America's Most Beloved Ballpark[1] Friendly Fenway | |
 | |
 Fenway Park during the2013 World Series | |
| Address | 4Jersey Street[2] United States |
|---|---|
| Location | Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 42°20′47″N71°5′52″W / 42.34639°N 71.09778°W /42.34639; -71.09778 |
| Public transit |   Framingham/Worcester Line atLansdowne  Green Line atKenmore andFenway |
| Owner | Fenway Sports Group |
| Operator | Fenway Sports Group / Boston Red Sox |
| Capacity | 37,305 (day) 37,755 (night)[3] |
| Record attendance | 47,627 (September 22, 1935)[4] |
| Field size |
|
| Surface | Kentucky Blue Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | September 25, 1911 (1911-09-25) |
| Opened | April 20, 1912 (1912-04-20) |
| Renovated | 1988, 2002–2011, 2017 |
| Expanded | 1934, 1946, 2002–2011, 2017, 2022 |
| Construction cost | US$650,000 ($21.2 million in 2024 dollars[5]) |
| Architect | James E. McLaughlin[6][7] |
| Structural engineer | Osborn Engineering Corp.[7] |
| General contractor | Charles Logue Building Company, Coleman Brothers, Inc.[7] |
| Tenants | |
| |
| Website | |
| mlb.com/redsox/ballpark | |
Fenway Park | |
| NRHP reference No. | 12000069[8] |
| Added to NRHP | March 7, 2012 |
Fenway Park is aballpark inBoston, Massachusetts, United States, close toKenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home field ofMajor League Baseball's (MLB)Boston Red Sox. While the stadium was built in 1912, it was substantially rebuilt in 1934,[9] and underwent major renovations and modifications in the 21st century. It is theoldest active ballpark in the MLB.[10] Because of its age and constrained location in Boston's denseFenway–Kenmore neighborhood, the park has many quirky features, including "The Triangle", Pesky's Pole, and theGreen Monster in left field. It is the fifth-smallest among MLB ballparks by seating capacity, second-smallest by total capacity, and one of nine that cannot accommodate at least 40,000 spectators.
Fenway Park has hosted theWorld Series eleven times, with theRed Sox winning six of them and theBoston Braves winning one.[note 1] Besides baseball games, it has also been the site of many other sporting and cultural events including professional football games for theBoston Redskins,Boston Yanks, and theBoston Patriots; concerts; soccer and hockey games (including theNHL Winter Classic in both2010 and2023); and political and religious campaigns.
On March 7, 2012 (Fenway Park'scentennial year), the park was added to theNational Register of Historic Places.[11][12] It is a landmark at the end of theBoston Irish heritage trail. Former pitcherBill Lee has called Fenway Park "ashrine".[13] It is a pendingBoston Landmark, which will regulate any further changes to the park.[14] The ballpark is considered to be one of the most well-known sports venues in the world and a symbol of Boston.[15]
In 1911, while the Red Sox were still playing onHuntington Avenue Grounds, ownerJohn I. Taylor purchased the land bordered by Brookline Avenue,Jersey Street, Van Ness Street and Lansdowne Street and developed it into a larger baseball stadium known as Fenway Park.[16] Taylor claimed the name Fenway Park came from its location in theFenway neighborhood of Boston, which was partially created late in the nineteenth century by filling in marshland or "fens",[16] to create theBack Bay Fens urban park. However, given that Taylor's family also owned the Fenway Realty Company, the promotional value of the naming at the time has been cited as well.[17]
Like many classic ballparks, Fenway Park was constructed on an asymmetrical block, with consequent asymmetry in its field dimensions.[18] The park was designed by architectJames E. McLaughlin, and the General Contractor was theCharles Logue Building Company.[19]
The first game was played April 20, 1912, with mayorJohn F. Fitzgeraldthrowing out the first pitch and Boston defeating theNew York Highlanders, 7–6 in 11 innings. Newspaper coverage of the opening was overshadowed by continuing coverage of theTitanic sinking five days earlier.[20]
In June 1919, a rally supporting Irish Independence turned out nearly 50,000 supporters to see the President of the Irish Republic,Éamon de Valera and was allegedly the largest crowd ever in the ballpark.[21]
The park's address was originally 24Jersey Street. In 1977, the section of Jersey Street nearest the park was renamedYawkey Way in honor of longtime Red Sox ownerTom Yawkey, and the park's address was 4 Yawkey Way until 2018, when the street's name was reverted to Jersey Street in light of current Red Sox ownership distancing itself from Yawkey due to his history of racism (the Red Sox were the last team in Major League Baseball to integrate).[22][23] The address is now 4 Jersey Street.[2]
Some of the changes include:[24]
On May 15, 1999, then-Red Sox CEOJohn Harrington announced plans for a new Fenway Park to be built near the existing structure.[37] It was to have seated 44,130 and would have been a modernized replica of the current Fenway Park, with the same field dimensions except for a shorter right field and reduced foul territory. Some sections of the existing ballpark were to be preserved (mainly the original Green Monster and the third base side of the park) as part of the overall new layout. Most of the current stadium was to be demolished to make room for new development, with one section remaining to house a baseball museum and public park.[38] The proposal was highly controversial; it projected that the park had less than 15 years of usable life, would require hundreds of millions of dollars of public investment, and was later revealed to be part of a scheme by current ownership to increase the marketable value of the team as they were ready to sell.[39] Several groups (such as "Save Fenway Park") formed in an attempt to block the move.[40]
A significant renovation of Fenway Park stretched over a 10-year period beginning around 2002 headed byJanet Marie Smith, then vice president of planning and development for the Sox. TheBoston Globe has described Smith as "the architect credited with saving Fenway Park."[41] At completion of the renovations, it was reported that Fenway Park remains usable until as late as 2062.[42]
Fenway's capacity differs between day and night games because, during day games, the seats in center field (Section 35) are covered with a black tarp in order to provide abatter's eye.
Fenway's lowest attendance was recorded on October 1,1964, when a game against theCleveland Indians drew only 306 paid spectators.[43][44][45]
On May 15, 2003, the Red Sox game against theTexas Rangers sold out, beginning a sellout streak that lasted until 2013. On September 8, 2008, when the Red Sox hosted theTampa Bay Rays, Fenway Park broke the all-time Major League record for consecutive sellouts with 456, surpassing the record previously held byJacobs Field inCleveland.[46] On June 17, 2009, the park celebrated its 500th consecutive Red Sox sellout. According toWBZ, the team joined three NBA teams which achieved 500 consecutive home sellouts.[47] The sellout streak ended on April 10, 2013 (with an attendance of 30,862) after the Red Sox sold out 794 regular season games and an additional 26 postseason games.[48]
| Year(s) | Seating Capacity | Year(s) | Seating Capacity | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day | Night | Day | Night | ||
| 1912–1946 | 35,000 | 1992 | 33,925 | ||
| 1947–1948 | 35,500 | 1993–1994 | 34,218 | ||
| 1949–1952 | 35,200 | 1995–2000 | 33,455 | 33,871 | |
| 1953–1957 | 34,824 | 2001–2002 | 33,577 | 33,993 | |
| 1958–1959 | 34,819 | 2003 | 34,482 | 34,898 | |
| 1960 | 33,368 | 2004–2005 | 34,679 | 35,095 | |
| 1961–1964 | 33,357 | 2006 | 35,692 | 36,108 | |
| 1965–1967 | 33,524 | 2007 | 36,109 | 36,525 | |
| 1968–1970 | 33,375 | 2008[49] | 36,945 | 37,373 | |
| 1971–1975 | 33,379 | 2009[50] | 36,984 | 37,400 | |
| 1976 | 33,437 | 2010[51] | 36,986 | 37,402 | |
| 1977–1978 | 33,513 | 2011[52] | 37,065 | 37,493 | |
| 1979–1980 | 33,538 | 2012[53] | 37,067 | 37,495 | |
| 1981–1982 | 33,536 | 2013–2014[54] | 37,071 | 37,499 | |
| 1983–1984 | 33,465 | 2015[55] | 37,227 | 37,673 | |
| 1985–1988 | 33,583 | 2016[56] | 37,497 | 37,949 | |
| 1989–1990 | 34,182 | 2017[57] | 37,281 | 37,731 | |
| 1991 | 34,171 | 2018–present[3] | 37,305 | 37,755 | |
| Unless noted otherwise, all capacity figures are fromGreen Cathedrals: The Ultimate Celebrations of All 273 Major League and Negro League Ballparks Past and Present by Philip Lowry[58] | |||||
The park is located along Lansdowne Street and Jersey Street in the Kenmore Square area of Boston. The area includes many buildings of similar height and architecture and thus it blends in with its surroundings. When pitcherRoger Clemens arrived in Boston for the first time in 1984, he took a taxi fromLogan Airport and was sure the driver had misunderstood his directions when he announced their arrival at the park. Clemens recalled telling the driver "No, Fenway Park, it's a baseball stadium ... this is a warehouse." Only when the driver told Clemens to look up and he saw the light towers did he realize he was in the right place.[59]
Fenway Park is one of the two remainingjewel box ballparks still in use in Major League Baseball, the other beingWrigley Field; both have a significant number of obstructed view seats, due to pillars supporting the upper deck. These are sold as such, and are a reminder of the architectural limitations of older ballparks.[60]
George Will asserts in his bookMen at Work that Fenway Park is a "hitters' ballpark", with its short right-field fence (302 feet), narrow foul ground (the smallest of any current major league park), and generally closer-than-normal outfield fences. By Rule 1.04, Note(a),[61] all parks built after 1958 have been required to have foul lines at least 325 feet (99 m) long and a center-field fence at least 400 feet (120 m) from home plate. (This rule had the unintended consequence of leading to the "Cookie-Cutter Stadium" era, which ended when Camden Yards opened in 1992.) Regarding the narrow foul territory, Will writes:
The narrow foul territory in Fenway Park probably adds 5 to 7 points ontobatting averages. Since World War II, the Red Sox have had 18 batting champions (through 1989)... Five to 7 points are a lot, given that there may be only a 15- or 20-point spread between a good hitting team and a poor hitting team.[62]: p. 175
Will states that some observers might feel that these unique aspects of Fenway give the Red Sox an advantage over their opponents, given that the Red Sox hitters play 81 games at the home stadium while each opponent plays no more than seven games as visiting teams but Will does not share this view.[62]: p. 177
Fenway Park's bullpen wall is much lower than most other outfield walls; outfielders are known to end up flying over this wall when chasing balls hit that direction, such as withTorii Hunter when chasing aDavid Ortiz game-tyinggrand slam that direction in game 2 of the2013 ALCS.
TheGreen Monster is the nickname of the 37.167 feet (11.329 m)[63] left field wall in the park. It is located 310 to 315 feet (94 to 96 m) from home plate; this short distance often benefits right-handed hitters.[64]
Part of the original ballpark construction of 1912, the wall is made of wood, but was covered in tin and concrete in 1934, whenthe scoreboard was added. The wall was covered in hard plastic in 1976. Thescoreboard is manually updated throughout the game. If a ball in play goes through a hole in the scoreboard while the scorers are replacing numbers, the batter is awarded aground rule double.[65] Similarly, if a batter hits a ball into the balls, strikes, and out lights, it is also ruled a ground rule double.[66]
The inside walls of the Green Monster are covered with players' signatures from over the years. Despite the name, the Green Monster was not painted green until 1947; before that, it was covered withadvertisements. TheMonster designation is relatively new; for most of its history, it was simply called "the wall."[67] In 2003, terrace-style seating was added on top of the wall.[32]
"The Triangle" is a region of center field where the walls form a triangle whose far corner is 420 feet (130 m) from home plate. That deep right-center point is conventionally given as the center field distance. The true center is unmarked, 390 feet (120 m) from home plate, to the left of "the Triangle" when viewed from home plate.[68]
There was once a smaller "Triangle" at the left end of the bleachers in center field, posted as 388 feet (118 m). The end of the bleachers form a right angle with theGreen Monster and the flagpole stands within that little triangle. That is not the true power alley, but deep left-center. The true power alley distance is not posted. The foul line intersects with the Green Monster at nearly a right angle, so the power alley could be estimated at 336 feet (102 m), assuming the power alley is 22.5° away from the foul line as measured from home plate.[69]
"Williamsburg" was the name, invented by sportswriters, for the bullpen area built in front of the right-center field bleachers in 1940. It was built there primarily for the benefit ofTed Williams, to enable him and other left-handed batters to hit morehome runs, since it was 23 feet (7.0 m) closer than the bleacher wall.[70]
The lone red seat in the right field bleachers (Section 42, Row 37, Seat 21) signifies the longest home run ever hit at Fenway. The home run, hit byTed Williams on June 9, 1946,[71] was officially measured at 502 feet (153 m), well beyond "Williamsburg". According to Hit Tracker Online, the ball, if unobstructed, would have flown 520 to 535 feet (158 to 163 m).[72]
The ball landed on Joseph A. Boucher, penetrating his largestraw hat and hitting him in the head. A confounded Boucher was later quoted as saying:
How far away must one sit to be safe in this park? I didn't even get the ball. They say it bounced a dozen rows higher, but after it hit my head, I was no longer interested. I couldn't see the ball. Nobody could. The sun was right in our eyes. All we could do was duck. I'm glad I did not stand up.[73]
There have been other home runs hit at Fenway that have contended for the distance title. In the 2007 bookThe Year Babe Ruth Hit 104 Home Runs, researcher Bill Jenkinson found evidence that on May 25, 1926,Babe Ruth hit one in the pre-1934 bleacher configuration which landed five rows from the top in right field. This would have placed it at an estimated 545 feet (166 m) from home plate.[74] On June 23, 2001,Manny Ramirez hit one that struck a light tower above the Green Monster, which would have cleared the park had it missed. The park's official estimate placed the home run one foot short of Williams' record at 501 feet (152.7 m).[75] An April 2019 home run byRowdy Tellez of theToronto Blue Jays was initially reported as 505 feet (154 m), but later found to be significantly shorter, approximately 433 feet (132 m).[76]
Pesky's Pole (orthe Pesky Pole) is the name for thepole on the right field foul line, which stands 302 feet (92 m) from home plate,[68] the shortest outfield distance (left or right field) in Major League Baseball.[77] Like the measurement of the left-field line at Fenway Park, this has been disputed. Aerial shots show it to be noticeably shorter[78] than the (actual) 302-foot line in right field, and Pesky has been quoted as estimating it to be "around 295 feet". There is no distance posted on the wall.
Despite the short wall, home runs in this area are relatively rare, as the fence curves away from the foul pole sharply. The pole was named afterJohnny Pesky, a non-power-hitting shortstop and long-timecoach for the Red Sox, who hit some of his six home runs at Fenway Park around the pole but never off the pole. Pesky (playing 1942 to 1952, except for 1943 to 1945) was acontact hitter who hit just 17 home runs in his career (6 at Fenway Park).[79] It's not known how many of these six actually landed near the pole. The Red Sox give credit to pitcher (and later, Sox broadcaster)Mel Parnell for coining the name. The most notable for Pesky is a two-run homer in the eighth inning of the 1946 Opening Day game to win the game. According to Pesky, Mel Parnell named the pole after Pesky won a game for Parnell in1948 with ahome run down the short right field line, just around the pole. However, Pesky hit just one home run in a game pitched by Parnell, a two-run shot in the first inning of a game against Detroit played on June 11, 1950. The game was eventually won by the visiting Tigers in the 14th inning on a three-run shot by Tigers right fielder Vic Wertz and Parnell earned a no-decision that day.[80]
The term, though it had been in use since the 1950s, became far more common when Parnell became a Red Sox broadcaster in 1965.Mark Bellhorn hit what proved to be the game-winning home run off ofJulián Tavárez in game 1 of the2004 World Series off that pole's screen.
On September 27, 2006, Pesky's 87th birthday, the Red Sox officially dedicated the right field foul pole as "Pesky's Pole", with a commemorative plaque placed at its base.[81]
The seat directly on the foul side of Pesky's Pole in the front row is Section 94, Row E, Seat 5 and is usually sold as a lone ticket.
In a ceremony before the Red Sox' 2005 game against theCincinnati Reds, the pole on the left field foul line atop theGreen Monster was named theFisk Foul Pole, orPudge's Pole, in honor ofCarlton Fisk.[82] Fisk provided one of baseball's most enduring moments in Game 6 of the1975 World Series against the Reds. Facing Reds right-hander Pat Darcy in the 12th inning with the score tied at 6, Fisk hit a long fly ball down the left field line. It appeared to be heading foul, but Fisk, after initially appearing unsure of whether or not to continue running to first base, famously jumped and waved his arms to the right as if to somehow direct the ball fair. It ricocheted off the foul pole, winning the game for the Red Sox and sending the series to a seventh and deciding game the next night, which Cincinnati won. Like Johnny Pesky's No. 6, Carlton had his No. 27 player number retired by the team.
From 1912 to 1933, there was a 10-foot (3.0 m) high incline in front of the then 25-foot (7.6 m)-high left field wall at Fenway Park, extending from the left-field foul pole to the center field flag pole (and thus under "The Triangle" of today). As a result, a left fielder had to play part of the territory running uphill (and back down). Boston's first star left fielder,Duffy Lewis, mastered the skill so well that the area became known as "Duffy's Cliff".[16]
The incline served two purposes: it was a support for a high wall and it was built to compensate for the difference in grades between the field and Lansdowne Street on the other side of that wall. The wall also served as a spectator-friendly seating area during thedead ball era when overflow crowds, infront of the laterGreen Monster, would sit on the incline behind ropes.[83]
As part of the 1934 remodeling of the ballpark, the bleachers, and the wall itself, Red Sox ownerTom Yawkey arranged to flatten the ground along the base of the wall, so that Duffy's Cliff no longer existed. The base of the left field wall is several feet below the grade level of Lansdowne Street, accounting for the occasional rat that might spook the scoreboard operators.[84]
There has been debate as to the true left field distance, which was once posted as 315 feet (96 m). A reporter fromThe Boston Globe was able to sneak into Fenway Park and measure the distance. When the paper's evidence was presented to the club in 1995, the distance was remeasured by the Red Sox and restated at 310 feet (94 m).[85] The companion 96-meter (315 ft) sign remained unchanged until 1998, when it was corrected to 94.5 meters (310 ft).[86]
In 1983, private suites were added to the roof behind home plate. In 1988, 610 stadium club seats enclosed in glass and named the "600 Club", were added above the home plate grandstand replacing the existing press box. The press box was then added to the top of the 600 Club.[87] The 1988 addition has been thought to have changed the air currents in the park to the detriment of hitters.[88] In 2002, the organization renamed the club seats the ".406 Club" (in honor ofTed Williams' batting average in 1941).[88]
Between the 2005 and 2006 seasons the existing .406 club was rebuilt as part of the continuing ballpark expansion efforts. The second deck now features two open-air levels: the bottom level is the new "Dell EMC Club" featuring 406 seats andconcierge services and the upper level, the State Street Pavilion, has 374 seats and a dedicated standing room area. The added seats are wider than the previous seats.[88]
Outside Gate 5 isThe Teammates statue byAntonio Tobias Mendez, which depicts Red Sox playersBobby Doerr,Dom DiMaggio,Ted Williams, andJohnny Pesky. It was unveiled in 2010.[89]
There is also a solo statue of Williams, unveiled in 2004, depicting him placing his cap on the head of a young boy.[90]
From 1953–1989,John Kiley played aHammond X-66 organ for Sox home games.[91] Other organists have been Jim Kilroy (1988–1994), Ray Totaro (1994–2002), and Richard Giglio (1994–2002).[92][93] Totaro and Giglio played a YamahaElectone.[94]
Since 2003,Josh Kantor has played the organ for Sox home games at Fenway Park. Kantor plays a double-decker electric Yamaha organ from the stadium's luxury clubhouse, the State Street Pavilion Club, on the third-base side.[92] As of March 2024[update], he has not missed a single game.[95] He frequently takes requests via social media.[96]
In 1990, Mike Rutstein started handing out the first issue ofBoston Baseball Magazine (originally calledBaseball Underground) outside of the park.[97] He was frustrated with the quality of the program being sold inside the park, which also came out once every two months.[98] The program was sold for $1, half the cost of the programs inside the park. To sell the program, Rutstein's employees would stand outside the park wearing bright red shirts and greet fans by holding a program up and shouting "Program, Scorecard, One Dollar!".[99] By 1992, the Red Sox organization filed complaints with the city code enforcement arguing that the scorecard inside the magazine was not covered under theFirst Amendment protecting magazines and that Rutstein's employees were operating on the streets without a permit.[100] Despite a lot of attention in the news, Rutstein said the charges were not pursued and no further legal action was taken.[101] In 2012, one of Rutstein's long time employees Sly Egidio[101] quit Boston Baseball to start "The Yawkey Way Report" named afterYawkey Way. By that time, Boston Baseball was selling for $3 per program, $2 cheaper than the in-park programs selling for $5. The Yawkey Way Report cost $1 and Egidio stationed his hawkers close to Boston Baseball's hawkers, starting a "hawker war."[102] The Yawkey Way Report also came with baseball cards, ponchos and tote bags, which caused Rutstein to file his own complaints with Boston city code enforcement. Despite the rivalry, both programs continue to be hawked outside of Fenway Park and are often the first thing fans see when they approach the stadium on game-day.
The Red Sox' one-time cross-town rivals, theBoston Braves, used Fenway Park for the1914 World Series and the 1915 season untilBraves Field was completed; ironically, the Red Sox would then use Braves Field – which had a much higher seating capacity – for their own World Series games in1915 and1916.[103]
Since 1990 (except in 2005 when, because of field work, it was held in a minor league ballpark, and 2020, as the tournament was cancelled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic), Fenway Park has also hosted the final round of a Boston-area intercollegiate baseball tournament called the Baseball Beanpot, an equivalent to the more well-knownhockey Beanpot tourney. The teams play the first rounds in minor league stadiums before moving on to Fenway for the final and a consolation game.[104]Boston College,Harvard University,Northeastern University, and theUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst compete in the four-team tournament.[105]
Since at least 1997Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" has been played at Fenway Park[106] during Red Sox games, in the middle of the eighth inning since 2002.[107] On opening night of the 2010 season at Fenway Park, the song was performed by Diamond himself in the middle of the eighth inning.[108]
From 2006 to 2014, the Red Sox hosted the "Futures at Fenway" event, where two of theirminor-league affiliates played a regular-seasondoubleheader as the "home" teams. Before the Futures day started, the most recent minor-league game held at Fenway had been theEastern League All-Star Game in 1977.[109]
From 1970 to 1987, theCape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) played its annual all-star game at various major league stadiums. The games were interleague contests between the CCBL and theAtlantic Collegiate Baseball League (ACBL). The 1975, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1985 and 1987 games were played at Fenway. The MVP of the 1977 contest was future major league sluggerSteve Balboni, who clobbered two home runs over the Green Monster that day. The CCBL returned to Fenway in 2009, 2010 and 2011 for its intraleague all-star game matching the league's East and West divisions. The 2009 game starred East division MVP and future Boston Red SoxChris Sale ofFlorida Gulf Coast University. The CCBL also holds an annual workout day at Fenway where CCBL players are evaluated by major league scouts.[110][111]
On October 9, 1920, Fenway Park was the site of the first open-air boxing show in Boston. The card featured four bouts. Although Eddie Shevlin and Paul Doyle fought in the feature bout, Daniel J. Saunders of theBoston Daily Globe described heavyweights Battling McCreery and John Lester Johnson as "the only boxers who caused any excitement". McCreery, who according to Saunders, "was to take a flop in five rounds", won by judge's decision in ten rounds. After the fight, Johnson punched McCreery while McCreery was trying to shake his hand. McCreery then knocked Johnson out of the ring and hit him over the head with his chair. The card drew 5,000 spectators (half of what was expected) and brought in $6,100 (several thousand less than what was promised to the fighters).[117]
In 1928, New England Welterweight ChampionAl Mello headlined three cards at Fenway. He defeated Billy Murphy in front of a crowd of 12,000 on June 26, Charlie Donovan on August 31, and Murphy again on September 13.[118][119][120]
On July 2, 1930, future World Heavyweight ChampionJames J. Braddock made his debut in that weight class. He defeated Joe Monte in ten rounds.[121]
On September 2, 1930, Babe Hunt defeatedErnie Schaaf in whatThe Boston Daily Globe described as a "dull bout" and a "big disappointment". The undercard included future light heavyweight championGeorge Nichols, who defeated Harry Allen ofBrockton, Massachusetts in ten rounds.[122]
In 1932, Eddie Mack promoted ten cards at Fenway Park. The August 2 card featured World Light Heavyweight ChampionMaxie Rosenbloom defeating Joe Barlow of Roxbury andTaunton' Henry Emond defeating TheCocoa Kid.[123] On August 23,Dave Shade defeated Norman Conrad ofWilton, New Hampshire in front of 3,500 attendees.[124] The September 6 card was headlined by World junior lightweight championKid Chocolate, who defeated Steve Smith.[125]
On June 25, 1936, former world heavyweight championJack Sharkey defeated Phil Brubaker in what would be his final career victory.[126]
In 1937, Rip Valenti and the Goodwin Athletic Club promoted five cards at Fenway. Three of these were headlined by New England Heavyweight ChampionAl McCoy. On June 16 McCoy defeated Natie Brown in front of a crowd of 4,516.[127] On July 29 he knocked out Jack McCarthy in the third round.[128] On August 24 he and Tony Shucco fought to a draw.[129] Future WBA featherweight championSal Bartolo fought one of his first professional fights on the May 24 undercard.[130]
On June 25, 1945,Tami Mauriello knocked outLou Nova in 2:47. An estimated crowd of 8,000 was in attendance.[131]
On July 12, 1954,Tony DeMarco knocked outGeorge Araujo 58 seconds into the fifth round in front of 12,000 spectators.[132]
The most recent boxing event at Fenway took place on June 16, 1956. The undercard consisted of Eddie Andrews vs. George Chimenti, Bobby Courchesne vs. George Monroe for the New England Lightweight Championship, and Barry Allison vs. Don Williams for the New England Middleweight Championship. In the main event, Tony DeMarco defeated Vince Martinez by decision. An estimated 15,000 were in attendance—far below promoterSam Silverman's expectations.[133]
On June 7, 2025, Nolan Bros Boxing Promotions will be hosting a live boxing event at the “Big Concourse” inside the park. This will be the first live boxing event at Fenway Park in nearly 70 years and will feature the first-ever female boxing match in the venue's history (between Alexis Bolduc and Sara Couillard). The event is expected to draw a crowd of approximately 3,000 spectators.
On October 17, 1925, theBoston Soccer Club and theFall River F.C. of theAmerican Soccer League played a scoreless tie before 4,000 fans.[134] Boston also hosted theProvidence Clamdiggers andIndiana Flooring at Fenway later that season.[135][136] On June 18, 1928, Boston playedRangers F.C. to a 2–2 tie in front of a crowd of 10,000.[137][138] In 1929, Boston hosted two more matches at Fenway Park; a 3–2 victory over theNew Bedford Whalers on August 10 and a 3–2 loss to Fall River on August 17.[139][140]
On May 30, 1931, 8,000 fans were on hand to see the American Soccer League championNew York Yankees defeatCeltic 4–3.[141] The Yankees goalkeeper,Johnny Reder, would later return to play for theBoston Red Sox.
On May 5, 1967, the park hosted an exhibition between theAtlanta Chiefs andToronto Falcons of theNational Professional Soccer League. The game was a benefit for theJimmy Fund.[142] The following year, Fenway Park was home to theBoston Beacons of the now-defunctNorth American Soccer League.[143]
On July 21, 2010, Fenway hosted an exhibition game between European soccer clubs Celtic F.C. andSporting C.P. in an event called "Football at Fenway". A crowd of 32,162 watched the two teams play to a 1–1 draw. Celtic won 6–5 on penalty shoot out, winning the firstFenway football challenge Trophy.[143] Recent matches have taken place betweenLiverpool, an EnglishPremier League club owned byFenway Sports Group, andA.S. Roma, an ItalianSerie A club owned by FSG partnerThomas R. DiBenedetto. The July 25, 2012 match ended in a 2–1 win for AS Roma before a crowd of 37,169.[144] AS Roma also won the rematch on July 23, 2014, by a score of 1–0.[145] On July 21, 2019, Liverpool returned to Fenway for a preseason match against Sevilla, the Spanish team won 2–1 at the end of full-time.
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Football has been played at Fenway since 1912, the year the venue opened.[146] In 1926, theBoston Bulldogs of the firstAmerican Football League played at both Fenway andBraves Field; theBoston Shamrocks of the secondAmerican Football League did the same in 1936 and 1937. TheBoston Redskins of theNational Football League (NFL) played at Fenway for four seasons (1933–1936) after playing their inaugural season in 1932 at Braves Field as the Boston Braves. TheBoston Yanks played there in the 1940s; and theBoston Patriots of the 1960sAmerican Football League called Fenway Park home from 1963 to 1968 after moving there fromNickerson Field.
At various times in the past,Dartmouth College,Boston College,Brown University, andBoston University teams have also playedcollege football games at Fenway Park.[147] Boston College has played at Fenway the most, accumulating a record of 57–17–5.[citation needed] Boston College andNotre Dame played a game at Fenway in 2015 as part of Notre Dame's Shamrock Series.[148] The annualHarvard–Yale game was played at Fenway and 2018 and 2026,[149][150] as was the 2025Secretaries Cup.[151]
In September 2019, it was announced that theFenway Bowl, a postseasonbowl game, would be played at Fenway Park beginning in 2020, pitting a team from theAtlantic Coast Conference against a team from theAmerican Athletic Conference.[152] However, both the 2020 and 2021 games were canceled, due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. The bowl was finally played for the first time in December 2022, asLouisville defeatedCincinnati.[153]
On July 9, 1929,World Heavyweight ChampionGus Sonnenberg defeatedEd "Strangler" Lewis in front of a crowd of 25,000 at Fenway Park.[154]
In 1932, Charlie Gordon promoted shows at Fenway Park. On June 16, 1932, a card headlined by "The Georgia Leech" Paul Adams and George Myerson drew 8,000 spectators.[155] 10,000 people turned out on July 6, 1932, to see a show main evented by Ted Germaine and Stewart Spears.[156] The following week, Steve Passas handed German wrestler Mephisto his first loss in the United States at Fenway.[157] The next week's card was headlined by Myerson and Germaine. Myerson was knocked unconscious, but was declared the winner after referee Joe Beston disqualified Germaine for using a choke hold.[158] The card scheduled for July 27 was postponed until August 3 due to rain.[159] It rained again on August 3 and the card was pushed back another week. However, due to a schedule conflict, Steve Passas, was forced to withdraw from his main event bout with Fred Bruno.[160] On August 10, 1932, Adams defeated Louis Poplin in front of 8,000 fans in the substitute main event.[161]
On August 18, 1934, a crowd of 30,000 turned out for a card headlined byAWA World Heavyweight ChampionEd Don George andNWA World Heavyweight ChampionJim Londos. The fight ended in a draw after 3:14:13.[162]
On June 27, 1935,Danno O'Mahony captured the NWA World Heavyweight Championship from Londos in front of 30,000 fans.[163]
On July 18, 1935, Ed Don George defeatedFrank Sexton in an exhibition bout during a musical and athletic carnival benefiting Boston's department of public welfare that also featured a five-mile race, firearms exhibition drill, a boxing exhibition, tug of war contest, and a baseball game. Due to rain, only 5,000 attended the event and the ball game was called off after three innings.[164]
On September 10, 1935, O'Mahony successfully defeated his title against George in front of an estimated crowd of 25,000. The bout, the second between O'Mahony and George, was refereed byworld heavyweight boxing championJames J. Braddock. ThePaul Bowser-promoted card also featured Ed "Strangler" Lewis, Frank Sexton,Jack Spellman, andKarl Pojello.[165] During the main event, a spectator suffered a heart attack and died. It was the eighth such death at a Boston wrestling bout in the past two years.[166]
On June 29, 1937, around 7,000 spectators sawSteve Casey defeat Ed Don George in a card that also featured Danno O'Mahony,Tor Johnson, andWilliam "Wee Willie" Davis.[167] On July 20, 1937, Casey defeated another former world heavyweight champion, Danno O'Mahony, in front of 8,000.[168] On July 26, 1938, Casey successfully defended his AWA World Heavyweight Championship againstDick Shikat before a crowd of 5,000.[169]
TheWWE (then the World Wide Wrestling Federation), hosted its only event at Fenway Park on June 28, 1969. 17,000 turned out to seeWWWF World Heavyweight ChampionBruno Sammartino defeatKiller Kowalski in astretcher match and an undercard that featured a steel cage match betweenThe Sheik andBulldog Brower, a ten-man battle royal won byMitsu Arakawa, a six-manmidget wrestling tag match, a best three out of five falls six woman tag team matchbetweenThe Fabulous Moolah,Donna Christanello, andToni Rose andVivian Vachon and Rita andBette Boucher, and singles matches betweenGeorge Steele andVictor Rivera,Antonio Pugliese andBaron Mikel Scicluna,Dominic DeNucci andLou Albano, and Ricky Sexton and Duke Savage.[170][171]
Fenway Park has hosted ice hockey games on five separate occasions, beginning in 2010 when the third annualNHL Winter Classic was held at the stadium onNew Year's Day.[172] TheBoston Bruins beat thePhiladelphia Flyers 2–1 insudden-death overtime, securing the first home-team victory in the relatively short history of the annual series. The 2010 Winter Classic paved the way for further use of the stadium for ice hockey, as the "Frozen Fenway" series was introduced. Frozen Fenway is a semi-annual series of collegiate and amateur games featuring ice hockey teams from local and regional high schools, colleges, and universities. Division I matches betweenHockey East rivals have been a staple of the Frozen Fenway series, which has seen games played in 2012, 2014, 2017, and 2023 at the ballpark. When not in use for games, the rink is also opened to the public for free ice skating.[173] Fenway Park became the first stadium to host two Winter Classic games in January 2023, as the Boston Bruins once again secured a 2–1 victory, this time defeating thePittsburgh Penguins.
Fenway has hosted Gaelic games over the years. On June 6, 1937,Mayo, theAll-Ireland Football champions, defeated a Massachusetts team, 17–8,[174][175] and on November 8, 1954,Cork, theAll-Ireland Hurling champions, defeated an American line-up, 37–28.[176] In more recent times, the Fenway Hurling Classic for thePlayers Champions Cup has been staged, first in November 2015 whenGalway defeatedDublin,[177] and subsequently in November 2017[178] and November 2018.[179]
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Fenway has been home to various concerts beginning in 1973 whenStevie Wonder andRay Charles first played there.[180] No further concerts were played there until 2003 whenBruce Springsteen and the E Street Band played a leg of theirThe Rising Tour.[181] Since 2003, there has been at least one concert every year at Fenway by such artists asBruce Springsteen and the E Street Band,Jimmy Buffett,Billy Joel,Shakira,Journey,Def Leppard,The Rolling Stones,Neil Diamond,The Police,Jason Aldean,Mötley Crüe,Dave Matthews Band,Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers,Aerosmith,Phish,Roger Waters,Paul McCartney,James Taylor (2015–2017 consecutively: 2015 & 2017 withBonnie Raitt, 2016 withJackson Browne),Pearl Jam,Foo Fighters,Dead & Company andNew Kids On The Block 2011 (with Backstreet Boys), 2017 and 2021.
In 2017,Lady Gaga brought herJoanne World Tour to the stadium,[182] making her the first woman to headline a concert there. In 2022, she returned withThe Chromatica Ball. In 2019,The Who played their first ever show at the stadium with theBoston Symphony Orchestra.[183] On August 3, 2021,Guns N' Roses played a show as a part of their2020 Tour, where they revealed a new song"Absurd".[184]Aerosmith returned for their 50th-anniversary celebrations on September 8, 2022, and the show labeled the venue's highest ticket sales to date.[185]
On July 31 and August 1, 2023,Pink performed at the stadium as part of herSummer Carnival tour, and broke the record for biggest two-day attendance.[186]
Polartec Big Air At Fenway is the firstbig air snowboarding and skiing competition that was held on February 11–12, 2016. This event was part of the U.S. Grand Prix Tour and theInternational Ski Federation's World Tour. Notable winter athletes that competed areTy Walker,Sage Kotsenburg, andJoss Christensen. The big air jump was constructed to be about 140 feet (43 m) tall, standing above the lights of the stadium.[187]
Frank Fallon was the firstpublic address (PA) announcer for the Red Sox, and held the job from 1953 to 1957.Fred Cusick, better known for his career of announcingBoston Bruins hockey games, joined him in 1956 and also left after 1957.[188] Jay McMaster took over in 1958, until his replacement bySherm Feller in 1967.[189] Feller served as the announcer for 26 years until his death after the 1993 season.[190] He was known for beginning his games by welcoming the fans with "Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. Welcome to Fenway Park", and ending them by saying "Thank you."[191] Leslie Sterling took the job for the 1994 season, becoming the second female PA announcer in the history of Major League Baseball.[188] Ed Brickley took over in 1997, and was replaced byCarl Beane in 2003.[188][189] Beane was regarded as an "iconic" announcer, and served until his death in 2012, which was caused by aheart attack suffered while driving.[191][192] Fenway used a series of guest announcers to finish the 2012 season[note 2] before hiring Henry Mahegan,Bob Lobel, andDick Flavin for 2013.[194] Flavin died after the 2022 season.[195]
There are elevenretired numbers above the right field grandstand. The numbers retired by the Red Sox are red on a white circle.Jackie Robinson's 42, which was retired by Major League Baseball, is blue on a white circle. The two are further delineated through the font difference; Boston numbers are in the same style as the Red Sox jerseys, while Robinson's number is in the more traditional "block" numbering found on the Dodgers jerseys.
The numbers originally hung on the right-field facade in the order in which they were retired: 9–4–1–8, but after the facade was repainted, the numbers were rearranged in numerical order.[196] They remained in numerical order until the 2012 season, when the numbers were rearranged back into the order in which they were retired by the Red Sox.
The Red Sox policy on retiring uniform numbers was once one of the most stringent in baseball—the player had to be elected to theNational Baseball Hall of Fame, play at least 10 years with the team, and retire as a member of the Red Sox. The final requirement was waived for Carlton Fisk as he had finished his playing career with theChicago White Sox. However, Fisk was assigned a Red Sox front office job and effectively "finished" his baseball career with the Red Sox in this manner.[197] In 2008, the ownership relaxed the requirements further with the retirement ofJohnny Pesky's number 6. Pesky has not been inducted into the Hall of Fame, but in light of his over 50 years of service to the club, the management made an exception. Pesky would have had 10 seasons, but he was credited with the three seasons he served as an Operations Officer in the U.S. Navy during World War II.[198] The most recent number retired was 34, worn by2013 World Series Most Valuable PlayerDavid Ortiz.
| Red Sox retired numbers[199] | |||||
| No. | Player | Position | Red Sox Years | Date Retired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bobby Doerr | 2B | 1937–44 1946–51 | May 21, 1988 | US Army, 1945 |
| 4 | Joe Cronin | SS | 1935–45 | May 29, 1984 | Player-Manager |
| 6 | Johnny Pesky | SS, 3B, 2B | 1942, 46–52 | September 28, 2008 | US Navy, 1943–45 |
| 8 | Carl Yastrzemski | LF, 1B, DH | 1961–83 | August 6, 1989 | AL MVP (1967) Triple Crown (1967) |
| 9 | Ted Williams | LF | 1939–42 1946–60 | May 29, 1984 | US Marines, 1943–45, 52–53 |
| 14 | Jim Rice | LF, DH | 1974–89 | July 28, 2009 | AL MVP (1978) |
| 26 | Wade Boggs | 3B | 1983–1992 | May 26, 2016 | |
| 27 | Carlton Fisk | C | 1969, 71–80 | September 4, 2000 | AL Rookie of the Year (1972) |
| 34 | David Ortiz | DH | 2003–2016 | June 23, 2017 | 3× World Series Champion (2004, 2007, 2013) 2004 ALCS MVP 2013 World Series MVP |
| 45 | Pedro Martínez | P | 1998–2004 | July 28, 2015 | World Series Champion (2004) |
| 42 | Jackie Robinson | Brooklyn Dodgers 1947–1956, retired by Major League Baseball, April 15, 1997 | |||
It is a misconception among fans that a fly ball that gets stuck in the ladder above the scoreboard on the left field wall is ruled a ground rule triple. There is no mention of it in the Red Sox ground rules list.[200]
fenway metric 1976.
