Fast Facts About Fenway Park
April 20th, 2012
Today marks the 100th anniversary of Fenway Park ballfield in Boston.
Here are some fast facts:
- Fenway Park hosted its first professional baseball game on April 20, 1912, with the Red Sox beating the New York Highlanders 7-6 in 11 innings. The New York Highlanders were later named the New York Yankees.
- It cost $650,000 to build in the park in 1912.
- The park was named by then Red Sox owner John I. Taylor. He said, “It’s in the Fenway section of Boston, isn’t it? Then call it Fenway Park.”
- When Fenway opened, there were no stands in right field. The area was used as a parking lot for players.
- In 1912, the Red Sox won a franchise-record 105 games and the World Series.
- The Green Monster is a popular nickname for the thirty-seven foot, two-inch high left field wall. Despite the name, the Green Monster was not painted green until 1947.
- JFK’s grandfather, John F. Fitzgerald, threw out the first ceremonial “first pitch.” John Fitzgerald Kennedy was named after his grandfather.
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John Fitzgerald
John Fitzgerald Kennedy
Tags: JFK, Kennedy, Kennedy Family, Popular Culture, Presidents, Sports
And they loved him, Grant. I forgot to mioetnn in my post that the Red Sox did a moment of silence last night at their game at Fenway while Taps played. The flag was flown half-staff at Fenway Park too. In Maine Massachusetts, it’s the Red Sox or bust, so it wasn’t surprising to hear there was a picture of Ted at his last Red Sox game throwing out the first pitch .above his coffin that is laying in prose looking out over the Atlantic Ocean with his boat in sight. Though the Kennedys were wealthy, there were many people in these two states who have had similar last wishes. I wonder what the number of people is who are buried with their Red Sox hat on or in the coffin? I bet a lot.