The Red Sox’s Unification of the City of Boston

The Red Sox’s Unification of the City of Boston

I leave my room wearing the only Red Sox gear I own: the traditional navy t-shirt with red block letters displaying the team’s name prominently across the front. I remember back to when I bought it while attending a Red Sox game five years ago. As a high school sophomore, I accompanied my dad on a trip to Boston. The two of us, avid sports fans, couldn’t possibly leave the city without visiting the sacred ground of Fenway Park. Like Michael Borer finds of tourists from around the country in Faithful to Fenway, my dad and I wanted to “become part of a shared history of triumph and tragedy, heroes and villains, beer and hot dogs…[by making the] pilgrimage to Fenway to pay homage to one of American culture’s most cherished shrines.” Five years ago, we arrived at the game about two hours before the opening pitch, taking the opportunity to walk along Yawkey Way, observing the throngs of loyal fans mingling with and jostled by baseball enthusiasts from around the country. I remember taking it all in as we pushed our way through the crowd: the aromatic smoky sausage fresh off the grill, the warm, sticky beer spilling over the edge of its cup as its owner simultaneously attempts to put away his wallet and text among the hoards, the men on stilts moving clumsily along the road while yelling chants to excite fans. I remember walking into one of the memorabilia shops, perusing the various gear options, and finally selecting the shirt I am wearing today.
Through a series of interviews with fans on April 19th, before and during the Red Sox versus Orioles game, I explore the power of the team to unify the city, allowing the narratives of individuals attending the game to express the place and collective identity of the Red Sox and Fenway Park. I describe the unifying feature of the team through the way the Red Sox permit remote fans to retain their connection to Boston, through the unwavering obsession of fans transmitted through generations and shared between family members, and through the veneration of Fenway Park that attracts people simply passing through the city.

Orlea Miller