Hello everyone! Welcome to Sports Teller! Today, we will be going over the tradition and culture of the Fenway Park. Without further adieu, let’s begin!

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The Tradition and Culture of Fenway Park

Fenway Park is considered the most beloved ballpark because of its rich history and wonderful moments. Located in the heart of Boston, Massachusetts, Fenway Park is also the place where national tournaments took place and movies were filmed. Most importantly, Fenway Park is the place where baseball fans from many generations come and see exciting moments! In this article, you will learn about the ballpark’s history, memorable events, main features, nearby attractions/restaurants, and photos.

History of Fenway Park

• 1910: Red Sox Owner General Charles Henry Taylor announced plans to build Fenway Park after the team spent the previous decade playing at the Huntington Avenue Grounds (1901-1911). Taylor cited that the club’s lack of interest in renewing the leasing agreement with Huntington Avenue Grounds as the reason for the decision to build a new stadium.
• 1912: Fenway Park officially opened as the Red Sox defeat the New York Highlanders (now the Yankees) in extra innings with the final score of 7-6. The opening of the park did not make headlines in the Boston newspaper because of the Titanic’s sinking that took place a few days prior.
• 1926: Fire broke out at Fenway Park in the left field seating area, but the Red Sox were able to still play at the venue. However, Red Sox Owner John Quinn decided not to have the damaged left field area repaired due to financial and funding concerns involving the late 1920s stock market crash.
• 1933: Businessman Tom Yawkey purchased the Red Sox and rebuilt the left field seating area. In addition to the changes at Fenway Park, Yawkey decided to replace the wooden bleachers with cemented ones in the center field area. The organization elected to get rid of the left field inclined wall called “Duffy’s Cliff,” which stood from 1912 to 1933.
• 1934: Another fire broke out at Fenway Park, putting the renovation plans on hiatus. Fortunately, the fire did not leave as much damage as the one that occurred in 1926. Meanwhile, the Red Sox added a hand-operated scoreboard located at the left field wall.
• 1936: Fenway Park included a 23-foot screen behind the left field wall in order to protect buildings from home run balls.
• 1940: The right field bullpen was built and the area became known as “Williamsburg” after Red Sox hitting legend Ted Williams.
• 1946: Fenway Park Implemented and Installed Skyview seats.
• 1947: The “Green Monster” was developed by painting the left field wall green and it is currently the biggest outfield wall in all of baseball at approximately 37 feet (11 meters). In addition, the first lights were installed at the park and the first night game took place for the Red Sox.

• 1976: Fenway Park installed its first message board located in center field.
• 1988: The stadium club seats located in the grandstand above the home plate area were built and the new press box was relocated to the area above those seats.
• 1999: New Red Sox Owners John Henry and Larry Lucchino announced that the Red Sox would play at Fenway Park indefinitely. In fact, the park would undergo major renovations after the previous ownership failed to build a new stadium that could have resulted with Fenway being torn down.
• 2000: Fenway Park installed its very first video board located at center field.
• 2003: Seats were added to the Green Monster and the 23-foot protection screen was removed from the property.
• 2004: Fenway Park installed a new seating area at the right field grandstand called “Budweiser Right Field Roof.”
• 2005: The two new club levels, the EMC Club and the Street Pavilion, were developed at the second and third levels of the ballpark. In addition, the left field foul pole was named “Fisk Foul Pole” after the iconic home run in the 1975 World Series by then Red Sox Catcher Carlton Fisk.
• 2006: The right field foul pole “Pesky Pole”  was dedicated to former Red Sox Infielder and Manager Johnny Pesky.
• 2012: Fenway Park celebrated its 100th birthday and the ballpark was added to the National Register of Historical Places.
• 2013: Carl Yastrzemski statue was unveiled outside Fenway Park.
• 2015: The press box at Fenway Park was dedicated to the late Red Sox executive Dick Bresciani and the room is known as “The Bresh Box.” In addition, the Fresh Farms garden section was added between the EMC Club and the Green Monster Seats. In fact, the garden is still used today as a source of fresh food for ballpark meals.
• 2016: The kids concourse play area is added at the right field grandstand in the stadium.
• 2017: The old Pesky Pole will be taken down as part of the upcoming renovations project and replace it with a new one. In addition, the ballpark will add a video board to replace the current Cumberland sign located at the right field/first base side.

Memorable Moments at Fenway Park

Baseball

• 1975 World Series, Game 6 (Iconic Home Run by Carlton Fisk)
• 2004 ALCS, Game 4 (Red Sox win in extra innings despite being three outs away from elimination)
• 2013 World Series, Game 6 (Red Sox clinch World Series at Fenway Park for the first time since 1918)
• 2013 ALCS, Game 2 (David Ortiz’s game-tying grand slam vs. the Detroit Tigers)
• 2018 World Series (Games 1 and 2)
• Hosted the World Series twelve times (1912, 1915, 1916 1918, 1946, 1967, 1975, 1986, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2018)
• 2008 ALCS, Game 5 (Red Sox rally to beat the Tampa Bay Rays to keep their season alive)
• 2003 ALCS (Bench-clearing brawl between Yankees and Red Sox)

Hockey

• 2010 NHL Winter Classic: Boston Bruins defeat the Philadelphia Flyers in overtime
• Frozen Fenway (College Hockey): Boston University, University of Massachusetts, Boston College, and other major Boston area colleges

Football

• 2015 Shamrock Series (College Football): Notre Dame vs. Boston College

Non-Sporting Events

• Live Concerts: Jason Aldean, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Kid Rock, Pearl Jam, Thomas Rhett, Rolling Stones, Billy Joel, Jimmy Buffett, Aerosmith, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, The Police, and Dave Matthews Band
• Movies Filmed at the Park: Moneyball (2011), Ted (2012), Fever Pitch (2005), Civil Action (1998), Blown Away (1994), Legally Blonde 2: Red, White, and Blonder (2003), Field of Dreams (1989), The Town (2010), and Stronger (2017)

Main Features at Fenway Park

• Green Monster: A 37-foot (11-meter) left field green wall with a hand-operated scoreboard and a three-row seating section.
• Pesky Pole: A right field foul pole that is named after the late Red Sox Infielder and Manager Johnny Pesky
• Red Sox Hall of Fame: Located in the EMC Club, it is dedicated former and current Red Sox members.
• Press Box: Located in the home plate grandstand, it has the view of the entire ballpark along with the Boston skyline.
• Home Plate Concourse: The area showcases the following areas of interest: Movies at Fenway, concessions, and historical plaques.
• Kids Concourse: Located at the right field region, the area features Wally’s Clubhouse and child-friendly activities.
• The Triangle: A center field playing area that looks like a triangle from a bird’s eye view.
• Fisk Foul Pole: A left field foul pole that is named after former Red Sox Catcher Carlton Fisk.
• The Red Seat in the Outfield Section: Located at the right field section, it marks the longest home run ever hit at Fenway Park by Ted Williams.
• Statues: The statues of Carl Yastrzemski and Ted Williams are usually located outside Fenway Park.
• Retired Numbers: The ring of honor is located at the right field grandstand.
• Fresh Farms: Located between the EMC Club and the Green Monster Seats. The garden grows a variety of vegetables and herbs such as broccoli and carrots.

Nearby Attractions/Restaurants

Cask n’Flagon Restaurant (Taken by Sports-Teller.com)

• Cask n’ Flagon: Opened in 1969, Cask n’ Flagon was named the best baseball-themed restaurant/bar twice by ESPN. The Kenmore Square establishment serves American and New England cuisine such as lobster rolls and burgers. The restaurant is located right across the street from Fenway Park. The interior of the eatery is filled with pictures and jerseys from the Boston Red Sox.
• Red Sox Team Store: Located near the ballpark’s home plate entrance, the area sells a variety of Red Sox souvenirs. In fact, the store is approximately 67 feet away from Fenway Park.
• Citgo Sign: A giant neon sign that is located behind the left field section of the ballpark. In addition, this Kenmore Square feature can be seen from any seat at Fenway. Also known as “See-It-Go.”
• House of Blues: Located next to the park’s leftfield side, the restaurant provides casual American cuisine and live music entertainment. In fact, Houses of Blues has multiple chain restaurants throughout the country such as Orlando and Las Vegas.
• Hotel Commonwealth: The official hotel of the Boston Red Sox is decorated with baseball features. In addition, the hotel’s back side of the building faces Fenway Park. In fact, the Kenmore Square hotel allows most people can actually walk from the hotel to Fenway Park. The hotel provides room service and the establishment includes an oyster bar located near the main entrance.
• Eastern Standard: Located right next to Hotel Commonwealth, this modern-style restaurant is known for serving both guests and baseball fans. The restaurant serves gourmet burgers, steaks, oysters, pastas, and seafood.

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