Red Sox Return For Opening Day At Fenway Park

It's the 99th Opening Day at Fenway Park. After a dismal start on the road, the Sox hope Friendly Fenway lives up to its nickname.

It's hard to say how many "Boo-Birds" will be in the stands Friday to let the team know what they really think of an 0-6 start. First pitch against the New York Yankees is set for 2:05 p.m.

But the slow start by the Sox hasn't slowed the enthusiasm of fans, who streamed into the park Friday.

"Eh, it's early," said Peabody's John Coyne. "It's six games, so the rest of the season, hopefully we can turn it around." Coyne, a National Guardsman, lined up early for standing-room tickets reserved for the military.

The Sox brass are also banking on fans liking the the latest round of Fenway renovations, including new floors on the main concourse and three high-definition scoreboards atop the center field bleachers.

Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino said so far, the upgrades have been well-received.

"We're certainly proud of the fact that we've been able to improve the experience and the capacity, without changing the essential feeling or ambiance of the ballpark. That was our long-term goal," Lucchino said.

Lucchino said much of the next off-season will be devoted to  planning for a centennial celebration for the fabled ballpark.