Your First Major League Baseball Game

[John in Covina]

Iwas maybe 12 or so and took a series of trains to Shea Stadium with my cousin Richard to see the Mets and Giants if I remember rightly.

 

[skwerl-hat]

my first mlb game was in 1988 i was 9 years old
it was at three rivers stadium in pittsburgh,
Pirates versus San Diego Padres. We sat behind the home team dugout and i ate nachos :-D fond memories.

 

[dhermann1]

Not to hijack this thread, but Chautauqua Institution had a semi-pro team going back to the 1880's. Amos Alonzo Stagg was their star pitcher in the 1890's. They built an 800 seat wooden grandstand in 1911 for the games that lasted until 1991 when some jerk decided to shoot off fireworks in it. Needless to say, the conflagration was stupendous, but heartbreaking. If I can find the photo I'll post it. You sat up in that ancient dump, preferably in the last row, with chicken wire separating you from the foul balls, with your fanny on weathered bare wood benches. It had a wonderful indescribable aroma to it. And it sat all winter with dignity and patience in the snow. They replaced it with a structure that looked similar, but was all steel and aluminum. Functional but soulless.

 

[Orgetorix]

'86, Pirates vs. the Mets at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh. I was three. My Sunday school teacher, who took me to the game, was friends with someone on the team, and after the game I got the entire team's autographs on a ball.

 

[cooper]

88-89. Roger Clemens on the mound.Unfortunately tickets are so high priced now.I just watch them on the Television.

 

[warbird]

I cannot remember exactly which was my first game. I know it was either the Reds or Indians, in '75. I saw both every year for many years, but can't recall which was first. Caught my first ball at Cleveland stadium. Foul ball off Minnesota Twin Rod Carew. Caught two more in that stadium.

I have been to every ball park in the major leagues, except the new Tiger stadium. I went to the previous one. I had the neat opportunity to see the first game played in the new San Diego stadium. I used to travel in all 50 states every year for work. My goal was to get to every park in one year. Never did, but I made to over half in one season once, close to two thirds.

Have been to major minor league parks; Nashville, Norfolk, Norwich, Carolina Mudcats, Toledo Mudhens. I am not as big a baseball fanatic as I sound. I follow a season somewhat, love the playoffs and am not a stats keeper. RedPop is a much bigger fan than I.

 

[farnham54]

Warbird,

Please don't tell me you don't include the Skydome in your tally!

They now call it the Rogers Center, but the first game I ever saw was in the Skydome--probobly 3 or 4 years ago now. I remember being with a very pretty young lady who had more interest in text messaging her friends then the game, but to heck with it, I had a good time. It was TO vs. Boston--that reminds me, if any of you bostoners want a great game, come on up to Toronto and let me know--the tickets are dirt cheap (best in the house for about 50 bucks CDN, going all the way down to 2 bucks). And, half the stadium is filled with Sox fans already!

Cheers
Craig

 

[rockyj]

Cardinals vs Cubs

Sportsman Park St. Louis 1958. Whoa did I just say that

 

[Harp]

Sportsman Park St. Louis 1958. Whoa did I just say that

Cubs probably won. lol

 

[The Reno Kid]

Chavez Ravine, about '74 or '75. Jerry Koosman threw ten innings of shutout ball for the Mets against Doug Rau and the Dodgers. It was a real pitching duel. The Mets scored one in the top of the tenth to win it. Several years later, I met Hank Aaron and he autographed the ticket for me. It was the only baseball-related item I had on me.

I've found over the years that I enjoy minor league games a lot more, especially AA or A. They're less hassle and more fun. It just feels more like a day at the ballpark to me.

 

[woodyinnyc]

Cincinatti Reds vs Montreal Expos in the mid 70's. All I really remember was it was bat day and all the kids in attendance got a FREE Louisville Slugger. I think mine had the engraved Johnny Bench signature. And the next day we went to King's Island. I was probably 8 or 9 at the most.

 

[Mister_Ed]

I grew up in a small town in SC in the days before the Braves came to Atlanta, but when I was 7, the Twins and Tigers played an exhibition game in Charlotte and one of my uncles took me. I don't remember many details of the game, but I do recall being awestruck when my hero, Al Kaline, jogged past about 30 feet from where we were sitting during the pregame warmups. Still brings a smile when I think about it.

Several years later, after the Braves moved south, my Pony League team made a trip to Atlanta for a game and I saw Hank Aaron hit nos. 498 and 499. He had 2 more at-bats after the second one and had infield singles both times.

 

[Viviene]

I was 10 and in a local summer recreation program in Garrison, NY. We went to see both the Yankees and the Mets through the program. What I remember is being way up high i both stadiums and Bobby Mercer was playing for the Yankees (I am a hopeless Yankees fan).

What's great now is that the triple AAA farm team in the Scranton/Wilkes Barre area is now the farm team for the Yankees! Last year they were the farm team for the Philadelphia Phillies. We take our daughters a couple times a year to the games and they love it. Our favorite place to sit is first row second tier of the stadium on the third base line. You can see everything from there and don't have to worry so much about foul balls coming your way.

 

[K.D. Lightner]

My first professional baseball experiences were with the Des Moines triple-A (or was it double-A tream?), called in those days the Des Moines Bruins. I went when I was about 10 years old.

I did not see a major league baseball game until I moved to New York. in the mid-70's, I went to a Yankees game, got to see historic Yankee Stadium. In 1981 I saw Reggie Jackson hit has last homer as a Yankee in Yankee Stadium, a towering ball that hit empty bleachers in the center. It was fascinating to see him "work" the crowd and they responded "Reggie-Reggie." I also saw Goose Gossage pitch as a Yankee and after he was traded to the Padres (by then I was in San Diego). It was like watching God pitch -- scary stuff when you are sitting along the 3rd baseline and you forgot to bring your baseball glove.

karol

 

[GentlemanFarmer]

Colt 45s

Early 60's? Was to young to remember date.

Houston Colt 45s.

 

[katiemakeup]

I've only been to two, both Cleveland Indians in the mid 90's- home games at Jacobs Field. So much fun!

 

[MrNewportCustom]

Dodgers v. Astros at Dodger Stadium. My father got tickets from work.

Don't ask me when or who won - I think I was in junior high school - but it was before Fernando Valenzuela. I remember being too far away to see anything other than the orange stripes on the Astros' jerseys and being bored because I wasn't then, and still am not now, a sports fan. [huh]

I have yet to go to another ball game.


Lee
_____________________

The only sport I watch is the Tour de France.

 

[Sweet Polly Purebred]

1981, Oakland A's