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116-472: The oldest park in the Cape League, Eldredge Park opened in 1913, just one year after Fenway Park . The land for the park was donated to the town of Orleans by baseball enthusiast Louis Winslow "Win" Eldredge, “in consideration of [his] affection for and interest in the young people of Orleans and [his] desire to provide a playground for them.” The park quickly became a popular community gathering place. Thanks to

232-499: A 2–8–1 record, scoring only 65 points on the season. Casey was fired at the end of the season. The Redskins' most productive year in Boston came in 1936 . It started with the first annual NFL draft on February 8, 1936, in which the Redskins had the second overall pick. Their first selection as an NFL team was Riley Smith , a blocking back from Alabama . The first player ever selected in

348-590: A 60-yard (55 m) interception return, making the final score 13–3. On December 5, 1937, the Redskins earned their first division title in Washington by beating the Giants 49–14, including two touchdown runs by Cliff Battles for 75 and 76 yards (69 m), for the Eastern Championship. The team then proceeded to win their first league championship, the 1937 NFL Championship Game , on December 12, 1937, against

464-484: A back out of UCLA . However, Rossi was a junior, and at that time ineligible to be drafted. After waiting a year, the Redskins drafted Rossi again in the first-round of the 1947 NFL draft , but he never had the intention to play football professionally. After the end of Edwards' coaching career, the Redskins hired three different head coaches during the next three seasons: John Whelchel , Herman Ball , and former player Dick Todd , but none were successful. "Jurgensen

580-511: A batter hits a ball into the balls, strikes, and out lights, it is also ruled a ground rule double. The inside walls of the Green Monster are covered with players' signatures from over the years. Despite the name, the Green Monster was not painted green until 1947; before that, it was covered with advertisements . The Monster designation is relatively new; for most of its history, it was simply called "the wall." In 2003, terrace-style seating

696-556: A center-field fence at least 400 feet (120 m) from home plate. (This rule had the unintended consequence of leading to the "Cookie-Cutter Stadium" era, which ended when Camden Yards opened in 1992.) Regarding the narrow foul territory, Will writes: The narrow foul territory in Fenway Park probably adds 5 to 7 points onto batting averages . Since World War II, the Red Sox have had 18 batting champions (through 1989)... Five to 7 points are

812-681: A commemorative plaque placed at its base. The seat directly on the foul side of Pesky's Pole in the front row is Section 94, Row E, Seat 5 and is usually sold as a lone ticket. In a ceremony before the Red Sox' 2005 game against the Cincinnati Reds , the pole on the left field foul line atop the Green Monster was named the Fisk Foul Pole , or Pudge's Pole , in honor of Carlton Fisk . Fisk provided one of baseball's most enduring moments in Game 6 of

928-481: A completion percentage of .703. They ended the season by losing to the Cleveland Rams 15–14 in the 1945 NFL Championship Game on December 16, 1945. The one-point margin of victory came under scrutiny because of a safety early in the game. In the first quarter, the Redskins had the ball at their own 5-yard (4.6 m) line. Dropping back into the end zone , quarterback Sammy Baugh threw to an open receiver, but

1044-480: A consolation game. Boston College , Harvard University , Northeastern University , and the University of Massachusetts Amherst compete in the four-team tournament. Since at least 1997 Neil Diamond 's " Sweet Caroline " has been played at Fenway Park during Red Sox games, in the middle of the eighth inning since 2002. On opening night of the 2010 season at Fenway Park, the song was performed by Diamond himself in

1160-607: A down in professional football. "The integration success story of the Kennedy administration, didn't take place in Mississippi but here in the backyard of the nation's capital." Although Bobby Mitchell was only welcomed to the team grudgingly, he was nonetheless joined by black stars like receiver Charley Taylor , running back Larry Brown (who had a hearing aid installed in his helmet due to near-total deafness in his right ear), defensive back Brig Owens , and guard John Nisby from

1276-503: A fight song, " Hail to the Redskins ", which made its debut on August 17, 1938, as the official fight song of the Redskins. The song was composed by band leader Barnee Breeskin and the lyrics were written by actress Corinne Griffith , the wife of Marshall. The Redskins played their first game and had their first victory in Washington, D.C., on September 16, 1937, against the Giants . The Thursday night game drew nearly 25,000 fans to Griffith Stadium and culminated with Riley Smith scoring on

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1392-447: A lot, given that there may be only a 15- or 20-point spread between a good hitting team and a poor hitting team. Will states that some observers might feel that these unique aspects of Fenway give the Red Sox an advantage over their opponents, given that the Red Sox hitters play 81 games at the home stadium while each opponent plays no more than seven games as visiting teams but Will does not share this view. Fenway Park's bullpen wall

1508-433: A no-decision that day. The term, though it had been in use since the 1950s, became far more common when Parnell became a Red Sox broadcaster in 1965. Mark Bellhorn hit what proved to be the game-winning home run off of Julián Tavárez in game 1 of the 2004 World Series off that pole's screen. On September 27, 2006, Pesky's 87th birthday, the Red Sox officially dedicated the right field foul pole as "Pesky's Pole", with

1624-426: A player from any other race? Of course we have had players who played like girls, but never an actual girl player." In 1961, the Redskins drafted their first African-American player and first black Heisman Trophy winner, RB Ernie Davis . However, in mid-December, Marshall (who once was infamously described by Povich as the man who kept the Redskins team colors "burgundy, gold, and Caucasian") announced that on

1740-731: A professional American football franchise based in the Washington metropolitan area . They are members of the East division in the National Football Conference (NFC) of the National Football League (NFL). The Commanders were founded in 1932 as the Boston Braves, named after the local baseball franchise . The franchise changed its name the following year to the Redskins and moved to Washington, D.C. in 1937 . In 2020 ,

1856-594: A surprise attack against the United States ' naval base at Pearl Harbor , Hawaii by the Japanese Navy that resulted in the death of over 2,400 Americans and brought the United States into World War II. On a more personal note for the Redskins, this act ultimately drove two of the most popular Redskins players, Frankie Filchock and Wayne Millner , to enlist in the U.S. Navy . In what became an early NFL rivalry,

1972-445: Is a great quarterback. He hangs in there under adverse conditions. He may be the best the league has ever seen. He is the best I have seen." Nevertheless, this did not stop George Preston Marshall from trying to make the Redskins the most successful franchise in the league. His first major innovation occurred on June 14, 1950, when it was announced that American Oil Company planned to televise all Redskins games, making Washington

2088-428: Is currently experiencing its second period of failure, which began in 1993 and continued through the entire franchise ownership of Daniel Snyder . Since 1993, they have posted only eight winning seasons and six postseason appearances. The city of Boston was awarded an NFL franchise on July 9, 1932, under the ownership of George Preston Marshall , Vincent Bendix , Jay O'Brien, and Dorland Doyle. The team took

2204-462: Is located along Lansdowne Street and Jersey Street in the Kenmore Square area of Boston. The area includes many buildings of similar height and architecture and thus it blends in with its surroundings. When pitcher Roger Clemens arrived in Boston for the first time in 1984, he took a taxi from Logan Airport and was sure the driver had misunderstood his directions when he announced their arrival at

2320-500: Is much lower than most other outfield walls; outfielders are known to end up flying over this wall when chasing balls hit that direction, such as with Torii Hunter when chasing a David Ortiz game-tying grand slam that direction in game 2 of the 2013 ALCS . The Green Monster is the nickname of the 37.167 feet (11.329 m) left field wall in the park. It is located 310 to 315 feet (94 to 96 m) from home plate; this short distance often benefits right-handed hitters. Part of

2436-406: Is no distance posted on the wall. Despite the short wall, home runs in this area are relatively rare, as the fence curves away from the foul pole sharply. The pole was named after Johnny Pesky , a light-hitting shortstop and long-time coach for the Red Sox, who hit some of his six home runs at Fenway Park around the pole but never off the pole. Pesky (playing 1942 to 1952, except for 1943 to 1945)

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2552-512: The 1936 NFL Championship Game . The game was then played on December 13, 1936, at New York's Polo Grounds , where they lost to the Green Bay Packers , 21–6. "I moved my team to Washington because the Boston papers gave girls' field hockey more coverage than the Redskins," Marshall said in 1953. Before leaving Massachusetts, however, the Redskins made one more big addition that helped their franchise for years to come. The addition came after

2668-438: The 1937 NFL draft on December 12, 1936, when they signed an innovative rookie quarterback from Texas Christian University : Sammy Baugh . In an era where the forward pass was relatively rare, the Redskins used it as their primary method of gaining yards. "Slingin' Sammy" Baugh also played numerous other positions, including cornerback and punter . After the disappointing 1936 NFL title game, George Preston Marshall had

2784-452: The 1975 World Series against the Reds. Facing Reds right-hander Pat Darcy in the 12th inning with the score tied at 6, Fisk hit a long fly ball down the left field line. It appeared to be heading foul, but Fisk, after initially appearing unsure of whether or not to continue running to first base, famously jumped and waved his arms to the right as if to somehow direct the ball fair. It ricocheted off

2900-538: The 1983 and 1991 seasons when the team won 14 games, the most the team has won in a single season. Washington has also experienced periods of extended failure in its history. The most notable period of continued failure was from 1946 to 1970 , when they posted only four winning seasons and did not have a single postseason appearance. During this period, they went without a single winning season between 1956 and 1968 and posted their worst regular-season record in franchise history, going 1–12–1 in 1961 . Washington

3016-553: The AFL and NFL merged in 1970 , Washington won two NFL Championships ( 1937 and 1942 ). They also played in and lost the 1936 , 1940 , 1943 , and 1945 Championship games. Only five teams have appeared in more Super Bowls than Washington: the New England Patriots (11), Dallas Cowboys (eight), Pittsburgh Steelers (eight), Denver Broncos (eight), and San Francisco 49ers (eight); Washington's five appearances are tied with

3132-581: The Back Bay Fens urban park. However, given that Taylor's family also owned the Fenway Realty Company, the promotional value of the naming at the time has been cited as well. Like many classic ballparks, Fenway Park was constructed on an asymmetrical block, with consequent asymmetry in its field dimensions. The park was designed by architect James E. McLaughlin , and the General Contractor

3248-620: The Brooklyn Dodgers , to whom they lost 14–0. The next week, the Braves recorded their first win, beating the New York Giants 14–6. The new franchise's losses during the first season reached $ 46,000 ($ 1,052,789 in 2024) and Bendix, O'Brien, and Doyle dropped out of the investment, leaving Marshall the sole owner of the Braves. The team moved to Fenway Park (home of the Boston Red Sox )

3364-470: The First Amendment protecting magazines and that Rutstein's employees were operating on the streets without a permit. Despite a lot of attention in the news, Rutstein said the charges were not pursued and no further legal action was taken. In 2012, one of Rutstein's long time employees Sly Egidio quit Boston Baseball to start "The Yawkey Way Report" named after Yawkey Way . By that time, Boston Baseball

3480-634: The Green Bay Packers 16–3 in the NFC Divisional Playoffs, as the shrewd Allen resorted to a five-man defensive front that handcuffed the Packers' powerful running game. The Redskins reached the NFC Championship Game , defeating Dallas 26–3, only to lose to the undefeated Miami Dolphins 14–7 in Super Bowl VII . The Redskins posted a 10–4 record in 1973 , which made them tied with

3596-560: The Green Bay Packers , Las Vegas Raiders , Los Angeles Rams , Miami Dolphins , and New York Giants . All of the franchise's championships were attained during two 10-year spans. The first period of success was from 1936 to 1945 , when they went to the NFL Championship six times, winning two of them. The second period of success was from 1982 and 1991 , when they appeared in the postseason seven times, captured four Conference titles, and won three Super Bowls. This period included

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3712-525: The Over-the-Hill Gang . "The future is now" was his slogan, and his players soon proved him right. Allen and players Billy Kilmer , running back Larry Brown , center Len Hauss , receiver Charley Taylor , linebacker Chris Hanburger and safety Pat Fischer helped the Redskins make the playoffs for the first time since 1945 with a 9–4–1 mark. However, they lost in the Divisional Playoffs to

3828-568: The Redskins marching band was founded. The all-volunteer ensemble formed when Marshall brought the Redskins to Washington, with the goal of entertaining fans from the moment they walked into the stadium until the time they left it. The Redskins are now one of only two teams in the NFL with an official marching band. The other is the Baltimore Ravens . The Redskins were also one of the first teams to have

3944-741: The World Series 11 times, with the Red Sox winning six of them and the Boston Braves winning one. Besides baseball games, it has also been the site of many other sporting and cultural events including professional football games for the Boston Redskins , Boston Yanks , and the Boston Patriots ; concerts; soccer and hockey games (such as the 2010 NHL Winter Classic ); and political and religious campaigns. On March 7, 2012 (Fenway's centennial year),

4060-417: The "600 Club", were added above the home plate grandstand replacing the existing press box. The press box was then added to the top of the 600 Club. The 1988 addition has been thought to have changed the air currents in the park to the detriment of hitters. In 2002, the organization renamed the club seats the ".406 Club" (in honor of Ted Williams ' batting average in 1941). Between the 2005 and 2006 seasons

4176-460: The "Bird's Nest", originally constructed in 1981, was rebuilt in 2003. In 2010-2011 a grant from the Yawkey Foundation allowed for other major improvements such as a brick backstop, new dugouts and bullpens, fan-protective netting, and new infield turf. In 2019, artist Gwen Marcus' sculpture The Catch , which depicts a young ballplayer reaching to catch a baseball, was dedicated and installed on

4292-420: The Braves baseball squad while still keeping the native connotations of the previous moniker. Dietz's first year as coach in 1933 was unremarkable, and the Redskins finished with a 5–5–2 record. However, one impressive feat during the season was Cliff Battles ' performance against the New York Giants on October 8, 1933, when he rushed 16 times for 215 yards (197 m) and scored one touchdown and became

4408-821: The CCBL and the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League (ACBL). The 1975, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1985 and 1987 games were played at Fenway. The MVP of the 1977 contest was future major league slugger Steve Balboni , who clobbered two home runs over the Green Monster that day. The CCBL returned to Fenway in 2009, 2010 and 2011 for its intraleague all-star game matching the league's East and West divisions. The 2009 game starred East division MVP and future Boston Red Sox Chris Sale of Florida Gulf Coast University . The CCBL also holds an annual workout day at Fenway where CCBL players are evaluated by major league scouts. Boston Redskins The Washington Commanders are

4524-477: The Chicago Bears , their first season in D.C. The 1938 season started with the 1938 NFL draft and the selection of Andy Farkas . The Redskins then went 6–3–2, which was good enough for second place in the division. On October 15, 1939, the Redskins achieved an NFL first when Frank Filchock threw the first 99-yard (91 m) touchdown pass in NFL history, to Andy Farkas, in a game against his old team,

4640-605: The Dallas Cowboys atop the NFC East . However, Dallas won the division crown based on better point differential with a net 13 points, which forced the Redskins to play in the Divisional playoffs at Minnesota one week later, where Washington lost 27–20. The 1974 season ended quite similarly to the 1973 season. The Redskins finished 10–4 and again, were forced to play in the Divisional playoffs . This time, they played against

4756-459: The Green Monster, which would have cleared the park had it missed. The park's official estimate placed the home run one foot short of Williams' record at 501 feet (152.7 m). An April 2019 home run by Rowdy Tellez of the Toronto Blue Jays was initially reported as 505 feet (154 m), but later found to be significantly shorter, approximately 433 feet (132 m). Pesky's Pole is

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4872-464: The Interior Stewart Udall warned Marshall to hire black players or face federal retribution. For the first time in history, the federal government had attempted to desegregate a professional sports team. Finally, under threat of civil rights legal action by the Kennedy administration , which would have prevented a segregated team from playing at the new District of Columbia stadium, as it

4988-573: The Los Angeles Rams and hired Joe Kuharich . In 1955 , Kuharich led the Redskins to their first winning season in ten years and was named both Sporting News Coach of the Year and UPI NFL Coach of the Year . After Kuharich resigned as coach to accept the Notre Dame head coaching position, Marshall hired Mike Nixon before the 1959 season . Over the next two seasons, Nixon proved to be statistically

5104-403: The Los Angeles Rams , and again fell short, 19–10. Then before the beginning of the next season, on May 1, 1975, Sonny Jurgensen retired from pro football after 18 seasons in the NFL, 11 of which were for the Redskins. When the 1975 season was over, the Redskins had an 8–6 record and did not make the playoffs for the first time since Allen's tenure began. The highlight of the year came during

5220-577: The Pirates . This set a record for the longest play from scrimmage, a record that can only be tied, not broken. The Redskins won nine games in 1940 and finished on top of the Eastern Division. They met the Bears again in the 1940 NFL Championship Game on December 8, 1940, in Washington, D.C. The Redskins were annihilated by the Bears 73–0 for the most lopsided score in NFL history. The other big loss for

5336-582: The Pittsburgh Steelers . The Redskins ended the 1962 season with their best record in five years: 5–7–2. Mitchell led the league with eleven touchdowns, caught 72 passes and was selected to the Pro Bowl . He was eventually elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and became assistant general manager of the Redskins. Nisby had three successful seasons with the team and then was released. 1963 saw

5452-628: The President of the Irish Republic, Éamon de Valera , and was allegedly the largest crowd ever in the ballpark. The park's address was originally 24 Jersey Street . In 1977, the section of Jersey Street nearest the park was renamed Yawkey Way in honor of longtime Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey , and the park's address was 4 Yawkey Way until 2018, when the street's name was reverted to Jersey Street in light of current Red Sox ownership distancing itself from Yawkey due to his history of racism (the Red Sox were

5568-513: The Red Sox were still playing on Huntington Avenue Grounds , owner John I. Taylor purchased the land bordered by Brookline Avenue, Jersey Street , Van Ness Street and Lansdowne Street and developed it into a larger baseball stadium known as Fenway Park. Taylor claimed the name Fenway Park came from its location in the Fenway neighborhood of Boston, which was partially created late in the nineteenth century by filling in marshland or " fens ", to create

5684-476: The Redskins and Bears met two more times in the NFL Championship. The second was during the 1942 NFL Championship Game on December 13, 1942, where the franchise won their second championship, 14–6, over the previously undefeated Bears . The final time the two met was the 1943 NFL Championship Game on December 26, 1943, during which the Bears won, 41–21. The most notable accomplishment achieved during

5800-399: The Redskins fall to 3–11, with Norm Snead throwing 27 interceptions, then 1964 and 1965 saw two consecutive 6–8 seasons after which Bill McPeak was fired. When Marshall became seriously ill by 1965, he appointed team president and minority shareholder Edward Bennett Williams to run the team's daily operations. After Marshall's death on August 9, 1969, Williams bought controlling interest in

5916-491: The Redskins in the Divisional playoffs , 35–20. After his Redskins failed to make the playoffs despite posting a 9–5 record in 1977 , Allen was fired and was replaced by new head coach Jack Pardee , a star linebacker under Allen in Los Angeles and Washington. In his first year, his team started 6–0 but then lost 8 of their last 10 games to finish 8–8, being the only team until the 2003 Minnesota Vikings to start 6–0 and miss

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6032-467: The Redskins that season occurred during a coin-tossing ceremony prior to a game against the Giants. After calling the coin toss and shaking hands with the opposing team captain, Turk Edwards attempted to pivot around to head back to his sideline. However, his cleats caught in the grass and his knee gave way, injuring him and bringing his season and career to an unusual end. "With that big Yankee playing end, please accept my resignation if we do not win

6148-434: The Redskins' 1943 season was Sammy Baugh leading the NFL in passing, punting, and interceptions. The Redskins played in the NFL Championship one more time before a quarter-century drought that did not end until the 1972 season . With former Olympic gold medalist Dudley DeGroot as their new head coach, the Redskins went 8–2 during the 1945 season . One of the most impressive performances came from Sammy Baugh, who had

6264-621: The San Francisco 49ers , 24–20. The 1972 season began with the Redskins winning their first two games but then suffering an agonizing 24–23 loss to the New England Patriots . After the loss, Allen re-inserted Sonny Jurgensen as the starter, but Jurgensen's season ended three weeks later when he tore an Achilles tendon. Kilmer returned and led the Redskins to a 6–2 mark over the final eight weeks and an 11–3 overall record that brought an NFC East title. The Redskins then hosted their first post-season game in Washington since 1942, where they beat

6380-474: The Sox. The Boston Globe has described Smith as "the architect credited with saving Fenway Park." At completion of the renovations, it was reported that Fenway Park remains usable until as late as 2062. Fenway's capacity differs between day and night games because, during day games, the seats in center field (Section 35) are covered with a black tarp in order to provide a batter's eye . Fenway's lowest attendance

6496-471: The ball hit the goal post (which at the time was on the goal line instead of at the back of the end zone) and bounced back to the ground in the end zone. Under the rules at the time, this was ruled as a safety and thus gave the Rams a 2–0 lead. It was that safety that proved to be the margin of victory. Owner Marshall was so mad at the outcome that he became a major force in passing the following major rule change after

6612-422: The base of the wall, so that Duffy's Cliff no longer existed. The base of the left field wall is several feet below the grade level of Lansdowne Street, accounting for the occasional rat that might spook the scoreboard operators. There has been debate as to the true left field distance, which was once posted as 315 feet (96 m). A reporter from The Boston Globe was able to sneak into Fenway Park and measure

6728-538: The best trades of the 1960s, gaining quarterback Sonny Jurgensen from the Philadelphia Eagles and linebacker Sam Huff from the New York Giants . However, even with these additions, the Redskins were still not performing up to expectations. While the Redskins became more popular than ever, they struggled through the 1960s. During most of this unsuccessful period, Marshall continued to refuse to integrate

6844-422: The center field flag pole (and thus under "The Triangle" of today). As a result, a left fielder had to play part of the territory running uphill (and back down). Boston's first star left fielder, Duffy Lewis , mastered the skill so well that the area became known as "Duffy's Cliff". The incline served two purposes: it was a support for a high wall and it was built to compensate for the difference in grades between

6960-462: The championship this year!." Though the Redskins failed to make the 1941 NFL Championship Game with a record of 6–5, the 1941 season is still worth mentioning because of one game. The Redskins won their last game of the season by beating the Philadelphia Eagles , 20–14. However, few remember that day for the game, because it occurred on December 7, 1941, the same day as the Attack on Pearl Harbor ,

7076-669: The day of the NFL draft he had clandestinely traded the rights to Davis (who refused to play for Marshall) to the Cleveland Browns , who wanted Davis to join the league's leading rusher, Jim Brown , in their backfield. Davis was traded to the Browns for running back Bobby Mitchell (who became a wide receiver in Washington) and 1962 first-round draft choice Leroy Jackson . The move was made under unfortunate circumstances – as it turned out that Davis had leukemia , and died without ever playing

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7192-408: The distance title. In the 2007 book The Year Babe Ruth Hit 104 Home Runs , researcher Bill Jenkinson found evidence that on May 25, 1926, Babe Ruth hit one in the pre-1934 bleacher configuration which landed five rows from the top in right field. This would have placed it at an estimated 545 feet (166 m) from home plate. On June 23, 2001, Manny Ramirez hit one that struck a light tower above

7308-410: The distance. When the paper's evidence was presented to the club in 1995, the distance was remeasured by the Red Sox and restated at 310 feet (94 m). The companion 96-meter (315 ft) sign remained unchanged until 1998, when it was corrected to 94.5 meters (310 ft). In 1983, private suites were added to the roof behind home plate. In 1988, 610 stadium club seats enclosed in glass and named

7424-415: The draft, Heisman Trophy winner Jay Berwanger , chose not to play pro football. Because of this, Smith holds the distinction of being the first drafted player to play in the National Football League . Later in the draft, the Redskins selected Wayne Millner , who became a large part of their offense. The next big addition was the hiring of Ray Flaherty as head coach. In the following decade, Flaherty led

7540-615: The existing .406 club was rebuilt as part of the continuing ballpark expansion efforts. The second deck now features two open-air levels: the bottom level is the new " Dell EMC Club" featuring 406 seats and concierge services and the upper level, the State Street Pavilion, has 374 seats and a dedicated standing room area. The added seats are wider than the previous seats. Outside Gate 5 is The Teammates statue, by Antonio Tobias Mendez, which depicts Red Sox players Bobby Doerr , Dom DiMaggio , Ted Williams , and Johnny Pesky . It

7656-481: The existing ballpark were to be preserved (mainly the original Green Monster and the third base side of the park) as part of the overall new layout. Most of the current stadium was to be demolished to make room for new development, with one section remaining to house a baseball museum and public park. The proposal was highly controversial; it projected that the park had less than 15 years of usable life, would require hundreds of millions of dollars of public investment, and

7772-400: The field and Lansdowne Street on the other side of that wall. The wall also served as a spectator-friendly seating area during the dead ball era when overflow crowds, in front of the later Green Monster , would sit on the incline behind ropes. As part of the 1934 remodeling of the ballpark, the bleachers, and the wall itself, Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey arranged to flatten the ground along

7888-495: The first NFL team to have an entire season of televised games. Before that, in 1944 , the Redskins formed a radio network to broadcast their games throughout the southern United States . His next major change came in February 1952, when he hired former Green Bay Packers and Chicago Cardinals coach Earl "Curly" Lambeau . However, after two seasons, Marshall fired Lambeau following the Redskins loss in their exhibition opener to

8004-434: The first player ever to rush for more than 200 yards (180 m) in a game. Dietz was fired after posting a 6–6 record in 1934 , and Eddie Casey was hired as his replacement. During the 1935 season , the Redskins split their first two games before going into a season-long scoring slump, posting only 23 points during a seven-game losing streak. The Redskins posted a win and a tie in their final two games, finishing with

8120-447: The first thing fans see when they approach the stadium on game-day. The Red Sox' one-time cross-town rivals, the Boston Braves , used Fenway Park for the 1914 World Series and the 1915 season until Braves Field was completed; ironically, the Red Sox would then use Braves Field – which had a much higher seating capacity – for their own World Series games in 1915 and 1916 . Since 1990 (except in 2005 when, because of field work, it

8236-413: The foul pole, winning the game for the Red Sox and sending the series to a seventh and deciding game the next night, which Cincinnati won. Like Johnny Pesky's No. 6, Carlton had his No. 27 player number retired by the team. From 1912 to 1933, there was a 10-foot (3.0 m) high incline in front of the then 25-foot (7.6 m)-high left field wall at Fenway Park, extending from the left-field foul pole to

8352-497: The franchise from Marshall's estate. In 1969 , Williams hired former Green Bay Packers head coach Vince Lombardi for the same role, granting him a 5% stake in ownership and full control over football operations as the team's executive vice president. Lombardi coached the Redskins to a 7–5–2 record, their first winning season since 1955 , but died from cancer shortly before the start of the 1970 season . Bill Austin , appointed earlier by Lombardi, served as interim head coach for

8468-431: The head. A confounded Boucher was later quoted as saying: How far away must one sit to be safe in this park? I didn't even get the ball. They say it bounced a dozen rows higher, but after it hit my head, I was no longer interested. I couldn't see the ball. Nobody could. The sun was right in our eyes. All we could do was duck. I'm glad I did not stand up. There have been other home runs hit at Fenway that have contended for

8584-482: The hill behind home plate. Eldredge Park has been described as "a Norman Rockwell painting come to life," and "a sylvan setting so transcendently beautiful one's breath is swept away." The park has been pictured in Sports Illustrated , and has been ranked by Baseball America as the top summer collegiate ballpark in the nation. A two-page photo spread of Eldredge Park by renowned photographer Joel Meyerowitz

8700-529: The last team in Major League Baseball to integrate). The address is now 4 Jersey Street. Some of the changes include: On May 15, 1999, then-Red Sox CEO John Harrington announced plans for a new Fenway Park to be built near the existing structure. It was to have seated 44,130 and would have been a modernized replica of the current Fenway Park, with the same field dimensions except for a shorter right field and reduced foul territory. Some sections of

8816-448: The left end of the bleachers in center field, posted as 388 feet (118 m). The end of the bleachers form a right angle with the Green Monster and the flagpole stands within that little triangle. That is not the true power alley, but deep left-center. The true power alley distance is not posted. The foul line intersects with the Green Monster at nearly a right angle, so the power alley could be estimated at 336 feet (102 m), assuming

8932-408: The members of the 1930 Newark Tornadoes roster, and only two of the 1931 Indians ( Algy Clark and Dale Waters ), remained on the 1932 Boston Braves roster. Initially, the new team took the same name as their landlords, the Boston Braves , one of the two local Major League Baseball teams. The Braves played their first game on October 2, 1932, under the leadership of coach Lud Wray , against

9048-485: The mid-1960s. The newly-reconfigured park opened for the 1967 CCBL all-star game, a game attended by Massachusetts Governor John Volpe , who lauded Eldredge as the finest community field in New England . Additional improvements continued to be made to Eldredge, as when lights were added in 1979. The hillside was terraced in 1985 and 1986, and has become the preferred vantage point of the home fans. The press box, called

9164-704: The middle of the eighth inning. Beginning in 2006, the Red Sox have hosted the " Futures at Fenway " event, where two of their minor-league affiliates play a regular-season doubleheader as the "home" teams. Before the Futures day started, the most recent minor-league game held at Fenway had been the Eastern League All-Star Game in 1977. From 1970 to 1987, the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) played its annual all-star game at various major league stadiums. The games were interleague contests between

9280-438: The name for the pole on the right field foul line, which stands 302 feet (92 m) from home plate, the shortest outfield distance (left or right field) in Major League Baseball. Like the measurement of the left-field line at Fenway Park, this has been disputed. Aerial shots show it to be noticeably shorter than the (actual) 302 foot line in right field, and Pesky has been quoted as estimating it to be "around 295 feet". There

9396-459: The nearby transatlantic telegraph cable station, fans at Eldredge were among the first Americans to receive the news that Charles Lindbergh had touched down safely in Paris . The original configuration of Eldredge Park located home plate in what is today its left-field corner. After generations of batters struggled to hit against the visual backdrop of a setting sun, the configuration was changed in

9512-594: The new D.C. Stadium occurred on October 1, 1961, in front of 37,767 fans. However, the Redskins failed to hold a 21–7 lead and lost to the New York Giants 24–21. Along with stadiums, Marshall decided to change head coaches again, this time choosing Bill McPeak . Though McPeak's coaching record was nothing to be proud of (21–46–3 over five seasons), he is better known for helping the Redskins draft future stars such as wide receiver Charley Taylor , tight end Jerry Smith , safety Paul Krause , center Len Hauss , and linebacker Chris Hanburger . He also helped pull off two of

9628-431: The next year, and Marshall changed the name to " Redskins ". According to ESPN , the team has long contended it was named in honor of Marshall's head coach, William Henry "Lone Star" Dietz , who was believed to be part Sioux . A 1933 news article quotes Marshall as saying that he did not name the team specifically in honor of Dietz or any of the team's native members, but because Marshall wanted to avoid any confusion with

9744-409: The original ballpark construction of 1912, the wall is made of wood, but was covered in tin and concrete in 1934, when the scoreboard was added. The wall was covered in hard plastic in 1976. The scoreboard is manually updated throughout the game. If a ball in play goes through a hole in the scoreboard while the scorers are replacing numbers, the batter is awarded a ground rule double . Similarly, if

9860-528: The park was added to the National Register of Historic Places . It is a landmark at the end of the Boston Irish heritage trail . Former pitcher Bill Lee has called Fenway Park "a shrine ". It is a pending Boston Landmark , which will regulate any further changes to the park. The ballpark is considered to be one of the most well-known sports venues in the world and a symbol of Boston. In 1911, while

9976-453: The park. Clemens recalled telling the driver "No, Fenway Park, it's a baseball stadium ... this is a warehouse." Only when the driver told Clemens to look up and he saw the light towers did he realize he was in the right place. Fenway Park is one of the two remaining jewel box ballparks still in use in Major League Baseball, the other being Wrigley Field ; both have a significant number of obstructed view seats, due to pillars supporting

10092-579: The place of the temporary traveling Cleveland Indians , who themselves were operated under the franchise of the Newark Tornadoes after the Tornadoes had left the league after the 1930 season and had sold its franchise rights back to the NFL. Despite this, neither team management nor the NFL claim that the Indians or Tornadoes were earlier incarnations of the team currently in Washington. Additionally, none of

10208-591: The playoffs. Canadian-American businessman Jack Kent Cooke , who had owned minority shares in the team since 1961, purchased majority interest from Edward Bennett Williams in 1974. Due to NFL rules at the time disallowing controlling ownership in other leagues, he allowed Williams to operate the team until selling his other properties, the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers and the NHL's Los Angeles Kings , to Jerry Buss in May 1979. Cooke became

10324-422: The pole after Pesky won a game for Parnell in 1948 with a home run down the short right field line, just around the pole. However, Pesky hit just one home run in a game pitched by Parnell, a two-run shot in the first inning of a game against Detroit played on June 11, 1950. The game was eventually won by the visiting Tigers in the 14th inning on a three-run shot by Tigers right fielder Vic Wertz and Parnell earned

10440-439: The power alley is 22.5° away from the foul line as measured from home plate. "Williamsburg" was the name, invented by sportswriters, for the bullpen area built in front of the right-center field bleachers in 1940. It was built there primarily for the benefit of Ted Williams , to enable him and other left-handed batters to hit more home runs , since it was 23 feet (7.0 m) closer than the bleacher wall. The lone red seat in

10556-466: The record previously held by Jacobs Field in Cleveland . On June 17, 2009, the park celebrated its 500th consecutive Red Sox sellout. According to WBZ-TV, the team joined three NBA teams which achieved 500 consecutive home sellouts. The sellout streak ended on April 10, 2013 (with an attendance of 30,862) after the Red Sox sold out 794 regular season games and an additional 26 postseason games. The park

10672-446: The right field bleachers (Section 42, Row 37, Seat 21) signifies the longest home run ever hit at Fenway. The home run, hit by Ted Williams on June 9, 1946, was officially measured at 502 feet (153 m), well beyond "Williamsburg". According to Hit Tracker Online, the ball, if unobstructed, would have flown 520 to 535 feet (158 to 163 m). The ball landed on Joseph A. Boucher, penetrating his large straw hat and hitting him in

10788-455: The season finale on December 21, 1975, against the Philadelphia Eagles , when Charley Taylor became the NFL's all-time receptions leader with his 634th career catch. The 1976 season started with the Redskins going 6–4, but won the final four games to finish at 10–4 and earned a playoff berth for the fifth time in six years under George Allen. However, on December 18, 1976, the Vikings beat

10904-416: The season. The same year, Larry Brown became the first Redskins player to win the NFL rushing title after recording 1,125 yards (1,029 m). After the death of Lombardi and Austin's successful 1970 season, Williams signed former Los Angeles Rams head coach George Allen as head coach on January 6, 1971. Partial to seasoned veterans instead of highly touted young players, Allen's teams became known as

11020-439: The season: A forward pass that strikes the goal posts is automatically ruled incomplete. This later became known as the "Baugh/Marshall Rule", The Redskins' early success endeared them to the fans of Washington, D.C. However, after 1945, the franchise began a slow decline that was not ended until a playoff appearance in the 1971 season . The 1946 season began with the signing of former player Turk Edwards as head coach. He

11136-454: The summertime home of dozens of future major leaguers such as Carlton Fisk , Frank Thomas , Mark Teixeira , Nomar Garciaparra , and Marcus Stroman . Fenway Park Fenway Park is a baseball stadium located in Boston , Massachusetts, less than one mile from Kenmore Square . Since 1912, it has been the ballpark of Major League Baseball 's (MLB) Boston Red Sox . While the stadium

11252-524: The team moved to his home in Washington, D.C. , on February 13, 1937, retaining the name "Redskins" although it was now out of context. They then shared Griffith Stadium with the Washington Senators baseball team. Marshall sought to incorporate many elements of the college football atmosphere into Redskins games. At the time, the college game was far more popular than the NFL, which was still shaking off its barnstorming roots. On August 9, 1937,

11368-541: The team retired the Redskins name after longstanding controversies surrounding it and briefly became the Washington Football Team, before choosing the Washington Commanders as their permanent name in 2022 . The franchise has won three Super Bowl championships ( Super Bowl XVII , Super Bowl XXII , and Super Bowl XXVI ). They also played in and lost Super Bowl VII and Super Bowl XVIII . Before

11484-525: The team to two NFL championships and four divisional titles. After starting the season 4–5, the Redskins won their last three games to finish with a record of 7–5, attaining both their first winning record and their first Eastern Division Championship. However, during the final game of the regular season, a 30–0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates , only 4,813 fans showed up to Fenway Park. An angry Marshall then decided to give up home field advantage for

11600-452: The team, despite pressure from The Washington Post and the federal government of the United States . A typical comment by Post writer Shirley Povich was Jim Brown , born ineligible to play for the Redskins, integrated their end zone three times yesterday. "I think it is quite plain that if he wants an argument, he is going to have a moral argument with the president and with the administration." On March 24, 1961, Secretary of

11716-503: The upper deck. These are sold as such, and are a reminder of the architectural limitations of older ballparks. George Will asserts in his book Men at Work that Fenway Park is a "hitters' ballpark", with its short right-field fence (302 feet), narrow foul ground (the smallest of any current major league park), and generally closer-than-normal outfield fences. By Rule 1.04, Note(a), all parks built after 1958 have been required to have foul lines at least 325 feet (99 m) long and

11832-543: The worst coach the Redskins have had in terms of winning percentage, with a record of 4–18–2. In the 1961 draft, the Redskins made another poor draft choice in QB Norm Snead and passing over Fran Tarkenton, who later became a Hall-of-Famer after his career with the Vikings and Giants. In 1961 , the Redskins moved into their new stadium called D.C. Stadium (changed to Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in 1969). The first game in

11948-402: Was a contact hitter who hit just 17 home runs in his career (6 at Fenway Park). It's not known how many of these six actually landed near the pole. The Red Sox give credit to pitcher (and later, Sox broadcaster) Mel Parnell for coining the name. The most notable for Pesky is a two-run homer in the eighth inning of the 1946 Opening Day game to win the game. According to Pesky, Mel Parnell named

12064-469: Was added on top of the wall. "The Triangle" is a region of center field where the walls form a triangle whose far corner is 420 feet (130 m) from home plate. That deep right-center point is conventionally given as the center field distance. The true center is unmarked, 390 feet (120 m) from home plate, to the left of "the Triangle" when viewed from home plate. There was once a smaller "Triangle" at

12180-614: Was built in 1912, it was substantially rebuilt in 1934, and underwent major renovations and modifications in the 21st century. It is the oldest active ballpark in MLB. Because of its age and constrained location in Boston's dense Fenway–Kenmore neighborhood , the park has many quirky features, including "The Triangle", Pesky's Pole, and the Green Monster in left field. It is the fifth-smallest among MLB ballparks by seating capacity, second-smallest by total capacity, and one of nine that cannot accommodate at least 40,000 spectators. Fenway has hosted

12296-537: Was featured in the photographic essay Baseball in America . The image is of a hazy evening at Eldredge Park with sun setting over the bandstand in the distance; in the foreground, fans in beach chairs take in the game from along the left-field foul line. Eldredge Park hosted the CCBL's annual all-star game and home run derby festivities in 1988, 1989, 1990, 1994, 2004 and 2019, and has seen Orleans claim CCBL championships in 1986, 1993, 2003, and 2005. The ballpark has been

12412-511: Was held in a minor league ballpark, and 2020, as the tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic ), Fenway Park has also hosted the final round of a Boston-area intercollegiate baseball tournament called the Baseball Beanpot, an equivalent to the more well-known hockey Beanpot tourney . The teams play the first rounds in minor league stadiums before moving on to Fenway for the final and

12528-400: Was later revealed to be part of a scheme by current ownership to increase the marketable value of the team as they were ready to sell. Several groups (such as "Save Fenway Park") formed in an attempt to block the move. A significant renovation of Fenway Park stretched over a 10-year period beginning around 2002 headed by Janet Marie Smith , then Vice President of Planning and Development for

12644-633: Was owned by the U.S. Department of the Interior and thus federal government property, the Redskins became the final pro football franchise to integrate, in 1962 , in their second season in the stadium. First, the team drafted Ernie Davis , the first black player to win the Heisman Trophy . Two days before, the Buffalo Bills of the American Football League had also drafted Davis and there

12760-572: Was recorded on October 1, 1964 , when a game against the Cleveland Indians drew only 306 paid spectators. On May 15, 2003, the Red Sox game against the Texas Rangers sold out, beginning a sellout streak that lasted until 2013. On September 8, 2008, when the Red Sox hosted the Tampa Bay Rays , Fenway Park broke the all-time Major League record for consecutive sellouts with 456, surpassing

12876-463: Was selling for $ 3 per program, $ 2 cheaper than the in-park programs selling for $ 5. The Yawkey Way Report cost $ 1 and Egidio stationed his hawkers close to Boston Baseball's hawkers, starting a "hawker war." The Yawkey Way Report also came with baseball cards, ponchos and tote bags, which caused Rutstein to file his own complaints with Boston city code enforcement. Despite the rivalry, both programs continue to be hawked outside of Fenway Park and are often

12992-399: Was sold for $ 1, half the cost of the programs inside the park. To sell the program, Rutstein's employees would stand outside the park wearing bright red shirts and greet fans by holding a program up and shouting "Program, Scorecard, One Dollar!". By 1992, the Red Sox organization filed complaints with the city code enforcement arguing that the scorecard inside the magazine was not covered under

13108-416: Was some doubt as to whether Marshall would offer enough money to sign him. For their second pick in the draft, the Redskins chose another black halfback, Joe Hernandez from Arizona . They also took black fullback Ron Hatcher in the eighth round, a player from Michigan State who became the first black football player to sign a contract with the Redskins. "Why Negroes particularly? Why not make us hire

13224-617: Was the Charles Logue Building Company . The first game was played April 20, 1912, with mayor John F. Fitzgerald throwing out the first pitch and Boston defeating the New York Highlanders , 7–6 in 11 innings. Newspaper coverage of the opening was overshadowed by continuing coverage of the Titanic sinking five days earlier. In June 1919, a rally supporting Irish Independence turned out nearly 50,000 supporters to see

13340-430: Was the coach until 1948 and finished with an unimpressive record of 16–18–1. The only highlight that occurred during his tenure was Sammy Baugh's 1947 season , where he threw 354 passes, completed 210 of them for 2,938 yards (2,687 m), setting three all-time NFL records in one season. A major blunder also occurred during his tenure. With the ninth overall pick in the 1946 NFL draft , the Redskins chose Cal Rossi ,

13456-432: Was unveiled in 2010. There is also a solo statue of Williams, unveiled in 2004, depicting him placing his cap on the head of a young boy. In 1990, Mike Rutstein started handing out the first issue of Boston Baseball Magazine (originally called Baseball Underground ) outside of the park. He was frustrated with the quality of the program being sold inside the park, which also came out once every two months. The program

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