From there ran the left-field fence—at that time neither green nor a monster—which sat above an embankment of earth that few paid much attention to because nobody thought someone would be able to hit the ball far enough for the mound to come into play. The 12-foot hill, later nicknamed “Duffy’s Cliff” after the Red Sox left fielder, was used for structural purposes; since Fenway Park was built higher on the Lansdowne Street side, the left field side of the park had to be raised in order to make it level with the remainder of the stadium. But with the wall set to be built atop the rise still unfinished, those standing on the roof of the Boston Garage Company behind the park could see into the stadium without buying a ticket.

Another tall fence met the grandstand on the third-base side, leaving a wide expanse of space between the foul line and the seats. Some suggested the area would make an ideal place for pitchers to warm up, but such “bullpens” were not commonplace at the time.

Lastly, above a scaffolding that hung from the top of the wall near the left-field line, two anonymous workmen sat and took in the contest, becoming the first two spectators to watch a game from roughly the same viewpoint as those who sit above the Green Monster today.

***

By the seventh inning, the impatient crowd—which, according to the Boston Herald, “rattled around like a squadron of lima beans in a number eight hat”—had begun to lose interest amidst the weather that grew colder as darkness came.

It had become increasingly difficult for players to see the ball, and after Hageman collected his ninth strikeout to end top of the inning, the Red Sox had decided they had had enough as well. Manager and first baseman Jake Stahl brought Stafford over to the dugout and to everyone’s relief, the game was called. With a final score of Red Sox 2, Harvard 0, it had lasted just one hour and 38 minutes.

Felton finished with 10 walks but only allowed four hits while stranding 13 baserunners, helping him limit the Red Sox damage. As The Crimson remarked the next day, “It was an extraordinary game in this respect, for rarely does a pitcher hold his opponents to two runs when giving passes at the rate of two an inning.... Had it not been for his wildness [Felton] would have pitched very credible ball.”

Though Harvard managed just one hit, The Crimson reported that defensively, “Harvard played a fairly clean game in the field, Felton’s error of judgement in throwing to second when there was no one on the bag, and a muff of a high fly by Wigglesworth, being the only misplays.”

The Globe added that “On the whole...the college players did very well in the field, although they were shy with the hickory. Potter, Clarke, and Wingate made one double play that set the professionals thinking, while out in center field Wigglesworth picked out two hard balls as they came swooping along through the snowflakes.”

On the whole, as Webb admitted on April 10, the game “did not amount to a great deal.” But many raved about the new ballpark, with Herman Nickerson of the Boston Journal saying that “When it is finished, it will be the best in either major league circuit.”

The Red Sox left by train for New York the following day and played their first contest of the season at Hilltop Field against the New York Highlanders—who would become the Yankees the following year—on April 11. The two teams played the first official game at Fenway, a 1-0 Boston win, nine days later.

The season would be a tremendous success for the Red Sox, who finished 105-47 in the regular season and then topped the New York Giants, 4-3, to win the 1912 World Series in a thrilling eight games (game two ended in a tie).

Hageman would only appear in two contests, in which he compiled an ERA of 27.00. He played just one more season after that one.

“He didn’t really have much of a career,” Bresciani says. “He never really lived up to what they hoped he would.”

But Speaker won the AL MVP behind a .383 batting average, 90 RBI, and 52 steals while starter Smoky Joe Wood led the league with 34 wins.