“It was damp and chilly throughout New England for most of the spring of 1912, and in Boston, it took a few tries before baseball at a brand-new ballpark could be played in decent weather. On April 9, The Red Sox and Harvard’s baseball team met in an exhibition game in football weather, and as one who was there observed “with a little snow on the side.” About 3,0000 braved the elements. Boston won the game, 2 – 0 with both runs driven in by their pitcher, Casey Hageman…”

And so begins Remembering Fenway Park, the 41st sports book written by Dartmouth College professor, Harvey Frommer.

The fraternal twin to Remembering Yankee Stadium, and commemorating the 100 anniversary of Fenway Park in 2012, Remembering Fenway Park is more of a coffee table book (which is where mine lives) to be read and looked through for years to come, rather than your ordinary read and place on a shelf type of book.

The forward has been written by one of the classiest men to even wear a Red Sox uniform: Johnny Pesky, and brilliance continues from there, beginning that cold April 9th, and traveling through each decade, finishing with: 2011: The 99th year of fabled Fenway Park was next.

The photography is glorious, filled with the iconic (Pudge willing his homer fair in the 1975 World Series) the breathtaking (Fans actually hanging from billboard supports to take in a game in the 50′s) and the rare: (a shot of Babe Ruth taking a photo of his Red Sox teammates), and everything in between.

In addition, Remembering Fenway Park is the words and reminiscences of nearly 140 fans, players, politicians, members of the press and media, etc. This is Fenway Park and the Boston Red Sox through THEIR eyes. The joys,  and, sorrows, the quirky and the mundane,  all shape the Fenway Park as it is today.

A Fenway Park reminisce of my own:  When I was 13, my parents took my sister and I to the Fens to see my first pro baseball game.  As I sat there,  taking in a contest that included such players as Eck, and Jim Ed and Yaz, I began a life-long love of the Boston Red Sox–and of Fenway Park.  To this day, I am disappointed if I cannot get tickets to what I call “The Holy Land”.

As a bonus, Frommer included a “Fenwayology”, which lists info on the Radio and Television Broadcasts of the Home Towne Team, All Time Standings and Attendance, and even a “By The Numbers” section.

Like I have been telling all of the Red Sox Fans in my life: If you buy 1 book this year, it needs to be Remembering Fenway Park. It can be purchased here.

For more information on this and Harvey Frommer other works, you can visit his website, where I am sure you can find something for every manner and variety of baseball fan…