The ancient ballyard on Yawkey Way opened its doors on April 20, 1912 - just five days after the sinking of the Titanic - and on that historic day, the local nine outlasted the New York Highlanders 7 to 6 in 11 innings. Now, 96 years later, the Red Sox are still battling that old nemesis from the Bronx - only now they are called the Yankees - and Fenway Park remains the pride of America’s first city.
It is the oldest and smallest ballpark in the Major Leagues, and it remained relatively unchanged for some 90 summers of baseball. But all that began to change in 2002, when new ownership took over and looked to the park for ways to raise revenue and compete in the age of “big market, free agency.”