Fenway 1912: The Birth of a Ballpark, a Championship Season, and Fenway's Remarkable First Year

2 Ratings: 5.0

A book

"Every detail of Fenway Park is covered in this book . . .I am amazed at the research that must have gone into this. . . This has got to be THE definitive work on this subject." --Msyinglingreads.blogspot.com "In … see full wiki

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"Play ball!"

Sep 9, 2011

by frankiethek
posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More

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I spent a lot of time in Boston when my daughter was going to college and graduate school there, and got to know the place, and its many attractions, very well. Fenway Park was always something we could see from the Mass Pike, but only the Green Monster, so we resolved to get tickets to see a game there.

My daughter turned 21 during the summer, and as a birthday gift to her (and an anniversary gift for my wife and myself), her uncles got us tickets to a game at Fenway, but not just regular tickets; "superbox" tickets! Going to the stadium was a treat, and I enjoyed reliving my acquaintances with other old ball parks I had been in, such as Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia and Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. It was amazing how close to the field these superboxes were. I was used to the superboxes in Veteran's Stadium in Philly, but they were high off the ground and quite a way from the playing field. Fenway made the spectators almost part of the action.

Having said that, this very well-written book describes the building of Fenway and its opening for the 1912 baseball season. The book describes in detail every little quirk about the stadium, and as the season progresses, tells how these things either hurt or helped the teams playing there. It's no secret that the 1912 Sox played the Giants in the World Series, and that momentous clash is covered in great detail.

The book also contains thumbnail sketches of the owners and players, and others associated with Fenway's first year, and the epilogue informs us what happened to them after the season. Now that the "Curse of the Bambino" has finally been put to rest, and the Sox are taking their place with the elite American League teams, it's good to know that Fenway will be around for many more years (hopefully), giving goose bumps and thrills to new generations. The Royal Rooters (read the book) are gone, but they remain within the confines of that place in spirit.

If you're a fan of the history of baseball (and even if you're not) I do believe that you will enjoy this book. Nuf Ced!

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