Here we go back to April 19th, the Fenway Open House. After I went through the tunnel to the field (Part I), and then walked all around the field and saw Kevin Millar filming his talk show on the warning track (Part II), I headed upstairs to the Monster, then to the EMC club and State Street Pavilion where I saw Bernie Carbo and some fancy schmancy suites. But I've shown pics from up there before, so I'm skipping to the part where I went to the new Royal Rooters Club beyond right field. This club is exclusive to season ticket holders. It kind of stinks that they're the only ones with access to all the great memorabilia inside.*

This is a sign just outside the club. (Note the now-retired "Boston" font that died when the Circle Sox logo was tweaked and only I noticed.)

Just inside the club. Note the poles are painted like the ones in the seating bowl, even corresponding to the section you'd be in were it to extend back that far.

The view from inside. Right field is just off to the left of the shot. These people are underneath the right field bleachers. The people on the left are directly beneath the gap between the bleachers and the right field grandstand.

Here's a dual-pic (click for mega-huge and check out Balboni's bald head) of the home and away teams before the first game at Fenway in 1912 and the ones from before the 75th anniversary game in 1987. I had a feeling they'd line the teams up the next day for the 100th anniversary game, and they did (scroll down on that page).

Here are the 1946 A.L. champs.

An old line-up board, and a "full" sign.

They had the '04 and '07 trophies in there. Which I shot with the corresponding banners behind them.

They've got a bar in there. And a wall of autographed bats.

I love seeing the old signage, which hangs throughout the space.

A Babe Ruth-signed ball and an old Fenway ticket from the first game in 1912 (April 9th, Sox vs. Harvard).  I could do a really long gallery of these amazing artifacts but I'm trying to keep it reasonable.

This appears to be an incentive for Babe Ruth to win 24 or 30 games in the 1918 season, written by Harry Frazee.

One last shot of all the fans on the field from Canvas Alley as I make my way from right field back to toward Yawkey Way.

The bullpen car! Fun day, great event. I hope they do it again, even if it's just every 5 or 10 years or something.

*It also stinks that as a 10-game plan holder, I was laughed at by the guard outside when I attempted to enter during a game. He actually said "not even close!" before telling me it was only for full-season ticket holders. I asked, "so even half-season people can't go in," at which point the guy realized that there must be a cut-off at some point and suddenly wasn't so sure of himself: "I'm not the one to ask...." So, hoping that maybe he was wrong and that all "season ticket holders" (which they refer to me as sometimes), I wrote to the team and politely asked. They never wrote back. Glad I got to go in there once anyway.