Fenway Park: Nostalgia In Baseball

The historical Fenway Park has long made baseball fans feel a sense of nostalgia as they enter the famed venue that has seen the likes of Cy Young, Ted Williams, and Carl Yastrzemski grace the field with their greatness. Just like football has Lambeau Field and basketball has Madison Square Garden, baseball has Fenway Park, a place that oozes with historical significance of one of America’s favorite sports. I have had the privilege to witness a ballgame in this magnificent stadium and the experience was one I will remember for the rest of my lifetime. The atmosphere created by the organization generated a unique aura that combined historical attributes with modern elements perfectly. The Boston Red Sox are trying to provide their fans with

a distinctive, memorable experience through its tributes to the legacy of the ballpark, preservation of its vintage architecture and well-known features, and technological renovations.

Fenway Park is filled with many tributes to some of the greatest moments and players closely related to the Boston Red Sox organization. Growing up, I would constantly read about some of the baseball greats. Eventually, I came across a baseball legend by the name of Ted Williams. Ted Williams is a significant baseball figure as he compiled a number of accomplishments throughout his nineteen year playing career and is often regarded as the best Red Sox ever. Located around Fenway Park are tributes to this historical baseball icon such as two statues that depict two interesting stories of the type of person Ted Williams was. The first showcases a statue of Ted Williams with a bat on his left shoulder while he gives his hat to a child suffering from cancer which showcases Williams’ constant support and dedication to young cancer patients from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s Jimmy Fund Clinic. The second statue is referred to as “The Teammates” because it showcases how Ted Williams, Dom DiMaggio, Bobby Doerr, and Johnny Pesky were teammates were a couple of season but friends for a lifetime as they maintained a close relationship after their playing careers and made efforts to see each other all the way to their dying days. Along with these statues, there

is a famed “Red Seat” located in a wave of green bleachers to symbolize where Ted Williams’ monster home run ball landed that is regarded as the farthest home run ever hit at Fenway. Seeing these tributes dedicated to the great Ted Williams first hand made me realize how big of an impact he had on baseball as his contributions on and off the baseball field will always be remembered. Along with these statues, there are many pictures and dedications to the many indelible moments that have happened at this ballpark located throughout the hallways. These pictures usually come with a brief description of the event to describe its significance and impact on the organization. These statues and pictures provide fans with a glimpse of the many remarkable legends and moments that have made Fenway Park so famous throughout the years and provide a sense of appreciation for the platform that has led baseball to be the sport it is today.
Although the legends and moments of Fenway Park contribute greatly to the legacy of Fenway, its’ features are probably what make it so magnificent and iconic.

Fenway Park was built in 1912 during the “Golden Age of Ballparks.” It was built to hold about 9,000 people but as the Boston Red Sox grew more popular, the organization realized it needed to make a change. Instead of tearing down their original stadium like what most of the first MLB teams did, the team stayed true to its roots and decided to make the necessary renovations to the stadium to fit more people without tearing down its features that would become landmarks in the baseball world. Fenway Park has many distinct features that differ from other modern stadiums such as the Green Monster and the Pesky Pole. The Green Monster has become synonymous with Fenway Park simply because it is probably the most recognizable wall to any sports fan due to the fact that no other baseball stadium has a towering thirty-seven feet green wall casually placed in the outfield. Believe me, it seems even taller and intimidating in person. To the normal fan, Pesky Pole is simply another foul pole in another baseball park. However, this pole is not just no other foul pole as it is deemed the most famous foul pole in the league for its long history of being generous to home run hitters as its only three hundred and two feet away from home plate, the shortest in the MLB. Other small aspects such as the Citgo Sign in left field and the

hand-operated scoreboard on the Monster all contribute to the distinct character Fenway has developed over the years. The Boston Red Sox’s decision not to tear down these historic features allows fans to get a feel of awe as they enter the ballpark and see the features that have made Fenway Park so paramount and unique in regards to baseball stadiums.
Even though Fenway has kept close to its roots, it has been forced to incorporate technology into the oldest ballpark in America to keep up with the modern trends. Trying to incorporate technology into a one-hundred year old ballpark is not an easy task due to the fact that the architects that built this stadium had no clue what technology was. Because Fenway Park is registered with the National Register of Historic Sites, the ballpark faced challenges in installing a Wi-Fi system as no antennas or routers could be placed in specific places in the park. However, with the help of Verizon, an intricate Antenna system was placed throughout the stadium to help fans connect with friends and family (Greene). Along with the Wi-Fi system, the team installed a trio of high definition scoreboards that allow fans to keep up with the ballgame more easily as they display batter information, instant replays, and other important information that is insightful to the baseball fan. These technological renovations allow modern fans to have a more pleasing and enjoyable time while attending a ball game.
The future of this famous stadium remains to be seen as some baseball fans consider Fenway to be an outdated stadium compared to the newer, modern stadiums other teams have and are calling for the organization to start making plans on building a new one. Due to its old infrastructure, the place will eventually start to deteriorate asswaänd renovations will start to add up which will force the organization to make a definite change to maintain customer satisfction and company revenue. When the Boston Red Sox organization does decide to move on from Fenway, it will be an emotional day for all sports fans as it will be tough to say bye to the ballpark that has become one of the most iconic sports venues in the world and symbolic of the history of baseball. Until that day comes, we still have an opportunity to catch a ballgame at the most cognizable baseball park in the world and should take advantage by attending a few more Boston Red Sox games to enjoy everything that this historical site has to offer.