Fenway Park

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 Somersets (1901-1902), later called the Pilgrims (1903-1906) 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, it had only 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 historical times or memories at Fenway Park. Babe Ruth was sold to the Yankees and then the team was sold. 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 have been 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 are committed to preserving and improving Fenway Park for the foreseeable future. Since 2003, there have been numerous improvements and upgrades done to 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 Pavailion, 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. A year-round restaurant/bar was added under the centerfield seats. This addition gives fans views of the field from a two-way glass paneled retractable door. The latest renovations at Fenway Park, completed before the 2009 and 2010 seasons, involved replacing and refurbishing seats in the lower bowl between the first and third base lines. 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. 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.

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