Forgotten Features

Duffy's Cliff: 1912-1933

Duffy's Cliff was a ten-foot-high mound that formed an incline in front of the left field wall from the day the park opened in 1912 until the 1933 season. It extended from the left field foul pole over to the left field flag pole and was originally built to allow standing-room crowds to see over each other's heads during play (it was not uncommon in those days for overflowing crowds to be seated just a few feet inside the foul poles and, in the time known as the Dead Ball Era, it was rare for balls to travel that far into the outfield).

This feature was named in honor of Red Sox outfielder Duffy Lewis, who mastered the incline during his tenure in Boston. Sports cartoons of the period often depicted him as a mountain climber making catches amid sheep and snowcaps. The mound was eventually reduced in 1934 and was not completely eliminated until the field underwent a major renovation following the 2004 season.

"Tin" Monster: 1934-1975

Tin covered the left field wall between 1934 and 1975 and had the distinction of creating problems for outfielders. The framework for the wall was made from 2-by-4s, and if the ball struck the stud, it had a nice live bounce. However, balls that struck the wall between the studs merely dropped straight down as the tin absorbed most of the impact. In 1976, the wall was rebuilt out of hard plastic and six-foot-tall crash pads were installed at the base of the wall to minimize the risk of injury to outfielders, especially after Red Sox player Fred Lynn crashed into it during the 1975 World Series.

406 Club: 1988-2005

In 1988, an enclosed section of seats were built high above home plate and were referred to as the 600 Club. This exclusive VIP seating offered fine dining and a private bar (no blue jeans allowed) as well as stadium-style theater seating where you would enjoy possibly the best view of the park, though the sound was piped in through speakers as the glass also served to muffle this aspect of a day at the park. After Red Sox legend Ted Williams passed away in the summer of 2002, the Red Sox decided to honor the most recognized name in Red Sox history and changed the name to the .406 Club. This was in recognition of Williams being the last player in major league history to hit better than .400 for a season (he hit .406 in 1941). Following the 2005 season, the 406 Club was replace by open-air premium pavillion level seating areas, including the EMC Club.

Green Monster Netting: 1936-2002

To protect businesses on Lansdowne Street, the Red Sox erected a 23-foot-high net that stretched the entire length above the left field wall in 1936, which remained in place until the Monster Seats were erected after the 2002 season. A ladder that starts near the upper-left corner of the manual scoreboard, 13 feet above the ground, allowed groundskeepers to climb into the netting to remove any balls that landed there. The netting long gone, the ladder is the only visible reminder of that feature that remains today.

Center Field Flag Pole: ????-1970

Up until it was moved off the playing field in 1970, a flagpole in center field was not closed in and any ball hit off this object was in fair play. Directly behind this pole was a very tricky double angled wall; the few times a year that someone would actually hit one there, it made for some wild play. Fenway Fanatics reader Bill Dodds recalls former Red Sox outfielder Jimmy Piersall making some great catches in the pole corner in the 1950's.

Wooden Bleachers: 1912-1926

Wooden bleachers occupied the left-field foul territory until 1926, when they burned down in a fire.