Book Review - "Faithful To Fenway"

Faithful To Fenway: By Micheal Borer Published in The Message For The Week, May 12, 2008 The recently released Faithful To Fenway is a narrative that comes at a good time for not only Red Sox fans, but any baseball fan. For this book describes what is good about the game, in a time when we are not hearing too much “good” about baseball. With scandal and cheating currently dominating the headlines in Major League Baseball, author Michael Borer instead takes an interesting trip down memory lane, or should I say “Yawkey Way.”
The fabled 96–year–old ballpark, the second–oldest in the majors only behind Chicago’s Wrigley Field, has many stories within it’s creaky walls and grand stands and Borer touches upon many. Of course this book about the Red Sox takes a different approach than many of the authors who have jumped on the “championship bandwagon” since the Sox won World Series’ in 2004 and 2007.
No, this book does not get into the high–profile lives of athletes or the multi–million dollar contracts that litter the headlines of sports pages now a days, but rather focuses on the dynamic culture and folklore surrounding New England’s favorite team and ball park.
An assistant professor of sociology and urban studies at Furman University in South Carolina the author Borer grew up as a Mets fan, therefore allowing him to remain we’ll say, a little more objective than most other recent Sox authors, not having serious ties to the team as a fan or Boston sports writer would.
In his book, Borer not only digs deep for the hallowed stories about Fenway, but also analyzes the historical, sociological and economic effects that Red Sox culture has on not only the city of Boston, but the entire New England region. Through extensive research and various interviews with Red Sox players, owners and fans, Borer documents how Fenway has not only become a true Boston landmark, but also a place of urban legend, symbolism and comminity influence.
A few of the many interviews include past Red Sox greats such as Carl Yastrzemski and Johnny Pesky, current players like David Ortiz and Curt Schilling, as well as not only rabid Sox fans, but also visiting fans of other teams. Those dreaded but equally loyal Yankee fans!
Overall, a great read for fans young and old – the older to re–live the past and the younger to learn more about it.