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Saturday, January 16, 2010

Fenway Park in Winter - Just One Month from Spring Training in Florida


Click small box to enlarge video.

My good friend Shirley Dodson - my sons' babysitter - asked me to visit Fenway Park. So here you go Shirley - pictures - video - story - I even risked my freedom by sneaking in a door past a security guard to get a little video. They do offer a tour - but you know better than thinking Harry would fork out $12 for a picture when it is so much more juicy to get one for free.

Fenway Park is the oldest and probably the smallest major league baseball park in the country. I am guessing it seats 35,000 - reminds me a bit of going to see the Reading Phillies. There are streets all the way around the stadium - very few parking spots - I saw one lot that charged $42 on game day - highway robbery. The whole place is not much more than 100 yards either way. Just outside the center field gates - there is the Boston High School of Performing Arts. It was in session on my 1 PM Friday afternoon visit.

Real baseball fans know that this is where Babe Ruth started out in the major leagues. Most people do not know that he was an excellent pitcher who was capable of pitching with either hand. They say that sometimes he would wind up to pitch and the batter did not know which hand he would use. Unfortunately or fortunately - he was such a fantastic hitter that they could not afford playing him only every 4th day - so he played outfield and became the best of all time.

Interestingly - they have logos from every world series they played in. Starting in 1903 - they were in many world series - for the 1920'a to the 2000's - was a giant dearth of banners. You see - Boston sold the Babe to the Yankees - and a curse was put on the team - so the legend goes. Read Sox fans have hated the Yankees ever since - but they should really hate their team's owners who made the sale. Of course it is much more fun to hate the Yankees - and it is fun to be in the fraternity.

Today - even the Yankees have replaced Yankee Stadium - the house that Ruth built. Money changes everything. But old fashioned baseball seems to exist here - getting off the subway and fighting traffic to see a game - and getting a chance to sing "Sweet Caroline."

This street would be the west side of the stadium.


I sneaked into section 35 for this picture of the "green monster."


This would be the south side and the first base line.

Section 35 - place of the video

This door surrounded by the world series logos was too tempting.

One of many world series logos before Babe Ruth was sold to the Yankees.

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