The Quirkiest-And Most Loved-Stadium in the MLB

There’s no place like Fenway Park. The oldest stadium in America across the MLB, NFL, and NBA, it has hosted the Boston Red Sox for 114 years and counting. A stadium that has housed one of the oldest sports teams in America for almost its entire existence means it has collected some strange features and history over the years.

First of all, there’s the Green Monster. One of the most recognizable features in baseball, Fenway features a 37 foot 2 inch left field wall to compensate for the short distance from home plate, only 310 feet on the foul line. This wall creates interesting game situations, where fly balls that would typically be outs ricochet off the green monster, leading to extra bases. The height coupled with the fact that there’s not padding anywhere on the wall makes it a daunting obstacle for any outfielder.

Then, there’s Pesky’s Pole. The right field foul pole was named for Red Sox shortstop Johnny Pesky, coined by teammate and broadcaster Mel Parnell after he won a game in 1948 by hitting a home run just around the pole. If you thought 310 feet to the left field foul line was short, you’re in for a surprise. It is only 302 feet to Pesky’s Pole from home plate. The key difference here is instead of a wall over 35 feet tall, the right field wall is only 3 feet tall, which is well below the average of 7 to 8 feet. Pro tip for if you ever visit this historic ballpark: there’s a tradition where fans sign the pole, which features signatures from everyday fans as well as former players and former Boston Mayor Marty Walsh.

Eagle-eyed fans may notice something about Fenway when the field is empty: there's one seat in the right field bleachers painted red. But why? It marks the landing spot of an estimated 502-foot home run by Ted Williams on June 9, 1946. The seat was painted red in 1984 in commemoration of the longest homer in Fenway’s history. 

Fenway is one of the most beloved stadiums in the U.S. It’s the favorite of so many not because of its perfection or modernity, but its flaws and quirks. The weird dimensions have decided many games in dramatic fashion, and Fenway has been the site of countless postseason heroics, like Carlton Fisk’s walkoff home run in the 12th inning of Game 6 of the 1975 World Series that hit the left field foul pole. The reason why Fenway has stood the test of time is because it has something that other parks don’t: personality. Its flaws make it feel alive, and that’s something that no modern ballpark can’t match. In 100 years, will technologically advanced stadiums like the Mets’ Citi Field still stand? No. But Fenway just might.