I love Fenway Park. Ever since the first time I ever step foot into this extraordinary and momentous ballpark, I have been in love. In this case, I believe in love at first sight.
I remember seeing the Green Monster in all its immaculate beauty. I respect the Green Monster for its memoirs, quirks, and flat out refusal of modern times. I respect an inanimate object; I respect a wall.
With all that being said, when there is a new Fenway, whenever that is (I’m in no hurry), leave the wall behind.
The Green Monster was originally built as a result of the street layout around the park, Lansdowne Street. To counteract the undersized distance from home and to deter people from catching a free game, the wall was made abnormally tall. The rest is history.
- B/R Ticket Guide
The Green Monster is a unique symbol of the time and era it was built. To reproduce this landmark removes the uniqueness and all the genuineness. Obviously, the new park will not be limited by street layouts so a faux monster would be a gimmick.
I understand gimmicks are a staple of new ballparks (Houston’s elevation in center field, McCovey’s Cove, etc.) but a fake Green Monster is not only a cheap imitation but is impractical to the game of baseball.
If the architects of Fenway Park were not limited by Landsdowne, they would not have erected a ridiculously large fence in shallow left field.
What I propose is leave the wall as is, where it is. I don’t care if the rest of the stadium is torn down and redeveloped as long as the monster stays standing tall. It is an artifact, a symbol of Boston and baseball. It is one of a kind, and I say let’s keep it that way.
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4 months ago
The Monster is as much of a Red Sox symbol as anything. If you take it away, you take away something from the experience of being at a game. If they put in stupid fan activities instead of a monster, it would be completely absurd.
4 months ago
Hey - shockingly the yankees are going through some of the same problems during the construction of their new park.
The debate over what to bring along from the old stadium and what to put in as new, is certainly difficult.
The famed yankee facade is not nearly as famous as the Green Guy, but it is still a symbol of out stadium. In the new ballpark some of the old facade will be incorporated into a new take on it.
Perhaps thats where the solution for the monster lies.
Take the old wall and make something new out of it. The Red Sox could have a ridiculously high section of outfield wall. Maybe a tall foul line wall, to make for some unique seating or a resturant.
I am anxious about the New Yankee stadium and how the history of the club will be preserved in the new. Hopefull it, and whatever new fenway is built come out nice, so we can continue to have a rivalry in some more lavish accomodations.
4 months ago
I hope theres no stupid fan activities either, save that for the west coast or something.
4 months ago
Its funny, cuz I disagreed before reading the article, but now I couldn't agree more.
I feel like leaving the wall and building a new stadium would be just as much a disgrace as tearing down Fenway in the first place would be.
But some like the old ballparks and their quirks, and their tiny visiting clubhouses, and many hate them. So it's probably inevitable. Good read!
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