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A comparison of the two
parks of the 2004 World Series
The 2004 World Series matched the teams of two ballparks from different eras. The Red Sox call Fenway Park home, and there isn't a ballpark that is more "classic" than this one. It's the oldest facility still in use in Major League Baseball. Busch Stadium in St. Louis, meanwhile, was built during the "Middle Ages" of ballpark construction, when everything had to be both symmetrical for baseball and "multi-purpose" so football could be played there, too.
Here now is a "tale of the tape" of the two parks. And, yes, some of the items are a little tongue-in-cheek!
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|
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| Fenway Park |
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Busch Stadium |
| 1912. Babe Ruth stopped playing for the home team here after 1919. Doesn't matter, since "the curse" is now broken |
Year
opened for baseball |
1966. It's been a baseball-only facility since 1988, and a fairly nice one at that. Its replacement opens in 2006. |
| The Green Monster; Yawkey Way prior to a home game |
Special
features |
Fantastic statues of all-time Cardinal greats; Big Mac Land |
310'-334'-390'-379'-302'
Deepest point is 420', just to the right of dead center. The left-field foul pole is really closer than 310' from home, but the Sox won't let anyone measure it |
Outfield
dimensions |
330'-372'-402'-372'-330'
Yes, those are pretty much "cookie cutter" dimensions |
| 36,298 (smallest park in the Majors) |
Seating
capacity |
49,676 |
| 99,000 square
feet |
Area
of fair territory |
110,000 square feet |
| Nine, counting 2004 (Red Sox have now won five of them) |
World
Series hosted |
Six, counting 2004 (Cards won two of them) |
| After an 86-year drought, 2004 |
Last World Series won by home team |
1982 |
| Osborn Engineering |
Designed by |
Sverdrup & Parcel and Associates |
| Grass (always) |
Playing surface |
Grass since 1996 (and from 1966 through 1969) |
| Three: 1946, 1961 and 1999 |
All
Star Games hosted |
One: 1966 |
| Fisk in (ultimately) a losing cause in '75; Williams' .406 in '41; back-to-back extra-inning wins in '04 ALCS |
Biggest
moments |
McGwire's #70 in '98; Gibson's pitching in '67 Series; Adujar wins Series Game 7 in '82 |
| "The Fens " |
Nicknames |
simply "Busch" |
| Citgo sign |
Landmark |
St. Louis Gateway Arch |
| Fans who finally achieved their lifelong goal |
Filled with |
Baseball's best fans, but stunned over 2004 Series collapse |
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