More Useless Baseball Knowledge: Fenway Park

The first of a potentially infinite number of pieces, called "Useless Baseball Knowledge", rose from the depths of the cerebral cortex last week and was very well received. Multiple reads, numerous comments and in general a spring cleaning of my cluttered mind.

Being a logistics and warehouse professional by trade, I am all too familiar with the inventory vernacular...FIFO is of course First In First Out. FILO, First in Last Out and the one that pertains to my trivia prowess, GIGO or Garbage In and Garbage Out. 

My wife, Katie, is convinced that I know how to get to Fenway Park better than I know how to get to the bedroom...That's a topic for another day (aka TMI). So in an effort to fill yet another 350-400 heads with useless knowledge, I present, "More Useless Knowledge" ....

1) Beneath the left field scoreboard on the Green Monster is Morse Code spelling out TAY and JRY in dot-dash fashion. These are the initials of the late Thomas A. Yawkey and Jean R. Yawkey, former owners of the team.

2) "Williamsburg" is the name of the bullpen area in right field which was added and named after Ted Williams.

3) Night baseball began in 1930, but Fenway didn't have their first night game until 1947. The belief is that Tom Yawkey was too cheap to pay the light bill.

4) The ladder in left field is of course in fair territory. Twice in history balls have hit the ladder and resulted in Inside the Park Home Runs. Once by visitor Jimmy Lemon and once by plodding Red Sox player Dick Stuart.

5) The 23-foot net above the 37-foot Green monster was added in 1936 to protect store fronts on Lansdowne Street.

6) The famous Citgo sign, which has become synonymous with Fenway Park, was erected in 1965. 

7) The wall was constructed of 15 tons of Ton-con iron in 1934. The foundation and reinforced steel stretch 22 feet below the field. The wall was rebuilt in 1976. Tin panels were replaced by Formica panels to give the balls a true bounce and to reduce noise upon impact.

8) Club officials refused to let anyone measure the distance from home plate to the left field pole for fear that they would find out that the 315-foot marker was inaccurate. 

The Boston Globe snuck into Fenway and "unofficially measured it to be 309' 3". The sign was changed to remedy the "mis-marking".

9) Despite the legend of Manny Being Manny and relieving himself inside the Monster, there is no permanent bathroom inside the Wall. The score board is scalding hot in the summer and cold in the spring and autumn, and allegedly has rat poison along the floor.

10) The screen behind home plate that allows balls to roll back to the field was the first of its kind.

So...the cabesa has been adequately emptied, and I hope you can go back to work filled with some of my useless knowledge. On second thought...it's beautiful out and the college ladies are sunning themselves on the banks of the Charles.

It's saint Patrick's Day...Sip a cold one for Civ. Don't want to dull my senses.

Please see all of Todd's stories and more at www.bornandbredredsoxred.blogspot.com or join my linkedin group at www.linkedin.com Group name Born and Bred Red Sox Red