Boston Traveler's Series: #3 - Almost 100 Years Of Baseball Legacy At Fenway Park
Written: Jul 01 '08 (Updated Feb 26 '09)
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Pros: The history of the park, unbelievable atmosphere, the Green Monster
Cons: Parking is atrocious, gets a little pricey
The Bottom Line: One of baseballs great remaining parks, Fenway is a must visit for any baseball fan.
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| ace3502's Full Review: Fenway Park |
There are almost no other Major League Baseball Parks in the country that can boast the history, the triumph, the heartache, and the passion that Fenway Park can. For any baseball fan, hate the team or love them, this is a must visit when in Boston, Massachusetts.
The Park
Currently the oldest stadium in Major League Baseball, Fenway opened its glorious doors on April 20, 1912. Since then the dedicated fans of the Red Sox (Red Sox Nation as we have come to be known as) have enjoyed 7 World Series titles, (most recently the 2007 World Series) and anguished through the 86 year long and well known period that the Sox went through without a World Series Title from 1918 – 2004. Holding just under 40,000 fans (depending on a day or night game) the park has become easily recognized as a tourist attraction because of the infamous Green Monster (or Monstah as we call it in Boston). This 37 foot high wall resides in left field and has the last remaining manual scoreboard in the major leagues. The reason it was built was because the area it was built in back in 1912 was primarily residential and very tight on space, therefore they couldn’t extend out the seats like a normal ballpark so they constructed the wall instead. In 2003 the club added fantastic seats on top of the Green Monster, giving fans a never seen before look at the park. Although expensive, these seats, I assure you, are absolutely phenomenal and give you a great chance of having a home run ball hit to you or right around you.
Very literally one of the old classic parks, Fenway still sports wooden seats in its grandstand section of the park. Marked notably by one of the most famous home runs in Red Sox history, the green seats sport one seat in the bleachers in right field that is pained red. This seat signifies the longest home run hit in Red Sox history landed, hit by the late great, Ted Williams. Also two other notable sights in Fenway are the right and left field foul poles. Known to Fenway Fans as Pesky’s Pole the right field pole was named after Sox great Johnnny Pesky who was able to wrap numerous home runs around the pole without hitting it, as it is the shortest right field pole in MLB. The left field pole is named the Fisk Pole for the infamous home run Carlton Fisk hit in game six of the 1975 World Series where Fisk, rather than running down to first base, jumped and waved his arms as if to will the ball fair, where it did land, and send the series to a deciding game seven.
If you are fortunate enough to sit in the luxury boxes that are around the park they are certainly a treat. Usually owned by corporations and businesses, these boast some very fine dining, indoor and outdoor options to watch the game, and incredible views.
Prices
Seats don’t come cheap at Fenway. I’ve been going to games since I was a kid and I’ve watched the prices skyrocket, especially since they won two World Series titles in the last four years. I would say bleacher seats go anywhere from 45-65 and up from there for better seating. There are group sections you can buy at a discount but I’ve never priced those myself. And just like any other ballpark the prices for the concession stands are overpriced as well. A beer and a hot dog you’re looking at probably $13 or $15 so make sure you bring your wallet or eat before you get there.
Parking
I would HIGHLY recommend taking the subway in to the game. The stadium is not a long walk at all from the subway station and it will save you the hassle of traffic and finding parking. Now most times you can find parking around the stadium at the various parking lots/garages but they are wildly expensive. Parking for one game can run you anywhere from $30 to $50 so public transportation to the stadium is highly recommended. An easy way to do this would be to drive in town to Government Center which is the City Hall area of Boston and park at the garage there for $12 then jump in a cab for a few dollars or take the subway the rest of the way, either way you save some money.
What’s Around The Stadium?
Walking around the stadium you’ll see some great bars like Game On, The Cask & Flagon, and Boston Beer Works. Almost all of the bars around it offer food for you to go in and get a bite to eat early and have a few drinks, not only that but they are all literally on the other side of the street from the park which is really convenient. Along the roads all around the stadium you’ll see the one and only sausage vendors, pretzels, popcorn etc which you can grab for a quick bite and a real genuine taste of Boston. You also have a few pro shop type places that sell memorabilia, jerseys, and hats all over the place by the stadium. Now personally I’d wait until after the game to buy them because they tend to be a nuisance to carry around with you unless you plan on wearing in whatever you’re buying. As I said above, the subway is within a few blocks walk so after the game you can also feel free to head out of the Fenway area and stop in to another part of the city.
What’s The Best Way To See The Park?
A few years ago I did the Fenway tour, which is FANTASTIC. You head to the park mid afternoon (they do tours on game days but stop them 4 or 5 hours before game time) and you buy a ticket for a certain tour time. Heading in you get a never before seen look at the park inside and out with your personal tour guide that spouts off all sorts of interesting facts and statistics about the stadium and the area you are touring. The final culmination of this is getting to walk along the warning track all around the field and getting to sit inside the dugout! This is a great attraction for kids and adults alike and isn’t too expensive so I’d certainly recommend it for any family or fan of the Sox and the stadium.
Conclusion
The Fenway experience is unmatched. For any baseball fan it is a must see park. The history behind it, the emotion, the passion are all unique to each park but it is amplified when you know you are in a park that has stood for almost 100 years. Although it is tough to get tickets, the tour that I mentioned above is always available and highly recommended to enhance your Fenway experience if you are going to a game or not. Here’s to 100 years of Fenway games, and to 100 more.
© Copyright 2008 - ace3502
Boston Traveler's Series:
# 1 - The Boston Garden
# 2 - New England Holocaust Memorial
# 3 - Fenway Park
# 4 - Lexington, Massachusetts
# 5 - Faneuil Hall / Quincy Market
# 6 - New England Aquarium
Looking for a place to stay around Boston? Try:
Marriott Boston-Burlington Hotel
Marriott Boston-Long Wharf
Marriott Boston-Woburn North Hotel
The Westin Waltham-Boston Hotel
Recommended:
Yes
Parking Availability: Better Get There Early
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ace3502
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Member: Andrew
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Reviews written: 108
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