Fenway at 100: Celebrating the Good and Bad of America's Favorite Ballpark

For most Red Sox fans, Fenway Park conjures up a variety of memories, both good and bad. This year America’s most celebrated ballpark turns 100, and 34 years of Fenway memories continue to leave a smile on my face.

I realized immediately upon my first trip in 1978 that I loved baseball and the cozy little bandbox where the Red Sox play, even as they were about to blow a 14 game lead. I have seen more than 25 major league ballparks in person, and nothing compares with the unique oasis that is Fenway Park. I still enjoy sitting in the bleachers on a warm summer day holding my $5 Fenway Frank in one hand and my $8.50 12 oz. cup of draft beer in the other with 37,000+ of my closest friends. It takes me away from the drudgery of an eight-hour day sitting in a cubicle, and allows me to breathe a sigh of relief that another long New England winter is behind us.

There have been a lot of changes since 1978, but the timeless appeal of Fenway Park remains, and there are a number of things we love, and love to hate about the old ball yard. I’ll start with the not-so great aspects of America’s most beloved ballpark.

"Friendly" Fenway

Fenway Park is often described as a family-friendly ballpark. I’ve lived in Boston most of my life and I can honestly say that Boston does not do well overall with convenience, bargains, or friendliness. Security personnel can be surly and unhelpful, and if the Red Sox are losing an important game to the Yankees or anybody else, Fenway can be about as friendly as the drivers on the nearby Mass Pike.

Public transportation has also become a problem in this city as the MBTA has raised prices more than 20 percent and cut services back. I don’t think anybody likes paying more for less. Try finding a train back to the western suburbs if a game goes into extra innings and past 11 o’clock at night. If you are planning a trip to Fenway, be prepared to return home with your wallet and your patience depleted.

Tired Traditions

Mark Twain wrote in Tom Sawyer that “The less there is to justify a traditional custom, the harder it is to get rid of it.” This was the case with the “Less Filling, Tastes Great” chants of 1970’s and 80’s. Chanting “Yankees Suck” at every game, even when the Yankees aren’t in town is a boring, unoriginal, and mindless tradition that has lasted for more than 10 years at Fenway. Ten years too long if you ask me.

There are many ways for fans to rattle an opponent such as the Yankees. Let’s try and find something original. Perhaps the worst tradition that still lives at Fenway is the singing of Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline.” Some fans come to Fenway solely to sing the easiest verses of this song. Boston Herald journalist and radio personality Tony Massarotti labeled these fans “Pink Hats,” because they would wear pink Red Sox hats and not pay any attention to the action on the field. They also stand up and block views of the action in the middle of a pitch, or cheer at the most inopportune moments. Time to get rid of “Sweet Caroline.”

The Moments

For every great moment that’s occurred at Fenway, there have been equally painful ones. The Red Sox have lost two World Series seventh games at Fenway, and we all remember 1978 and the Bucky Dent home run. There are a number of facts that are often over looked from that playoff game. For one, it was a Reggie Jackson home run that turned out to be the difference in the Yankees 5-4 win. Also, the Red Sox had Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski at the plate with the tying run at third before he popped out to Craig Nettles to end the season.

More recently, fans are still recovering from the Red Sox collapse of September 2011. These memories stick with Red Sox fans as much as David Ortiz’s home run in Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS or Curt Schilling’s bloody sock. It’s part of the culture of being a Red Sox fan. Now for the good.

The Players

I saw Pedro Martinez create a buzz in the ballpark that has never been duplicated by any other player. Pedro woke the sleeping giant that was Red Sox Nation upon his arrival in 1998. The team had lost 13 consecutive playoff games dating back to Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. He not only ended that streak in 1998, but he made the days he pitched an event to behold with numerous standing ovations, and performances that fans and reporters talked about for days. He’s the biggest reason the Red Sox changed their philosophy to build a pitching first team, rather than a squad of sluggers. He left after helping the Red Sox win their first championship in 86 years.

The other player who gave me the most joy patrolled the vast landscape in right field for 18 years. Dwight Evans won eight Gold Gloves in arguably the toughest outfield to play in the Majors. He also made the greatest catch in World Series history. That’s right, Willie Mays, it was Dewey’s catch in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series that outranks your catch from 1954 and kept the Red Sox season alive for another day. His arm created some of the most exciting plays at home plate, and saved many a game by preventing runs from scoring. This clip from MLB’s Prime 9 program shows just a few. I hope to see No. 45 and 24 next to No. 1, 4, 9, 14, and 27 soon. I should probably point out that if Manny Ramirez is reading this, you should not show up the day No. 24 is retired. It’s NOT FOR YOU!!

The Atmosphere

There is a constant buzz around Fenway Park. The park is always full and most of the fans are tuned in to the action. The bars and restaurants around the ballpark are not only great places indulge in some pre and postgame cocktails; they are very posh with lots of open space, big screen televisions, well-lit top shelf liquor choices, and high end menu choices such as oysters and ahi tuna.

This may not be the traditional ballgame fare we know and love, but that’s where the street vendors come in. The aromas of grilled sausages, chicken, peppers, and fresh roasted peanuts fill the air as you walk down Lansdowne Street. I dream of these days as I’m shoveling wet, heavy snow in January. Watching the sun set over the left field roof box can mesmerize those who are not even baseball fans.

Familiarity

When a landmark such as Fenway turns 100, baseball fans in Boston and across the nation expect to see its customary quirks and characteristics in person or on TV. People travel thousands of miles to see the Green Monster, the manually operated scoreboard, the Citgo sign, the red seat in right field, and the John Hancock Tower looming above the right field roof deck. It provides a sense of comfort to fans that these Fenway features will be around for generations to see, and that despite the constant changes our world offers, many things remain unspoiled.

Some quirks aren’t even comfortable such as the narrow seats and rows, but fans often forge friendships due to the lack of space and amenities, thereby making a potentially awkward situation fun and familiar. This Nike commercial from the 2004 World Series shows how generations of fans appreciate the familiarity of Fenway. 

The Moments

It’s hard to believe how many great moments and players I’ve seen at Fenway over 34 years. I saw Carl Yastrzemski’s 400^th home run when 400 home runs was a big deal. He was the first American League player to log 400 home runs and 3,000 hits, and he surpassed both these milestones in 1979. I saw Bill Buckner, yes Bill Buckner, catch the final out of the game that clinched the 1986 American League Eastern Division title. I saw Mo Vaughn hit a walk-off, game-winning grand slam on Opening Day 1998. I saw the first of three straight Red Sox wins resulting in a memorable comeback victory in the 1999 American League Division Series. I even experienced some of the festivities during All-Star weekend in 1999.

I wasn’t at Fenway during the 2004 and 2007 playoff run, but I could feel the collective relief and elation of Red Sox fans who experienced the long-awaited championships that their parents and grandparents never did. 

A Must See

Every baseball fan should see Fenway at least once. It’s not going anywhere and the current ownership has done a nice job modernizing the 100-year-old relic. There’s still more good than bad, and it would be hard to imagine the Red Sox playing anywhere else. Happy Birthday Fenway, and may your next 100 years be as memorable as your first.