Comparing Fenway Park and Wrigley Field
- AL East Report
- Jun 2, 2019
- 4 min read
By: Harold Klapper
In this article I’ll compare America’s two most iconic ballparks: Fenway Park and Wrigley Field. Both have rich history and are home to remarkable franchises. Having been to both stadiums, I’ll attempt to compare them on the basis of four different categories. These categories will be atmosphere, features, history, and setting.
Atmosphere
Fenway Park:
Walking into Fenway park is a truly inspiring experience. The buzz and culture in every direction you look is infectious. As you walk through the main concourse and see the herds of college students attempting to begin chants, excitement starts to build up. When you get to your seat and look around the stadium, it’s clear that the stadium is something special and that there aren’t many places like it in the world. Rating: 9.5
Wrigley Field:
As you walk into the stadium you pass different chicago themed marching bands and vendors. The passion for the Cubs is very apparent the second you step foot in Wrigley. Once you find your seat and sit down the experience is slightly different than Fenway. Instead of feeling a rush of history and amazement, you feel appreciation for the stadium itself. You are impressessed with the Ivy colored outfield and the rooftop seating. When the game begins it feels like any other stadium, diminishing some of its unique history. Rating: 7.5
Features
Fenway Park:
Fenway has a ton of unique features that make it stand out. The first one being the green monster, a 37 foot wall in left field that’s one of the most iconic features in the MLB. The second thing you might notice is the oddly configured outfield. In right field the foul pole stands at 302 feet and in center the wall is at a whopping 420 feet. The outfield configuration can stump a lot of outfielders as balls can be hit off the green monster, into a triangle in center field, or get hit for home runs in an instant to right. Don’t forget about the Pesky Pole as well. Rating: 8
Wrigley Field:
All along the outfield is the unmistakable ivy covered walls. The ivy has long been a part of Wrigley Field and is a feature that makes it completely unique. No other ballpark has something like it. As well as the ivy, Wrigley Field has its rooftop seating. Seemingly on the roofs of tall structures the stadium offers bleacher seats. The seats offer a great view of the action and add to the unique nature of the park. Rating: 7
History
Fenway Park:
As the most historic ballpark in the world, Fenway Park is quite honestly one of the most historically rich places you can visit in all of sports. From its creation in 1912, it’s the oldest stadium in the MLB. It’s seen countless remarkable plays from the Ted Williams home run to remarkable postseason runs such as that of 2004. Fenway Park is easily the most historic park in America. Rating 9.5
Wrigley Field:
Wrigley Field was built in 1914 and is slightly younger than Fenway. As with Fenway, it’s seen many amazing plays and moments. But, it lacks the stigma that comes with saying a name like Fenway Park. While Wrigley is almost as old as Fenway, it simply doesn’t hold the same weight when talking about history. An example of this can be seen in new players talking about their experiences. There are countless stories of rookies being wowed by Fenway as they step up to the plate, and not as many of these types of stories can be told for Wrigley. But, Wrigley is still more historic than the majority of other ballparks and is still a place that is rich in culture. Rating: 8.5
Setting
Fenway Park:
The setting around Fenway is very impressive. Vendors line up around the stadium as you try to navigate your way to your gate. When looking up you see the World Series banners and the names of famous streets. The only thing Fenway Park is lacking in terms of setting is its range. Past the streets surrounding the ballpark there isn’t much that’s Fenway related. Rating: 7
Wrigley Field:
Similar to Fenway, Wrigley Field has vendors lines up around the park selling hot dogs and game programs. But, Wrigley exceeds Fenway because of its surrounding area. Wrigley Field has its own town named Wrigleyville. Everything in Wrigleyville is Cubs related and it makes the setting of the ballpark truly unique. Because of this, Wrigley Field has one of the best settings in baseball. Rating: 9.5
It’s not a question of whether or not these two ballparks are amazing. In fact, they might be the top two parks in all of the MLB. But, between the two of them, Fenway Park seems to have a slight edge. It might be the history or the atmosphere, but going to Fenway seems like a more necessary experience than watching a game at Wrigley. A Red Sox fan or not, people must agree that Fenway Park is truly a deep part of MLB’s history and jis a stadium that represents more than just baseball.
Fenway and Wrigley are more destinations than they are stadiums.
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