Toertel: 07/2012

"Gate B" Entrance to Fenway Park

Stadium name: Fenway Park
Home of: Boston Red Sox
Location: Boston, MA
Years in existence: 1912 - present
* Currently the oldest active MLB ballpark
Fan Capacity: 37,493 (night) and 37,065 (day)
* A fairly low amount compared to most modern stadiums, which may contribute to the sellout streak. The Red Sox have sold out every game at Fenway since May 15, 2003

I had to the opportunity to visit Fenway Park on a visit to see a friend that is attending graduate school in Boston. I was fortunate enough for this to be the 100th year of Fenway's existence, which is an extraordinarily long time for a ballpark. As such, it is the oldest active MLB ballpark, spanning (now) over a decade in existence.

The oldest active MLB ballpark

Fenway, like Wrigley Field, is an iconic landmark that doubles as an active baseball stadium. Similarly, like Wrigley, Fenway probably will never be torn down. Unlike Wrigley, however, ownership has decided (for the better) to get out of the stone age with the ballpark and make marked improvements in the stadium and its structure. For example, they have a jumbotron, lighted scoreboards, new seats, fancy advertisements and billboards, etc. As a baseball fan, I feel this adds to the excitement of attending a baseball game. At Fenway I felt like I was there to enjoy a baseball game whereas at Wrigley I felt more like I was visiting a museum. There's nothing wrong with either of them, but perhaps the records of the home team may have had something to do with that as well.

Jumbotron,new technology, and scoreboards are a huge improvement over methods used a century ago. The Pesky Pole may also be seen on the right side of the picture.

Fenway Park is well-known for a few distinct features besides its storied past. There's the Green Monster, a 37-foot 2-inch high wall in left field that is named after its color, and the Pesky Pole, a right field foul pole which is an awfully short distance from home plate, to name a few.

The Green Monster

The Green Monster is approximately 310 feet away from home plate. The real challenge to hitters, however, is to get enough height on a batted ball to get it over the monster, otherwise they may be relegated to long single. The Green Monster is an iconic part of the stadium and is redefinnown throughout baseball. The Green Monster is the home of the Fenway manually operated scoreboard, which is updated throughout the game. In 2003, the Red Sox debuted barstool seats above the Green Monster which accommodated about 269 fans and left standing room for more. These seats are in high demand and are often high-priced.

Green Monster seats

Overall, Fenway Park is a really nice stadium, mixing history and an enjoyable baseball experience. This stadium isn't lost in the past; it has kept up with the times by updating technology and ensuring that fans are given an enjoyable game to watch.

The Green Monster and sunset

Times visited: 1
Date visited: July 20, 2012
Home team record: 0-1

For more on Fenway Park, visit...

http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/bos/ballpark/index.jsp and

http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/bos/fenwaypark100/index.jsp and

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fenway_Park

Stadium name: Wrigley Field
Home of: Chicago Cubs
Location: Chicago, IL
Years in existence: 1914 - present (began hosting Cubs in 1916)
* Currently the 2nd oldest active ballpark behind Fenway Park
Fan Capacity: 41,160
Ownership: Owned by The Chicago Tribune who purchased them in 1981

Wrigley Field is an iconic stadium that is the home of the Chicago Cubs. One of the oldest active ballparks in the majors, Wrigley does not make use of many electronics in the ballpark and instead relies, for the most part, on old-fashioned and traditional techniques. For example, the scoreboard in center field is changed manually by hand for scores throughout the game and across the league. There is no jumbotron or flashy scoreboard that provides fans with in-game statistics and facts. In fact, even the lights are a relatively new addition as before they were added to the stadium in 1988 the Cubs exclusively played day games when playing at Wrigley. Wrigley Field is also known for its ivy along the outfield walls. In short, the stadium is a great place if you're going to watch a baseball game but those that are used to all the flashy scoreboards and statistics will have a tough time following the game without the use of modern additions to baseball fields.

Times visited: 1
Record of home team: 1-0

For more on Wrigley Field, visit...
http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/chc/ballpark/index.jsp

Wrigley Field's lights were added in the 1988 season

Statue of Harry Caray, famous Cubs broadcaster

Rooftop seats (in the distance) that are on the other side of the street across from the stadium. These seats provide you with a seat for the game, all-you-can-eat food and drink, and air conditioning below if you get too hot for an all-inclusive price. Not a bad experience!