Saturday, September 8, 2012

Fenway 1912, By Glenn Stout


2012 marks the 100th anniversary of Fenway Park. This book brings us back those 100 years to experience the park when the grass was still growing, and the paint wasn’t quite dry. It retells the magical 1912 Red Sox season, while always bringing it back to the park itself. How did the construction happen? What did the crowds mean for the structure? What changes needed to be made to the original design? Did the home field help the Red Sox win the World Series in 1912?

Simply put, this was an amazing book. The tales from the 1912 season would have been enough on their own. To see how a team went through its season day by day was eye opening. Add in the influence from the new home park, and the book just took off. Stout does a wonderful job of turning what limited historical information there is into a flowing storyline. It was like being in a time machine watching that first season develop. I loved hearing about all the decisions and changes made to Fenway Park, even during that first year. From Duffy’s Cliff, to the grandstand seats, every aspect of the park is covered in wonderful detail. It was easy to see why it became so important to so many people. This book makes it clear that not much of the park has remained since that first season. But, somehow, nothing has really changed. I can’t imagine a Red Sox fan that wouldn’t enjoy this book.

Rating: 4 bases

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