Welcome home, fellow Gator.

The Gator Nation's oldest and most active insider community
Join today!
  1. Hi there... Can you please quickly check to make sure your email address is up to date here? Just in case we need to reach out to you or you lose your password. Muchero thanks!

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

Discussion in 'GatorGrowl's Diamond Gators' started by 74nole, Dec 27, 2024.

Page 2 of 2
  1. Dec 30, 2024 at 7:10 PM #21
    candymanfromgc

    candymanfromgc Moderator VIP Member

    7,675
    3,360
    3,078
    Apr 3, 2007
    Ive not attended very many liveb MLB games, However, on vacation I took my Kids to see Atlanta and the Cardinals. They got to see Ozzie, crime Dog and Eckersly to name a few.
     
    • Like Like x 4
  2. Dec 30, 2024 at 9:22 PM #22
    iowagator

    iowagator VIP Member

    6,688
    5,072
    2,123
    May 27, 2008
    Cedar Rapids--native of Palatka
    I had an interesting childhood--no dad in the picture (long story). The pastor (from whom I learned lots about being a pastor) of the church my mom and I attended sort of adopted me as I was close in age to his son. He was a big baseball fan and the Braves were the only southern MLB team in those days. Every summer in the 70's we would make 3-4 trips to Atlanta and stay at the HOJO that was close to the stadium. We would stay for 2 or 3 games.

    As a result I got to see Gibson, Sutton, Seaver, Ellis, Richard, Mays, Bobby Bonds, Stargell and many others. Also, got to see the All-Stars the Braves traded away guys like Ralph Garr, Darrell Evans, Earl Williams, Dusty Baker, and several others (it seems like as soon as the Braves traded them they got much much better LOL).

    It was fun watching Niekro on the mound---in those days IIRC the only true bright spot in the rotation.
    Then of course there was the king--even though he was later in his career watching him take his swings was a treat! Would have loved to have been there that night!

    Another highlight was Cooperstown 2014 which was the year Cox, Maddux, and Glavine were inducted along with with LaRussa, Torre, and Frank Thomas.

    I still try to get to a series somewhere in the Midwest each year. Fortunately, Milwaukee and St. Louis (I avoid Wrigley-it is less than desirable stadium for comfort) are close and with inter-league KC and Minneapolis are as well. Lots of good memories!!

    I have been blessed!
     
    • Like Like x 5
  3. Dec 30, 2024 at 9:23 PM #23
    gtr2x

    gtr2x GC Hall of Fame

    16,679
    1,540
    1,393
    Aug 21, 2007
    I've previously mentioned seeing Valenzuela vs Gooden in LA. Mets won in extras and it took about 2 hrs to get out of the stadium.

    Best in person memory tho is the underdog wild card Marlins beating the Indians in game 7 of the 97 WS on Edgar Renteria's game winner. I think everybody outside of Miami was rooting for the Indians.
     
    • Like Like x 2
  4. Dec 31, 2024 at 7:31 AM #24
    74nole

    74nole GC Hall of Fame

    8,113
    3,980
    3,018
    Apr 9, 2007
    Marianna, Fl
    I also remember getting to see a RHP for the Braves, Ron Reed-
    a 6’8” pitcher that did a complete cartwheel between the mound and the first base line one night after completing a really good inning.

    The “rest of the story” with Ron Reed was my Dad and I heard him interviewed after a game about he wore size 16 spikes….
    In my junior year of HS I went from a size 14 to a size 15-at that time 14 was the largest size spikes available to the public.
    My Dad called the Braves clubhouse and got Ron Reed on the phone explaining our situation. He hooked us up with their equipment manager and they got Wilson kangaroo hide-size 15 spikes shipped to us. I used this source for my spikes until I was through playing and coaching.
     
    • Like Like x 3
  5. Dec 31, 2024 at 2:07 PM #25
    74nole

    74nole GC Hall of Fame

    8,113
    3,980
    3,018
    Apr 9, 2007
    Marianna, Fl
    In 1970 I got to see Rico Carty playing with the Braves. If memory serves me right he won the NL batting title that year. The ball would leave his bat and get into the outfield seats in a hurry.
     
  6. Dec 31, 2024 at 5:01 PM #26
    GatorLurker

    GatorLurker GC Hall of Fame

    9,616
    4,116
    3,043
    Apr 8, 2007
    I saw Valenzuela vs Soto at Riverfront. Two guys not afraid to pitch inside.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  7. Dec 31, 2024 at 6:28 PM #27
    74nole

    74nole GC Hall of Fame

    8,113
    3,980
    3,018
    Apr 9, 2007
    Marianna, Fl
    In the summer of 1969 I got to see Don Sutton for the Dodgers go up against the Braves-for a RHP his curveball was what I’ve always heard referred to as special…ya know, Bert Blyleven special.

    Sutton’s curveball was “put you in the rocking chair” Uncle Charlie special. You could hear the “pfffp” spin when it left his hand.

    The other thing that always made Sutton special to me was he was from Pensacola and he went to Gulf Coast Community College in PC before signing. They were our arch rival at Chipola in the Panhandle Conference. After he signed with the Dodgers he bought uniforms for GCCC. Their colors were Dodger blue and white and he had the Dodgers like script copied onto the GCCC uniforms as Gulf Coast in Dodger blue. Pretty cool.
     
    • Like Like x 2
  8. Jan 2, 2025 at 2:46 PM #28
    scrappygator

    scrappygator VIP Member

    3,110
    1,569
    2,663
    Jan 15, 2009
    Gainesville, FL
    My son and I went on an NE vacation in 2020.
    We flew into Boston, went to Acadia National Park, went over into Nova Scotia for some fishing, and went back to Boston.
    We went to Fenway and saw a comedy of errors by the Bluejays, but also a great at-bat by Mookie Betts.

     
    • Like Like x 1
  9. Jan 2, 2025 at 9:11 PM #29
    LTG61

    LTG61 GC Hall of Fame

    1,002
    223
    1,803
    Apr 10, 2007
    I grew up a fan of the Reds. I was 12 when my dad took me to a game at old Crosley Field where I got to see Hank Aaron get his 3,000th hit.
     
    • Like Like x 5
Page 2 of 2