History of Fenway Park: Greatest Sports Buildings
Construction
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Construction of Fenway Park began in 1911 at 4 Yawkey Way, near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. By the time the ballpark opened on April 20th, 1912, the cost of the stadium had reached $650 thousand, or about $15 million in today’s dollars.
Sell-Out Record
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Fenway has been the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club ever since, and has undergone hundreds of millions of dollars in renovations since it opened. Amazingly, every Red Sox home game at Fenway since May 15th, 2003 has been sold out by passionate fans of the team. By 2008, Red Sox Nation helped sell out Fenway for a 456th consecutive Red Sox game, and this broke a Major League Baseball record.
Babe Ruth
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Earlier in its life, Fenway accommodated one of baseball’s biggest stars. Babe Ruth spent his embryonic years in this Boston building, and helped the Red Sox secure World Series titles in 1915, 1916 and 1918. However, he was then sold to the arch-rival New York Yankees and this sparked the alleged Curse of the Bambino.
Scoreboard
In 1934, a scoreboard was added to the park, and at the time it was hailed as a technical marvel. Today, the score is still updated by hand from behind the wall.
Ted Williams
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In the 1940s, baseball’s best hitter called Fenway home. Ted Williams’ .406 batting average in 1941 gave him the distinction of being the last player to hit over .400 for a full season. The Ted Sox era gave birth to the “Williamsburg” area of the park: in fact, Fenway’s right-field bullpens were practically built for Williams’ left-handed swing. Fenway features another nod to Williams’ accomplishments: the lone red seat found in the right field bleachers marks his 502-foot home run blast, and the furthest a ball has ever been hit in that park.
”Yaz” Yastrzemski
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Over the years, Fenway witnessed many more impressive accomplishments. For example, in 1967 Carl Yastrzemski earned the Triple Crown of Major League baseball when he hit 44 home runs, 121 runs batted in, and had a .326 batting average.
The Green Monster
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The stadium’s age and location have led to unique features that included “The Triangle,” “Pesky’s Pole,” and – last but not least – the famous Green Monster in left field. This left field wall was often targeted by right-handed hitters, and was famously seen in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series. Carlton Fisk waved the ball fair as it flew over the Green Monster, and this was the game-winning home run.
Preparing for Victory
Eventually, just prior the 2003 season, the Green Monster was equipped with seats – just in time for what lay around the corner.
2004 World Series Win
Despite all the great memories, Fenway mainly served as the backdrop for years of heartbreak for Red Sox Nations. That is, until 2004 when the BoSox did the impossible and came back from a three-game deficit against the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series on their way to a World Series win and an end to the “Curse of the Bambino.”
Other Important Events at Fenway
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Not only has Fenway Park served as a home for the Boston Red Sox, it has also set the stage for a number of other important events as well. Professional sporting events in football, soccer and hockey have taken place at Fenway, and a number of high-profile musical performances have used the venue as a backdrop.
Legacy
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Fenway will surely continue being one of the most important buildings in sports, even after its centennial celebrations in 2012.
