Fenway Park. The oldest stadium in the majors, arguably the most iconic, and one that I was very excited to hit. My trip to Boston and Fenway Park was a part of what I call my 'Baseball Odyssey' -- a road trip that lasted a month and saw me hit 11 new stadiums. I talk about it in my post reflecting the baseball stadium chase. After making a pitstop at Cooperstown, I drove into Boston and paid a small fortune to park close to the stadium due to potential inclement weather. After parking, I walked to the park and was greeted by a marching band, plenty of passionate Red Sox fans, and an air of excitement that I had not previously seen at any park -- not even Wrigley Field. It was abundantly clear to me that this park was special before I had even walked in the concourse.
Once inside, I took a lap around. I imagine the concourse behaves like it did in the early 1900s, as it felt cramped and tough to move around in. Everything in the park has a classic feel to it and, despite modern elements such as phone charging stations, it feels like I took a step back into time thanks to the decor. That being said, I did enjoy the atmosphere (it certainly matched outside!) and the closeness of everything in the park. I grabbed a bacon cheeseburger, a hot dog, and peanuts, while avoiding the $37 lobster roll (the most expensive food item I've seen at a stadium to date), and headed to my seat.
I am of the belief that, with the exception of obstructed seats behind poles as they exist at Wrigley, there really is not a bad seat at the park. Due to its unique construction with the green monster and small park dimensions, all the spots I checked out felt close to the field and like I had a decent shot at seeing all the action. My true seat was right next to the Pesky Pole on the first base line -- not my usual spot to watch baseball games from, but I felt like I had a decent view of the goings on.
That was, of course, until the game got rained out. With the weather starting as a heavy cloudscape that turned into rain prior to the first pitch, I stayed at Fenway for close to two hours before the game was officially called off to be made up a few days later. I, of course, would not be in town this day. So, I've never seen a game at Fenway Park. However, I still count it as a park visited. The Ballpark Chasing facebook group, a huge help to me so far, collectively loves the saying "your chase, your rules." The mission of chasing baseball stadiums is one that is personal and has certainly helped me "find myself" in ways, so I agree with the saying wholeheartedly. My personal rule is that once I step foot into the stadium with the express purpose of watching a game, it counts. My business with Fenway, however, is unfinished -- I still want to see a nine-inning (or longer!) game here. Maybe someday. I've been fortunate enough that this is the only initial game at a park I've seen be rained out. Hopefully my luck continues!