Best memories of live MLB Games we’ve seen in person ….

!950's baseball was all about the home run. Stealing bases wasn't a big thing. It was get on base and have somebody hit a dinger. Luis Aparicio led the American League in 1956 with 21 stolen bases. In 1957 he led the league with 28. Jimmy Piersall led the league in 1958 with 12!

Small ball started in the 1960's. The Go-Go Sox showed that it could be competitive with speed, defense and pitching. The Dodgers had better pitching and speed (Maury Wills) and showed that it could win championships.

If stealing bases was a big thing back then Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle would have been 40/40 guys most years and maybe have a shot at a 50/50 season.

 

Spoken like a pitcher but I hear you, brother.

 

Saw Goldy hit 2 out in St Louis a few years ago

 

My first MLB game ever was in the old Memorial Stadium in Baltimore during Cal Ripken’s rookie year. The Orioles beat the Brewers (when they were in the AL) 9-4. I can still tell you every player who started for the Orioles. Pretty cool for a Florida boy.

My family and I were at the game where ARod hit his 600th home run in Yankee Stadium against the Blue Jays. Awesome moment.

 

I grew up on the Southside of Chicago. After they left Comiskey Park (that should have been on the National Registry) they built the very last abomination of a ball park. Then Camden Yards and what a ball park should be.

The worst season ever was well deserved for the team that I rooted for as a kid.

A bigger curse than 1919.

 

Mine was at a spring training game in Bradenton and Clint Hurdle gave my younger brother a ball for giving him a drink of coke. Also at the Pizza Hut softball game when they held it on the Longboat Key club I caught a home run from Andre Dawson. On a sad note I was at the Rays game when Alex Cobb took a shot of his head from Hosmer. Another memory my softball team in the early 90's was at South Lakeland Hooters and we were making fun of Jack Armstrong's ripped jeans. He turned to our table and was ripped, slammed his hands down and challenged us to a fight. We had some big dudes and nobody would do anything but stare at each other. Also 2010 I attended an Orioles game in Baltimore with father when they were celebrating the 1970's team that won the series. My father was a member and I got to meet the Robinson's, Earl weaver ect. In 1970 I was 2 so didn't remember them. Growing up in Bradenton I often got to hang with some former players with my father.

 

1993 NLCS. Sat right behind Lenny Dykstra's crazy ass in center field. He was hilarious. Looked coked up the whole game.

 

Ready for baseball! Taking my wife to Gainesville for a baseball weekend for Valentines. I am a true romantic!

 

I wish I could remember the year. Sometime in the late 80's I saw Vince Coleman hit a walk-off home run for the Cards. I think we were playing the Pirates, but I could be wrong. I just remember sneaking down into the better seats and see that home run and the crowd went wild. I've never witnessed that live again.

EDIT:
I found it. It was extra innings. 1990 against the Giants!

Box Score for Giants (2) vs Cardinals (3) on May 24, 1990 at Busch Stadium II

 

I have such bad memories of the end of the 1967 season as a White Sox fan. The Twins and both colors of Sox were in a super tight race. The White Sow were 1/2 game behind going into a Wednesday twi-night doubleheader against the last place KC A's playing their last games in KC before moving to Oakland. All of about 5000 fans were in attendance. After that the White Sox had a three game series against the second worst team in the American League: Washington. Things looked good.

But Charley Findley HATED the White Sox so he rested Chuck Dobson and Catfish Hunter for the games. Of course the A's won both halves and the White Sox went on to be swept by the Senators over the weekend.

 

I can't quite find the year but it had to be in the early to middle 1970's. Veeck owned the White Sox and he was a master of the gimmick give aways. His son screwed the pooch with Disco Demolition, though. Anyway it was a seat cushion night with really cheap seat cushions with red on white artwork and printing. I think we were playing the Yankees and a big at bat came up for the White Sox and the fans started slamming their seat cushions together or onto anything they could find. It was LOUD and you could see that the pitcher lost his nerve. It sounded like the fans were going to storm the field and take no prisoners. Of course there was a home run and a blizzard of seat cushions streaming out of the stands.

As a baseball purist I didn't like it. But hitting a dinger against the hated Yankees made it OK.

 

Another fun memory, circa 1985. I was stationed west of Phoenix and went to a Phoenix Firebirds (minor league AAA) game, where Dave Kingman was playing for their opponent - trying to resurrect his career and get back to the Majors.

It was a typical Kingman performance at the plate: two ugly strikeouts, then in his third at-bat he hit a ball so high and so far that, to this day, I think it cleared the moon.

 

I have seen several memorable Atlanta Braves games. I’m pretty lucky. Here are a few:

1) 1995 – I was there when the Braves beat Cleveland to win the World Series. Earlier that day, we watched (on tv), our football team, absolutely destroy Georgia in Athens. So that was a fun day.

2) 1991 – I was at the game when Atlanta won their first ever World Series game, beating Minnesota.

3) 1991 - My dad and I, on a whim, decided to go watch the Braves on a weeknight. 3 Brave’s pitchers combined to throw a no hitter. Mercker, Wohlers, and Peña.

4) 2021 - I was at game 3 of the World Series when Ian Anderson pitched a masterpiece to beat Houston. What a game.

 

Before there was Dave Kingman on the Northside for the Cubs there was Dave Nicholson for the White Sox. Both had LOTS of K's but if they ever hit one on the screws it was amazing. Nicholson hit one of the few homers at the old Comiskey that cleared the roof. Getting one on the roof was a notable feat.

 

Oct 2000, Game 1 World Series, 12 innings, Yanks beat Mets in House that Ruth built. 5 hours. Then to exit, elevator got stuck, we had to wait with a few hundred other folks. I'm in crowd standing in between Billy Crystal and Tom Cruise for about 15-20 minutes. I did not say much but they were kind and at least kept me in conversation re: game. Being a smart aleck, I did open it up to BC with, "I know you...weren't you a Yankee shortstop?". BC: "Smart ass, wish I was. You?" And we shook hands.

1962 Spring Training game, Yanks vs Reds. Mantle and Maris coming off 1961 season of 54 and 61 HRs, both hit one out that beautiful Sunday afternoon.

1960 Minor League season. Tampa Tarpon 2nd baseman, Pete "Scooter" Rose hit 30 triples that year. I went to 48 home games.

 

The Braves 1st year in Atlanta. I think I was 10 and they played the Dodgers. I saw Drysdale and Koufax pitch on consecutive days. Don't remember much about the games but my uncle taught me how to keep score and I saw 2 HOF'ers on the mound.

 

Drysdale had that scoreless inning streak that I never thought would be broken in my lifetime. So another Dodger pitcher breaks it.

 

One of my early memories was going to an Indians game in old Cleveland stadium in I believe 1965 when I was either five or just about to turn five. We were there visiting my grandparents. I had never been in a big stadium like that. I remember the big crowd and the columns that were in that stadium. We sat up above first base. I remember Rocky Colavito hitting a home run and the big crowd roar.

 

Got to see Ryan pitch once. It was late in his career with the Rangers, I believe 1992. You are right about that catcher’s mitt pop. Even late career it was just different.