Fun Trivia : Fenway Park

Structure Sub-topic of: Boston Red Sox Quizzes Other encyclopedia entries of interest: Ballparks | Interesting Questions, Facts and Information There are a total of 30 general entries.

Interesting Questions, Facts, and Information

Fenway Park

On October 21, 1975, Carlton Fisk provided Red Sox fans with one of their most exciting moments, when he hit a home run to win game six of the World Series. Which team fell victim to Fisk's blast?

Fenway Park


Cincinnati Reds. Fisk had to "wave the ball fair" in the 12th inning of game six against the Reds. The National Leaguers had the last laugh however, as Cincinnati went on to win game seven and the series.



The foul pole in right field, takes its nickname from which former Red Sox player?

Fenway Park


Johnny Pesky. Former Red Sox star Johnny Pesky was a player of much talent, but little power. In 2003, "Pesky's Pole" stood 302 feet from home plate, making it an inviting target for those not noted for hitting home runs.



Who was the first player to blast a 500ft home in Fenway?

Fenway Park


Ted Williams, 502ft. The story goes that Williams' 502 foot shot, crashed through the straw hat of a Yankees fan sitting in the right field bleachers. The newspaper reporters interviewing the man (after he woke up), asked if he would consider switching his allegiance to the Sox after being hit. He said that perhaps this was a sign and yes he would. Headlines the next day read, "Williams Knocks Sense Into Yankees Fan".



How tall was the Green Monster in left field in the 2003 season?

Fenway Park


37 feet. The green monster was 37 feet tall. Fenway's center field wall is 17 feet tall.



Fenway Park used to have a sloping field, running up to the centerfield fence?

Fenway Park


t. Between 1912 and 1933 such a slope did exist. It was given the nickname "Duffy's Cliff" after Red Sox left fielder Duffy Lewis. Lewis had become skilled at running up the slope to make plays.



There was never been a nine-inning perfect game pitched at Fenway Park, thrown by one pitcher in the 20th century?

Fenway Park


t. It's true, Fenway Park had never seen a perfect game. It came close however one day in 1917. Babe Ruth started for the Red Sox and walked the first batter. Upset with the ball-strike calls, Ruth argued with the umpire and got tossed out of the game. Ernie Shore took over on the mound and the runner who had been walked tried to steal second. He was thrown out by the catcher and Shore then retired the next 26 batters he faced.



Who was the architect that designed Fenway?

Fenway Park History


Osborne Engineering. The architect of Fenway was Osborne Engineering, both the original design, and the design after the fire in 1934. HNTB designed Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill designed the Metrodome in Minnesota, and Robbie & Allen designed Skydome in Toronto.



When did the Red Sox start playing night games at Fenway?

Fenway Park History


June 13, 1947. The Red Sox defeated the Chicago White Sox on June 13, 1947, which gave them a record of 1-0 after their first night game.



What kind of wood were the seats made of?

Fenway Park History


Oak. The seats were made of oak in the original Fenway park, which was also one of the most common woods used in ballparks at the time.



When was the first All Star game played at Fenway Park?

Fenway Park History


1946. The first All-Star game at Fenway Park was played in 1946, with the American League winning 12-0 behind a pair of home runs from hometown boy Ted Williams.



Where do the Sox display retired uniform numbers?

Fenway Park History


On the right field facade. Fans in 2004 saw numbers 1, 4, 8, 9, 27, and 42, proudly displayed on the right field facade. These retired numbers belong to: Bobby Doerr (1), Joe Cronin (4), Carl Yaztremski (8), Ted Williams (9), Carlton Fisk (27), and Jackie Robinson (42, a number retired by MLB).



When was the padding to the lower left & center field walls added?

Fenway Park History


After the 1975 World Series. The Sox added padding to the lower portions of the left and center field walls after the 1975 Wold Series, which involved a play in which Fred Lynn crashed into the padding-less walls to make a play.



What feature was added to Fenway Park before the 2003 season?

Fenway Park History


Seats above the Green Monster. The added feature was the seats on top of the Monster in left field. These seats were said to be the best seats in sports.



When was the net constructed atop the Green Monster?

Fenway Park History


1936. The Sox constructed a 23 foot net atop the Monster, located in left field, to protect the windows of businesses on Lansdowne Street.



On opening day in April 1912, what was the capacity of Fenway Park?

Fenway Park History


35,000. Fenway's original capacity was 35,000. Between 1912 and 2004, Fenway's capacity had fluctuated between 33,000 and 36,298.



The right field facade displays the retired numbers of Bobby Doerr, Joe Cronin, Carl Yastrzemski, Ted Williams, Carlton Fisk and Jackie Robinson. What was the order of the first four numbers displayed?

Fenway Park


9, 4, 1 ,8. In order to have his number retired, a Sox player must have 10 years with the team and be a member of the Hall of Fame. For this reason, originally, the numbers were not posted in either chronological or numerical order.



In 2007, the grandstand seats at Fenway were narrow and uncomfortable and still the same dimensions as they were in 1912, when they were made of what?

Fenway Park


Oak. While the Titanic and Fenway Park are the same age, Fenway has fared better. The Titanic's 'new' steel was forged to be harder and iceberg proof, but turned out to be more brittle in cold conditions. If you're cold on the oak seats at Fenway, bring a blanket.



Before it was renamed "Yawkey Way" in 1976, it was what?

Fenway Park


Jersey Street. While all are actual streets surrounding Fenway, the City of Boston renamed Jersey St. after long-time owner Tom Yawkey in 1976.



What was spelled out in Morse code on the left field scoreboard?

Fenway Park


Tayjry. These are the initials of former owners Thomas A. Yawkey and Jean R. Yawkey, who are remembered in perpetuity by those who know where to look.



Which was not a physical feature of Fenway Park, named for a Red Sox player?

Fenway Park


Ruthville. All were ballpark features named for former Red Sox players, but Ruthville is in Yankee Stadium. 'Duffy's Cliff' was a 10 foot embankment running up the base of the left field wall. 'Conig's Corner' is the centerfield triangle, named for Tony Conigliaro. 'Williamsburg' refers to the right field bullpen area, added to shorten the home run distance for lefty Ted Williams.



Pesky's Pole is named after shortstop Johnny Pesky. How many times in his career did Johnny hit the pole for a home run?

Fenway Park


0. Johnny Pesky hit 17 career home runs, six of them at Fenway Park in 4,745 at-bats in the Major Leagues. Mel Parnell dubbed the right field foul pole "Pesky's Pole" after Johnny poked a 302' home run just inside it, winning a game for Parnell.



Night baseball began in the 1930s, but the Red Sox played all their games in the daytime because ownership was too cheap to pay the light bill. When was the first night game played at Fenway?

Fenway Park


1947. Ironically, when Hall of Famer Bobby Doerr retired in 1951, owner Tom Yawkey presented him with an electrical power plant for his ranch in Oregon.



Where is Section 42, Row 37, Seat 21?

Fenway Park


All are correct. The spot, marked by a lone red seat (the others are green) commemorates the longest measurable home run ever hit inside Fenway Park's 1934 configuration. Ted Williams hit the home run on June 9, 1946, off Fred Hutchinson of the Detroit Tigers. The original chair is in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.