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 Red Sox had Boston all to themselves when the Braves, Boston's National League franchise, moved to Milwaukee in 1953.
Attendance for Braves games had been slowly dwindling as Boston seemed more interested in the Sox. Team owner Lou Perini targeted Milwaukee, which had only the NBA's fledgling Milwaukee Hawks as a professional team. With a new ballpark for the team to move into and a bevy of interest from locals, the move to Milwaukee was an easy decision for the Braves.
Back in Boston, Fenway Park underwent some alterations as the visitors' clubhouse was moved to the third base side of the park, connected by a tunnel to the visitors' dugout.
Unfortunately for the Red Sox, Ted Williams once again had to return to the Korean War and appeared in only 37 games in August and September. Without their best player the Sox still posted an eight-win improvement from 1952, finishing 84-69. Boston finished a distant fourth in the AL, 16 games behind the World Series champion Yankees.
Fenway remained busy in the fall as the Boston College football team took to the gridiron, finishing 5-3-1.
For more information on Fenway Park, visit Fenway Park 100.
