Three MLB ballparks had debuts into the Big Leagues on this day in history.
April 20, 1912 – Boston’s Fenway Park officially opened with the hometown favorites Red Sox defeating their rivals the New York Highlanders 7-6 in 11 innings. The Highlanders would go on in later years to be known as the Yankees. The stadium was constructed because the owner of the Red Sox, John Taylor, wanted a new venue for his team. The project was named Fenway Park because of its location in “The Fens” area in Boston.
April 20, 1912 – Navin Field, later to be known as Tiger Stadium, in Detroit, opened its gates to paying fans for the first real MLB game. The Tigers outlasted the visiting Cleveland Indians 6-5 to welcome the new home venue. The original name of Navin was in honor of then Tigers owner Frank Navin who organized the construction of the ballpark in the same location as the Tiger’s earlier playing venue Bennet Field. In 1938 a new owner of the team, Walter Briggs commissioned some additions and renovations and the park was then renamed Briggs Field.
In 1961 a new owner John Fetzer, rebranded the old ballpark one last time to call it Tiger Stadium. It hosted the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball from 1912 to 1999, as well as the Detroit Lions of the National Football League from 1938 to 1974. The stadium was finally demolished in 2009 but the playing surface was kept and in 2018 opened as a recreation center for kids.
April 20, 1916 – The Chicago Cubs played in a game in their new home on this date as well. The Cubbies introduced the public to Weeghman Park as they too were victorious in the new stadium debut by bettering the Cincinnati Reds 7-6. Weeghman Park would later be known as Wrigley Field in 1926, renamed in honor of the Cubs owner William Wrigley Jr., a local Chicago chewing gum manufacturer.
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