Fenway Park, first opened in 1912, is the oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball. In 2012, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Its oddities, asymmetry, and personal vibe set it apart. Fenway Park has a charm that newer, finer ballparks cannot match. The park sits on land formerly occupied by a quarry and horse farms.
Fenway Park is famous for its "Green Monster" wall-of-fans backdrop. The left field fence is made of green clay soil mixed with small stones to provide some footing for those in the stands. This unusual construction rises 25 feet high above the batter's box. It was built to protect fans from errant pitches that were known to come off the mound dangerously close to them in the early days of baseball.
The original left field fence was replaced in 1947 after years of damage caused by foul balls and collisions. But the new fence had its own problems: It was made of wood, which led to the nickname "the Wrecking Ball" for Red Sox pitcher Bob Turley. In 1961, another replacement came along, this time made of brick. It too had its problems - in this case, the presence of a drugstore chain called Bruton - but it still stands today under the watchful eye of baseball's historical marker.
Fenway Park also has one of the largest screens used in sports for showing games on television.
Boston's Fenway Park Fenway Park is a baseball stadium in Boston that serves as the home of the Boston Red Sox, the city's American League (AL) franchise. It is the oldest and most famous ballpark in Major League Baseball, having opened in 1912. Boston's Fenway Park. The Red Sox's owner, John I. Taylor, wanted to name the new stadium after himself but the name was already taken by another facility in Fort Worth, Texas. Thus, he named it after his boyhood favorite team, the Chicago Cubs.
Fenway Park has been called the best ballpark in all of baseball. Its natural grass field allows for easy playing on any weather condition, which makes it suitable for many outdoor events such as weddings and bar mitzvahs. The stadium also features an iconic red-brick facade with white trim that was designed by Charles A. Steinle and Paul R. McGraw. The two men won a contest held by the Red Sox to come up with a design for the new ballpark. Fenway Park opened its doors on April 17th, 1912, with a game between the Red Sox and New York Highlanders. Although the Red Sox lost that first game 3-1, they went on to win the World Series that year.
Over the years, many great players have signed contracts with the Red Sox including Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski, Roger Maris, and Manny Ramirez.
Wrigley Field opened in 1914, making it the second-oldest active MLB ballpark behind Fenway. Fenway opened four years later.
Fenway is also has by far the most historical significance with four World Series rings, two National League pennants, and one American League pennant to its name. Wrigley has only one World Series ring when you include the Chicago Cubs who moved to Chicago in 1890. The New York Yankees played their first game at home against the Boston Red Sox on April 18, 1912 and they have not left since. Fenway is so famous that it has its own Wikipedia page!
In case you were wondering, here are the ages of both parks: Fensay=4131 Wrigley=944
Fenway is a national landmark while Wrigley is a private company that pays its players but doesn't share its profits like the Yankees or Cardinals. Neither the Cubs nor Indians have ever won the World Series.
Fenway is owned by an independent foundation while the Cubs are sold by the team to cover their costs. The Chicago Tribune owns half of the Cubs and they did not sell any shares during their most recent financial report.
Aside from baseball, Fenway Park has hosted other sports. Soccer games have been played there, and the ballpark formerly housed professional football clubs. Nothing, however, was more strange than witnessing an ice hockey game at Fenway Park on New Year's Day 2010.
In 1913, James Naismith introduced basketball to the United States when he created a rule set for men's play that included a ban on charging players with arms extended. The first NBA game was played at Madison Square Garden that year, but the league decided not to return for another season. In 1914, John Fitzgerald "Duke" Faust Jr. bought the Boston Bruins NHL team and began a new era of sports at Fenway Park.
Faust was a former college athlete who married into wealth. He hired Al Smith to be his coach and took over the team after it went bankrupt. Under Faust's leadership, the Bruins became one of the most popular teams in Boston, drawing thousands to see them play each week. In 1919, Duke Faust died in a car crash at the age of 42.
The basketball game had been scheduled for January 1st but wasn't played because of the Christmas holiday. Ice hockey games started following the Bruins' inaugural NFL season in 1933. The original idea was to have both sports seasons run concurrently, but this didn't work out due to lack of interest from fans and sponsors.
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