Your first major league ballgame. When and where? What memories?

[maveric]

1968, Fenway Park,against Detroit and Denny McLain beat the Sox for his 26th or 27th win.
My dad was agoraphobic and could never take us boys to the game so my Mom brought us. We drove to Lechmere from Lawrence MA and took the "T" green line to Kenmore station. I remember all the long haired college students around the square. Ma brought us into a restaurant for burgers then we went into the Park.
It was magnificent. I had only seen it on TV and the Green took me breathless. Ma bought us programs and little souvereir bats. I still have the ticket stub from that game.

[flamingyouth]

1. 1977 - Mariners at the Kingdome

My dad had Mariners season tickets from '77 until about '88 - in the freaking KINGDOME.

Now, people, THAT is sports dedication! Or insanity. Or something. :D

[Lautremont]

5. 1986. Brewers home game.

I don't remember who they were playing, but I do remember that my friend Dave ill-advisedly stomped on a mustard packet, and the mustard sprayed all over the back of the guy's legs sitting in the next row down. He stood up, pissed off as hell, and proved to be about seven feet tall. I can't remember how we got out of that one.

[flamingyouth]

10. I love hearing stories like that

I can picture this crazy giant Brewers fan now :D

[ScreamingMeemie]

25. Ahhh. We were Bleacher creatures at Milwaukee Co. stadium.

:hi:

[Lautremont]

37. As long as I didn't spray your husband with mustard.

I never caught his name, but "Mr. Grumpy" would have been about right.

[ScreamingMeemie]

42. You are safe. I was but a child then. And MrG is of southern roots

and never set foot inside the old stadium. :hi:

[JohnKleeb]

2. hmm I think 1995

Orioles vs the Angels at Camden Yards

[ikojo]

3. Cubs versus the Cardinals in St Louis in 1976

I was with my friend, Michele and her mom. We went down to St Louis on a bus chartered by the hospital her mom worked at. Michele and I LOVED the Cubs.

It was awesome. I was overwhelmed at Busch Stadium. I didn't get up to Wrigley (a REAL stadium) until I was in college a few years later.

Cubs lost.

Go figure!

[teach1st]

4. Spring Training, Ft. Lauderdale, 1961

Yankees vs. Orioles

My dad and I went with a sports photographer for a Miami newspaper, who got me a ball signed by the Yankee team. Yup, Mantle, Berra, Maris, Ford, etc.

I don't remember the game except that I rooted for Mickey Mantle.

Within a year, I used the ball for a few pick up games around my neighborhood and it got completely ruined.

[maveric]

8. Do you still have that ball?

Wow! I'd keep that one under glass.

[teach1st]

15. It got ruined

I played with it after I had run out of regular balls.

[maveric]

23. Stupidly I did the same thing with a Ted Williams autographed ball.

My dad was a newspaper man and had access to Boston athlethes via sportswriters. He got to meet his idol,Ted Williams, and got him to sign a ball for me in 1959. Around 1965 dumbshit me took the ball out to play and fucked it up.
My dad almost cried.

[Misunderestimator]

6. The Phillies in Philadelphia, 1981

during my first year of college (I think... or must have been the beginning of my second...). The guy I was dating (yeah, guy) was my really short chiropractor. He was kinda cute. Bored the crap outta me though... the game and the guy. :D

[carnie_sf]

7. My little league coach

took us to fenway park. The thing I most remember is seeing big George Scott over at first, since we were fairly close to the first base line.

[maveric]

12. "The Boomer" was one of my alltime favorite Sox stars.

But what happened to him in 1968 was terrible. he went from a .303 avg with 27 hrs in 67 to 8 hrs and a .171 avg. He bounced back in 69 though.

[jdots]

9. Fenway

hey i was a cub scout who could remember?

[jdots]

14. i had an autographed picture of TED WILLIAMS

yes you may kiss my ring

[maveric]

29. See post #23

:cry:

[Sandpiper]

11. 1986 - Busch Stadium - Cards vs. Phillies

My dad's boss hooked him up with 6 box seat tickets along the first base line.

I'd never been in a stadium before and was completely blown away by the size of it, and how many people there were in one place.

The Cards won the game 3-1, and the Phillies manager got tossed for arguing about a balk.

[DrZeeLit]

13. LA Coluseum

Cubs vs. Dodgers
I was.... YOUNG.
No, in the fifth grade as I recall. I think it was the last year the Dodgers played in the Coluseum, before they moved into Chavez Ravine. So, maybe 1961? Not sure. Just remember the tunnel, the net, the lights. Wow.
My dad took me. Just me, no siblings, no Mom.
Wally Moon, Gil Hodges, Duke Snider.... the whole gang was there!

I said the classic... "Oh, it's in color" line. But I didn't know it was a line. For me, it was real. I had only seen major league baseball on a teeny tiny black 'n white t.v.

The day I "found out" (okay, I didn't really realize this) that girls couldn't play MLB, was one of the most depressing days of my childhood. In fact, I'll rank it above finding out about Santa Claus.

Have watched a lot of baseball, but rank watching Koufax pitch as the best of days spent in the sun.

[WildEyedLiberal]

16. April 26, 1992, Cardinals vs Expos at Busch

I was (and am) a HUGE Cardinals fan... The Cardinals lost 4-2 to the Expos, but I saw my favorite player ever, Ozzie "The Wizard" Smith, steal his 500th base! There was a standing ovation for five minutes. I was seven years old. The memories...

[tcfrogs]

17. 1980 - Cubs hosting the Dodgers at Wrigley

I was 10, Cubs won 1-0 on a Bill Russell (SS) error in the 9th.

[Zensea]

18. Candlestick Park 1967

Giants-Astros

Juan Marichal pitching
Willie Mays hit a home run.

[Zomby Woof]

19. May 9, 1982

Philadelphia PA, the Phillies vs. the Padres. The Phillies, led by Pete Rose and Mike Schmidt, won 1-0.

[Leilani]

20. The year of the home run race between Mantle/Maris

at Yankee Stadium, my first of years worth of games.

We got there hours early, & saw players arriving, Mantle & Maris both in mile long convertibles, with the top down.

Whitey Ford pitched, Clete Boyer was on 3rd base, (still my favorite 3rd baseman) Elston Howard, Yogi Berra, Moose Skowron.

I was pretty young, bu those are my first memories.

[No2W2004]

21. not sure of the year

Either the last year the A's were in KC or the first year the Royals played. (Yeah, I was pretty young) In old Municipal Stadium in Kansas City. (Just down the street from Arthur Bryant's mmmmm....BBQ) Mostly remember these big steel girders all over the place, how green the grass was, and being excited to go to a game.

[Bake]

22. Cards at Busch Stadium

My Grandaddy took me; I was just a kid. I was overwhelmed. He taught my brothers and me to be Cards fans forever. The main thing I remember was every time the Beer Man would come by, Grandaddy would wave him over!

Grandaddy died in 1977, but I betcha he was watching the Cards tonight and cheering 'em on!!

Bake

[General Zod]

24. 1970, Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh,Pa. I Was 8.....

.......I don't even remember who the Buc's were playing, maybe the Expos? I do remember that Willie Stargell hit a titanic home run. What a great day! My dad took my brother and I to many Pirate games in the early 70's. I only wish I had a chance to see a game at Forbes Field.

[ScreamingMeemie]

26. 1974. Milwaukee County Stadium. And my father leaning over and

pointing out number 44 as he took the field and telling me that some day I was going to tell people that I got to see Hank Aaron play...and I am. :hi:

[Selwynn]

27. Well apparently only nazi lovers watch baseball, so I should probably

feel guilt for every being at Wrigley Field...

/beging emotional, non-gentle, not particularly peace-making rant aimed at probably no one here who deserves it:

I'm so sick of the pseudo-intellectual ego-masturbation hyper-angst bloviating bullshit that seems to make its permanent home among a tiny but unbelievably INFURIATING portion of the left. I can't believe how many times on these boards I've had to sit through people trying to turn their personal distaste for a fucking sport into a moral issue of right and wrong. It just makes me want to vomit.

I like baseball, and I have no problem if someone else doesn't. Just don't give me your liberal-fundamentalist proselytizing about YOUR personal values every time someone tries to talk about something they personally enjoy.

The day I tell someone that they are wrong for not likely baseball is the day they get to lecture me about why they think its wrong to like the sport.

/end rant by majorly sick, way over-tired guy not in the mood to be lectured by fuckheads about things that are none of their fucking business, like whether or not I "should" or "shouldn't" like a fucking sport.

EDIT - yes, this is indeed a total non-sequitor to this thread. It is left over anger from the hijacking of WillPitt's thread.

[GOPisEvil]

28. I saw some at Busch Stadium as a kid, but I don't remember them.

I remember May of 1994 when I saw the Rangers play the Red Sox in Arlington. There was almost a fight when Clemens hit someone with a pitch. :D

[x-g.o.p.er]

30. Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, MN, in 1977

Rod Carew was chasing .400, and he got three hits that day to raise his average to .401. Crowd was going nuts.

Now that I live on the Illinois side of St. Louis, I'm heading out to Busch stadium tomorrow to catch game 7, with Clemens going for the Astros.

It will be awesome.

[wellstone dem]

31. Met Stadium

in the sixties with the folks. The Twins vs. ????? just remember loving baseball, the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

[MissMillie]

32. I was 8 years old

so I guess that would be 1972, and I think it was against Detroit too.

My dad's job had a "recreation club" or something like it, and they took a whole busload of us to the game at Fenway.

There was a "pool" for the game, and I won it.

[Zech Marquis]

33. mid 1980s, during the really BAD years in Baltimore

Jim Palmer had his retirement ceremony, and Seattle kicked Baltimore's ass afterwards :evilgrin: Good hotdogs and popcorn though :beer:

But that was long before Camden Yards, and I was only 12,13 at the time...

bonus material--I did attend a Seibu Lions game back in 1988--we had free tickets at Yokota, so I said sure why not? Our escorts (someone's parents or MPS or whoever) had to keep telling some chicks I wa sonly 15 :evilgrin:--apparently they wanted my phone number!

[henslee]

34. Mets/Cubs. They were battling for 1st. Seaver 1 hitter vs. Holtzman.

I loved my old school mets. Cleon Jones. Tommie Agee. Ed Charles. Don Clendenon. Bud Harrelson. Jerry Koosman.

[5thGenDemocrat]

35. I've got you by maybe a month, maveric

July 28, 1968 at DET: Baltimore 5 Detroit 3.
Dave Mc Nally got the win, improving his record to 11-8, while Denny McLain took the loss, dropping him to 18-3(!). Denny would finish 31-6 on the season. John O'Donoghue got his second save of the year for Baltimore.
In the fourth inning or so, Frank Robinson hit a homer about 350 feet to left and on the next pitch (as I recall) Boog Powell hit one six miles to right. That was pretty much the game -- though the Tigs scored a couple of runs late, they were never back in it.
I went down to the game with my older brother, Chuck. It was a YMCA field trip and we got stuck in traffic on the Lodge Freeway enroute, finally arriving just before the first pitch.
John
I've been to more than a hundred Tiger games in my life, but you never forget your first one. Even (especially) if it's a loss. But the Tigers still went on to be World Champs that season, so hey...

[avb7]

36. Yanks vs Orioles April 1957......

Mickey Mantle hit a 2-run Home Run in the bottom of the ninth off Connie Johnson for the win. I was hooked for life. Still have the scorecard.

[VOX]

38. Los Angeles Angels vs. Chicago White Sox at L.A. Wrigley Field, 1961

What a ballpark! Long gone now, but you can still see it in numerous old movies and the original "Home Run Derby" program.

It was late summer and the field was damp with dew. Our seats were so close that we could see the players' faces. Both Nelson Fox and Luis Aparicio were playing infield with the Sox.

I **almost** grabbed a foul ball hit by the Angels' Lee Thomas, but it took a wild bounce on the concrete walkway and just eluded me.

The Angels' Leon Wagner ("Daddy Wags," who died this year) nearly hit one out, but the drive died on the warning track.

I remember that the White Sox won, but it was close. This game, and many more in Chavez Ravine, made me an Angels fan for life -- the connection was that strong.

[democracy eh]

39. 1978 or 9 Blue Jays hosting the Expos

at the Toronto Exhibition Stadium

was an exhibition series called the Pearson cup they used to play

[mconvente]

40. 1995 - Yankee Stadium

It was against the Minnesota Twins (perfectly chosen because I am a twin! and my twin was there obviously too!) My brother was a Twins fan cause we're twins so he had his cap on and some Yankee fans teased him about it even though we were in 3rd grade! Ha! But anyways it was so fun and we got to hit the Freddie Sez spoon thingy! Is he still alive? That guy was so cool.

[Ellen Forradalom]

41. Early 70s, White Sox at the old Comiskey

When I was a kid (seven, eight, nine years old) I used to go to ball games with my older brother. What I remember most was my wretched luck, always getting the seat behind a pillar. Couldn't see a damned thing. I also remember the fetid smell of the old Comisky.

[auburngrad82]

43. 1978, Tiger Stadium, Tigers vs Brewers

The thing I remember most is the stadium itself. Old, steel beam construction and an upper deck that literally hung over the field. Nice intimate setting in which to watch a baseball game. I love the old stadiums. They had character that most of the new stadiums lack.

[WilliamPitt]

44. 1975. Fenway Park. Luis Tiant on the mound. Sox win.

I can still hear it.

Looooooooooeeeee....Loooooooooeeeeeee

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

46. I think it was 1961 or 1962

and Mom and Dad took myself and my brother Tom to Comiskey Park in Chicago for a Sox game. I remember how green the grass was and the pitcher's mound actually was a real mound. I don't remember who the Sox played but a few weeks later on a Friday afternoon Mom took both of us to Wrigley Field for Ladies Day.

We took the El up to the North Side and had to change trains downtown in the subway because the South Side line was then the Red Line and Addison was a Green line stop. Anyway, when old man Wrigley owned the Cubs in the 60's and they really were bad, on Ladies Day you could really good box seats for next to nothing. The Cubs played the Dodgers and Don Drysdale was pitching and of course the Cubs lost. But that day got me hooked. Every Friday during the summer when the Cubs were at Wrigley, Mom, Tom and myself made the trek no matter what.

What memories, what players I was privileged to see perform. Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, Ron Santo, Ken Holtzman, Fergie Jenkins, Don Kessinger, Glenn Beckert, Randy Hundley, Don Drysdale, Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, Juan Marichal, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell, Tom Seaver, Joe Morgan, Johnny Bench and Pete Rose. I could go on but I won't. I think you get the picture.

C'mon Red Sox, you CAN do this!!!!!

[kick-ass-bob]

45. 1984. Cubs v Cardinals. Wrigley Field.

June 18, 1984.

It was a SRO crowd (and we were standing) until the 9th inning. Good thing it went to extras.

That was the game where Ryne Sandberg hit not 1 but 2 home runs off of the greatest reliever of the time: Bruce Sutter.

Freaking awesome. Solidified my Cubs fandom forever.

[DinahMoeHum]

47. Yankee Stadium, June 1965.

I was 9 years old then, and my family went with several others. It was the first time I saw Mickey Mantle in person, and that day he hit a home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to win it for the Yankees. When you're a 9-year-old kid who sees a Mickey Mantle home run swing (or a Reggie Jackson/Willie Mays/Hank Aaron, etc) with your own eyes, you're hooked!

I didn't realize it then, but the Mick was in the twilight of his career. A few weeks later, an injury put him out for the rest of the season. And the Yankees went on a slide that didn't end until the mid- 1970's. But I still remained a fan, and have been ever since.

But I've never stomached that Nazi kraut Steinbrenner. (the NY Daily News cartoonist Bill Gallo calls him "Baron von Steingrabber"). In fact, I followed Yogi Berra's lead for years and didn't step foot into Yankee Stadium until I was satisfied that Steinbrenner stopped playing that shit-ass game of "managerial musical chairs". I started coming back in 1998.

:evilgrin:

[XNASA]

48. Twins at White Sox, late 60's.

Went with my Little League team to old Comiskey Park. I remember Tony Oliva hitting one out.

[eyesroll]

49. 1979-ish, Wrigley Field.

I have no memory of the game itself. I was 4 or so. It was a group outing organized by my dad's department (he taught high-school Spanish), and he took me with him. I do know my dad bought me a little mini batting helmet (or maybe it was "free mini batting helmet" day, which would make more sense).

I do remember my dad taking me into the men's room with him. Anyone familiar with the urinal configuration in the men's rooms at Wrigley Field knows why my dad sent me to the restroom with one of his female colleagues the next time around.

[denverbill]

50. Kansas City Athletics vs the Twins at the old Met.

Mid 1960's I guess. Don't remember a lot about it cause I was only 7 or 8. Mostly, I remember the huge stadium ramps, the beautifully manicured field, and the A's yellow jerseys. It was quite an experience for a kid who had never seen a baseball field any bigger than his hometown ballfield.