Fenway Park officially opens. After two rainouts, the Red Sox defeat the New York Highlanders (now the New York Yankees) 7-6 in 11 innings in the first professional baseball game played at Fenway Park. The first game ever played at Fenway Park actually occurred on April 9, when the Red Sox beat Harvard University, 2-0.
May 8, 1926
The first Fenway fire occurs. The bleachers along the left-field foul line burn down and are not replaced, giving fielders the chance to snare foul flies behind the third base grandstand.
1931
The Red Sox players first wear numbers on their uniforms. Since then, the Red Sox have retired five uniform numbers: Ted Williams' No. 9 and Joe Cronin's No. 4 officially retired May 29, 1984; Bobby Doerr's No. 1 retired May 21, 1988; Carl Yastrzemski's No. 8 retired August 6, 1989; and Carlton Fisk's No. 27 retired September 4, 2000. Major League Baseball retired the No. 42 of Jackie Robinson.
July 3, 1932
The Red Sox play the team's first Sunday game at Fenway, a 13-2 loss to the Yankees. Sunday baseball was approved in Boston three years earlier, but not at Fenway due to its proximity to a church. The Red Sox then played their Sunday games at Braves Field on Commonwealth Avenue until the law was changed. The first Red Sox Sunday game actually played in Boston was a 7-3 loss to Philadelphia at Braves Field on April 28, 1929 (the Braves game of April 21 was rained out) before 22,000 fans.
January 5, 1934
The second Fenway fire occurs. A four-alarm, four-hour blaze virtually destroys the construction underway to refurbish the park by new owner Thomas A. Yawkey.
April 17, 1934
A newly rebuilt Fenway Park opens. The Washington Senators, led by shortstop-manager Joe Cronin beat the Red Sox, 6-5 in 11 innings.
Biggest baseball crowds at Fenway
47,627 for a Yankees doubleheader on September 22, 1935...46,995 for a Detroit Tigers doubleheader on August 19, 1934...And — a week earlier — 46,766 to say goodbye to Babe Ruth at a Yankees doubleheader on August 12, 1934. Those crowds will never be equaled under Fenway's current dimensions. More stringent fire laws and league rules after World War II prohibited overcrowding that was permitted in the Thirties.
1936
A 23-1/2-foot tall screen is installed above the left field wall to protect the windows of buildings on Lansdowne Street, the road on the other side of the left field wall.
July 13, 1939
The first road night game is played by the Red Sox in Cleveland. The Red Sox win 6-5 in 10 innings; the winning pitcher was Joe Heving.
1940
Bullpens are constructed in front of the bleachers, replacing the old bullpen areas in the outfield foul territory beyond the dugouts.
1946
Ted Williams hits a monumental 502-foot home run to right field off Detroit right hander Fred Hutchinson on June 9. The ball lands on top of the straw hat of Joseph A. Boucher, 56, a construction engineer from Albany, NY who is sitting in section 42, row 37, seat 21. "The sun was right in our eyes," he said. "All we could do was duck. I'm glad I didn't stand up. They say it bounced a dozen rows higher, but after it hit my head, I was no longer interested." At that time the bleachers were real bleachers and not individual seats.
1947
Arc lights are installed at Fenway Park, making the Red Sox the third last team among the then 16 major league clubs to do so. The Red Sox defeat the White Sox, 5-3, in Fenway's first night game on June 13, with Dave Ferriss getting the win. Green paint replaces advertisements covering the left field wall, giving rise to the nickname "The Green Monster" — no more Calvert owl ("Be wise"), Gem Blades ("Avoid 5 o'clock shadow"), Lifebuoy ("The Red Sox use it") and Vimms ("Get that Vimms feeling").
May 12, 1948
Red Sox games are first televised at Fenway on WBZ-TV.
Oct. 4, 1948
The first playoff game in American League history takes place at Fenway. Cleveland rookie left-hander Gene Bearden beats the Red Sox 8-3; shortstop-manager Lou Boudreau lead the Indians with two home runs and two singles. The defeat prevented the only cross-town World Series in Boston history. Cleveland beat the Boston Braves four games to two in the World Series.
Oct. 21, 1975
The first World Series night game occurs at Fenway Park. The memorable Game 6, delayed three days by rain, lasts four hours and one minute, and ends with Carlton Fisk's dramatic home run off Pat Darcy to lead off the last of the 12th. The Red Sox tie the game at 6-6 in the last of the eighth on Bernie Carbo's three-run, pinch-hit home run with two outs.
1976
Fenway Park gets its first message board in center field. The board installation is part of a construction project that includes a rebuilding of the left field wall as well as a new enclosed press box.
Oct. 2, 1978
The second playoff game in American League history also occurs at Fenway Park. The Red Sox win their last eight games of the regular season to tie the Yankees for first place in the East. The infamous Bucky Dent, two-out, three-run fly ball home run into the left-field net puts New York ahead to stay in the seventh inning. The Red Sox leave two men on in the ninth inning and lose 5-4.
1982-83
The private suites are built atop the left- and right-field stands.
1987-88
A color videoboard with a black and white message board is installed in center field. The playing area is completely resodded. In addition, a new function facility ("Diamond at Fenway") and souvenir shop ("The Lansdowne Shop") are constructed.
1988-89
The Red Sox add 610 stadium club seats ("The 600 Club") above the grandstand behind home plate, the site of the former press box. New broadcast booths and a press box are installed atop The 600 Club.
1989-90
Massive renovations are made to the Red Sox ticket office.
1990-91
A new weight room and a multi-purpose room are constructed in the area of the Red Sox clubhouse.
1991-92
The Red Sox install portable enclosures for bullpen benches during cold weather, in addition to making complete renovations to both dugouts.
1992
A metal awning roof is installed above left- and right-field roof box seats.
1993
Organized tours of Fenway Park begin.
1993-94
A three-year restroom renovation is completed.
1995
The Red Sox install energy efficient lighting, heating/cooling and control systems throughout facility via a Boston Edison Company energy conservation program.
March 19, 1997
The Sox unveil a 25-foot Coca-Cola contour bottle design atop the left-field wall light tower signifying the Red Sox' and Coca-Cola's partnership and their commitment to the fans, community and Jimmy Fund through the "Monster Refreshment" program. The program ensures ticket price savings for fans and significant contributions to the Jimmy Fund for each Red Sox home run hit over the left-field wall or one that hits the Coke bottle. In 1997 the Red Sox hit two home runs off the Coke bottle: Wil Cordero Apr. 13 vs. Seattle and Tim Naehring May 11 vs. Texas.
May 1997
The batting cage beneath the center field bleachers undergo a complete renovation.
March 1999
Red Sox and visitors' clubhouse improvements are completed.
July 13, 1999
The 70th Major League Baseball All-Star Game is held at Fenway Park. Baseball fans everywhere thrill to the presentation of MLB's All-Century Team, with the ultimate finale being an appearance by Red Sox great Ted Williams on the field. In a spontaneous gesture, all of the players and coaches on the field surround Williams to show their respect and appreciation for everything he means to baseball. Sox pitcher and American League starting pitcher Pedro Martinez is named the Most Valuable Player for his pitching performance as the AL defeats the National League, 4-1. Pedro becomes the first pitcher in All-Star history to strike out the game's first three batters. Of the six batters Pedro faces during his two-inning stint, five — Barry Larkin, Larry Walker, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, and Jeff Bagwell — struck out.
April 2002
Two rows of "dugout" seats (on the infield side of both dugouts to backstop) were added. A media interview room was constructed adjacent to Red Sox clubhouse. The family room was converted to a players lounge, and a new, expanded family lounge was built.
July 2002
Green Monster signage was added atop the left field wall.
September 2002
Yawkey Way and the Gate A concourse expansion opened with concessions, restrooms and fan-friendly attractions for all ages.
April 2003
Green Monster seats debuted above the left field wall. Two rows of additional seats and new camera pits were constructed on the outfield end of Red Sox and visitors dugouts. Two new rows of seats behind the plate and a new backstop were added. A new manual out-of-town scoreboard and advertising panels were installed on the left field wall. The Legends Suite debuted in Suite R-1, giving groups of fans the chance to watch a game with a Red Sox great. The Hall of Fame/.406 Club was refurbished and decorated. Yawkey Way officially opened after a one-month trial in September of 2002. The SmarTix program was launched.
July/August 2003
Big Concourse with restrooms (including family restroom), concessions, customer service booth, portable turnstiles and picnic areas opened in right field. New ticket booths opened at Gates B and C. Gate D food court/expanded concessions on lower concourse opened. ARAMARK commissary moved to old Laundry Building area.
September 6-7, 2003
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band performed a pair of sold-out concerts at Fenway Park.
April 9, 2004
New seating on the right field roof debuted.
April 16, 2004
Red Sox legends Johnny Pesky and Bobby Doerr joined Mayor Thomas M. Menino in unveiling a new statue of Ted Williams outside of Gate B.
September 10 and 12, 2004
Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band packed Fenway for a pair of sold-out concerts.
October 8, 2004
David Ortiz crushed a two-run homer off Jarrod Washburn with two outs in the the bottom of the 10th, giving the Red Sox an 8-6 win over the Angels and a sweep of the best-of-five AL Division Series.
August 21 and 23, 2005
The Rolling Stones rocked Fenway Park with a pair of sold-out shows.
2006
Heeding the request of fans, the Red Sox removed the glass that had separated the .406 Club from the ambiance and atmosphere of Fenway, creating the new EMC Club and the State Street Pavilion in time for Opening Day, 2006. In the process, the club added 1,300 seats, standing room, additional concession stands and restrooms, while widening concourses and creating more room for fans.
Ballpark
