Fenway Park at 100

Friday the 13th may not seem like an auspicious day for the Red Sox home opener at Boston’s beloved Fenway Park. But it’s not the REAL opener anyhow for any red-blooded (or in the case of Beacon Hill – blue blooded) REAL Bostonian.

No – the REAL opener will come on April 20th –the actual 100th anniversary of the OFFICIAL opening day of what was then the brand new Fenway Park. On that date, the Red Sox hosted the New York Highlanders – who preceded today’s New York Yankees. Boston eeked out a win in 11 innings and went on to win the World Series that year--no hint of the “curse” that would settle on the team after Babe Ruth was sold to the Yankees. In fact the Red Sox won five World Series. And then came the Curse of the Bambino --- an 86 year drought finally broken with a series win in 2004.

I grew up just blocks from Fenway Park. I would often walk home from high school – and later from college -- through Kenmore Square. I think there were a lot more afternoon games then; apparently fans had no problem getting the time off from work because I could usually hear the cheers or the boos from the park – even over the traffic noise.

I loved the Red Sox as all of us did. And of course the Celtics and the Bruins. The Patriots too until they left home for somewhere in the middle of the state called Foxborough and dropped “Boston” from their name.

There wasn’t much to talk about in Boston when I was a kid except sports and politics. It’s probably different now. With no Kennedy on the state or national stage, sports are probably the ONLY thing people talk about.

As for the Red Sox -- so far this year hasn’t had an auspicious start. But then it’s not exactly great for the Yankees either. It doesn’t matter. It’s always been good baseball when Boston and New York play each other. And 100 years later --- it will STILL be good baseball at Fenway when they meet for the first time in this new season.

But only, of course, if the Sox sweep the three game series.