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In today's society
some of the best things are ones that change little and
remain basically the same as they have for decades. Fenway Park is
an example of this as the Boston Red Sox have remained committed to staying at
this classic ballpark that they have called home since 1912. It is
the oldest major league ballpark in use and still retains the same
feel and characteristics as it did when it opened. The history of the Red Sox dates back
to 1901 when they became a charter member of the American League.
Instead of opting to play at the Boston Braves home, South End
Grounds, the Red Sox, then known as the Americans (1901-1907), built Huntington Avenue Grounds on
site of a wasteland in 1901. This rickety wooden ballpark had a
seating capacity of just over 11,000 and was home to the team for a
decade.
Due to the possibility
of
fires and embarrassment to both the team and the City of Boston, Red Sox
owner, John Taylor, decided to build a new ballpark to replace
Huntington Avenue Grounds. Taylor, a real estate magnet, sold
himself cheap land in "The Fens" of Boston
to construct a new
ballpark. The construction of the ballpark succeeded in increasing the
overall
value of the team. Taylor capitalized on this and sold the team to
Jim McAleer and Robert McRoy before Fenway Park was completed. Construction of the ballpark began in September 1911. It
took one year for the 27,000 seat ballpark to be constructed. Named
Fenway Park, it was built of steel and concrete, and only had one level
of seating. Wooden bleachers were located in parts of left, right
and centerfield. The facade consisted of red brick. Fenway Park
opened on April 20, 1912 and its original dimensions were 321 ft.
(left), 488 ft. (center), and 314 ft. (right). Until 1934, in front of the left
field fence was Duffy's Cliff, a 10 foot embankment.
The 1920s were not the best of times for the Red Sox franchise. Babe Ruth was sold
to the Yankees and then the team was sold to new investors. In 1926, the wooden
bleachers along the left field foul line burned and were not
rebuilt. However, better times came to Fenway Park when
Thomas A. Yawkey bought the Red Sox in 1933. Beginning that Fall,
renovations quickly began at Fenway Park. Duffy’s Cliff was removed, wooden
seats in right and center field were replaced by concrete stands and
the entire grandstand was enlarged. The seating capacity was also increased
from 27,642 to 33,817. The most significant feature added to the
ballpark was the 37 foot high wall in left field. The wall was
covered with advertisements and at the base of the wall was a hand operated
scoreboard. A tragic fire in January 1934 destroyed most of the
construction, however the ballpark was complete and free of damage when it reopened on
April 17, 1934.
Throughout its history
there have been small expansions and changes made to Fenway Park. In
1936, a 23 foot net was placed on the left field wall to prevent
baseballs from breaking windows in nearby shops. In 1940, bullpens
were constructed directly behind the right field wall. The "Green
Monster" was created in 1947 when the advertisements were removed
from the left field wall and it was painted dark green. Night
baseball at Fenway Park was first played in 1947. After the 1975
season, a $1.3 million video/scoreboard was erected behind the
bleachers in centerfield and the press box was enlarged, enclosed in
glass and air-conditioned. The same year, the tin that made up the
"Green Monster" was replaced by a hard plastic surface. In the 1980s
luxury boxes replaced the old press box. Additional seating has been added along parts of the
rooftop and down each baseline; thus creating a small upper deck consisting
of several rows. New teal and red seats were added, replacing
many of the old wooden seats.
 In
2002 the Red Sox were
sold to John Henry, Tom Werner and Larry Lucchino. Prior to the sale
of the team, there had been discussion of building a new Fenway
Park. This ballpark was planned to have the same distinct features of
Fenway Park, but with more modern and up to date amenities. However, the current owners of the Red Sox have been committed to
preserving and improving Fenway Park for the foreseeable future.
Since 2003, there have been numerous improvements and upgrades completed at
the ballpark. The famous Green Monster seats, 250 bar style seats,
were added atop the Green Monster in left field enabling fans to
view Fenway Park in a distinct way they have never had before. In
2004 the team added
additional seats atop the roof in right field. Two years later, the
once enclosed .406 Club, located behind homeplate, was renamed the
EMC Club and today features 406 open-air seats.
An additional 400
club seats were added above the EMC Club and pavilion level seats,
named the State Street Pavilion, were added along the baselines
increasing the seating capacity
to 38,000. Before the 2008 season, the next phase of upgrades at
Fenway Park was completed. The upgrades included the expansion of the State
Street Pavilion with 800 new seats and the new Coca-Cola Club,
located where the left field foul line meets the Green Monster.
The latest renovations at Fenway Park, completed before the 2009, 2010
and 2011 seasons, involved replacing and
refurbishing seats in the lower bowl. The original 1912 seating bowl was also repaired and
waterproofed. In addition, the seating area along the right
field
roof was expanded and repaired to seat 575 fans. Prior to the start
of the 2011 season, a new 38'x100' HD video/scoreboard was installed above the center-field bleachers. The current
capacity at Fenway Park is now 36,945 during day games and 37,373 during
night games. The seating capacity varies because a tarp is used
during afternoon games in dead centerfield in order for hitters to
see the ball. The Red Sox have stated that the seating capacity of
Fenway Park will not exceed 40,000 anytime in the future.Although Fenway Park is
the oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball, it is one of America's
most beloved ballparks. The enthusiastic and exciting atmosphere outside of Fenway Park before
games is truly unique and cannot be found elsewhere. Yawkey Way is closed prior to
games so fans can mingle and enjoy live music, great food and the
company of other Red Sox fans. They can also check out the Red Sox
Team Store or snag a signature of a past Red Sox player at Autograph
Alley. Fenway Park's interior is full of character with its small
intimate seating capacity, the Green Monster and manual scoreboard
in left field; the lone red seat in right field where the longest
homerun ever hit, 502 feet by Ted Williams, and the retired numbers
of greats on the right field facade.
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