Editor’s note: Fenway Park opened on April 20, 1912. NESN.com will be celebrating Fenway’s 100-year anniversary with unique content from now until April 20, 2012.
The 1969 Red Sox seemed to take on the personality of the New England weather, as the team was characterized by its unpredictable and up-and-down nature.
Right fielder Tony Conigliaro, who missed nearly a year and a half due to facial injuries, returned to slug 20 homers and drive in 82 runs. Nothing personified Conigliaro's comeback more than an Aug. 13 game. With the Sox trailing the Minnseota Twins 6-3 in the bottom of the eighth, he blasted a three-run homer to tie the game, which the Sox went on to win in extras.
Ray Culp led the pitching staff with 17 wins, while Mike Nagy posted a 12-2 record in his rookie campaign. Starter Sonny Siebert, whom the Sox received in the Ken "Hawk" Harrelson trade, went 14-10 in his first year with the team.
But despite the trio of double-digit winning pitchers, the Sox could only muster an 87-75 record for the 1969 season, leaving them short of the playoffs for the second straight year. Dick Williams, who won Manager of the Year just two years prior, saw his tenure with the club end late in the season.
On June 28, Fenway Park hosted a wrestling match for the first time since the 1930s. Bruno Sammartino defeated Killer Kowalski with over 12,000 fans in attendance to witness the event.
For more information on Fenway Park, visit Fenway Park 100.
