The first game of what would become baseball’s fiercest rivalry took place on May 7, 1903 at Huntington Avenue Grounds in Boston. The Pilgrims won 6-2 over the Highlanders, as Hobe Ferris belted a home run and Chick Stahl hit two triples. Meanwhile, Highlanders pitcher Snake Wiltse gave up thirteen hits in the loss. Today, these two teams are known as the Boston Red Sox (the Pilgrims) and the New York Yankees (the Highlanders).
That home run fence in the picture; that strange trail of people. I wonder what that guy in the middle is doing? Maybe fans weren’t allowed to stand in right field? Anyway, the excitement and thrill thrill when Fenway Park and the Green Monster was built a few years later is hard to imagine. Maybe like the Mariners and Royals appearing on a national broadcast.
It’s difficult to tell from the photo, but there appears to be a geographic reason (?) that folks weren’t allowed in that part of the field. Perhaps some brush or a ditch.
While I’m excited, and a bit bemused, about the Royals and Mariners (clever poke, btw), I have a hard time believing it could ever trump the birth of the Green Monster.
yeh, you’re probably right about the ditch or some equivalent and right about the Green monster enchantment. It never gets old, but there’s something very refreshing about a rivalry that doesn’t yet exist in the media hype anyway. The 2001 Mariners were one of the best teams I ever saw and the mid 1980 Royals mighta been the best. And yet, all we hear about is the Angels and Rangers. Of course, the Royals and Mariners are not even in the same division and pretty far apart geographically, but the rivalry sticks with me. I pay attention when they play each other. I just looked it up. The Royals record is currently 215-198 against the Mariners. That’s some decent parity.
The Yankees and Red Sox I never get tired of, in part because my dad is from Boston and I grew up surrounded by that misery from 1978 and 86.