CLOCKWISEFROMTOP: LOUJONES/GETTY IMAGES;MICHAEL IVINS/BOSTONREDSOX; COURTESYJERRYREMY’S
FENWAY PARK, BOSTON
F
ENWAY PARK
is the oldest active ma-
jor league ballpark (it celebrated its 100th
anniversary last year), and every time it
swingsopen its agedgates for aBostonRedSox
game, the ballpark makes history. When base-
ball fans go through its turnstiles, they journey
back in time. LastMarch, theballparkwas added
to the National Register of Historic Places, and
last June, it sold out its 745th consecutive Red
Sox home game, setting a North American pro-
sports, regular-season recordpreviously heldby
the National Basketball Association’s Portland
Trail Blazers.
TheRedSoxwon theWorldSeries in theball-
park’s inaugural 1912 season, then again in 1915,
1916 and 1918— the latter three championships
poweredby the armof oneBabeRuth. After the
Babewas sold to theNewYork Yankees in early
1920 for$125,000 incashand some$300,000 in
loans, theRedSox did notwin another title until
2004—an86-yeardrought thatmanyattributed
to the “Curseof theBambino”—whileRuthblos-
somed into the game’s greatest slugger and the
Yankeeswenton towin37pennantsand25world
championshipsduring the restof the20thcentury.
Over the years, there have been periodic im-
provementsandballpark renovations,butFenway
hasmaintained its charm and kept its distinctive
features: the brick façade on YawkeyWay; the
GreenMonster, the37-foot-tallwall in left field; the
hand-operatedscoreboard; thePeskyPole in right
field, loomingonly302 feet fromhomeplate; the
narrow rowsof greenwooden seats; and theone
seatpainted red in the37th rowof thebleachers in
right,whereTedWilliams’ record502-foothomer
landed in 1946.
Because tickets are so difficult to come by,
unlessyou’rewilling topayscalpers’ prices,many
Sox fanscongregate in theFenwayneighborhood,
nearKenmoreSquare, towatchgamesandsocial-
ize in the many pubs and restaurants near the
ballpark. The
Cask ’nFlagon
, behind the Green
Monster, is the quintessential Sox bar. Under its
signature marquee is a sign trumpeting its No.
2 ranking on an ESPN list of the top sports bars
in America. It openedmore than 40 years ago
as a nightclubwhere Springsteen, Hendrix and
Aerosmith laterwouldperform. Now it’s teeming
withhistoricphotographs, suchas theBabeplay-
inga tuba, andoffersavarietyof fare, includinga
GreenMonster pizza.
Another must-stop is
Jerry Remy’s Sports
Bar &Grill
on Boylston Street. Named after the
former Sox infielder and broadcaster, the bar is
known for its rooftopdeckand its hugeTVs. Not
surprisingly, Remy’s RedAle and a Remy Burger
on frieddoughareverypopularmenu itemswith
the regular patrons.
BostonBeerWorks
, across
from thepark, isahugesportsbar/restaurant that
featuresabout 16handcraftedbeersonanygiven
day and offers the Fenway Burger (toppedwith
chili, scallions and cheddar cheese) and Prince
Edward Islandmussels.
The Baseball Tavern
on
Boylston also has a rooftopdeck that resembles
a concession area at Fenway, complete with a
mini scoreboard.
GameOn!
isanother largeand loudrestaurant/
sportsbar featuringmore than90high-definition
TVs, theusual bar food—burgers,wings, oysters,
pizza — and a window view of visiting players
hitting in the batting cages.
The Bleacher Bar
,
with its own street entrance beneath the Green
Monster, featuresahugewindowoverlooking the
outfield. Nogame ticket required.
BEANTOWNBALL:
HighaboveFenwayPark;
thepopular fried-dough sandwichbun
at JerryRemy’s; theCask ’nFlagonbehind
theGreenMonster
AA.COM/AMERICANWAY
APRIL 01, 2013
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