Mason, and Granite City Electric. Read reviews and buy Faithful to Fenway - by Michael Ian Borer (Hardcover) at Target. Question 3 (10 Points) The Green Monster, as shown below, is a wall 37 feet high in left field at Fenway Park in Boston. If you get on the Mass Pike right where it nudges up against Fenway Park, you have to drive west on I-90 for 1,600 miles. The Monster designation is relatively new; for most of its history, it was simply called "the wall. After the net was removed for the addition of the Monster seats, the ladder ceased to have any real function, yet it remains in place as a historic relic. Compared with other current major league parks, the wall's placement creates a comparatively shallow left field; the wall falls approximately 304310 feet (9394m) from the plate along the left-field foul line. I didn't even get the ball. It was rebuilt in 1934 with a concrete base and a hand-operated scoreboard, both of which are still in use today. An estimated 15,000 were in attendance - far below promoter Sam Silverman's expectations. - These properties are owned by NESV through the Fenway Sports Group subsidiary. Division I matches between Hockey 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. Right-handed batters love to smash the wall, which is 310 feet (94 meters) from home plate. [158] The most recent number retired was 34, worn by 2013 World Series Most Valuable Player David Ortiz. Comprising yet another quirk, a ladder is attached to the Green Monster, extending from near the upper-left portion of the scoreboard, 13 feet (4.0m) above ground, to the top of the wall. In the main event, Tony DeMarco defeated Vince Martinez by decision. "Wow," he exclaimed, "Fenway is even better than before.". [61], Part of the original ballpark construction of 1912, the wall is made of wood, but was covered in tin and concrete in 1934, when the scoreboard was added. During 2001 and 2002, the Green Monster's height record was temporarily beaten by the center field wall at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. This new wall was often called "The Black Monster". Find out more about Fenway Park in this section -- history, facts, directions, and more. [150] He was known for beginning his games by welcoming the fans with "Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. A fly ball striking line or right of same on wall in center is a home run. Fenway's lowest attendance was recorded on October 1, 1964, when a game against Cleveland Indians drew only 306 paid spectators. [83] The 1988 addition has been thought to have changed the air currents in the park to the detriment of hitters. The home run, hit by Ted Williams on June 9, 1946,[67] was officially measured at 502 feet (153m), well beyond "Williamsburg". [45], The park is located along Lansdowne Street and Jersey Street in the Kenmore Square area of Boston. It also served to double as a seating area to handle overflow crowds, another common practice of that era. For your best chance at a home run, choose seats in M2-M6. [19], The first game was played April 20, 1912, with mayor John F. Fitzgerald throwing out the first pitch and Boston defeating the New York Highlanders, 76 in 11 innings. But Lansdowne Street just happened to house a few buildings that were fairly high, which -- at least in Taylor's mind -- would enable fans to catch a game from their window or rooftop.So he had an idea: a 25-foot-high wooden fence, stretching all the way from beyond the left-field foul pole to the center-field flag pole, ensuring that the only people who would be able to watch Red Sox baseball were those who'd paid for a ticket. "How nice.". The term, though it had been in use since the 1950s, became far more common when Parnell became a Red Sox broadcaster in 1965. [112], On June 25, 1945, Tami Mauriello knocked out Lou Nova in 2:47. [64], There was once a smaller "Triangle" at the left end of the bleachers in center field, posted as 388 feet (118m). Under the ownership of John Henry, Tom Werner, and Larry Lucchino in 2003, came the Green Monster seats and the Big Concourse, then the Right Field Roof Deck and statue of Ted Williams in 2004. Celebrities want to sign it. [15], In 1911, while the Red Sox were still playing on Huntington Avenue Grounds, owner John 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. Even if you don't catch a ball, you'll get a great look at fly balls and balls played off the 37-foot high wall. The added seats are wider than the previous seats.[84]. The bullpen was added along the right field wall in 1940 to shorten the distance for left-handed slugger Ted Williams' home runs to clear the fence. [59]:p. 177. The official mascot for the Boston Red Sox is Wally the Green Monster, nicknamed after the famous 37 foot wall in the far left field of the park. The mascot is a huge fan of the Red Sox baseball team and has been going to baseball games since 1912. 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. The wall was covered in hard plastic in 1976. Relatively high walls in modern ballparks have been constructed for their novelty rather than by necessity, as Fenway's wall had been. Pesky (playing 1942 to 1952, except for 1943 to 1945) was a contact hitter who hit just 17 home runs in his career (6 at Fenway Park). [97][98], On October 9, 1920, Fenway Park was the site of the first open-air boxing show in Boston. The steep slope in front of the left field wall was eliminated, while the wall was raised from 31 feet (including six feet of slope) to 37 feet in height. The Red Sox later added a smaller seating section in 2005, dubbed the "Nation's Nest," located between the main seating section and the center field scoreboard. Height: Pretty big Weight: Doesn't like to say MLB Debut: April 13, 1997 Bats: Both Throws: Both Resides: Green Monster, Fenway Park Uniform Number: 97 Wally's Favorites Colors: Green, Red and Navy Baseball Team: Boston Red Sox Vacation Spot: Ft. Myers, FL Songs: "Dirty Water" and "Shipping Up to Boston" TV Show: I'd rather be reading! A manual scoreboard is set into the wall, which has been there, in one form or another, at least as far back as 1914 (see photo at right). Fair ball going through scoreboard, either on the bound or in flight: Two Bases. The Monster Seats at Fenway Park are the famous seats located high above the Green Monster in left field. The American League scores are also updated from behind the wall. High above Yawkey Way, along the 3rd Base side of the stadium, you'll find Fenway Farms, a 5,000-square-foot working farm that's growing produce that is being served at Fenway and donated to a local food rescue.Instead of Wally or home runs, we're talking about peas, kale . [119][120] In 1929, Boston hosted two more matches at Fenway Park; a 32 victory over the New Bedford Whalers on August 10 and a 32 loss to Fall River on August 17. For your best chance at a home run, choose seats in M2-M6. Coming across the concealed door in its scoreboard, he scampered inside. [18] The park was designed by architect James E. McLaughlin, and the General Contractor was the Charles Logue Building Company. For other uses, see, Former stadiums of the National Football League. in an event called "Football at Fenway". In 1993 the public restrooms were renovated and the original trough urinals were removed from the men's rooms. Secure inside, Wally discovered a peep-hole in the big scoreboard through which he could hear and see what the workers were doing. On many occasions, a batted ball has struck the ladder during game play, at least twice leading to an inside-the-park home run. "Oh my, I've got to get out more often," he pledged to himself. On his way back home Wally vowed, "I'm never, ever going to miss another Red Sox game." When the wall was first built during the 1934 renovation, it was plastered with advertising. [66], 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 CCBL returned to Fenway in 2009, 2010 and 2011 for its intraleague all-star game matching the league's East and West divisions. Celtic won 65 on penalty shoot out, winning the first Fenway football challenge Trophy. [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. Notable winter athletes that competed are Ty Walker, Sage Kotsenburg, and Joss Christensen. There are 274 seats available atop Fenway Park's left-field wall. The CCBL also holds an annual workout day at Fenway where CCBL players are evaluated by major league scouts. [79], As part of the 1934 remodeling of the ballpark, the bleachers, and the wall itself, Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey arranged to flatten the ground along the base of the wall, so that Duffy's Cliff no longer existed. According to Pesky, Mel Parnell named the pole after Pesky won a game for Parnell in 1948 with a home run down the short right field line, just around the pole. They say it bounced a dozen rows higher, but after it hit my head, I was no longer interested. Reserved vs. SRO Monster Seats Reserved Monster seating will feature . To celebrate, all the boys and girls were asked to look out towards left field and sing Happy Birthday. With the longest sellout streak in MLB history at 820, the Red Sox have arguably the most loyal fans in all of baseball. Fenway's wall serves both purposes. Players want to know what's inside it. That would have been front-page news in the Boston newspapers except that the sinking of the Titanic became the lead story. This section is the closest to center field. [141] No further concerts were played there until 2003 when Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band played a leg of their The Rising Tour. "But fifty years ago everyone here at Fenway started calling me the Green Monster. After another 50 miles of corn and soybean fields. The area was ripe for growth, and architect James McLaughlin had drawn up some state-of-the-art plans for a steel and concrete marvel that, according to the Boston Globe, would "improve the grounds so that for capacity and character, the accommodations will be second to none in the country." When the wall in the left-field at the ballpark was painted green, Wally moved into the wall. ", Looking down at his beautiful fur, Wally pondered, "I'm proud they want to call me the Green Monster. Fenway has hosted the World Series 11 times, with the Red Sox winning six of them and the Boston Braves winning one. Taylor had land, a plan and plenty of money -- seemingly everything he needed. In a ceremony before the Red Sox' 2005 game against the Cincinnati Reds, the pole on the left field foul line atop the Green Monster was named the Fisk Foul Pole, or Pudge's Pole, in honor of Carlton Fisk. [note 1] Besides baseball games, it has also been the site of many other sporting and cultural events including professional football games for the Boston Redskins, Boston Yanks, and the Boston Patriots; concerts; soccer and hockey games (such as the 2010 NHL Winter Classic); and political and religious campaigns. The Babe often played left field - at times right in front of Wally who often sat on the rise below the big wall, so very close to the action. [148][149] Beane was regarded as an "iconic" announcer, and served until his death in 2012, which was caused by a heart attack suffered while driving.