When did the "batter's eye" start at Fenway? I mean, when did they start to cover up those first two sections of bleachers during day games? I don't remember that happening when I was a kid. It seems pretty recent to me. I think they always thought the high wall out there did the job, unlike Yankee Stadium, which was re-built for the '76 season with a place for bleachers--which was immediately painted black, with no actual seating ever added.

NESN showed a Fenway day game from June 23rd, 1990, the other day. People were sitting in those seats. Just like they were in pictures I've seen from various years in the 70s and 80s. (Including a postcard I got when I was, like, four, which had a photo probably taken in the late 70s. It was actually two postcards: Fenway by day, Fenway by night. And I don't remember those seats being blacked out.)

I do remember reading about how when Tony Conigliaro made his comeback from being hit in the eye, the fans in that area all wore green shirts, to help him see the ball. (Shaun Kelly and Prime/Nowlin have written about it.) While doing a search on that--I found the answer to my question:

From this 2004 Projo article:

The area of the park is known as Conig's Corner, for Tony Conigliaro, who, after returning in 1969 from his 1967 eye injury, said he had trouble seeing the ball from that area during day games. Conigliaro was traded in 1970, and the seats were available from 1971 to 1997, when hitters again complained.

There you go. The "new eye" started in '97. And the "old" Conig's Corner (the new one is up on the right field roof, and doesn't involve audience participation) lasted from '69 to '70. So, forget I asked. I do have another Sox-related mystery that I'll hit you with soon. (It's uniform-related.)

Picture key: Top photo taken by me in April. 34 and 35 are the two bleacher sections covered by the tarp during day games. (This was taken before the start of a night game.) You'll note Cyn, aka Red Sox Chick, is in the photo. We were sitting together but arrived at the park separately, so at one point before the game, I was way on the other side of the park, and snapped a shot of her out in our seats, continuing my lifelong dream of taking pictures of people I know from really far away... The second shot is the new Conigliaro's Corner, as taken from the old one, on the same night--after I'd joined Cyn there. The third shot is another view from that night, a better view of the new CC from the old. Final pic: the batter's eye seats covered by the tarp for a day game, Father's Day, 2007. All pix by Jere.



[Update on Gagne's accent: It was brought up in the UniWatch Sunday open thread, and people provided examples of Gagne having an accent on both his Dodgers and Rangers jersey. Although at first he didn't have it on there with LA. Still wondering about the positioning--the way it's above the nameplate, and if it's sewn on or drawn on or what.]