BK's Big Baseball Page: Ballpark #19- Fenway Park, Boston, MA

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Ballpark #19- Fenway Park, Boston, MA

Stadium Opened: 1912

Team: Boston Red Sox

1st Visit: 8/14/05
Last Visit: 7/10/10

# Games: 3

Food: 7/10
Stadium: 10/10
Important Games Seen:
Futures at Fenway featuring the P-Nats (7/10/10)

My strangest history with a ballpark is Fenway. I have been to 3 games there, driven over 8 hours each way twice to go there, yet I have never seen a full game at Fenway. And somehow it is one of the best ballpark experiences I have had. How's that, you say? Well, when I drove up in 2005 to pick up Staci and see a game, it started raining in the 4th inning- and never stopped. I sat in the bleachers for over an hour in the pouring rain, just waiting, praying it would stop. No such luck.

So the return trip 5 years later was to be a unique experience. The minor league team I worked for, the Potomac Nationals, was playing a minor league game at Fenway as part of a double-header dubbed "Futures at Fenway." First game was to be the Jamestown Jammers vs the Lowell Spinners, and 2nd game would be our P-Nats against the Salem Red Sox. We were going to get the full treatment, behind the scenes tour, a private suite with all you can eat food and drinks, and a chance to go on the field of baseball's oldest Major League park. Our whole front office was psyched, and we had the added benifit of Addie's 1st big league road trip.

So, what happened? The tour was fantastic, standing on top of the Green Monster, walking the field, and seeing parts of the stadium most don't get to see. The suite was awesome, great view with plenty of room to relax and enjoy the game. The game? Well, around the 6th inning of the 1st game, the rains came...and hard. We waited it out for a couple hours, having the suite to stay dry in, but eventually the game was cancelled. As upset as I should I have beeen, getting rained out again, it was hard not to enjoy such a once-in-a-lifetime experience. While I would have already forgotten the score of the game had they played, I will never forget the time we had with good friends and family.

Now for the park- it's an amazing place. Intimate and true to its 100-year old history, Fenway feels like it's the 1950's, but in a good way. Many old-timers have told me that Fenway is the closest thing to Ebbets Field still around, which endeared me from the start. My only complaint is the seats are also much like the 1950's- small for a smaller generation. If I ever go back and don't bring the rain, I won't be sitting in the bleachers like I did in '05. The food is above average too, A Fenway Frank is probably top 5 in baseball. A must-see for even the non-baseball fan- or the non-Red Sox fan like Staci (she loved it too).