Ballpark Tours: Fenway Park

BALLPARK TOURS: FENWAY PARK – In our latest installment of ballpark tours, we visited Fenway Park, home to your Boston Red Sox. 

Whether you have or haven’t ever been, Fenway is a unique sight to see. Located just south of the Charles River in Boston, the surrounding neighborhood is loaded with restaurants, bars, and historical sites. This is a park where you should definitely do a lap outside as well as in. 

You’ll find more fun activities outside and more history and baseball nostalgia within. There are a handful of fun bars and restaurants, particularly on Lansdowne Street.

The Bleacher Bar

The can’t-miss spot is the Bleacher Bar, which is built into the back of the Center Field wall. They have pub food, cold beverages, and two of the best views you’ll likely ever encounter in a bar. 

The first, and most obvious view is through a garage door that opens up directly onto the field. I highly recommend getting there early to get a good spot and watch batting practice. If you call ahead, you may be able to reserve one of the few tables that are right up against the fence behind the door. 

Now, I’m going to have to ask you to hang with me on this one for a minute… the second vista point that you should check out if you can, is located in the Men’s restroom.

Look, I know how that sounds funny, and trust me, it felt just as creepy to write the sentence, but you’ve got to go in there and check out the view from the urinals. I’ll say no more than that so as not to spoil the surprise. Just check it out. You know PapiDiamonds wouldn’t lead you astray. 

Hot Tip

Start your interior ballpark lap on the opposite side of the field from where your seats are. 

You can’t walk a true lap around the park as there is no connecting walkway between the Green Monster and the Center Field bleachers. 

Walking the concourse feels like stepping into a sepia tone photo taken by a guy sporting an undercut combover and mustache so curly that it would make Rollie Fingers jealous. 

Old bricks and green steel beams frame the tight corridors of Fenway’s inner workings where you’ll find all the staple beer, food, and souvenir shops. The main concourse has a few interesting plaques and displays from all kinds of long-times-ago, but the real attractions are all the incredible views from around the outfield. If it works out, try to start in left field. You might catch a cool usher who’ll let you get out onto the Green Monster just for the view/photo op. If you don’t make it out onto the Monster, don’t fret, the best sightseeing is in right field. Check out the view from the walkway above the Bullpens. It’s a one-of-a-kind look into the oldest ballpark in the Big Leagues. 

The Sam Adams Party Deck

After that, climb the stairs to get up to the Sam Adams party deck. We haven’t been able to get tickets up there yet, but I’m willing to bet that they are the best seats in the house. It’s the overhang above the seats down the right field line and there’s a bar right near the seats.The completely unencumbered view of the field coupled with the sights of the city surrounding make the Sam Adams party deck the place to be. 

On the topic of where to sit, be careful choosing your seats. If you’re interested in watching the game, be sure to buy seats that are away from the pillars, aisles, and walkways. The pillars are there to stay and the ushers don’t prevent people from walking through during play. If you find yourself in the wrong area, you could end up in a seat where you Seymour Butts than baseball. 

The Ballgame

By complete coincidence, we have already seen the Angels play twice in this young season, and they’ve lost both games to teams they should probably beat more often than not (strictly based on talent). 

I believe this is because the Angels sold their soul to the baseball devil in order to suit up the two best players on the planet, and the cost of doing business is their complete lack of playoff berths during their tenure. 

Sloppy Game

That said, the game was pretty entertaining despite being bizarrely sloppy. Gio Urshela hit a grand slam in the top of the first shortly after Mike Trout attempted to put a hole in the Green Monster with his 300th career double. 

Raphael Devers answered right back with a two run tank in the bottom of the first. Shohei Ohtani went 2 for 4 with an RBI single. 

Oh yeah, and Angels’ top prospect, Zach Neto made his Big League debut at shortstop. Good on ya, kid! Hope you have a fantastic career. 

Both sides gave up multiple runs on free passes. There were 8 walks and 2 hit by pitches between the two teams, most of which came in the early innings. 

A Catcher’s Interference Nightmare

We also witnessed not one, not two, but three catcher’s interference calls between BoSox Catcher Connor Wong and Halos Catcher Matt Thaiss. Thaiss collected both of his CI’s in the bottom of the 8th with both runners eventually scoring on a Yu Chang single to Left. 

Yu Chang

Speaking of Chang, he had the game of his life. In addition to driving in the game-winning runs, he hit a ball that damn-near ripped a hole in the DraftKings sign that sits atop the Green Monster for a solo shot in the 4th. Later, he made a dope leaping catch on a screaming line drive off the bat of Taylor Ward. 

Kenley Jansen came in to lock the game down in the 9th and save his 395th career game (tied for the active lead with Phillies reliever, Craig Kimbrel). We sang Sweet Caroline (which is a totally fun time if you disregard the fact that it’s a 28-year-old Neil Diamond singing about a 12-year-old Caroline Kennedy) in the bottom of the 7th with the Fenway Faithful. 

We celebrated by singing Dirty Water with some 35,000 Bostonians. We staggered to the nearest pub (The Cask And Flagon), had a beer with the locals, gave Uncle Bob a high five, and stumbled our way back to the hotel. A phenomenal night of baseball and carousing. 100%: highly recommend.