Fenway Park, Home of the Boston Red Sox, Turns 111 Years Old Today!
A little bit of history is being made today at Fenway Park.... by Fenway Park!
Today is the 111-year anniversary of the day that the ballpark opened. It first opened on April 20th, 1912. Ironically, Fenway opened just a few days after the Titanic sank.
In fitting fashion, Fenway will play host to a game on its birthday. The Boston Red Sox take on the Minnesota Twins today at 1:35 p.m.
It's good to see a team celebrate an actual stadium birthday, since this week we wrote about how the rival Yankees were celebrating a fake stadium birthday for Yankee Stadium.
There's been a lot of history at Fenway, which has served as the home of the Red Sox since opening and also served as home to the Boston Braves in the 1914 and 1915 seasons. Fenway has seen 11 World Series come through its gates. The Red Sox have won six and the Braves one.
Fenway is the oldest active major league ballpark, just narrowly beating out Wrigley Field, which opened in 1914.
A little bit on Fenway's first year of operation can be taken from the Red Sox website.
"Fenway Park's inaugural year was exceptional on many levels. After extensive construction in the early months of 1912, Fenway Park hosted its first game on April 9, an exhibition between the Red Sox and Harvard College. Eleven days later, the Red Sox played their first official game at Fenway Park against the New York Highlanders. The club went on to win 105 regular season games, the American League Pennant and a thrilling World Series. During the season, while the Red Sox were on the road, a few amateur baseball games were held at the park and the construction of left-field and right-field bleachers was completed in time for the World Series. In late 1912, Fenway Park hosted the National High School Football Championship Game, concluding an eventful first year in the park's history."
Keep on rocking, Fenway Park! Here's to another 111 years of greatness.
