Cubs visit Fenway Park for the first time since 2017: 'Awesome, historic'

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BOSTON – Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer pointed out to center field, where the Fenway Park wall comes to a point, and Pete Crow-Armstrong’s gaze followed the gesture.

“That triangle is so unbelievably deep,” Hoyer explained later.

The decal on the wall indicates that it’s 420 feet. Wrigley Field, by comparison, is 400 feet to center field.

Crow-Armstrong was roaming Fenway’s unique center field for the first time in his major-league career Friday. Hoyer, a former longtime Red Sox executive, had watched more than enough games at the ballpark to pass on exactly how it plays.

The Cubs returned to Fenway on Friday for the first time since 2017. It wasn’t only rookies who were playing in the storied building for the first time.

“I'm excited to go on the field there,” second baseman Nico Hoerner said. “Obviously, you get there a little early, walk around, go out to the [Green] Monster. Still a fan of the game, obviously, so it'll be really exciting.”

Hoerner was supposed to play in the Cape Cod League's annual showcase at Fenway Park – where players from the college summer ball league take batting practice and go through a workout on the field – in 2017. But it was rained out, he said.

Left fielder Ian Happ had better luck with the weather when he was in the Cape Cod League. But Friday marked the first time he’d played a competitive game at the Red Sox’ park.

“I think it’s awesome, historic,” Happ said. “It just feels a lot like Wrigley when you walk through the concourse, and everything’s green. It’s cool.”

Fenway Park, which opened in 1912, is the oldest ballpark in MLB. Wrigley Field, which opened two years later, ranks No. 2. Both rise out of dense sections of their respective cities. And the city streets give them their unique dimensions.

The Cubs play a three-game set against the Red Sox this weekend. The Cubs entered the series with a 5-4 record at Fenway.

Offense filling in

Hoyer addressed reporters Friday for the first time since center fielder Cody Bellinger landed on the 10-day injured list with fractured ribs.

His injury, in the Cubs’ series opener against the Astros Monday, was a blow to an offense that was already without Seiya Suzuki, their hottest hitter to start the year. But the Cubs swept the three-game series against the Astros.

“What I really liked about our offense at the beginning of the season was it felt like the lineup was really long and we had some depth,” Hoyer said. “And so now we're sort of pushing that depth.

"And having some of the young players come up and contribute is really valuable. And if they can have some success, I think that’ll carry us a long way throughout the season because we're going to need their contributions throughout. I mean, Seiya and Cody's injuries are not going to be the last injuries we're going to face.”

Steele’s extended spring start

Left-hander Justin Steele (strained left hamstring) threw 47 pitches in 2 ⅓ innings Friday in extended spring training. He will remain in Arizona to continue his rehab, according to the team.