By MICHAEL BAGINSKI/ I hate the Red Sox. Beantown bums! Foes of the beloved Blue Jays. But, on a sunny summer afternoon, there’s no place I’d rather be than historic Fenway Park, home of the red stockings since April 20, 1912.
That was five days after the Titanic went down, it might be noted, and the now-hallowed baseball ground understandably received little attention at the time.
But 114 years later, Fenway is the oldest park in the major leagues and if it’s not the most beloved one (as its slogan proclaims), it’s certainly every bit as charming, if not more, than the other contender, Chicago’s Wrigley Field (itself dating to 1914),.
Late last month I had a chance to visit the iconic ground (a highlight of a FAM trip to Boston) and make a long-awaited check mark on my baseball bucket list – and to see the Jays play.
Clearly, I wasn’t the only one. Boston was overflowing with thousands of Jays fans – in the bars, hotel lobbies, noodling around the city’s many amazing sights and copious parkland, and, of course, at the game.
I bumped into a family from Calgary while strolling on the Boston Common, in town to attend all three contests over the weekend series, but also using the games as an anchor to turn their trip into an extended eight-day excursion – a common tactic for many visitors, says Meet Boston’s Tracy Thornton.
Sports tourism is big in Boston, she says, also extending to the city’s other notable teams: the hockey Bruins, basketball Celtics, and NFL Patriots, along with concerts, theatre, and other cultural events (such as the recent World Cup).
The Calgary trio raved about their trip. “Everyone’s so nice,” they said, adding they had no qualms at all about visiting during the time of Trump. “We get more grief in B.C. when they see our (Alberta) license plates,” dad laughed.
What’s so great about Fenway?
To start with, thanks to being shoehorned into the local neighbourhood it’s small, accommodating a cozy 37,305 or 37,755 fans (depending on if it’s a day or night game), spread out around a low bowl with a diminished foul territory that makes for an intimate atmosphere that allows fans to “sit on top of the players” and that modern stadiums can’t replicate.
And then there’s over a hundred years worth of quirks and charm that begin with the famous “green monster,” the one-of-a-kind 32-foot-tall left field fence that turns home runs into singles and sometimes singles into home runs.
The monster was originally constructed so that passersby couldn’t peer in. Now, a small number of fans can pay to sit on top of it.
Meanwhile, the famed Pesky Pole (named after former player Johny Pesky) marks a foul line that is a famously short 302 feet from home plate, meaning plenty of home runs at Fenway instead of boring pop-fly outs.
The “field wedge” in centre adds to the diamond’s unusual asymmetrical dimensions, which notoriously helps make the ground a place where no lead is ever safe; and a single red seat in the right field bleachers marks the longest home run ever hit in the park (502 feet by the legendary Ted Williams, naturally).
Beyond these quirks, there are manual scoreboards on the outfield fence; a rare, live organist who supplements the ubiquitous radio hits between innings with nostalgic flourishes; and the requisite sing-along of “Sweet Caroline” by the crowd In the bottom of the eighth inning – a tradition since 1997.
Embedded into the dense surrounding neighbourhood and ringed by bars and restaurants, Fenway boasts a tangible community vibe that sees many fans walk from the subway (there is precious little nearby parking) and engage in lively pre-game festivities along Jersey Way outside the ground, then linger afterwards soaking in the atmosphere or taking part in activities such as kids running the base paths after the last out is registered.
Statues of famous Sox players (banner photo) like Williams preside over the space outside the ballpark (don’t call it a “stadium”) along with banners and other markers of the team’s history, whether It’s three recent World Series wins in the 2000s, or the decades-long “curse of the Bambino” following the team’s unceremonious trading of Babe Ruth on Dec. 26, 1919.
From first pitch to last, Fenway exudes a charming, historic atmosphere that has been called a “living baseball time capsule,” which unsurprisingly makes for a popular pilgrimage for baseball fans – like myself – whether you like the Sox or don’t.
“Sports brings people together,” observes Emily Meehan of Visit Boston. “There are lots of people and that’s very exciting on game day in the city.
“And at Fenway, even if you’re not into baseball, people know about the iconic landmark. The (old wooden) seats may not be comfortable, but they’re historic. Your butt may not be comfortable,” she smiles, “but you’ll remember the stories!”
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