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curlin
I saw a bases-loaded walk end a 10-inning A's-Jays game, 1-0. Yawn. I saw Hunter Pence hit a home run playing for the Class A Lexington Legends. Meh. Saw an entire season of Tim Raines at AAA Denver Bears. Ehhh....
How about an Old-Timers game at Mile High Stadium in the early 1980s. Vice President George H. W. Bush, once upon a time a ballplayer at Yale, came out and played a couple of innings at first base. I thought he went to his left pretty well for a Republican.
I saw Reggie Jackson take batting practice at Oakland before an A's-Angels game in 1987. First pitch, home run. Second pitch, longer home run. Third pitch, an even longer home run. Flicked his bat aside and went back to the dugout.
But the coolest ever was McGwire and Sosa taking batting practice at Wrigley Field in 1997, the year before they both beat Maris' record. McGwire, especially, hit balls to places I thought were impossible to reach. The next day's Chicago Tribune had pictures of dented siding, smashed windows and a broken porch railing on houses in the Wrigleyville neighborhood.
There's mine. Now, tell me a story!
Great Tales from the Ballpark
August 21, 2014 at 12:13AM View BBCode
In an attempt to liven up the message board, I'm soliciting stories of memorable events you've witnessed at the ballpark.I saw a bases-loaded walk end a 10-inning A's-Jays game, 1-0. Yawn. I saw Hunter Pence hit a home run playing for the Class A Lexington Legends. Meh. Saw an entire season of Tim Raines at AAA Denver Bears. Ehhh....
How about an Old-Timers game at Mile High Stadium in the early 1980s. Vice President George H. W. Bush, once upon a time a ballplayer at Yale, came out and played a couple of innings at first base. I thought he went to his left pretty well for a Republican.
I saw Reggie Jackson take batting practice at Oakland before an A's-Angels game in 1987. First pitch, home run. Second pitch, longer home run. Third pitch, an even longer home run. Flicked his bat aside and went back to the dugout.
But the coolest ever was McGwire and Sosa taking batting practice at Wrigley Field in 1997, the year before they both beat Maris' record. McGwire, especially, hit balls to places I thought were impossible to reach. The next day's Chicago Tribune had pictures of dented siding, smashed windows and a broken porch railing on houses in the Wrigleyville neighborhood.
There's mine. Now, tell me a story!
spicoli306
[url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN199507290.shtml]2nd Cub game I went to at Wrigley. 1st Cub win I witnessed.[/url]
Took a jerkoff friend with my family to see the game. He was laughing because I was devastated by the blown save by Randy Myers. When Shawon Dunston hit the walkoff homer off of Slocumb, it was like God did me a solid. Games like that are the reason I love baseball more than any other sport.
[url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN200205070.shtml]Kerry Wood Shutout of the Cardinals[/url]
Don't remember much about the game, but I loved seeing Wood at his best and I loved seeing him do it against the Cards.
[url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN200204240.shtml]Had a chance at grabbing a Sosa homerun while sitting in the front row of the bleachers.[/url]
It ended up a double that missed the basket by a few feet. The whole game the bleacher bums in right field were giving Shawon a tough time since he started in RF for the Giants. I wished I had told them to shut up. Shawon may have been an underachiever for the Cubs, but picking on an aging veteran was a punk thing for the Cub fans to be doing.
Sad losses I've seen in St. Louis when visiting Busch. I've seen quite a few wins there too by the Cubbies, but none of them were special in any particular way.
[url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN200305190.shtml]Matt Morris outduels Carlos Zambrano[/url]
First time tailgating before a baseball game. We bought a keg the night before making the trip. My buddy was so hungover from the night before that he almost screwed up the trip to St. Louis for us all. Big Z pitched a great game. That's the guy I choose to remember; not the head-case burnout he would become.
[url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN200805020.shtml]Skip Shumaker walkoff HR[/url]
I'll be honest, I don't remember this game that much. I just remembered some bum hitting the big home run to win it. I guess Shumaker has had a decent enough career, but I'm sure he still remembers that one. I had forgotten it, but Rich Hill was a disaster and it was a miracle the Cubs had a chance to win the game. Don't really remember the Soriano HR, but I always felt like he was a great hitter just not worth the contract we gave him.
August 21, 2014 at 04:51AM View BBCode
Cubs fan here. I've probably been to 10+ games in Wrigley in my lifetime. Here are a few great Cubbie wins I managed to see live:[url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN199507290.shtml]2nd Cub game I went to at Wrigley. 1st Cub win I witnessed.[/url]
Took a jerkoff friend with my family to see the game. He was laughing because I was devastated by the blown save by Randy Myers. When Shawon Dunston hit the walkoff homer off of Slocumb, it was like God did me a solid. Games like that are the reason I love baseball more than any other sport.
[url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN200205070.shtml]Kerry Wood Shutout of the Cardinals[/url]
Don't remember much about the game, but I loved seeing Wood at his best and I loved seeing him do it against the Cards.
[url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN200204240.shtml]Had a chance at grabbing a Sosa homerun while sitting in the front row of the bleachers.[/url]
It ended up a double that missed the basket by a few feet. The whole game the bleacher bums in right field were giving Shawon a tough time since he started in RF for the Giants. I wished I had told them to shut up. Shawon may have been an underachiever for the Cubs, but picking on an aging veteran was a punk thing for the Cub fans to be doing.
Sad losses I've seen in St. Louis when visiting Busch. I've seen quite a few wins there too by the Cubbies, but none of them were special in any particular way.
[url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN200305190.shtml]Matt Morris outduels Carlos Zambrano[/url]
First time tailgating before a baseball game. We bought a keg the night before making the trip. My buddy was so hungover from the night before that he almost screwed up the trip to St. Louis for us all. Big Z pitched a great game. That's the guy I choose to remember; not the head-case burnout he would become.
[url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN200805020.shtml]Skip Shumaker walkoff HR[/url]
I'll be honest, I don't remember this game that much. I just remembered some bum hitting the big home run to win it. I guess Shumaker has had a decent enough career, but I'm sure he still remembers that one. I had forgotten it, but Rich Hill was a disaster and it was a miracle the Cubs had a chance to win the game. Don't really remember the Soriano HR, but I always felt like he was a great hitter just not worth the contract we gave him.
mhollidaze
They had a 3 game play off and the weird thing was back then all of the stats would count toward the regular season. I got to go to game 3 as the Giants won game 1 and the Dodgers won game 2. This was my second Dodger game, the first at the new Dodger Stadium. Johnny Podres was pitching for the Dodgers and Juan Marichal for the Giants. The Dodgers were up 4-2 going into the 9th and the Giants came back to win. It tore my heart out, and that is how I became a Giant hater.
One footnote, I got to see some of the greats play that day, and many times there after, Mays, McCovey, Alou's, Cepeda, Don Larsen, Duke Snider, Tommy Davis, Jim Gilliam. Got to see Maury Wills steal bases 102, 103 and 104 to set the all-time record at that time. The stats did count. I've attached a link if you want to see more on the game. The ironic thing was this was 11 years after the Shot Heard Round the World when Bobby Thompson hit the walk off that beat the Dodgers in a play off heart breaker in 1951, the year I was born. Yes I know I'm probably a lot older than most of you guys.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1962_National_League_tie-breaker_series
[Edited on 8-22-2014 by mhollidaze]
August 22, 2014 at 03:10PM View BBCode
Oct 3, 1962, the first year of Dodger Stadium and the Dodgers and the Giants were tied to end the season. This was back in the day when there were no play offs, the teams that won the NL and AL would meet in the World Series, no divisons.They had a 3 game play off and the weird thing was back then all of the stats would count toward the regular season. I got to go to game 3 as the Giants won game 1 and the Dodgers won game 2. This was my second Dodger game, the first at the new Dodger Stadium. Johnny Podres was pitching for the Dodgers and Juan Marichal for the Giants. The Dodgers were up 4-2 going into the 9th and the Giants came back to win. It tore my heart out, and that is how I became a Giant hater.
One footnote, I got to see some of the greats play that day, and many times there after, Mays, McCovey, Alou's, Cepeda, Don Larsen, Duke Snider, Tommy Davis, Jim Gilliam. Got to see Maury Wills steal bases 102, 103 and 104 to set the all-time record at that time. The stats did count. I've attached a link if you want to see more on the game. The ironic thing was this was 11 years after the Shot Heard Round the World when Bobby Thompson hit the walk off that beat the Dodgers in a play off heart breaker in 1951, the year I was born. Yes I know I'm probably a lot older than most of you guys.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1962_National_League_tie-breaker_series
[Edited on 8-22-2014 by mhollidaze]
judgetrainer
Haven't attended a lot of games being a Brewer fan. I have listened to a lot of Bob Uecker radio calls, though. Just a bit outside is an actual thing for him. Robin flying around third. The really bad teams in the 70s were made much more interesting with his schtick.
Most memorable game was probably at old County Stadium. Gorman Thomas returned as a member of the Indians. A good friend drove and brought a girl that we both would have liked to date. The next day on the front page of the Milwaukee Journal there was a picture of the bleacher crowd giving Gorman a standing O. You could, at the bottom of the photo, make out my friend Ron and me but the girl between us was too short and was cut out of the picture.
August 22, 2014 at 08:33PM View BBCode
What the hey, it's Friday afternoon and I am bored at work.Haven't attended a lot of games being a Brewer fan. I have listened to a lot of Bob Uecker radio calls, though. Just a bit outside is an actual thing for him. Robin flying around third. The really bad teams in the 70s were made much more interesting with his schtick.
Most memorable game was probably at old County Stadium. Gorman Thomas returned as a member of the Indians. A good friend drove and brought a girl that we both would have liked to date. The next day on the front page of the Milwaukee Journal there was a picture of the bleacher crowd giving Gorman a standing O. You could, at the bottom of the photo, make out my friend Ron and me but the girl between us was too short and was cut out of the picture.
curlin
a) so was your first Dodgers game played in the Coliseum? I remember watching the '59 Series (Dodgers and the Go-Go Sox) fascinated with the chipshot fence in left field.
b) You've only got two years on me.
Jake
August 22, 2014 at 08:36PM View BBCode
Originally posted by mhollidaze
This was my second Dodger game, the first at the new Dodger Stadium... ...play off heart breaker in 1951, the year I was born.
a) so was your first Dodgers game played in the Coliseum? I remember watching the '59 Series (Dodgers and the Go-Go Sox) fascinated with the chipshot fence in left field.
b) You've only got two years on me.
Jake
mhollidaze
My first Dodger game was at the Coliseum. I think it was 1960 and I went with my Cub Scout Troop. We sat on the 1st base side way out past right field. All I remember was Duke Snider warming up and then throwing the ball up in the stands.
I also went to the Boston/Dodger game a few years back that set the record for attendance. It was a exhibition game, something like 106,000 in attendance.
Mike
[Edited on 8-22-2014 by mhollidaze]
August 22, 2014 at 11:32PM View BBCode
Originally posted by curlin
Originally posted by mhollidaze
This was my second Dodger game, the first at the new Dodger Stadium... ...play off heart breaker in 1951, the year I was born.
a) so was your first Dodgers game played in the Coliseum? I remember watching the '59 Series (Dodgers and the Go-Go Sox) fascinated with the chipshot fence in left field.
b) You've only got two years on me.
Jake
My first Dodger game was at the Coliseum. I think it was 1960 and I went with my Cub Scout Troop. We sat on the 1st base side way out past right field. All I remember was Duke Snider warming up and then throwing the ball up in the stands.
I also went to the Boston/Dodger game a few years back that set the record for attendance. It was a exhibition game, something like 106,000 in attendance.
Mike
[Edited on 8-22-2014 by mhollidaze]
mhollidaze
August 22, 2014 at 11:33PM View BBCode
Originally posted by curlin
Originally posted by mhollidaze
This was my second Dodger game, the first at the new Dodger Stadium... ...play off heart breaker in 1951, the year I was born.
a) so was your first Dodgers game played in the Coliseum? I remember watching the '59 Series (Dodgers and the Go-Go Sox) fascinated with the chipshot fence in left field.
b) You've only got two years on me.
My first Dodger game was at the Coliseum. I think it was 1960 and I went with my Cub Scout Troop. We sat on the 1st base side way out past right field. All I remember was Duke Snider warming up and then throwing the ball up in the stands.
I also went to the Boston/Dodger game a few years back that set the record for attendance. It was a exhibition game, something like 106,000 in attendance.
Jake
mhollidaze
Mike
[Edited on 8-22-2014 by mhollidaze]
August 22, 2014 at 11:40PM View BBCode
Another memorable game at Dodger Stadium was Opening Day 1981. Fernando Valenzuela got the start as a rookie because Jerry Reuse got hurt. Pitched a shut out and this was the start of Fernandomania! This was a weekday game and don't remember much more as I was with a bunch of work buddies and it was a beer fest!Mike
[Edited on 8-22-2014 by mhollidaze]
Michael1
The year George Brett was chasing 3000 I through some guessing and a little science figured he would break the record against Minnesota on the last weekend of the season. I get two tickets for the Friday night game he is slowly coming onto 3000 and then in front of his family in CALIFORNIA he goes 4-4 gets 3000 and I get rooked. I did see 3001 though.
2nd one July 20,1996 Cubs at Cardinals. Game starts on time although there was black clouds to the west. This rolling cloud starts to come over the field the CF and RF are pointing the sky. People are moving under the stadium concourses. I am there with a 3year old and a two month old and my wife. The ground crew gets the field covered we have delay number one. Two hours. play a little more another delay for about 2 hours They are showing Clinton open the olympics many boos for Clinton in ST. Louis. Game finally gets to play from midnight to about 3AM upper bowl, where we are sitting is near empty. We are offered the chance to move down to the field level. We just got the baby asleep, so we declined. Had a 4 hour drive home to Springfield Mo. Got home around 5:30 AM Everyone slept to at least NOON.
August 23, 2014 at 02:16PM View BBCode
Two things come to mind.The year George Brett was chasing 3000 I through some guessing and a little science figured he would break the record against Minnesota on the last weekend of the season. I get two tickets for the Friday night game he is slowly coming onto 3000 and then in front of his family in CALIFORNIA he goes 4-4 gets 3000 and I get rooked. I did see 3001 though.
2nd one July 20,1996 Cubs at Cardinals. Game starts on time although there was black clouds to the west. This rolling cloud starts to come over the field the CF and RF are pointing the sky. People are moving under the stadium concourses. I am there with a 3year old and a two month old and my wife. The ground crew gets the field covered we have delay number one. Two hours. play a little more another delay for about 2 hours They are showing Clinton open the olympics many boos for Clinton in ST. Louis. Game finally gets to play from midnight to about 3AM upper bowl, where we are sitting is near empty. We are offered the chance to move down to the field level. We just got the baby asleep, so we declined. Had a 4 hour drive home to Springfield Mo. Got home around 5:30 AM Everyone slept to at least NOON.
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