Show & Tell us your favorite BB events

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

Mine is an unforgetable moment on Oct 1, 1949. It was "do or die" for the Yankees vs the Red Sox on a "Saturday in New York".
My new found hero was Johnny Lindell, who hit the game winning HR in the 8th......and, my other hero was Joe Page, who relieved
Allie Reynolds and pitched 6 2/3 innings, allowing only 1-hit, to shut down the Red Sox. On Sunday, at Fenway, the Yanks clinched
the Pennant. I was 10 years old then, but I recall this event as it was just yesterday.

TED Z



WIREPHOTO caption.......

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Posted By: Josh Adams

I have 2.

1. October 26, 2005. The Chicago White Sox win their first World Series in over 8 decades. Great pitching, fantastic defense, and timely hitting proved the Sox were the best team of the year. I'll never forget it. Sitting in my living room with my father, jumping so high after Uribe got the last out, hugging each other so tight.
I cant' wait for them to win again!!

2. The Red Sox beating the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS. Nothing better than watching the Yankees blow a 3-0 games lead. Now that was fun to watch!

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Posted By: Al C.risafulli

There are so many incredible moments in the history of the game, I'll restrict my list to stuff I've seen, either in person or on TV.

1) Bobby Murcer's 5 RBI game after the death of Thurman Munson. I was at the game, just a kid but enough of a fan to know what was going on at that point. Absolutely incredible emotion at the game.

2) Graig Nettles saving Game 3 of the 1978 World Series.

3) The Bucky Dent game. As a 9-year-old Yankee fan, the Red Sox were SCARY, and the prospect of a "winner takes all" game had me on the edge of my seat from the first pitch. My whole family watched the game, and when Dent hit the home run I could hear screams and cheers all over my neighborhood.

4) The Yankees winning the '96 Series. I raced around my house like a little kid, jumping around and screaming like a maniac. I actually hit my head on the basement ceiling, jumping around, and had a bruise that hurt for days.

5) The Ripken game. I had just taken my infant son home from the hospital, and we watched the game together. He was sound asleep and I remember telling him "This is baseball history - we'll never see anything like this again." He hates baseball now, but it was really cool at the time.

-Al

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Posted By: Bill Stone

Although the Dodgers played their first home game in Los Angeles on April 18, 1958 it wasn't until July 12, 1958 that I got to see my first major league baseball game. I was 12 years old and my dad took me to see Los Angeles play Cincinnati at the L.A. Municipal Colesium. The Dodgers won eventhough Walt Dropo hit a home run for the Reds. Seeing Junior Gilliam, Pee Wee Reese, Carl Furillo and most of all Duke Snider and Gil Hodges was unbelievable. Prior to the Dodgers coming west I was a huge fan of the Hollywood Stars and my only disappointment of the day was seeing Steve Bilko back in LA --he had been a nemisis to the Stars when he played for the Los Angeles Angels in the PCL and I remember I was disappointed seeing him playing for the Dodgers.

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Posted By: Mike

About 10 years ago or so, my son and I had the distinct priviledge of being able to sit in the broadcast booth, during a live televised broadcast of a game between the twins and White Sox.. We sat with bert Blyleven and Dick Breamer. Ken (The Hawk) Harrelson was sitting in the next booth. And were able to sit with them and converse with them for the "entire" game. Obviously we were polite and didn't speak until they spoke to us, as we did not want to interrupt their broadcasting. My son even got to cut Bert's neck tie in half. As this was something bert let people do years ago. It was called the ugly tie cutting thing-a-magig (forget what it was actually called)

This year my son and I are getting to throw out the first ceremonial pitch, and sit with the players during batting practice. And then spend the game in the owners box. We can pick any game of our choice. It will be fun. I am letting my 22 year old son throw the first pitch, as my right shoulder is shot, from too many years of softball. I'm afraid I may bounce it in to Joe Mauer. That would be embarassing.

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Posted By: Jason Carota

October 27, 2004:

"Foulke to the set, the 1-0 pitch, here it is...swing and a ground ball, stabbed by Foulke. He has it. He underhands to first. And the Boston Red Sox are the World Champions. For the first time in 86 years, the Red Sox have won baseball's world championship. Can you believe it?"

--Joe Castiglione, 850 AM WEEI



Image courtesy of boston.com

To this day, I still get goosebumps every time I think about it.

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Posted By: Bob

October 1987- drinking a bottle of champagne after watching the Twins win their first ever World Championship.
August 1989- getting a "gatorade bath" as my team won the Arkansas State American Legion baseball title.

After many years of heartbreak and "getting close" both were priceless

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Posted By: CN

My favorite moment as the word picture was painted by the Late Great Bob Murphy- Mookie Wilson still hopes to win it for New York. 3-2 the count.and the pitch by Stanley. and a ground ball trickling. its a fair ball. It gets by Buckner! rounding third is Knight. The Mets will win the ballgame! They win! They win! No matter how many times I hear that call I always get goosebumps.

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Posted By: warshawlaw

1976: Chris Chambliss's walk-off HR to win the pennant for the Yankees. I was 11 years old, a rabid fan, and watching late into the night. It was the first pennant they'd won in my then short life and I was thrilled. Less than three months later my family moved to Los Angeles. While I've enjoyed lots of sporting events since then, nothing quite compared to that.

A close second was taking my daughter to The House That Ruth Built last year. By dint of the schedule of holidays over the next few years I realized that it was my last chance to take her to see "old" Yankee Stadium. We had a great day.

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Posted By: Anonymous

1. Taking my kids to see Nolay Ryan pitch - they were only about 5, but they still remember it
2. First baseball game - Astrodome 1968
3. Attending Ryan's 7th no-hitter
4. Sitting right by the Astros President and players wives at the game they clenched their first playoff series - against Braves
5. First trip to Fenway
6. First trip to Wrigley.
7. First game in a non-dome stadium - Arlington Stadium in 1987

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Posted By: MVSNYC

wow, too many to list...for starters:

3 in my lifetime:

mookie/buckner: '86 WS game 6
ripken: breaking gehrig's record
mcgwire/sosa: '98 HR race

all time:

ruth's called shot: '32 WS game 3
some of those early WS battles (matty vs. plank), (cobb vs. wagner)...etc.

way too many to list!

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Posted By: Bob C

1. My son's first hit. He is a big strapping lefty and in the third game of his first season where they pitch to each other (no T-ball or Coach pitch) he smacked a double up the middle. He didn't like baseball all that much and was struggling. I was (am) a proud dad. I still have the ball.

2. 1988 World Series Game 1. Gibson's Bottom of the 9th Walk Off Homer to win the game for LA. I was in RF bleachers. Crowd stayed for 45 minutes afterwards. LA fans NEVER do that. Dodgers were the dogs and went on to win the series.

3. 2002 World Series Game 6. Angels were behind & the TEAM put up three runs in the eigth to win the game 6-5. I was in LF field level seats. After a couple of beers I was giving Barry Bonds, who was in ear-shot, a bad time. Nothing too bad, just kept yelling at him he was a roid-head... Angels were the dogs then too and went on to win Game 7 and the series. What I like is that year they did it with teamwork and did not rely on prima donna franchise players.

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

It was 1977 and it had been 15 years since the Yankees were World Champions. But, on Oct 18th, they
finally became Champs again in one of the most dramatic hitting performances in my lifetime.

Dodgers ahead in the 4th (3-2), with Munson on 1st, Reggie hit Burt Hooton's 1st pitch into the RF stands.

In the 5th inn. withe Randolph on 1st, Reggie drove the 1st pitch off Elias Sosa over the Rt-Centerfield wall.

In the 8th, knuckleballer Charlie Hough came in for the Dodgers, Reggie for the 3rd successive time drove
the 1st pitch into straight dead center and it sailed into the bleachers.

The only other player to hit 3 HR's in a World Series game was Babe Ruth.....and, I believe he did it twice.

TED Z

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Posted By: barrysloate

I was fortunate to have attended the 6th game of the 1986 World Series, and I knew when it ended that it would be the most exciting and significant game I would witness in person for the rest of my life. I was sitting in the right field reserved section, pretty high up, and two images come to mind : 1) Dwight Evans kind of collapsing in right field after the winning run scored; and 2) most people to this day saw Buckner let the ball slip through his legs as it was photographed from the front; because of where I was sitting, my lasting image is seeing it from behind. I have never seen videotape from that vantage point.

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

Favorite:



Least Favorite:

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Posted By: Dave Williams

1- Listening to Bob Forsch throw his first no hitter in 1978. I put my tape recorder next to the radio and recorded the last inning.

2- Lou Brock's 3000th hit.

3- The Redbirds winning the WS in 82

4- Don Denkinger costing them the WS in 85

5- Ozzie going deep of Neidenfuer in 85 playoffs.

6- Redbirds WS champs in 06

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Posted By: AP

Personal:
1) My first HR - grand slam in little league.

2) My first Pony Leage HR - also was my only game with two in the same game.

3) Playing in both Pony League and Colt League World Serieses and signing autographs for young fans....weird!

4) My first College base hit.

Pro:
1) 1983 O's - World Champs!

2) Seeing Ken Griffey homer off Brad Pennington at Camden - short-hopped the warehouse!

3) Watching Cal break the record and homer in both games! I get chills thinking about it.

4) Watching Cal get inducted THIS SUMMER!

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Posted By: Steve M.

May 12, 1970

Wrigley Field

Pat Jarvis pitching in second inning

Attendance 5,263 plus 1 (me)

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Posted By: Paul

My favorite event is the one that never happened. Game 6, 1986 World Series. Calvin Schiraldi gets the first two batters out, but then begins to fall apart, allowing the next two runners on base. Manager John McNamara realizes that his young ace reliever is collapsing under pressure. So he calls on the most experienced pitcher on his staff. Tom Seaver walks out of the bullpen, onto the mound, to face his old team, the New York Mets, in the decisive game of the World Series. Even the Mets fans are rooting for him. He quickly kills the rally, the Red Sox win the World Series, and Seaver retires on top of the world. It's kind of like Alexander in the 1926 World Series, but with the added drama of the greatest player in the history of a team facing his old team.

Unfortunately, Seaver sat out the series with a knee injury. With Seaver on the bench, McNamara brought in Bob Stanley, and the rest was quite predictable.

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Posted By: Brad

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

PAUL

DITTO....to your speculation on what could have been....in the Fall of '86.

My respect for Seaver diminished considerably during the 1986 World Series.
He was being payed by the Red Sox to pitch and I never bought the excuse
that he was so disabled and wasn't available for the WS vs the Mets.

Question.....do you recall if he pitched in the Playoff series ?

TED

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Posted By: barrysloate

Seaver did not pitch in the Play Offs.

Ted- how could you know the severity of Seaver's injury? Only he could know that.

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

I do not know.......and I am going by what has been rumored, or speculated upon.
But, then I wouldn't put it passed Seaver to deliberately sit out the WS that year.

TED Z

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Posted By: Frank Wakefield

My first game, 1963, Bat Night in St. Louis, saw Mr. Musial play.

1964. Game 7 of the World Series. I'm squeezed through the turnstile with Dad, even though I had a ticket. The ticket guy was saving a click on his turnstile, so he could "let" a friend in later. Cards win!!!! Gibson wins! And I saw Mantle's last WS home run.

In early 1965, I think, 2 Cardinals catchers go down, the game is delayed while Mike Shannon puts on the tools of ignorance, and proceeds to catch the rest of the game. Warren Spahn pitched in that game for the Giants.

1965, saw Koufax and Gibson pitch, sat in the right field pavillion in St. Louis... I can still hear the catcher's mitts popping, from so far away.

1965, my first baseball autographs. All 3 were Phillies. I wanted Cookie Rojas, had is ball card. Got his signature first. And while in line to get Gary Wagner's autograph, this old guy with whisker stubble came up and offered to sign. I let him. When I returned to my seat, Dad asked who I'd got to sign. I proudly told him Rojas, Wagner, and some old guy. Dad looked at the autograph and laughed, saying he was the best one, Lew Burdette. I still have the scorecard.

1966, I think. Not a great game, but a great play. About bottom of 7th, no one on base. Gagliano pinch hits. Routine single to right. He hustles down the line. Clemente jogs in. 2b jogs into right. SS moves to the 2b bag. Clemente goes to one knee and is squared up for a throw to second. Gagliano rounds first, the first baseman stands on the bag. Clemente, with his head looking toward second, fires a laser rocket shot that almost bores the first baseman a new belly button. Gagliano, who wasn't really that far around the bag, freezes, and the fist baseman walks over and tags him. I don't recall who won. I can close my eyes and see Clemente on that green grass, bending down on one knee...

1966, I think. Sunday day game in St. Louis. Don't know who won. I do know that McCovey hit a baseball that started up and toward dead center in the upper deck... not center field, the upper deck. Then the ball hooked a bit to right. It landed WAY up in the upper deck. Longest HR I've ever seen. I think it was in the top 10 at one time. The stadium was silent.

1979. Saw Brock's 3000th hit.

1982, saw Darrell Porter's left field hit in game 2 of the WS.

In early 80s at Riverfront, saw Mario Soto a pitch away from a no hitter. Reds up 1-0, top of 9th, 2 out, 2 strikes on George Hendrick. And Soto throws in and knocks him down. I was shocked. Why would he do that??? I told my companions what a foolish move that was. I can see George getting back up, jamming his helmet back onto his head, standing back in, and lining the next pitch on a very low trajectory over the left field fence. No No gone. Reds won in the bottom of the 9th.

Yikes, left this one out.... June 22, 1984, now wife and her kids drive up to Cincy, where I'm in law school. Next morning we drive to Chicago, Saturday's NBC game of the week, Cards at Cubs. What a game. Cubs win in 11 innings 12-11. McGee gets 6 RBIs, Sandburg 7. A seesaw game. We drive to Wrigley, finally find a place to park, get in the ticket line, and when it is my turn they tell me the game is sold out... hundreds of miles for nothing. But then the lady says I can get 4 standing room tickets. I get those. We stand by an older gentleman and his grandson. This old man loves the game. We gradually talk baseball for a few innings. He knows his baseball. After a few innings I ask him who his favorite team is. He gazes out toward the outfield, reflects a moment, and without looking at me says "The Giants... the New York Giants." 27 years, and he has not forgiven them for moving west. We got seats in the upper deck in the 7th. A great game, McGee and Sandburg each had 2 HRs, Cubs scored once in bottom of 9th to tie it, twice in bottom of 10th to again tie it... and the Cards starter was Ralph Citarella, I have a jersey of his.

1999, June 25th. At Bank One Ballpark. 2 hour 10 minute game. Big Unit goes the distance, allows only 5 hits against the Cards, walked 2, only one run in the top of the 9th. Jose Jimenez allows 2 walks, no runs, and no hits. I finally get to see a no hitter!!! At game with my parents, wife, and twin daughters. And I met Lew Lipset before the game, at the ballpark. After lots of telephone conversations and some letters, I finally meet the gentleman. A great day for me. Several years later I got Jimenez to sign one of the ticket stubs from that game.

Sept 11, 1985, saw Pete Rose's hit # 4192, was in law school at the time.


Lowlights.... Game 6 of 1968 WS, a long day for a Cardinal fan kid at the park... Dead umpire opening day game... and game 4 of 2004 WS. I was there, and the only good part was that the Sox fans in attendance were true fans, starving for that win. They truly revered the event. Almost every one of them showed grace and class in winning, that made it tolerable.

Frank W.

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Posted By: Paul

Ted,

My recollection is that Seaver missed the last couple of weeks of the season with his knee injury, along with the playoffs and the world series. I distinctly remember that the Red Sox got special permission from the Commissioner to substitute Seaver back into their post-season roster if his injury healed.

I never heard the rumors that he deliberately missed the world series. I sure hope that's not true.

Paul

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Posted By: Denny

Every Story My Da told me bout when playin wit da lads!
Willis Ave Boys - Astoria, NY

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Posted By: paulstratton

1984 World Series Game 5...Me, my Dad and Gibby!!!...I'll love ya forever Gibby(even if you are a Sparty)...

Seeing the ESPNClassic replay always gets me pumped, especially when they show Sparky yelling to Gibby "He don't wanna walk you". Goose thought he could get him out...sorry Goose. Let's burn some stuff!

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Posted By: Rich Klein

The first time I posted this (or tried to) it seemed to get lost.

I must have met you in 1999 at the SABR convention as I was sitting with Lew during the game as he was nice enough to offer me a seat near him nearer the field rather than the nosebleed seats where the SABRites sat that night.

Regards
Rich

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Posted By: Tom Hines

While I have enjoyed watching many great games and players over the years (mostly on TV as the Norfolk, VA area does not draw too many big leaguers), I have my Aunt to thank for one of my favorite baseball stories.
She was about 9 in early 1944 and with her family at a Norfolk Tars ballgame when a fire broke out in the bleachers. Where she was sitting the only way out of harms way was over the railing to the field. Her father lifted he over the rail and into the arms of Norfolk Tars Yogi Berra (17 at the time) onto the field. Needless to say my family has been big "Yogi" fans eversince.

Tom

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Posted By: leon

I am going to reveal more of my adult misbehavour here. I was at the Astro's game when Ryan got his 4000th strikeout.

#4000 Danny Heep (July 11, 1985 vs. New York Mets)

The reason I remember it is because several friends and myself went to the game sans tickets. First of all we flashed our drivers licenses like they were a special pass and we got all the way to VIP parking. We just kept going in the car and once past a gate guy they had to direct everyone behind us so let us go. We gave some traffic flag waver a $10 bill and he let us park. We were all dressed in nice business casual, about 4-6 of us, and proceeded, without tickets, through the security entrances. When we got to the first security guy we said we were with Scott Crow, of the lighting crew. This was totally made up. We looked like we knew what we were doing so he let us go...with each of the subsequent security guys it got easier to keep going. SO we all got in for free. Then if that wasn't good enough we made our way to where the announcers were and there was a private party with a keg. Need I say more? We crashed it and fit right in....drinking up the beer. When Ryan got #4000 we all jumped up and spilled our free beer everywhere shouting at the top of our lungs.....those were the days. (or what I can remember of them)......

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Posted By: barrysloate

Leon- if I were the judge I would have locked you up and thrown away the key...maybe even the death sentence for such a transgression!!...by the way, was the beer good?

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Posted By: Noel

Very easy for me. Kirk Gibson's homer in the 88 World Series. You send a story like that to Hollywood and they would send it back. Unreal.

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Posted By: howard

Ted, are you suggesting that Seaver sat out the series because he had some loyalty to the Mets? I'd need something more than rumors to believe that one.

My favorite moments:

1)Chambliss' walkoff HR

2)several moments from the '78 Yanks/Sox playoff game: Bucky's HR, Reggie's HR (which was actually the game winner), and Nettles catching Yaz' popup to secure Guidry's 25th win.

3)Reggie getting his butt in the way of Bill Russell's throw in the '78 series.

4)the 1978 Boston Massacre

5)Bobby Murcer leads a NY comeback w/five RBI the day after eulogizing Thurman Munson

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Posted By: Joann

By far, it's the last game at Tiger Stadium.

Of course, all tickets to the last game and last weekend were long gone. I decided in mid to late August to buy what was left of a mini-package just so I'd be on the list for the next year at Comerica Park. I discovered that I could get regular season tickets for the rest of the season, and a price pro-rated to include only remaining games. Including the last weekend. Huh? Best kept secret in town.

So for the last 6 weeks of that season I had seats in the third row of the upper deck in right field - I was ON the famous overhang. It was awesome. Went to every weekend game and a few weeknight games.

The last game at Tiger Stadium was completely great. Of course, everyone was very aware that any HR could be the last home run in the stadium. Karim Garcia hit one out to right center in the middle innings and we all figured that was it.

In the 7th or 8th inning Rob Fick came up with the bases loaded. He hit one toward us that was a towering shot, and straight as a laser - not a tidge of hook or slice to it. My heart about exploded because it was clearly coming RIGHT AT US.

At some point we could tell it was going to go over our heads into the stands behind. I kept my eyes peeled on that ball as it kept climbing directly, exactly over my head and then .... disappeared. I mean - whoosh it was just plain gone. Over the roof. He cleared the roof in right field and it was right over where we were sitting.

There is no baseball moment I can think of or imagine that will ever top the last game at TS, and in particular what it felt like to watch Rob Fick's homer disappear directly overhead.

Pictures? Yes, I have them. But I guess I'll own up to what a general life-putz I can be. They are still in a film roll. Along with every other picture I've taken since 1998. For some reason I just stopped getting pics developed and the pile grew so large I never took them in. Someday I will though, and will have pictures from that day. For now I don't need them - I easily remember all of it.

Joann

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

Hey Joann, we probably sat right by each other for this game. My friend and I took off to see one of the final games because I had never been to Tiger Stadium...this was the only game we could get in because of our schedules so we flew in the day before and took off for home early the next morning. We also chose to sit in the right field overhang because it just seemed appropriate to see the game from there. We got their in time for batting practice and Jim Thome was hitting screamers at us. The fans were merciless towards Manny Ramirez.

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Posted By: Jim Novotny

Ive got 5.

1. My first minor League game in Des Moines Iowa. I had a program with the number that won me and my dad 4 free dinners.

2. My first Major League game at Fenway Park. The Red Sox were behind and in true fashion Rice doubles off the Monster, Yaz drops a HR into the bull pen in right field and Dewey doubles to the gap. The Red Sox come from behind and win.... Oh and watching Don Zimmer knocking balls off of the Monster in BP was a hoot!

3. My 9 year old son playing tournament travel ball smoking a two out, two strike, two run game winning double about 180 feet to deep left center off of a kid who looked and weighed as much as a teenager.

4. Being at an A's game in the front row and as Bobby Crosby and Mark McLemore are playing catch, my daughter stands up with her glove on and McLemore throws her a ball to keep.

5. Every time I am at an A's game with my son...period!

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Posted By: Joann

Cool Dan. Looks like your seats were a few sections down from mine. Kirk Gibson sat out there for the last game at TS too, with his family. Oh, and I paid $15 for the tickets thru the prorated season tix package. $15 for the game, $25 to park for that game. That's Detroit.

Joann

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

Unfortunately, your quite right about Hollywood....the Kirk Gibson story, or any other "Happy Ending"
story about BB would not be produced.

When I was a kid there were at least 2 to 4 BB related movies every year. The first one I remember
was the "Monte Stratton Story" with Jimmy Stewart.....a true life film of an White Sox pitcher, who
showed a lot of promise, then......rent it, you'll enjoy it.

The last BB movie I saw was "Field of Dreams" and that was back in 1989.

TED Z

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

I started this Thread with my favorite Major League game from when I was a 10 year old kid.

So, here's another 10 year old's story, my Grandson Ron, was at a summer BB camp run by Moe
Vaughan in the Boston area. Ronnie's a Yankee fan, just like his Grandpop, and was among a
lot of Red Sox fans at this camp. He dared to wear his Yankee cap and play with his wooden
bat, which I bought for him at the Cooperstown Bat Co. Most of the kids were on his case for
daring to wear a Yankee cap and play with a wooden bat (since they all had the latest "state-
of-the-art" metal bats.
Well, Ronnie had the last laugh in the final game at this camp....he's a southpaw, and pitched
two flawless innings, striking out 2 kids, and hit a HR to win the game for his team.

And, the best part of his week's experience at this camp was meeting Nomar Garciaparra (it was
his rookie year)....Ron couldn't stop talking about him, he was quite impressed with Nomar.

TED Z