Extremely Rare April 20, 1912 Boston Red Sox (vs. New York Highlanders) Opening Day First Game At Fenway Park Ticket Stub PSA 1 - One of Three Known!

• Sold For: $33,600
• Year: 1912
• Auction: 2024 Fall
• Lot #: 1
• Auction Category: Featured

One of baseball's most hallowed venues is found nestled within the streets of Boston, a city blessed with one of the richest legacies in all of sport. Fenway Park is, to many, synonymous with the game of baseball. Opened in 1912, just a few short days removed from the sinking of the Titanic, the stadium has borne witness to countless of the game's greats, including a rookie Babe Ruth in 1915. Home to the Boston Red Sox, the stadium that would become so important and enduring for more than a century and counting had one of the most inauspicious openings. Originally scheduled to host a contest with the visiting New York Highlanders on April 19, 1912, the game was rained out, forcing fans to wait another day for the festivities. On April 20, 1912, coming off a five-game road trip to start their season, the Red Sox, led by Tris Speaker and Harry Hooper, hosted Hal Chase's Highlanders in front of a crowd estimated to be around 24,000 strong. In a tight game, the two teams battled to a score of 6-6 at the end of regulation, with Speaker cementing the home team's victory in the bottom of the 11th. Offered here is an incredible surviving relic from this most important day in the history of the Boston Red Sox. This is, to the best of our knowledge, only one of three-known examples of an opening day ticket stub from the 1912 Boston Red Sox World Championship season and the opening of Fenway Park. The important distinction here is the date April 20 as this is an actual ticket that would have been used for admission to the rescheduled opening day game. While a small number of tickets dated April 19 - the original scheduled opening of the stadium - are in circulation, it is only the ticket dated for the makeup of April 20 that would have been valid for entry. The ticket stub, which has been graded and encapsulated PR 1 by PSA, presents at a far superior level than suggested by its assigned grade. Downgraded due to paper loss on the blank reverse, which is attributable to its prior method of storage, the ticket presents as Very Good to Excellent overall and retains a beautiful, bright yellow color and bold black printing. Miraculously, this ticket stub has been consigned alongside an original program from the opening day game as well. The program, which is offered as its own lot, is the only one of its kind we have ever seen. The significance of this piece within the history of the Red Sox and the modern hobby cannot be overstated. It is a great honor for Huggins & Scott to present this piece, along with the program as its own lot, and document the important history the events of April 20, 1912 had on this storied franchise. Opening Bid $5,000.