Fenway now on the National Register of Historic Places

[mvp 78]

No, the Pawsox have a beautiful stadium in McCoy. Move someone else.

[mvp 78]

Or have each team play a select number of home games there.

[yeszir]

Why all the Fenway hate? You guys seriously want a cookie cutter stadium out in Framingham? That would be AWESOME.

[mvp 78]

Why all the Fenway hate? You guys seriously want a cookie cutter stadium out in Framingham? That would be AWESOME.

 

No one has advocated that.

[Youk Of The Nation]

Yeah that's a great approach to take from a business standpoint. I love going to Fenway and go 5-10 times a year. That doesn't mean the place is great, the place sucks and its very expensive. If you want seats OTHER than bleachers, you are paying 200+ dollars a ticket (marked up 400-500% from face value) Plus, for the most part, the attendance doesn't even know a thing about baseball or the team, they too only want to go for the "atmosphere". You really cannot comment about anything regarding it since you've never been.

 

I too enjoy the place, but its a dump. After going to the new Yankee Stadium and Camden Yards....the place is just outdated. Its fine for people who are going for their first time or for the experience, but the place is a miserable, uncomfortable overpriced dump......and thats coming from someone who likes going there. I could not imagine being a ticket holder having to drive Storrow Drive 80 times a year during rush hour traffic in Boston which is best described as extremely painful.

 

A guy from Ontario (whos been there maybe a handful of times), a guy from Florida (who has NEVER been there), and another guy from California (who has also probably NEVER been there) are going to tell a guy who goes 5-10 times a year that hes wrong based on little actual experience there. They speak of "atmosphere" they have never even experienced and how comfort is overrated even though they have not ever sat in the seats. I've been there over 100 times in my life and I have lived 20 mins. outside the city my entire life, but I have no idea what I am talking about......

 

 

Okay, I've been to Fenway maybe 25-30 times, and I agree with them. Is that okay? How many times do you have to have gone there before you are allowed to have an opinion? How many times do you really need to go to a place to get the feel of it?

 

Every single time I go to Fenway, I am in awe. I never complain about the seats because every five minutes I am jumping out of them to cheer for the Red Sox, which is why I am there in the first place.

 

Every year I see more and more signs that my own generation, and even those a little older than I am, are showing less and less concern for preserving the history of our country if it interferes with comfort or convenience. Fenway is the embodiment of Boston's history. Everything around it changes, but it has been in the same spot, serving the same purpose, for an entire century.

 

When I go into Fenway park, I can almost imagine that I can see history playing out around me. It's, for lack of a better term, magical. I've been to the new Yankee Stadium, I've been to PNC park, and I've been to Comerica. They are nice stadiums, comfortable, enjoyable to watch a game in. But you know what was missing? The feel of baseball. Every one of them just felt like a place that the team was using that day, like a football field that's been recovered with dirt to play baseball on while the football season is over.

 

At Fenway park, you look around, you see the Green Monster sticking out no matter which part of the stadium you are in, you see Pesky's pole, and if you're close enough to it, the hundreds of names of visiting fans scrawled on it in Sharpie, and you close your eyes and you can feel the vibration of every single stomping foot, every single encouraging chant, every word coming over the PA system, and when you see all of that, feel all of that at once, there is absolutely no doubt in your mind that this is a field of baseball, there is absolutely nothing else you can mistake it for.

 

I wouldn't install an elevator on the face of Mt. Rushmore, I wouldn't put ten-foot security fences along the edge of the Grand Canyon, I wouldn't fix the crack in the Liberty Bell, and I sure as hell wouldn't tear down a piece of the soul of every Red Sox fan in the history of baseball just to replace it with something that has bigger cupholders.

[VA Sox Fan]

Okay, I've been to Fenway maybe 25-30 times, and I agree with them. Is that okay? How many times do you have to have gone there before you are allowed to have an opinion? How many times do you really need to go to a place to get the feel of it?

 

Every single time I go to Fenway, I am in awe. I never complain about the seats because every five minutes I am jumping out of them to cheer for the Red Sox, which is why I am there in the first place.

 

Every year I see more and more signs that my own generation, and even those a little older than I am, are showing less and less concern for preserving the history of our country if it interferes with comfort or convenience. Fenway is the embodiment of Boston's history. Everything around it changes, but it has been in the same spot, serving the same purpose, for an entire century.

 

When I go into Fenway park, I can almost imagine that I can see history playing out around me. It's, for lack of a better term, magical. I've been to the new Yankee Stadium, I've been to PNC park, and I've been to Comerica. They are nice stadiums, comfortable, enjoyable to watch a game in. But you know what was missing? The feel of baseball. Every one of them just felt like a place that the team was using that day, like a football field that's been recovered with dirt to play baseball on while the football season is over.

 

At Fenway park, you look around, you see the Green Monster sticking out no matter which part of the stadium you are in, you see Pesky's pole, and if you're close enough to it, the hundreds of names of visiting fans scrawled on it in Sharpie, and you close your eyes and you can feel the vibration of every single stomping foot, every single encouraging chant, every word coming over the PA system, and when you see all of that, feel all of that at once, there is absolutely no doubt in your mind that this is a field of baseball, there is absolutely nothing else you can mistake it for.

 

I wouldn't install an elevator on the face of Mt. Rushmore, I wouldn't put ten-foot security fences along the edge of the Grand Canyon, I wouldn't fix the crack in the Liberty Bell, and I sure as hell wouldn't tear down a piece of the soul of every Red Sox fan in the history of baseball just to replace it with something that has bigger cupholders.

 

Excellent post YOTN. I've only been twice but agree with you 100%.

[Palodios]

I've been about 20-30 times as well, and I have mixed feelings. The Colosseum in Rome has a significant amount of history, but no teams still play there. The history and prestige is important, but if a new stadium means cheaper seats and better views for those of us who can't afford box seats, and more revenue to make the team better, it absolutely must be done. The past is important, but shouldn't the present be the first priority?

 

I bought tickets to six games last year, and will probably be around that number for 2012 as well. I'm slim enough to enjoy the seats comfortably, and I can enjoy Fenway for what it is. But if there is a time when it just doesn't make sense to stay there, it won't make sense to stay there.

[a700hitter]

Locals hate it. Vacationers love it.

 

Just build a new park and have a minor league team play at Fenway.

Good point. I am not a local, but I have been to probably a couple of hundred games throughout the decades. In the beginning, I loved the place and thought it was a great landmark. Over the last couple of decades, the awe has worn off, and the reality has set it that it is an old relic that is not a good place to watch a game. I love Fenway, but when non-Sox fans from other cities with new ballparks see Fenway, they see it with non-biased eyes, and they usually think it is a dump.

[a700hitter]

Why all the Fenway hate? You guys seriously want a cookie cutter stadium out in Framingham? That would be AWESOME.

We love Fenway for the memories it hold, but it is not a good place to watch a game. The new stadiums are not cookie cutter like the one's built in the 1970's . Each of them have their distinct features. If the city of Boston wasn't a corrupt political sewer, they could build the new Fenway in Boston.

[Emmz]

The Roman Colosseum is also an ancient wonder, and a work of art.

 

Fenway Park is 100 years old and serves the basic purpose of viewing a baseball game. All of sports' greatest stadiums are gone essentially. Preserve the history.

 

Otherwise, lets just knock everything over and build new modern versions of everything. "The New Lincoln Monument".

 

http://www.destination360.com/north-america/us/washington-dc/images/s/washington-dc-lincoln-memorial-s.jpg

 

My seat is uncomfy, and the columns are obstructing my view.

 

Maybe even a New White House? Why the hell not!

[a700hitter]

The Roman Colosseum is also an ancient wonder, and a work of art.

 

Fenway Park is 100 years old and serves the basic purpose of viewing a baseball game. All of sports' greatest stadiums are gone essentially. Preserve the history.

 

Otherwise, lets just knock everything over and build new modern versions of everything. "The New Lincoln Monument".

 

http://www.destination360.com/north-america/us/washington-dc/images/s/washington-dc-lincoln-memorial-s.jpg

 

My seat is uncomfy, and the columns are obstructing my view.

 

Maybe even a New White House? Why the hell not!

The White House was substantially rebuilt during Truman's term, because the place was falling apart. It has undergone many changes throughout the years.

[Emmz]

Never been replaced, brah.

[a700hitter]

Never been replaced' date=' brah.[/quote']Because the President was relocated as the place was rebuilt on site. Truman did not live at the White House for 3 years of his term. That is not a possibility for the Red Sox. The 1976-2008 version of Yankee Stadium was essentially a whole new stadium that was rebuilt on site while the Yankees played for 2 seasons at Shea Stadium.

[a700hitter]

If ownership thought they could get a new stadium built, it would have been done already. They realized from the beginning that they couldn't navigate the corruption and incompetence of the City government as well as all the special interests. They decided to improve Fenway as much as possible and play up the history as a strength. They have done a great job, but it is still not a good venue to watch baseball.

[Emmz]

Thats still not building a new White House. They didn't knock the old one over and rebuild. Same goes for Yankee Stadium. If they did the same thing with Fenway none of us would care, because it would still be Fenway Park.

[a700hitter]

Thats still not building a new White House. They didn't knock the old one over and rebuild. Same goes for Yankee Stadium. If they did the same thing with Fenway none of us would care' date=' because it would still be Fenway Park.[/quote']Yankee Stadium was essentially rebuilt onsite. The 1976 version bore no resemblance to the 1973 version-- none whatsoever. I went to many games at both. The outer shell of the White House was the only thing preserved in 1949. Everything else was gutted, so the Lincoln Bedroom is not the Lincoln Bedroom.

 

As you said, no one would care if they could rebuild Fenway onsite, but that is not a possibility, because there is no place to accommodate the Red Sox and 3 million fans for a couple of years. If it is okay to gut and replace Fenway onsite, I am not sure what people would object to if the whole new stadium was built on a different site? If the rebuilt Fenway on Yawkey Way would be all new, what history is being preserved? Does the plot of land have some significance? Dig up the Monster and bring it to the new site. The Green Monster is not original to Fenway anway.

[Emmz]

Yeah, it basically does. Its the atmosphere. If they build "New Fenway Park" it will suck, because it will not be the same place Ted Williams played and what not. New Yankee Stadium is not "The House that Ruth Built", its just some state of the art replica of the old stadium that has no tie to the original. If they renovated Yankee Stadium a million times it would still be The House That Ruth Built. NYS will never have a historical bond to those 26 world titles or Ruth or Gehrig.

 

Its like destroying a memorial to all of the great teams and players.

[a700hitter]

Yeah, it basically does. Its the atmosphere. If they build "New Fenway Park" it will suck, because it will not be the same place Ted Williams played and what not. New Yankee Stadium is not "The House that Ruth Built", its just some state of the art replica of the old stadium that has no tie to the original. If they renovated Yankee Stadium a million times it would still be The House That Ruth Built. NYS will never have a historical bond to those 26 world titles or Ruth or Gehrig.

 

Its like destroying a memorial to all of the great teams and players.

The new Yankee Stadium is across the street from where the old stadium was located. No one knows the difference. The neighborhood is a dump. There is a prison down the block. If a bomb went off in that neighborhood and they had to completely rebuild the surrounding area, it would be an improvement. No one would miss a single thing about that neighborhood. In 30-40 years when the Yankees build another new stadium, maybe they will build the new one on the original site again. What difference that would make is beyond my understanding.

 

The same goes for the area around Fenway. It's basically a dump, although it is not a dangerous slum like the area around Yankee stadium. Other than Cask n Flagon, nothing in the entire neighborhood needs to be preserved. There is no special historical feel to the neighborhood. There is no big deal about building a sports franchise a new facility when the old one has outlasted its utility. It's only a big deal if the franchise leaves town for the new facility like happened with the Dodgers and Giants.

[Emmz]

You completely missed the point about the link that a stadium maintains. A new version of Fenway is not Fenway, a renovated Fenway is still Fenway. The New Yankee Stadium looks nothing like Original Yankee Stadium aside from the interior, it looks like a giant bank. The new stadium doesn't hold the history of the original. This is just a case of sentimental vs. people who think nothing's sacred.

 

You're entitled to that, but we're not going to change each other's opinion.

[Emmz]

And Cask N Flagon needs to be preserved, but not Fenway? Thats a god damn joke. Lets tear that down and relocate it to wherever the new stadium is. Unbelievable.

[seabeachfred]

Yeah that's a great approach to take from a business standpoint. I love going to Fenway and go 5-10 times a year. That doesn't mean the place is great, the place sucks and its very expensive. If you want seats OTHER than bleachers, you are paying 200+ dollars a ticket (marked up 400-500% from face value) Plus, for the most part, the attendance doesn't even know a thing about baseball or the team, they too only want to go for the "atmosphere". You really cannot comment about anything regarding it since you've never been.

 

I too enjoy the place, but its a dump. After going to the new Yankee Stadium and Camden Yards....the place is just outdated. Its fine for people who are going for their first time or for the experience, but the place is a miserable, uncomfortable overpriced dump......and thats coming from someone who likes going there. I could not imagine being a ticket holder having to drive Storrow Drive 80 times a year during rush hour traffic in Boston which is best described as extremely painful.

 

A guy from Ontario (whos been there maybe a handful of times), a guy from Florida (who has NEVER been there), and another guy from California (who has also probably NEVER been there) are going to tell a guy who goes 5-10 times a year that hes wrong based on little actual experience there. They speak of "atmosphere" they have never even experienced and how comfort is overrated even though they have not ever sat in the seats. I've been there over 100 times in my life and I have lived 20 mins. outside the city my entire life, but I have no idea what I am talking about......

 

I don't know who that guy from California "who has probably NEVER been there" you were referring to but since you didn't mention me by name I will assume you were referring to someone else. This NEVER been there guy has seen 35 games at Fenway Park on 13 trips to the place. I have only sat in those seats you were talking about three times and, yes, theuy were uncomfortable and I got a stiff neck from it once. Still, I don't consider the place a dump; I love the place. Fenway is a classic and it could be one of the reasons the Red Sox have become so popular the past decade or so.

 

I will unfortunately concede one point. I have sat next to some fans the past few times I've been there who didn't know s*** from shinola about the Red Sox. Pink hats most likely, but with the prices being what they are, not everyone can afford to go to the ballpark, and, besides, the Red Sox televise all their games. On this point we will just have to agree to disagree. I would rather see a game at Fenway than any other venue.

[seabeachfred]

I've been going to Fenway for decades' date=' and despite all the improvements made by the current ownership, it is a dump. They have managed to turn it into a shrine, but it really does suck when you spend $55/ticket and you cant see the pitchers mound or home plate because of a pole. But for the fact that the city is tremendously corrupt, making it logistically impossible to get a new place built, Fenway would already have been reduced to a memorial plaque.[/quote']

 

Two of the guys I respect as much as anybody on this board, you and SCM, and there I am disagreeing with both of you. Nothing personal, believe me, but I just love Fenway and to me it actually looks better the more I attend games there. I don't know much about SCM's background but you have Brooklyn blood so why not ask your dad about Ebbets Field. That park was certainly not beautiful nor was it especially neat but you could almost see the freckles on the players you were so close and you could hear everything said, and the ambience there was special. Fenway is even better. To me this is what baseball is supposed to be. Yes 700, there are bigger, more modern and less expensive stadiums around and certainly more comfortable, but I am not going to a ball game to be comfortable. At a play, movie, concert, perhaps, but at a ballpark I want to be in a position to be a little raunchy and be a kid again. I can get that at Fenway. When I go to Dodger or Angels Stadium out here it's almost as if I'm going to the opera. No thanks!!!!!

[a700hitter]

Two of the guys I respect as much as anybody on this board' date=' you and SCM, and there I am disagreeing with both of you. Nothing personal, believe me, but I just love Fenway and to me it actually looks better the more I attend games there. I don't know much about SCM's background but you have Brooklyn blood so why not ask your dad about Ebbets Field. That park was certainly not beautiful nor was it especially neat but you could almost see the freckles on the players you were so close and you could hear everything said, and the ambience there was special. Fenway is even better. To me this is what baseball is supposed to be. Yes 700, there are bigger, more modern and less expensive stadiums around and certainly more comfortable, but I am not going to a ball game to be comfortable. At a play, movie, concert, perhaps, but at a ballpark I want to be in a position to be a little raunchy and be a kid again. I can get that at Fenway. When I go to Dodger or Angels Stadium out here it's almost as if I'm going to the opera. No thanks!!!!![/quote']My dad of course loved Ebbet's Field. He waxed nostalgic about it. He could walk through Prospect Park to Ebbet's Field from where he lived. Fenway did indeed remind him of his beloved Ebbet's Field, but he hadn't been to Fenway since 1979. I don't know how he would feel about it today. However, if the Dodgers had remained in Brooklyn at Atlantic and Pacific where O'Malley wanted to build a new stadium, I don't know if my Dad would have been so nostalgic about Ebbet's Field. My mom, on the other hand, always thought Ebbet's Field was a dump, but she was not a big fan. IMO, my mom was objective about the place, because she had no emotional ties to the team, but my Dad, on the other hand, was biased about the dem Bums.

[Palodios]

The Roman Colosseum is also an ancient wonder, and a work of art.

 

Fenway Park is 100 years old and serves the basic purpose of viewing a baseball game. All of sports' greatest stadiums are gone essentially. Preserve the history.

 

Otherwise, lets just knock everything over and build new modern versions of everything. "The New Lincoln Monument".

 

 

My seat is uncomfy, and the columns are obstructing my view.

 

Maybe even a New White House? Why the hell not!

 

Where did I say anything about knocking it down?

[Dojji]

Why all the Fenway hate? You guys seriously want a cookie cutter stadium out in Framingham? That would be AWESOME.

 

How about a ballpark I can sit down in?

[Dojji]

Never been replaced' date=' brah.[/quote']

 

The White House was the replacement. The original Presidential mansion was burned by the Brits, remember?

[a700hitter]

You completely missed the point about the link that a stadium maintains. A new version of Fenway is not Fenway, a renovated Fenway is still Fenway. The New Yankee Stadium looks nothing like Original Yankee Stadium aside from the interior, it looks like a giant bank. The new stadium doesn't hold the history of the original. This is just a case of sentimental vs. people who think nothing's sacred.

 

You're entitled to that, but we're not going to change each other's opinion.

There was no resemblance of the 1976 team to the original stadium. It was on the same piece of real estate, but it was completely different including the field dimensions. The new stadium 2009 version is much more nostalgic of the original stadium. I am a nostalgia fan an a collector of memorabilia. There was nothing nostalgic about the 1976 stadium. Without knowing the exact coordinates of the 1976 and 2009 stadiums, I would have no idea which sits on the original parcel. All I can tell you is that the present stadium has a much greater resemblance to the original than did the 1976 version, so for me it is more nostalgic.

[a700hitter]

And Cask N Flagon needs to be preserved' date=' but not Fenway? Thats a god damn joke. Lets tear that down and relocate it to wherever the new stadium is. Unbelievable.[/quote']Where did I say that? Other than Fenway, the only thing worth preserving in the surrounding blocks would be Cask n Flagon. Without Fenway there, it also could be razed to the ground. I was just saying that there is nothing very memorable or nostalgic about the surrounding area of Fenway Park.

[Emmz]

Where did I say anything about knocking it down?

 

Gotcha, well just as long as it doesn't go dormant and become a toilet for homeless people.

[Emmz]

The White House was the replacement. The original Presidential mansion was burned by the Brits' date=' remember?[/quote']

 

Missing the point, again.