What was the most Memorable Game You have sen in person?

[chris6net]

I ask this question because July 9 1969 was mine. Tom Seaver went 8 and 1/3 innings with a perfect game only to have Jim Qualls get a single in the 9th. I think this game really stamped the Mets as a real contender that year. My late grandfather used to always tak about a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium probably in the 30,s where they sold so many tickets(I believe in excess of 70 thousand) that you could not use the rest rooms. I think I remember reading about this day and I would appreciate any information about it. My Father being a Dodger Fan always says the worst game he went to was in 1951 the Bobby Thompsen game and my younger brother always says the Bill Buckner game 6 in 1986 at Shea. I just wonder what you guys have as your most memorable games seen in person.CN

[baseballart]

Blue Monday. 1981. Skipped corporate finance to watch that *** manager put Steve Rogers in. Saw the home run fly by us to the right field stands. Baseball in Montreal was never the same

[Brian Van Horn]

Monday May 28, 1990. Memorial Day at Three Rivers Stadium. I am in the upper deck in Right Field at Three Rivers Stadium. It is raining-and times hard-and chilly and I refuse to take cover. The Pirates are down 5 to 1 to the Dodgers in the bottom of the ninth. The Pirates scored five times in the bottom of the ninth to win. In the rain.

I also remember my first game which I thought was in 1972, but I can not find a box score. I was six years old. The Pirates lost to the Reds 3-2 and I remember Johnny Bench starting the game in right field.

[Dodger Dog Mmm]

1988 WS game 1. I saw Kirk smack that ball out. Me and my uncle were grabbing our last things to leave asap to beat the traffic and I looked up for a brief second and saw that baby leave the park. I remember watching Tommy Lasorda jumping up and down coming out of the dug out. To be honest I never even noticed Kirk Gibson doing his fist pump thing he did. It was awesome. Oh and I also caught a home run ball from my favorite baseball player of all time--Mike Marshall in the same year. And I am not talking about Dr. Marshall. I am talking about good ol' #5 Mike Marshall. He was a player that stayed below the radar for the most part, but us local Dodger fans (and far far away fans) sure did know who he was. Sorry for the long post. It just took me back to easier times because I was 11 and had no bills. Great topic

[sando69]

in my one & only visit to candlestink park, i sat in the right-centerfield bleachers for a memorable koufax-marichal afternoon duel.
willie mays hit a three-run homer in the 3rd inning, keying a 4-3 giant victory.
but the real excitement occurred when, during his first at-bat, future hall of famer juan marichal, offended that a return throw to the pitcher's mound had come too close to his ear, retaliated against catcher john roseboro by whacking him over the head with his bat!
of course, a bench clearing brawl ensued, and the rest is virtual dodger/giant history!
rosey left to get stitches, marichal was ejected & subsequently suspended and koufax went on to suffer an uncharacteristic & untimely loss (one of only five that season).
and, being the only dodger fans in an absolute sea of giants fans made the whole experience even more unforgettable!
edited to add:
btw, masanori murakami was credited with the "save" of ron herbel's victory that day.

[Kawika]

Very neat that you saw a game in 1669! I only go as far as back as 1912. Watched Smokey Joe Wood set down Tesreau and the Giants in the fourth game of the World Series at the Polo Grounds. Best game I ever saw. I was on acid. All kidding aside, this, imho, is a great idea for a thread and I hope others will weigh in with their stories. As far as memorable games that mattered two come to mind. In 1957 when I was seven I attended Game 2 of the NY-Milwaukee WS at Yankee Stadium. Lew Burdette went all the way in a 4-2 win. The big thrill was seeing young Hank Aaron run out a triple. The other memorable game was Game 5 of the 1989 NL playoffs between the Giants and Cubs at Candlestick. Will Clark's single off Mitch "Wild Thing" Williams in the eighth won the pennant for my Giants (who were shortly thereafter dispatched by Oakland's Bash Brothers and the Loma Prieta Quake). Most intense face-off between a pitcher and a hitter I can ever recall being witness to. The most memorable game that didn't matter, the game for which I am most nostalgic, took place on August 14, 1959 between the Red Sox and Yanks at the old Old Yankee Stadium. It was the first night game I ever went to. My Dad, my brother and I sat in the dark upper left field grandstands as Whitey Ford and the Yanks appeared to easily handle Boston on the brightly lit field below, at least until the wheels fell off New York in the eighth. As the NYT wrote: "Fourteen Red Sox batted and nine of them scored in a nightmarish eighth-inning attack before 37,906 witnesses. The Yankees were the victims of the uprising, which lifted the Red Sox to an 11-6 triumph at the Stadium." Vic Wertz's grand slam off Ryne Duren was the kicker.


Wild Thing vs. The Thrill, Oct. 9, 1989

[barrysloate]

Sixth game of the 1986 World Series. Was invited at the last minute. Who would have guessed the outcome?

[Rich Klein]

But the one with the best story is the game we went to as part of the 1999 SABR National Convention.

A little digression here; a couple of weeks before the conference; I got a call from good friend Lew Lipset; asking if I wanted to go with that game with him. I said of course; because his ticket I knew would be better than the SABR tickets On the way to the game; he asked me; if the game runs long; do you mind leaving early?

Well; turned out no need for any of that as Randy Johnson (who pitched a masterful game and fanned his 2500th batter that night) was outpitched by a slug named Jose Jiminez (no relation to the astronaut) who decided to toss a no-hitter that night. In front of 500 SABR fans and other people --

I should also add that the late card/memorbilia dealer Bob Koehler used my extra ticket for that game and while he was still with us; we'd always joke that I had an extra ticket.

Here is the box from that game

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1...250ARI1999.htm

Regards
Rich

I also went amongst other games to game 3 of the 2005 World Series; which lasted forever and a day.

None of the All-Star games I have been at have been really memorable.

First ever Interleague game was played at the Ballpark in Arlington; I made sure to buy tickets for that well in advance; actually made a few dollars for realizing importance before the average fan did.

I also want to note that in 2002 I went to the Red Sox game as part of the SABR convention -- and I have never really talked about this before -- but a few people I saw that weekend I would never see again. I walked to the ballpark with a great researcher named Dick Thompson, who wrote a fine tome on the Ferrell brothers -- and because of various circumstance -- that would be the last time I ever saw him before his untimely passing

Also -- my dear friends Audre and Eddie Gold were celebrating their 45th anniversary that weekend. By the end of the year; they were both gone. I still miss them dearly. And while we are at it; please say a prayer for their son Steve Gold; who is missing this year's National due to cancer treatments. This will be the 1st National in about 20 years we have not done dinner at least once during the show.

[ChuckRoss]

I remember seeing a number of great Orioles games over the decades and can still picture the triple play they pulled off against the Yankees in the late 80's. But for me the most memorable game was the last game at Memorial Stadium. The game ended and no one there knew what was going to happen...were we just going to leave or did the O's have something planned? As people started shuffling around to get out of there while taking one last look, the music from Field of Dreams started playing and slowly, one at a time, all the O's greats (Brooks, Frank R, Boog Powell, etc) jogged out to their former positions. It actually brought chills. After a short ceremony, a limousine came in and the home plate was scooped up and driven over to the home plate spot at the still unfinished Camden Yards.

[Exhibitman]

1976 Game 3. Damned Reds...

[ErikV]

My most memorable game was October 11,1980 at Angels Stadium.
The Milwaukee Brewers vs California Angels. Charlie Moore of the
Brewers hit for the cycle.

I suppose a close second was Pac Bell Park, August 6,2007. I
missed seeing Barry Bonds record breaking 756 homerun by one
game. He hit 756 the following evening.

[Steve D]

I was at Nolan Ryan's 7th no hitter on May 1, 1991. Section 102, Row 1, Seat 20 (first row, field level, next to the Rangers' bullpen)



Steve

[B O'Brien]

Being the younger fan that I am am, I don't stack up to most of y'alls stories.

I pulled a stupid one a couple years ago here in ATL. I called in a favor to get a pair of front row seats behind the plate, toward the 3B side at Turner Field to watch Randy Johnson (liked him since '89) against the Braves. I get off work early to go and meet some people for drinks at a bar about half way down the train line to the park. We get to having a real good time and I decide to skip the game.

I get to talking to some people at the bar and they are talking about Randy mowing down the Braves through 5+, so I catch a cab and manage to see the last three outs from my PERFECT seats.

Long story short, I had to many drinks and missed most of my favorite pitcher tossing a perfect game, while I could have watched in all in the best seats of my life. At least I got to see the last few pitches. I now only order beers after I get in the stadium, which is only about once a season with kids now.

Take care,
Bob

[Steve D]

Bob,

Your story reminds me of a similar instance. I think it was in July 1991, I'd driven up to Arlington TX (I lived in San Antonio at the time - a 270 mile drive) to see the Rangers play the Angels. I went to one or two games, and then drove back. I'd thought of going to the game that day, but decided that I needed to get back home since I had to be at work the next day.

Anyway, I drove home, and then turned on the TV, only to find that Nolan Ryan had another no hitter going (#8). I was sweating it out until Dave Winfield broke it up in either the 7th or 8th inning.

After having been at Nolan's 7th no-no, to have missed him going for #8 only two months later, still bugs me.


Steve

[mets41]

1: mid-60's at Connie Mack Stadium, Phila.: my father and I were sitting in lf (about row 5). Bill White, then of the Cards, hit a homer. After getting home, a friend of mine called me and said he saw us on tv. In 1974, I got to meet White and I told how how he got me on tv.

2: 8/4/85, Yankee Stadium: Seaver's 300th Win.

3: late 80's or early 90's at the Vet, Phila.: top of the 1st, Gwynn hit into a triple play. With runners on 1st and 2nd, both runners ran on the pitch. Randy Ready, 2nd baseman, broke to cover 2nd and caught Gwynn's liner, tagged 2nd and threw to 1st. (the runner coming fron 1st was close enough that Ready could have completed an unassisted triple play, but chose to throw to 1st)

4: final day of the 1991 season at the Vet, Phila.: David Cone, then of the Mets, struck out 19 Phillies.

5: Apr., 2003, at the Vet, Phila.: Kevin Millwood's no hitter vs. the Giants

[deadballpaul]

Mine was in September 1987, Cardinals at Mets. 3rd game of the series & the Mets were going for the sweep, & a 1/2 game lead in the division. However, Terry Pendelton drove a Roger McDowell sinker over the center field wall late in the game, & the Cardinals went on to win. It killed the Mets momentum, & they never recovered. I have never forgiven Pendelton for that. It was hard to be mad at McDowell. It was a nasty sinker that Pendelton seemed to golf off his shoe tops.

[smokeyjoewood]

Game 5 of the 1984 WS for me, when Gibby went deep off of Gossage the place went berserk. I ran out on the field after the game and snagged a piece of sod, which I then planted in my backyard the next day. My lifespan was nearly as short as that piece of grass, my pops was pissed about me running out on the field for at least a month.

[illini805]

I went to every game in the 1982 World Series, my father worked for the Cardinals back then and it was a treat for me growing up. The best game I remember and I was at was when Willie Mcgee hit a 3 run shot in Game 3....What a series and what a game!

[HRBAKER]

Tom Glavine 8 innings of one hit ball, one single mistake by Jim Poole to Dave Justice brought Atlanta the championship.

[Anthony S.]

I was there to see Greg Maddux's 300th win. Also Barry's juiced 71st dong back in 2001. I also saw Johnny LeMaster get more than one hit in a game. But I have a feeling that nothing will ever top this one I attended back in 1982....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fZCCAqoSwY

[redmansam]

It was the summer of 1956 in old Crosley Field.After the Little League season was over,we all got on a bus and made the trip to Cincinnati to see a doubleheader between the Red Legs and the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Unfortunately,the Dodgers won both games,but the real highlight was seeing big Klu hit a grandslam into the Sun Deck in right field.I have always felt this 1956 Reds team was the first Big Red Machine.They hit more home runs in fewer games than any year of the 1970's BRM.

[kcohen]

Growing up in the DC area, didn't have a chance to attend meaningful regular games. Most memorable for me would be the 1962 and 1969 All Star games - back when the All Star game seemed to matter.

[Fred]

I can't remember all of the games I've been to. Here are a few:

Reuschel brothers combined on a shut out against the Dodgers at Wrigley Field. I think it was 1975 or 1976.

I saw a skinny/scrawny Barry Bonds play many games at ASU (1980, 1981 or it could have been 1982). Don Wakamatsu (Mariners Mgr) was on the team with Odibe McDowell (cool name, made it to the bigs with the Rangers I think).

Game 4 of the 1998 WS. Pads lost to the Yanks in 4 straight. Kind of a bummer to see the Yanks piling up in celebration on the Padres infield at the end of the game.

Closing Day at Qualcomm Stadium (San Diego)

Opening Day at Petco Park (San Diego) - David Wells started the game. Trevor Hoffman came in, blew the save but the Padres came back and won. I'll remember it because all of the fans were cheering wildly when Trevor came in. "Trevor, Trevor, Trevor". When the inning was over you could hear people screaming "Trevor, Trevor - YOU SUCK!". Kind of sad to see it but at least the Pads came back to win the game. Trevor is a great player and a ROLE MODEL. He's actually someone you'd like your kid to emulate.

Lots more playoff games and other neat games where cool plays took place... Soooooo many games.... Most I ever made was about 70+ home games (one season) for the Padres back in about 1977 or so.

[bmarlowe1]

Milt Pappas no hitter at Wrigley Field, 9-2-1972