Fenway Park Opens (1912)

Lore & Background

The park was designed by architects Kilham & Hopkins, with the Charles Logue Building Company as general contractor. The first game was played April 20, 1912, with Boston defeating the New York Highlanders 7–6 in 11 innings. The park was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 7, 2012.

In Their Own Story

The air in Boston was thick with the scent of cut grass and coal smoke on April 20, 1912. Harry Hooper stepped into the batter's box at the newly christened Fenway Park, the crowd roaring like a living thing against the brick walls. The sun glinted off the steel superstructure, casting long shadows across the irregular dirt infield. As the pitcher wound up, Hooper didn't see a symmetrical field; he saw a puzzle unique to this place. He swung, connecting with a crack that echoed differently here than anywhere else, sending the ball skimming toward the deep left-field corner where no wall had stood before. The game was on, and a new chapter of baseball history had just begun its first inning.

Reader's Guide

Fenway Park is located at 4 Jersey Street (formerly Yawkey Way). It is the fifth-smallest among MLB ballparks by seating capacity and second-smallest by total capacity. Notable features include the Green Monster, Pesky's Pole, and The Triangle.

Did You Know?

• Fenway Park has hosted the World Series 11 times, with the Red Sox winning eight (1912, 1915, 1916, 1918, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2018).
• The park was substantially rebuilt in 1934 and underwent major renovations in the 21st century.
• A fire in 1926 burned down the left field bleachers, which remained empty until 1933.
• The Green Monster was completed at 37 feet high in 1934, replacing the 10-foot Duffy's Cliff.