In the 2013 World Series, a 101-year-old ballpark is hosting the first two of the games, then the Series moves to a stadium that is showcasing its third World Series in just its eighth season.
As we’ve been doing since 2003, here is our “tale of the tape” of the two parks in this year’s Fall Classic. As always, some of the items are a little tongue-in-cheek!
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Inside |  |
Fenway Park |
Busch Stadium |
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| 1912, the same week the Titanic sank | Year opened | Opened next door to its predecessor in 2006. |
| Near Kenmore Square, bounded by Yawkey Way, Brookline, Lansdowne, Ipswich and Van Ness. | Site | Downtown St. Louis,with a Ballpark Village rising across the street |
| Capacity for day games is 37,071 and 37,499 at night | Seating capacity | 43,975. Cards were 2nd only to the Dodgers in 2013 attendance |
| Natural grass | Playing surface | Natural grass |
| Green Monster, The Triangle, hand-operated scoreboard | Special features | Statues of Musial, Schoendienst, Sisler, Gibson and Hornsby |
| Architect of Record was James McLaughlin. Osborn Engineering famously did blueprints | Designed by | HOK (now called Populous) |
| $650,000 | Cost to build | $365 million |
| 310′-379′-420′-380′-302′ | Outfield dimensions | 336′-375′-400′-375′-335′ |
| Not counting when the Boston Braves played the 1914 WS there, this is the Red Sox’ 9th WS at Fenway and 13th overall | World Series hosted | This is the third in just its eighth season |
| 2007, a sweep of the Rockies | Last World Series won by home team | 2011, a seven-game thriller over the Rangers. It was the Cards’ 11th WS Championship |
| 1946, 1961, 1999 | All Star Games hosted | 2009, won by the American League 4-3 |
| Citgo sign | Landmark | Spectacular view of Gateway Arch |
| Far fewer HRs but far more doubles and triples than MLB average. Partially a reflection of the team more than the park. | Park factors (2013) Source: ESPN.com |
Definitely a pitchers’ park. 10.8% fewer runs and 16.3% fewer HRs per game than the MLB average. |
| New Englanders who root for their Sox through thick and thin | Filled with | Best fans in the sport, knowledgeable and respectful of the opposition, except when it’s the 7th game of the WS |
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Outside |  |