Fenway Park

[alh00020]

Hey all,

 

As my info page says I'm a Red Sox fan from the UK, but I'm getting the opportunity to travel to the USA this summer initially to work, but then with a two week holiday I've given myself in September to tour the East Coast and see as much baseball as possible! I've already booked tickets to see the Nationals, Orioles, Phillies, Yankees (boo!), Pawtucket and then lastly the Red Sox at Fenway in early September. I actually cannot wait, I'm like a kid at Christmas!

 

Anyway, after that long intro (sorry), my questions were mainly about Fenway Park; not having baseball in the the UK, I was just wondering if you guys could help me out with a number of things I was wondering about visiting Fenway:

 

• What time do most people arrive at the game? Are there things to do in/around the Stadium before the game starts? Anywhere/thing that people would really recommend?
   
  
• What time do the gates to the Park open?
   
  
• How much freedom do you have to walk around the Park between the different sections? I'm sitting behind home plate on the first night, then in the bleachers the second night, hopefully to see as much of the ground as I can, but can you walk to, say, the very top of the grand stand just to sneak a peak of the game, even if you don't have a seat there?
   
  
• What is the very best food/drink I should try when I visit in the Park?
   
  
• What is the polite thing to do in terms of going to get food/drink if you're not on the end of the row? End of/between innings/not while the game is in play?
   
  
• Lastly, watching the game on TV at the moment (2.43am!), and obviously it looks bloody cold! Recommended clothes to wear to a game in late Autumn?
  

 

Sorry if any (all??) of the answers seem insanely obvious, I just wanted to try and find out some info about visiting the Park; it's amazing how many sites out there can give you the exact dimensions of Fenway since it was opened, yet hardly anywhere will tell you what time the gates open!

 

Thanks,

 

Alex

[alh00020]

I'm sorry, I forgot another question I had wanted to ask:

 

- Is it possible to sit in the stands during batting practise? I know from a few of the blogs that I read (Chicago, for example), that fans can go and sit in the stands and catch the flyballs from bp, is it the same at Fenway?

 

Thanks again.

[SCM33]

• What time do most people arrive at the game? Are there things to do in/around the Stadium before the game starts? Anywhere/thing that people would really recommend?
   
  
• What time do the gates to the Park open?
   
  
• How much freedom do you have to walk around the Park between the different sections? I'm sitting behind home plate on the first night, then in the bleachers the second night, hopefully to see as much of the ground as I can, but can you walk to, say, the very top of the grand stand just to sneak a peak of the game, even if you don't have a seat there?
   
  
• What is the very best food/drink I should try when I visit in the Park?
   
  
• What is the polite thing to do in terms of going to get food/drink if you're not on the end of the row? End of/between innings/not while the game is in play?
   
  
• Lastly, watching the game on TV at the moment (2.43am!), and obviously it looks bloody cold! Recommended clothes to wear to a game in late Autumn?
  

 

I arrive around 5-530 PM. I usually go to GAME ON, a local bar and grab a pizza and beer. Going to a RedSox game isnt simply a baseball game, its an event. The buzz around the park before games is what gets me most excited to go to Fenway.

 

There is very little room to walk around, its very cramped. If you want to walk around.....do it before the game starts. You can pretty much see any area you want except the Green Monster seating area, and the VIP areas.

 

The best food outside the stadium is the sausage guy sausages. And yes, there is a difference between the different sausage carts. Sausage guy makes his own sausage, while most others just pick up a pack of sweet italians from their local supermarket.

 

The best food inside the stadium is the Fenway Frank. It is a Kayem hot dog that is steamed/or grilles and has a hint of smoky/spiciness. Get it with spicy mustard only. Do not get them from concession stands (they grill them on rollers), rather....get them from a vendor in the stands (those ones are steamed). Vendor dogs are more authentic.

 

As far as drink, basically anywhere you go......you will get a watered down draft pilsner beer. Make sure you get 2 at a time (dont want to look like a rookie).

 

Dont worry about being polite, people understand that the place is cramped. Most people are more than accommodating to stand up and let you pass to do whatever you have to do (although I try to wait in between innings).

 

Clothing, if its 60 or up, I recommend shorts and a T shirt......and bring a pullover sweatshirt or light jacket. Less than 60, dress to be a little colder.

[SCM33]

I'm sorry, I forgot another question I had wanted to ask:

 

- Is it possible to sit in the stands during batting practise? I know from a few of the blogs that I read (Chicago, for example), that fans can go and sit in the stands and catch the flyballs from bp, is it the same at Fenway?

 

Thanks again.

 

You can sit in the stands during batting practice.

[yeszir]

Bring a parka if you're going to a September game. And long underwear and possibly one of those portable fire pits.

[alh00020]

possible one of those portable fire pits

 

haha!

 

Thanks very much for the replies all of you, it's really useful to get some excellent advice!

 

Sweet Chin Music, thank you for your reply, what time do you get there for batting practise? Do you use your standard entry ticket to get in? Can you just go to any section of the stands for the batting practise, even if your ticket isn't for there?

 

Thanks again.

[SCM33]

haha!

 

Thanks very much for the replies all of you, it's really useful to get some excellent advice!

 

Sweet Chin Music, thank you for your reply, what time do you get there for batting practise? Do you use your standard entry ticket to get in? Can you just go to any section of the stands for the batting practise, even if your ticket isn't for there?

 

Thanks again.

 

I think the Sox take batting practice 2 hours before game time, and the away club takes BP 45 minutes before the game starts. You can go anywhere during BP, your regular ticket gets you in......once you are in though, you are in for good. Make sure you do whatever you have to do outside of the stadium before you go in.

[yeszir]

Your ticket gets you onto Yawkey Way though

[frodo]

Make sure you get there early enough for batting practice!

[dobalina]

first timer at fenway, you gotta eat a fenway frank...

 

and you gotta sneak down to the field and eat some dirt!

[YeAuldBroade]

first timer at fenway, you gotta eat a fenway frank...

 

and you gotta sneak down to the field and eat some dirt!

Aren't they one and the same. I kill me.

 

Seriously don't sneak down to the field, it would suck to spend your first game at Fenway behind bars.

 

Hey, maybe you'll get lucky and an opposing player will kick sand in your face. SCORE!