Green Monster
Encyclopedia
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
, home to the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team. The wall, which is only 310-315 feet from home plate, is a popular target for right-handed hitters.
Overview
Part of the original ballpark construction of 19121912 in baseball
-Champions:*World Series: Boston Red Sox over New York Giants -Awards and honors:*Chalmers Award**Tris Speaker, Boston Red Sox, OF** Larry Doyle, New York Giants, 2B-MLB statistical leaders:-American League final standings:...
, the wall is made of wood, but was covered in tin and concrete in 1934
1934 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: St. Louis Cardinals over Detroit Tigers *All-Star Game, July 10 at Polo Grounds: American League, 9-7-Awards and honors:*Most Valuable Player:**American League: Mickey Cochrane, Detroit Tigers, C...
, and then hard plastic in 1976
1976 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Cincinnati Reds over New York Yankees ; Johnny Bench, MVP*All-Star Game, July 13 at Veterans Stadium: National League, 7-1; George Foster, MVP-Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Naranjeros de Hermosillo...
. A manual scoreboard
Scoreboard
A scoreboard is a large board for publicly displaying the score in a game or match. Most levels of sport from high school and above use at least one scoreboard for keeping score, measuring time, and displaying statistics. Scoreboards in the past used a mechanical clock and numeral cards to...
is set into the wall. Despite the name, the Green Monster was not painted green until 1947
1947 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Brooklyn Dodgers *All-Star Game, July 8 at Wrigley Field: American League, 2-1-Other champions:*First College World Series: California...
; before that it was covered with advertisements. The Monster designation is relatively new. For most of its history it was simply called the Wall.
The wall is the highest among current Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
fields, and is the second highest among all professional baseball fields (including minor leagues), falling approximately six inches short of the left field wall, the Arch Nemesis, at Sovereign Bank Stadium
Sovereign Bank Stadium
Sovereign Bank Stadium is a 5,200-seat baseball park in York, Pennsylvania that hosted its first regular season baseball game on June 16, 2007, as the tenants of the facility, the York Revolution, defeated the Newark Bears, 9-6. Located on Codorus Creek, the facility had been in the planning...
in York, Pennsylvania
York, Pennsylvania
York, known as the White Rose City , is a city located in York County, Pennsylvania, United States which is in the South Central region of the state. The population within the city limits was 43,718 at the 2010 census, which was a 7.0% increase from the 2000 count of 40,862...
.
Ballparks occupied by professional baseball teams have often featured high fences hiding the field from external viewers, particularly behind open areas of the outfield where bleacher seating is low-lying or non-existent. The wall might also reduce the number of "cheap" home runs due to the barrier's relatively close distance from home plate. Fenway's wall serves both purposes. Past ballparks of Fenway's era or even later which featured high fences in-play included Baker Bowl
Baker Bowl
Baker Bowl is the best-known popular name of a baseball park that formerly stood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Its formal name, painted on its outer wall, was National League Park. It was also initially known as Philadelphia Park or Philadelphia Base Ball Grounds.It was on a small...
, Washington Park
Washington Park
Washington Park was the name given to three major league baseball parks on two different sites in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, located at 3rd St. and 4th Ave. The first two sites were diagonally opposite each other at that intersection...
, Ebbets Field
Ebbets Field
Ebbets Field was a Major League Baseball park located in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York, USA, on a city block which is now considered to be part of the Crown Heights neighborhood. It was the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers of the National League. It was also a venue for professional football...
, League Park
League Park
League Park was a baseball park located in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It was situated at the northeast corner of Lexington Avenue and E. 66th Street in the Hough neighborhood. It was home to the National League Cleveland Spiders, the American League Cleveland Indians, and the Cleveland...
, Griffith Stadium
Griffith Stadium
Griffith Stadium was a sports stadium that stood in Washington, D.C. from 1911 to 1965, between Georgia Avenue and 5th Street, and between W Street and Florida Avenue, NW. An earlier wooden baseball park had been built on the same site in 1891...
, Shibe Park, and more recently, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a large outdoor sports stadium in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, at Exposition Park, that is home to the Pacific-12 Conference's University of Southern California Trojans football team...
. Fenway is the last of the exceptionally high-walled major league ballparks. Relatively high walls in modern ballparks have been constructed for their novelty rather than by necessity, as Fenway's wall had been.
The Green Monster is famous for preventing home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s on many line drive
Line drive
In baseball, a line drive is a type of batted ball, sharply hit, and on a level trajectory. The threshold between a line drive and a fly ball can be subjective....
s that would clear the walls of other ballparks. A side effect of this is to increase the prevalence of doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, since this is the most common result when the ball is hit off the wall (often referred to as a "wallball double"). Some left fielders, predominantly those with vast Fenway experience, have become adept at fielding caroms off the wall to throw runners out at second base or hold the batter to a single
Single (baseball)
In baseball, a single is the most common type of base hit, accomplished through the act of a batter safely reaching first base by hitting a fair ball and getting to first base before a fielder puts him out...
. Compared with other current major league parks, the wall's placement creates a comparatively shallow left field; the wall falls approximately 304 - 310 feet (94.5 m) from the plate along the left-field foul line. With this short distance, many deep fly balls that could be caught by the fielder in a deeper park rebound off the wall for base hits. And while the wall turns many would-be line-drive homers into doubles it also allows some high yet shallow fly balls to clear the field of play for a home run.
The distance from home plate to the Monster has long been disputed. For many years, it was posted as 315 feet (96 m). During the Red Sox pennant race in 1975
1975 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Cincinnati Reds over Boston Red Sox ; Pete Rose, MVP*All-Star Game, July 15 at County Stadium: National League, 6-3; Bill Madlock and Jon Matlack, MVPs-Other champions:...
, an overhead photograph of Fenway Park was shown to a man who had analyzed reconnaissance photos in preparation for bombing missions in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He determined that the foul pole was just 304 feet (92.7 m) from home plate, but the marker on the wall was not changed. Writers from the Boston Globe once snuck onto the field and measured it as 304.7 ft (93.2 m). In 1990
1990 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Cincinnati Reds over Oakland Athletics ; José Rijo, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP Dave Stewart*National League Championship Series co-MVPs: Rob Dibble and Randy Myers...
, Red Sox management relabeled the distance at 310 feet (94.5 m), though many people still believe it to be closer than that.
During 2001
2001 Major League Baseball season
The Major League Baseball season finished with the Arizona Diamondbacks defeating the New York Yankees in a Game 7 of the 2001 World Series. The attacks of September 11 pushed the end of the regular-season from September 30 to October 7. Because of that, the World Series was not completed until...
and 2002
2002 Major League Baseball season
The Major League Baseball season finished with the Anaheim Angels defeating the San Francisco Giants in Game 7 of the 2002 World Series.-Major league baseball final standings:...
, the Green Monster's height record was temporarily beaten by the center field wall at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. During the construction of Great American Ball Park
Great American Ball Park
The Great American Ball Park is a Major League Baseball park in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the home of the National League's Cincinnati Reds. It opened in 2003, replacing the Reds' former home, Cinergy Field, which was known as Riverfront Stadium from its opening in June 1970 until the 1996...
, located right next to Riverfront Stadium, a large section of seats was removed from the center field area to make room and a 40 feet (12.2 m) black wall was erected as a temporary batter's eye
Batter's eye
The batter's eye or batter's eye screen is a solid-colored, usually dark area beyond the center field wall of a baseball stadium, that is the visual backdrop directly in the line of sight of a baseball batter, while facing the pitcher and awaiting a pitch. This dark surface allows the batter to see...
. The entire wall was in play, too. This new wall was often called "The Black Monster." When Riverfront Stadium was demolished in 2002, the Green Monster reclaimed the record.
In honor of the famed wall, the Red Sox mascot is a furry green monster, named Wally
Wally the Green Monster
Wally the Green Monster is the official mascot for the Boston Red Sox Major League Baseball team. His name is derived from the Green Monster nickname of the 37-foot 6-inches wall in left field at Fenway Park. Wally debuted on February 2, 1997 to the chagrin of many older Red Sox fans...
.
Duffy's Cliff
1912 in baseball
-Champions:*World Series: Boston Red Sox over New York Giants -Awards and honors:*Chalmers Award**Tris Speaker, Boston Red Sox, OF** Larry Doyle, New York Giants, 2B-MLB statistical leaders:-American League final standings:...
to 1933
1933 in baseball
-Headline Events of the Year:* First Major League Baseball All-Star Game, July 6 at Comiskey Park: American League, 4-2.* First Negro League Baseball All-Star Game.-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Giants over Washington Senators...
, there was a 10 feet (3 m)-high mound that formed an incline in front of the Green Monster, extending from the left-field foul pole to the center field flag pole. This earthwork formed a "terrace", a common feature of ballparks of the day, whose purpose was to make up the difference in grade between street level and field level, as with Cincinnati's Crosley Field
Crosley Field
Crosley Field was a Major League Baseball park located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was the home field of the National League's Cincinnati Reds from 1912 through June 24, 1970, and the original Cincinnati Bengals football team, members of the second and third American Football League...
. And likewise, to double as a seating area to handle overflow crowds, another common practice of that era.
As a result of the terrace, a left fielder in Fenway Park had to play the territory running uphill. Boston's first star left fielder, Duffy Lewis
Duffy Lewis
George Edward "Duffy" Lewis , born in San Francisco, California, was a left fielder and left-handed batter who played Major League Baseball for the Boston Red Sox , New York Yankees and Washington Senators...
, mastered the skill so well that the area became known as Duffy's Cliff. In contrast, rotund outfielder Bob Fothergill
Bob Fothergill
Robert Roy Fothergill , nicknamed "Fats" or "Fatty," was an outfielder in Major League Baseball who played twelve seasons with the Detroit Tigers , Chicago White Sox , and Boston Red Sox ....
, known by the indelicate nicknames of "Fats" or "Fatty", reportedly once chased a ball up the terrace, slipped and fell, and literally rolled downhill.
In 1934
1934 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: St. Louis Cardinals over Detroit Tigers *All-Star Game, July 10 at Polo Grounds: American League, 9-7-Awards and honors:*Most Valuable Player:**American League: Mickey Cochrane, Detroit Tigers, C...
, Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey
Tom Yawkey
Thomas Austin Yawkey, born Thomas Austin , was an American industrialist and Major League Baseball executive. Born in Detroit, Michigan, Yawkey became president of the Boston Red Sox in 1933, and was the sole owner of the team for 44 seasons, longer than anyone else in baseball history.-Early...
arranged to flatten the ground in left field so that Duffy's Cliff no longer existed and became part of the lore of Fenway Park.
Scoreboard
The scoreboard was added in 1934. It forms the lower half of the Green Monster and is still updated by hand from behind the wall throughout the game. The American League scores are also updated from behind the wall. The National League scores need to be updated from the front of the wall between innings. There is also a board which shows the current American League EastAmerican League East
The American League Eastern Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions . This division was created before the start of the 1969 season along with the Western Division...
standings. There are 127 slots in the wall and a team of three score keepers move around two pound, 13 by 16 inch, plates to represent the score. Yellow numbers are used to represent in-inning scores and white numbers are used to represent final inning tallies. The numbers of the current pitchers weigh three pounds and measure 16 by 16 inches.
The scoreboard, being below street level, occasionally attracts subterranean dwellers. Carlton Fisk
Carlton Fisk
Carlton Ernest Fisk , nicknamed "Pudge" or "The Commander", is a former Major League Baseball catcher. During a 24-year baseball career, he played for both the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox .Fisk was known by the nickname "Pudge" due to his 6'2", 220 lb frame...
's "body English" when he hit his game winning home run in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series
1975 World Series
The 1975 World Series was played between the Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds . It has been ranked by ESPN as the second-greatest World Series ever played...
, "waving" the ball fair, was captured on a TV camera stationed in the scoreboard. It was said at the time that the camera operator had abandoned his post when he saw a rat
Rat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...
scurry by, and the camera remained trained on Fisk instead of trying to follow the flight of the ball.
Morse Code
The Morse CodeMorse code
Morse code is a method of transmitting textual information as a series of on-off tones, lights, or clicks that can be directly understood by a skilled listener or observer without special equipment...
that appears from top to bottom in the white lines of the American League scoreboard are the initials of former owners Thomas A. Yawkey and Jean R. Yawkey
Jean R. Yawkey
Jean Remington Yawkey was the wife of Tom Yawkey and owner of the Boston Red Sox from 1976 to her death in 1992....
.
Right Field
Fenway's left-field distortion is offset by the odd shape and generous size of right field, which is 302 feet (92 m) (though, it's actual distance has been disputed over the years) along the line (almost the same as in left), but 380 feet (115.8 m) at its deepest. The bullpen was added along the right field wall in 1940 to shorten the distance for left-handed slugger Ted WilliamsTed Williams
Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...
' home runs to clear the fence. For years afterward, the bullpens were known as "Williamsburg".
Green Monster seating
1936 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over New York Giants *All-Star Game, July 7 at Braves Field: National League, 4–3-Awards and honors:* Most Valuable Player**American League: Lou Gehrig, New York Yankees, 1B...
, the Red Sox installed a 23 feet (7 m) net above the Monster in order to protect the storefronts on adjoining Lansdowne Street from home run balls. The net remained until the 2002–03 offseason, when the team's new ownership constructed a new seating section atop the wall to accommodate 274 fans. Wildly popular, these "Monster seats" were part of a larger expansion plan for Fenway Park seating. The Red Sox later added a smaller seating section in 2005
2005 Major League Baseball season
Click on any series score to link to that series' page.Higher seed had home field advantage during Division Series and League Championship Series.The American League champion had home field advantage during the World Series as a result of the AL victory in the 2005 All-Star...
, dubbed the "Nation
Red Sox Nation
Red Sox Nation refers to the fans of the Boston Red Sox. The phrase "Red Sox Nation" was first coined by Boston Globe feature writer Nathan Cobb in an October 20, 1986, article about split allegiances among fans in Connecticut during the 1986 World Series between the Red Sox and the New York...
's Nest," located between the main seating section and the center field scoreboard.
The ladder
Comprising yet another quirk, a ladderLadder
A ladder is a vertical or inclined set of rungs or steps. There are two types: rigid ladders that can be leaned against a vertical surface such as a wall, and rope ladders that are hung from the top. The vertical members of a rigid ladder are called stringers or stiles . Rigid ladders are usually...
is attached to the Green Monster, extending from near the upper-left portion of the scoreboard, 13 feet (4 m) above ground, to the top of the wall. Previously, members of the grounds crew would use the ladder to retrieve home run balls from the netting hung above the wall. After the net was removed for the addition of the Monster seats, the ladder ceased to have any real function, yet it still remains in place as a historic relic.
The placement of the ladder is noteworthy given the fact that it is in fair territory; it is the only such ladder in the major leagues. On plenty of occasions, a batted ball has struck the ladder during game play, at least twice leading to an inside-the-park home run
Inside-the-park home run
In baseball parlance, an inside-the-park home run, "leg home run", or "quadruple", is a play where a batter hits a home run without hitting the ball out of play.-Discussion:...
. During a 1950
1950 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Philadelphia Phillies *All-Star Game, July 11 at Comiskey Park: National League, 4-3 -Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Carta Vieja *College World Series: Texas...
s game, Red Sox outfielders Ted Williams
Ted Williams
Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...
and Jimmy Piersall
Jimmy Piersall
James Anthony Piersall is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball. Between 1950 and 1967, he played for the Boston Red Sox , Cleveland Indians , Washington Senators , New York Mets , and Los Angeles/California Angels .While he had a fairly good professional career as a center...
both tracked a fly ball in left center, but the ball struck the ladder and caromed into center field, giving batter Jim Lemon enough time to round the bases. Later, in 1963
1963 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers beat New York Yankees ; Sandy Koufax, MVP*All-Star Game, July 9 at Municipal Stadium: National League, 5–3; Willie Mays, MVP-Other champions:*College World Series: USC...
, the slow-footed Dick Stuart
Dick Stuart
Richard Lee Stuart was a Major League Baseball first baseman from 1958 to 1966 and 1969. In 1967 and 1968, he played in Japan for the Taiyo Whales. Throughout his baseball career, Stuart was known as a fine hitter, but a subpar fielder, garnering the unique nickname of "Dr. Strangeglove" for his...
hit a high fly that ricocheted first off the ladder, and then the head of outfielder Vic Davalillo
Vic Davalillo
Víctor José Davalillo Romero [da-va-LEE-yo] , is a former Venezuelan professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder for the Cleveland Indians , California Angels , St. Louis Cardinals , Pittsburgh Pirates , Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Dodgers...
, before rolling far enough away to allow Stuart to score.
Advertisements
After the wall was painted green in 1947, advertisements did not appear on the wall until 1999, when the All-Star GameMajor League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
at Fenway was being promoted. Various ads have appeared above the scoreboard since then, such as the Jimmy Fund
The Jimmy Fund
The Jimmy Fund raises vital funds to support adult and pediatric cancer care and research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1948 to raise funds for patient care and the fight against children’s cancer, the Jimmy Fund now supports the search for new cancer...
. The Coke Bottles
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
on the left light tower were a target for power-hitters when they were placed in 1997. These 3D advertisements were taken down before the 2008 season, when an LED
LEd
LEd is a TeX/LaTeX editing software working under Microsoft Windows. It is a freeware product....
sign was built above the new left-field upper deck seats. As a lead up to his 500th career home run, Manny Ramirez
Manny Ramírez
Manuel "Manny" Arístides Ramírez Onelcida is a retired Dominican-American professional baseball outfielder. He was recognized for great batting skill and power, a nine-time Silver Slugger and one of 25 players to hit 500 career home runs. Ramirez's 21 grand slams are third all-time, and his 28...
's home run count was tallied on the bottom of the light tower. Ads beside the manual scoreboard
Scoreboard
A scoreboard is a large board for publicly displaying the score in a game or match. Most levels of sport from high school and above use at least one scoreboard for keeping score, measuring time, and displaying statistics. Scoreboards in the past used a mechanical clock and numeral cards to...
were added when the scoreboard was expanded. Above the manual scoreboard, where a Jimmy Fund advertisement had remained for many years, the logo for Covidien
Covidien
Covidien , formerly Tyco Healthcare, is a healthcare device and supply company, incorporated in Dublin, Ireland, although its corporate offices are located in Mansfield, Massachusetts. On June 29, 2007, Covidien became an independent publicly traded company after being spun off from Tyco...
is now a prominent aspect of Fenway Park.
Citgo sign
An electrically lit Citgo sign can be seen from inside Fenway, located outside the park, in the view above the left-field wall. The famous sign, located atop the building housing the Barnes and Noble Boston UniversityBoston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
bookstore on nearby Kenmore Square
Kenmore Square
Kenmore Square is a square in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, consisting of the intersection of several main avenues as well as several other cross streets, and Kenmore Station, an MBTA subway stop. Kenmore Square is close to or abuts Boston University, Fenway Park, and Lansdowne Street, a...
, was erected in 1965, replacing a "Cities Service" sign (Citgo's old name) that had been there previously. The sign is kept as a landmark. On October 15, 2008, a small fire caused minor damage to the sign.
See also
- Fluor Field at the West End, home of the Greenville DriveGreenville DriveThe Greenville Drive is a minor league baseball team that plays in Greenville, South Carolina. They are a Class A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox and a member of the South Atlantic League. Prior to the 2005 SAL season, the team played in Columbia, South Carolina, was affiliated with the New York...
, has a "Greenville Monster" as well, as the park's dimensions replicate exactly those of Fenway Park. The Drive is the lower-A affiliate of the Red Sox. - Hadlock FieldHadlock FieldHadlock Field is a Minor League baseball stadium in Portland, Maine. It is primarily home to the Portland Sea Dogs of the Eastern League. It is also the home of the Portland Bulldogs and Deering Rams baseball teams. The stadium is named for Edson J...
, home of the Portland Sea DogsPortland Sea DogsThe Portland Sea Dogs are the Double-A minor league affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. Established in 1994 and based in Portland, Maine, the Sea Dogs play in the Northern Division of the Eastern League....
, the AA affiliates of the Red Sox. This stadium boasts a replica of the Green Monster, nicknamed the "Maine MonsterMaine MonsterThe Maine Monster is the nickname of the left-field wall at Hadlock Field in Portland, Maine, which is the home of the Portland Sea Dogs, a double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. It is similar to the Green Monster at the Red Sox' home, Fenway Park....
". - Hubert H. Humphrey MetrodomeHubert H. Humphrey MetrodomeThe Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University...
, home of the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers baseball programMinnesota Golden GophersThe Minnesota Golden Gophers are the college sports team for the University of Minnesota. The university fields both men's and women's teams in basketball, cross country, gymnastics, golf, ice hockey, swimming, tennis, and track and field. Men's-specific sports include baseball, football, and...
and from 1982-2009, the Minnesota TwinsMinnesota TwinsThe Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
. The 23 feet (7 m)-high blue tarpTarpaulinA tarpaulin, colloquially tarp, is a large sheet of strong, flexible, water-resistant or waterproof material, often cloth such as canvas or polyester coated with urethane, or made of plastics such as polyethylene. In some places such as Australia, and in military slang, a tarp may be known as a...
hung over the fold-away football seating was derisively referred to as the "Hefty Bag" or "Baggie," and had been an attractive target for left-handed power hitters. - Minute Maid ParkMinute Maid ParkMinute Maid Park is a ballpark in Downtown Houston, Texas, United States that opened in 2000 to house the Major League Baseball Houston Astros....
, home of the Houston AstrosHouston AstrosThe Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
, has a wall similar to the Green Monster called the Crawford BoxesCrawford BoxesThe Crawford Boxes are a special section of seating in Minute Maid Park, the home of the Houston Astros. The boxes are named for their being parallel to Crawford Street in Downtown Houston...
but are only 19 feet (5.8 m) high and are 5 feet (1.5 m) deeper. - Sovereign Bank StadiumSovereign Bank StadiumSovereign Bank Stadium is a 5,200-seat baseball park in York, Pennsylvania that hosted its first regular season baseball game on June 16, 2007, as the tenants of the facility, the York Revolution, defeated the Newark Bears, 9-6. Located on Codorus Creek, the facility had been in the planning...
, home of the York RevolutionYork RevolutionThe York Revolution is an American professional baseball team based in York, Pennsylvania. It is a member of the Freedom Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, an independent league not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
, has "The Arch Nemesis" that is six inches (152 mm) taller than the Green Monster. - Telus FieldTELUS FieldTelus Field is a baseball stadium in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It is home to the Edmonton Capitals of the independent North American League, and was home to the former Edmonton Trappers, an AAA baseball team of the Pacific Coast League. The Trappers moved to Round Rock, Texas, and became the...
, home of the Edmonton CapitalsEdmonton CapitalsThe Edmonton Capitals are a professional baseball team based in Edmonton, Alberta. Known originally as the Edmonton Cracker-Cats, they began play in the Northern League in 2005 before switching to the Golden Baseball League in 2008. The team was sold to Daryl Katz in 2009, after which the team was...
has a 34 feet (10.4 m)-high green monster which boasts the record of never having a home run hit over it [which could be because the wall is situated 420 feet (128 m) from home plate]. - Fukuoka DomeFukuoka DomeThe is a baseball field, located in Chūō-ku, Fukuoka, Japan. Built in 1993, the stadium can accommodate 35,695 spectators and was Japan's first stadium with a retractable roof....
, home of the Fukuoka SoftBank HawksFukuoka SoftBank HawksThe are a Japanese baseball team based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture. The team was bought on January 28, 2005 by the SoftBank Corporation.The team was formerly known as the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks. In 1988, Daiei bought the team from Osaka's Nankai Electric Railway Co., and its headquarters were...
, has a 5.84-meter-high (19.2-foot-high) "Green Monster" in the outfield. - The KingdomeKingdomeThe Kingdome was a multi-purpose stadium located in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood. Owned and operated by King County, the Kingdome opened in 1976 and was best known as the home stadium of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League , the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball , and the...
in Seattle, Washington had a high right field wall that was dubbed "The Walla-Walla" after Walla Walla, WashingtonWalla Walla, WashingtonWalla Walla is the largest city in and the county seat of Walla Walla County, Washington, United States. The population was 31,731 at the 2010 census...
. - Durham Bulls Athletic ParkDurham Bulls Athletic ParkDurham Bulls Athletic Park, frequently called the DBAP , is a ballpark in Durham, North Carolina that is home to the Durham Bulls, the AAA affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball. It is also home to the Duke Blue Devils and North Carolina Central Eagles college baseball teams. The...
, home of the Durham BullsDurham BullsThe Durham Bulls are a minor league baseball team that currently plays in the International League. The Bulls play their home games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park located in the downtown area of Durham, North Carolina. Durham Bulls Athletic Park is often called the "DBAP" or "D-Bap". The Bulls are...
, AAA affiliate of the Tampa Bay RaysTampa Bay RaysThe Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
, has a 32 feet (9.8 m) wall in left field named the "Blue Monster." - PNC ParkPNC ParkPNC Park is a baseball park located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is the fifth home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, the city's Major League Baseball franchise. It opened during the 2001 Major League Baseball season, after the controlled implosion of the Pirates' previous home, Three Rivers Stadium...
, home of the Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh PiratesThe Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
, has a 21 feet (6.4 m)-high right field wall, paying homage to the Pirates' Hall of Fame right fielderRight fielderA right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
Roberto ClementeRoberto ClementeRoberto Clemente Walker was a Puerto Rican Major League Baseball right fielder. He was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico, the youngest of seven children. Clemente played his entire 18-year baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates . He was awarded the National League's Most Valuable Player Award in...
, who wore #21. - McCormick FieldMcCormick FieldMcCormick Field is a baseball stadium in Asheville, North Carolina. It is the home field of the Asheville Tourists minor league baseball team. As befits the hilly city of Asheville, the ballpark sits on a section of level ground partway up one of the city's hills, providing a picturesque atmosphere...
, home of the Asheville TouristsAsheville TouristsThe Asheville Tourists are a minor league baseball team based in Asheville, North Carolina, USA. They play in the Class A South Atlantic League and have been a farm team of the Colorado Rockies since 1994....
, has a 36 feet (11 m)-high right field wall. - Page Stadium, the field for the Loyola Marymount UniversityLoyola Marymount UniversityLoyola Marymount University is a comprehensive co-educational private Roman Catholic university in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions located in Los Angeles, California, United States...
Lions baseball team, also boasts a replica of the Green Monster in left field. - John F. Fitzgerald Expressway, a part of Interstate 93Interstate 93Interstate 93 is an Interstate Highway in the New England section of the United States. Its southern terminus is in Canton, Massachusetts, in the Boston metropolitan area, at Interstate 95; its northern terminus is near St. Johnsbury, Vermont, at Interstate 91...
through downtown Boston, now underground as a result of the construction project known as the "Big DigBig DigThe Central Artery/Tunnel Project , known unofficially as the Big Dig and as the Big Dug since completion, was a megaproject in Boston that rerouted the Central Artery , the chief highway through the heart of the city, into a 3.5-mile tunnel...
", was for many years an elevated expressway, held up with green girders, and was derided as "Boston's other Green Monster."