Buzz
Fenway Park in Boston officially opened its gates on April 20, 1912, earning the title of the oldest ballpark still in operation in Major League Baseball. Over the years, countless historic moments—some quite intriguing—have unfolded at 4 Yawkey Way. Here are a few interesting tidbits about the home of the Green Monster, the Citgo Sign, and a surprising Williamsburg you may not have known about.
1. IT MAY HAVE BEEN THE FIRST STADIUM WITH A CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP NAME.
When John I. Taylor, the owner of the Red Sox and the ballpark itself (which cost $650,000 to construct), was asked about the origins of the name Fenway Park, he simply replied, "Well, it's in the Fenway, isn't it?" While Taylor's response was accurate, historians point out that his family held substantial stock in the Fenway Realty Company during that time.
2. THE STADIUM'S OFFICIAL OPENING WAS PUSHED BACK SEVERAL TIMES.
Fenway's first official baseball game took place on April 9, 1912, with the Sox triumphing 2-0 over Harvard University. The initial regular season game, scheduled for April 18, 1912, was postponed due to rain. The following day, April 19, saw the same weather conditions, so it was on April 20, 1912, that Fenway Park's true opening occurred. The Red Sox won 7-6 in 11 innings against the New York Highlanders, who would become the New York Yankees the next season. However, the tragic sinking of the Titanic overshadowed the event, delaying the official dedication until May 17, 1912.
3. IN 1914, ELEPHANTS ROAMED THE PARK.
In 1914, the city zoo acquired three circus elephants named Mollie, Waddy, and Tony. Fenway Park hosted their debut event, which attracted 60,000 children and their families. The spectacle included clowns, acrobats, a marching band, and even a Teddy Roosevelt impersonator dressed in safari gear. Just two months later, the real Theodore Roosevelt attended Progressive Field Day at Fenway Park. Though advised by his doctors not to speak outdoors, Roosevelt briefly met with the crowd at the ballpark before heading to the Boston Arena (now Matthews Arena) for his speech.
4. SUNDAY GAMES WERE FORBIDDEN UNTIL 1932.
Although Massachusetts voters voted in 1928 to allow sports on Sundays between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., it remained illegal to host a professional game on Sundays within 1000 feet of a church—an issue for Fenway Park. Consequently, the Red Sox played their first Sunday game in Boston on April 28, 1929, at Braves Field, the home of the other Boston baseball team, the Boston Braves. The church rule was eventually lifted, and on July 3, 1932, the Red Sox played their first Sunday game at Fenway, though the Yankees beat them decisively 13-2.
5. THE PARK CAME CLOSE TO BEING DESTROYED.
On May 8, 1926, a fire ravaged the bleachers along Fenway Park's left-field foul line, damaging them to such an extent that the owners chose not to rebuild them. Then, on January 5, 1934, a five-alarm fire lasting four hours nearly wiped out the ongoing construction of new Fenway features. The fire caused an estimated $220,000 in damage, including the destruction of the original 25-foot left-field wall made of wood. It was replaced by a 37-foot tin wall mounted on wooden railroad ties. In 1947, the wall was painted green, and in 1976, it was upgraded to hard plastic.
6. A FAMOUS PLAYER HIT THE FIRST HOME RUN OVER THE NEW LEFT FIELD WALL IN 1934.
That milestone was achieved by none other than former Red Sox player Babe Ruth.
7. THE GREEN MONSTER HAS MORSE CODE.
The lines on the scoreboard's side represent the initials of Thomas A. Yawkey and Jean R. Yawkey, who owned the Red Sox from 1933 to 1992, with their trust continuing ownership until 2002.
8. THE BULLPENS WERE ON FAIR TERRITORY UNTIL 1940.
In 1940, the bullpens were relocated to right field behind a fence that was moved 23 feet closer to home plate, giving left-handed hitters like Ted Williams a better chance to hit home runs at Fenway. This area became known as "Williamsburg."
9. TED WILLIAMS SHOT PIGEONS THERE.
In May 1957, Williams allegedly shot 30 to 40 pigeons from "Williamsburg," much to the dismay of the construction workers on duty during a Red Sox off-day. This pigeon-shooting tradition at Fenway began with Hall of Fame pitcher Lefty Grove. Even after the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals had a word with Williams, the pigeons at Fenway remained at risk; during a 1974 game, Detroit Tiger Willie Horton hit a foul ball that struck and killed a pigeon flying low at Fenway.
10. WILLIAMS HIT THE LONGEST HOME RUN EVER AT FENWAY—AND IT STRUCK SOMEONE'S HEAD.
On June 9, 1946, Williams launched a 502-foot home run off the Tigers' Fred Hutchinson that landed in Section 42, Row 37, Seat 21. The ball struck a 56-year-old construction worker named Joseph A. Boucher, who was wearing a straw hat, right on the head. "I didn’t even get the ball," Boucher later remarked. "They say it bounced a dozen rows higher, but after it hit my head, I wasn't interested. I couldn’t see the ball. Nobody could. The sun was blinding us. All we could do was duck. I’m glad I didn’t stand up."
11. IT WAS THE LOCATION OF FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT'S FINAL CAMPAIGN SPEECH IN 1944.
On November 4, 1944, just days before winning his fourth term as President, Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his final campaign speech at Fenway Park, addressing 40,000 supporters and a nationwide radio audience. He was seated in an open automobile, with Frank Sinatra singing the national anthem and Orson Welles among the warm-up acts.
12. THE HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS WON A GAME AT FENWAY.
Alongside hosting high school and college football, professional football, soccer, hockey, boxing, and professional wrestling, Fenway Park was also the venue where the Harlem Globetrotters triumphed over the George Mikan United States All-Stars on July 29, 1954, with a 61-41 victory. The game was played on a basketball court set up in the Fenway infield. According to The Boston Globe, the loudest cheer from the 13,344-strong crowd occurred when Goose Tatum launched the ball over the third base dugout and into the grandstand.
13. THE CITGO SIGN HAS A BUMPY PAST.
The 60' x 60' sign at 660 Beacon Street first appeared in 1940 as a Cities Service sign, in green and white. In 1965, it was rebranded to CITGO. During the oil crisis of 1973, the lights were turned off. After 1974, it was only lit from 8 p.m. to midnight. In 1979, the Massachusetts energy office requested the sign be turned off as a symbol of the state’s effort to cut energy waste, and the owners complied for four years.
The sign was saved thanks to a last-minute effort from the Boston Landmarks Commission and was re-lit on August 10, 1983. During the 2004 season, which ended with the Red Sox's first championship in 86 years, the old neon lights were replaced with 8,000 feet of LED lighting. In 2008, the sign caught fire, causing $5,000 in damage. In 2010, the sign had to be renovated as the LED lights installed just six years earlier were no longer available. It was re-lit during the seventh inning stretch of a Red Sox game on September 17, 2010.
Earlier this year, concern about the future of the CITGO sign emerged when Boston University revealed plans to sell several of its buildings in Kenmore Square, including the one that houses the iconic sign. This announcement sparked a movement to officially designate the sign as a landmark, ensuring its preservation for future generations.
14. YOU CAN GET MARRIED THERE, BUT BEN AFFLECK MIGHT SPOIL THE MOMENT.
While The Knot describes the cost of a wedding at Fenway Park as "affordable," some claim it can run up to $25,000. One wedding even took place during the filming of The Town (2010), which shot at the ballpark for 13 days. As Ben Affleck recalls, "We were shooting with automatic weapons and fired off a full mag, not realizing there was a wedding happening nearby. People were screaming! They thought they were under attack! I’m not sure if we ruined the wedding or if it became an unforgettable story."
15. THE PARK HAS SEEN BOTH RECORD-BREAKING AND DISAPPOINTING ATTENDANCE NUMBERS.
On September 29, 1965, only 409 fans attended the game between the Red Sox and the California Angels. But things changed drastically with success. From May 15, 2003 to April 8, 2013, every single game sold out, totaling 820 games—a streak that surpassed the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers’ previous record of 814 consecutive sellouts for a professional sports franchise.
