Still, Murnane saw hope: "I am sure . . . with improved weather and everything else connected with the running of the establishment, the old crowds will come back, and the fans will grow warmer to the new park." He also anticipated that Fenway's formal dedication ceremonies on May 17 would draw "25,000 or 30,000 red-blooded fans, from the finest base ball fan army in the country." The crowd wasn't quite that big that day, but it was a great event nonetheless, with the grandstands draped in tri-color bunting, potted plants lining the walkways, and a band that played throughout the afternoon. Before the contest, Red Sox and White Sox players marched to the flagpole and raised Old Glory as the fans sang "The Star-Spangled Banner." The only thing keeping it from being a perfect day was a ninth-inning comeback by Chicago, but such outcomes would be a rarity during Fenway's first summer.
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Topics:
Sports
, Fenway Park, Baseball, History
