A "Meter-Made" Tour of Fenway Park

Tour Guide Steve Meterparel brings an entertaining and informative "stand-up" presence to the Fenway Park tours -- from a baseball and comic's perspective

by Eric H. (posted June 23, 2007)

(BOSTON, MA) -- You know a Boston Red Sox Fenway Park tour is successful when the tour guide has the knowledge of a baseball encyclopedia and the stand-up routine of a Shecky Greene.

We recently took the Fenway Park tour in which Tour Guide Steve

Meterparel brought life to a stadium with no fans and no game going on. At 11 a.m., Meterparel, in his 70s, proved to be a walking cup of coffee, energetically talking about his love for the stadium, its star players through the years, former sponsors, and amusing stories only known to passionate and loyal, old-time baseball fans.

Meterparel met a group of about 75 adults and children at the Boston Red Sox Souvenir Shop across from Fenway Park and immediately got everyone's attention with his leather-lung, umpire-like "Yerrr-Out!!!" voice. Meterparel proudly included Catskill-caliber jokes along the tour, thus providing further entertainment to the experience. When combined with his obvious love of baseball and being a tour guide, the tour took on a special life of its own. While there's nothing like a Boston Red Sox game at Fenway Park in the good, old Boston "summahtime," the tour was pretty much the next best thing.  It's entertaining, informative, and, yes, affordable!

He told jokes that amused the adults ("I recently came back from a pleasure trip. I drove my mother-in-law to the airport.") and the kids (hot dog jokes that he "relished," knowing he was "on a roll"). .At the ball park, Meterparel took us to the rooftop dining seats around to the indoor dining area, the legendary 37-ft. high Green Monster and a great view from the third base side seats. Along the way, Meterparel told great stories, including Ted Williams' mammoth 502-ft. home run that beaned a sleeping New York Yankees fan, thus extending his nap. The Boston Globe headlines read the next day, "Bulls-eye!"

As we were walking to the Green Monster, I asked Meteraprel if he was the father of WEEI Sports Radio morning "Flash Boy", Jon Meterparel (sports updates and pointed commentary on the Dennis and Callahan show). He replied, "I used to be his father, but now he is my son."

Meterparel pointed out that the Green Monster has the last manually-run scoreboard in Major League Baseball and that only two men have worked the board in the last 13 years. The only time they didn't come to work was when one of them got married and the other was best man.

Exhibiting a passion for Boston Red Sox baseball, Meterparel brought up Red Sox names of the past with Carl Yazstremski and Ted Williams apparently being his favorite players, given their frequent mention. Even though Meterparel's opinions and stand-up comic persona didn't allow for interaction at times, Meterparel ultimately interacted beautifully with people of all ages. He and children talked with each other along the way, sort of like a loving grandfather talking to his adoring grandchildren. It was a beautiful thing to see and what one would hope to see on a baseball tour: passionate generations coming together to enthusiastically talk about "America's Favorite Pastime."

Mr. Meterparel acknowledged the weird-looking ladder on the Green Monster that "has no purpose," embellishing its uselessness a little too long -- but it made us laugh. Finally, he talked about Manny Ramirez' well-known bathroom visit between innings behind the scoreboard: "There is no bathroom behind the Green Monster!...Manny is living in his own world!"

With lots of great anecdotes (like Life Buoy soap being a former sponsor), getting joy out of egging on the audience (encouraging "lots of anti-Yankee talk") and a complete lack of "Rs" in his true Boston accent, Meterparel proved to be the ultimate Fenway Park tour guide. His closing was as great as the stentorian introduction, as he gave some valuable, meaningful advice to the kids and adults: "And remember if at first you don't succeed, then try second base." It was a great way to end a great tour at our beloved Fenway Park.

Fenway Park Tours, 4 Yawkey Way, Boston MA. For more information on times and admission fees, call (617) 267-9440.

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