Pesky's Pole

A shrine and a symbol of Boston.

Fenway Park is a ballpark in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, close to Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home field of Major League Baseball's (MLB) Boston Red Sox. While the stadium was built in 1912, it was substantially rebuilt in 1934, and underwent major renovations and modifications in the 21st century. It is the oldest active ballpark in MLB. Because of its age and constrained location in Boston's dense Fenway–Kenmore neighborhood, the park has many quirky features, including "The Triangle", Pesky's Pole, and the Green Monster in left field. It is the fifth-smallest among MLB ballparks by seating capacity, second-smallest by total capacity, and one of nine that cannot accommodate at least 40,000 spectators.

Quick Facts

Location: Right Field Foul Pole, Fenway Park
Status: Active Landmark

Lore & Background

Fenway Park has hosted the World Series 11 times, with the Red Sox winning six of them and the Boston Braves winning one. 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 (including the NHL Winter Classic in both 2010 and 2023); and political and religious campaigns.

Reader's Guide

The park's address was originally 24 Jersey Street. In 1977, the section of Jersey Street nearest the park was renamed Yawkey Way, and the park's address was 4 Yawkey Way until 2018, when the street's name was reverted to Jersey Street. The address is now 4 Jersey Street. The Green Monster is 37 feet high. The hand-operated scoreboard is still updated by hand today from behind the wall.

Did You Know?

Fenway Park was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 7, 2012.
The first game was played April 20, 1912, with Boston defeating the New York Highlanders, 7–6 in 11 innings.
In June 1919, a rally supporting Irish Independence turned out nearly 50,000 supporters to see Éamon de Valera.
The park was designed by architect James E. McLaughlin, and the General Contractor was the Charles Logue Building Company.