, though no longer visible, consisted of a 10-foot tall ledge in front of the 25-foot wall, to prevent non-paying baseball fans from sneaking into the stadium. From 1912-1933 the steep drop went from the left field foul pole to center field pole.  It was a tough adjustment, and the first man to master it was Red Sox left fielder, Duffy Lewis. After perfected the art of defending the cliff in left field, it was named Duffy’s Cliff.

In the 1950s, the right foul pole became known as “Pesky’s Pole” a phrase coined by Mel Parnell. Infielder at the time, Johnny Pesky hit only 17 homeruns in his entire career, 6 of which happened at Fenway. Most of these, including his most memorable, the 1946 Opening Day 2-run homer, happened to head towards the right-field foul pole.  Another homerun hit to that spot won a game when Parnell was pitching.  It’s a nickname that has stuck with Fenway and one that will stick in your mind too.

After you spot Duffy’s Cliff and get your picture taken next to Pesky’s Pole, keep going into right field. Head to section 42, row 37, and seat 21, or don’t waste time memorizing numbers and just look for the red spot in a sea of green. The famous red seat, in the right-field bleachers is a constant reminder of another Red Sox great, Ted Williams. It is the exact location of the longest homerun ever hit in Fenway and it happened on June 9, 1946. It was painted red to remind fans of the gigantic distance (502 feet) the ball traveled. There will be flashes and commotion surrounding the seat all game, so finding it should not be a problem. A statue of Ted Williams, another attraction of the park, can be found outside Gate B also.

Fenway is one tough stadium. It’s been standing since 1912. It has scars that have been reconstructed and painted over, but you should know a little bit more about what this place has gone through. Fenway has survived 2 fires (in 1926 and 1934). It had almost an entire reconstruction in 1934, in which most wood structures were replaced by metal like the bleachers and the left field wall.

One of the most significant changes the park has gone through occurred in 1947 when the advertisements that inhabited the outfield wall were covered up with green paint, and the Green Monster that we all know and love was created. The most recent addition made to Fenway, was the seating section on top of the Green Monster, added in 2003.

This stadium deserves an in person visit from any baseball fan, with its lengthy list of legendary moments and players that have graced the field. Don’t miss out, get tickets today!