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.
When franchise cornerstone Ted Williams was called to serve in the Korean War in 1952, the Red Sox honored the slugger but struggled to maintain their winning ways in his absence.
In January, Williams' name was drawn from the list of military inactive reserves, making him a candidate to go to war provided he passed a physical. The then 33-year-old passed his physical and was scheduled to ship to Korea in early May. The Red Sox fans honored their slugger with a ceremony at Fenway Park on April 30, which many believed would be the last time they saw the hitter in a Boston uniform.
Fenway remained busy throughout 1952. The park hosted the Junior Goodwill Dinner, the first event of its kind, to help fight juvenile delinquency. On April 12 the Boston Globe organized a baseball clinic for local youngsters, with Red Sox and Boston Braves players on hand to teach fundamentals to 5,000 Little Leaguers.
Williams returned from Korea in August and finished the season with the Sox, hitting .407 with 13 home runs and 34 RBIs in 37 games. Without its best hitter for the majority of the season, however, Boston fell to 76-78, the first time since 1945 the squad failed to finish above .500.
In the fall, the Boston College football team made its return to Fenway for the first time since 1945. The Eagles finished 4-4-1.
For more information on Fenway Park, visit Fenway Park 100.
