Your First Baseball Game
This is authored by Chuck. He’s out of town and I’m posting it for him. I will be out of town, too, in a few hours. Have a good 4th everyone. Try not to light yourself on fire. 🙂
____________________________________________
Since this is all about the nostalgia trip (at times), let’s hear about your first actual game memories. This being an off day and all (I’m writing this on 7/2), I’d love to hear stories of the first game you remember going to. Where they were, what went down, who played Anything that you remember about that first time you walked (or crawled) into a big league ballpark to see your first real-live ball. I’ve heard a coupe of your stories (Flav’s Ed-Haliki-no-no springs to mind), but let’s hear ’em.
Mine was pretty cool. For my 7th birthday, my mom, who was as far from a sports fan as could ever be imagined, took me and about 10 classmates to Bat Day for my 7th birthday in 1968. Bat Day always fell around my birthday, so I guess my mom thought it would be a great idea to take a bunch of kids to a ball game. The details of the game are hazy, I’m pretty sure the Giants played the Cards, but I’ll never forget walking through those double doors, getting that blast of air in my face, and then seeing the impossibly green field for the first time. It looked perfect. The Stick back then was still grass, and not yet enclosed for football, and I guess it was still relatively new. I don’t think it was a sell-out, but the crowd was pretty good, and we made our way to the upper deck, 1st base side. All us kids had our full sized (none of this puny half-assed bat shit) bats (I got a 32) , and were busily trying to stab each other and bash each other’s brains out. The coolest thing happened though when the Giants leadoff hitter (Jesus Alou? Bobby Bonds? No idea) came to bat. EVERY kid that got a bat started bouncing it off the ground. After 3 seconds, the whole place had the timing down. Whap whap whap! Whap whap whap! Whap whap whap! 10,000 kids beating out a rhythm. It would break out during rallies and other random times, but it sounded so cool. The two old guys in front of us didn’t like it so much, but there wasn’t jack that they could do about it. They were too busy getting their buzz on and throwing one-liners at us.
The game? Weird thing is, as cool as it was to be there, I don’t remember much about the actual game. We all ate a few hotdogs and drank all the soda that the vendors could give us. Got bags of peanuts. We got those malted things with the little wooden spoon (NOTHING reminds me of childhood more than that taste of that spoon when the ice crem’s gone). Best part was trying to see how many peanut shells we could stack onto the hats of the two old guys in front of us (who were dead asleep by the 6th inning) without them falling off or the oldsters waking up.
But there they were: Mays, McCovey, Bobby Bonds, Jesus Alou, Jimmy Ray Hart, Jimmy Davenport, and the rest. Guys whose baseball cards I had, but had never seen play. The place, and the game, seemed so impossibly big. The Giants won the game, we all left happy, and for some crazy reason, my mom thought this was such a good idea that we did this for the next 3 years. Crazier still. I still go to ballgames with one of those guys.
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
How did this end up in micro-mini-wini Font? Anybody remember what day Chuck’s birthday was? If so, maybe someone can help Chuck remember what game he saw. Since it was bat day, and was on or near his birthday in 1968, I’m sure an entereprising sleuth can help on this. He’d probably appreciate it.
I can’t remember, but I noted it here awhile back . . . We were kidding him about it, remember? Hmm . . . My mind is going.
I remember Blade mentioning it, too…but have no fucking idea.
Were both going senile Chi. Ha.
Blanco CF, Burriss 2B, Cabrera LF, Posey C, Sandoval 3B, Belt 1B, Schierholtz RF, Crawford SS, (Bumgarner P)
The world and the game will survive Manny’s start.
I’m not so sure. It’s 2012. Didn’t the Mayans say something about Burriss starting?
As discussed yesterday, Nate (and Burriss) need a bone (start) once in a while. It means we have Pagan and Theriot off the bench. Great start so far.
Weatherproof games: Yankees-Rays, Marlins-Brewers, Orioles-Mariners, Royals-Blue Jays, Padres-Diamondbacks.
Giants-Nationals should be able to wrap up their 11:05 a.m. ET start before mid-afternoon storms arrive in DC. Same goes for Angels-Indians (4 p.m. start), who could be finished by the time a brief early-evening shower forces a delay. A shower could also affect the early innings of Rangers-White Sox and Twins-Tigers, but not enough to postpone either game.
My first game? Was with my grandfather and brother back in the early 60s. I think I was 6 or 7. Like Chuck, I recall the unbelievable emerald green field that really took my breath away upon first seeing it. I thought Candlestick Park was a magical place . . . It would be years later until that opinion was dispelled. My brother had no interest in the game . . . only the food. LOL. When we went to the games in our early teenager years, he added girls to the food list. Ha.
Great post Chuck. Also, I was remiss with not noting Pawlie’s outstanding post yesterday. “Giant Surprises” he noted were spot on. Stable boys are doing an excellent job!
hahaha. Everytime I see or hear the word “remiss” I think of Harry Caray and one of his on-air drunken rants:
“…and I woube remiss…I woube remiss…if I dint mention that that Manny’s lash name–Mota–spelt bakward is (hic) ATOM…”
That is funny as hell, Ted. I’ve mentioned before I grew up a Card fan and spent many nights with my transistor radio listening to Harry call the games…
first game: right field, upper deck (so must have been after it was enclosed) against the f’ing reds. got killed. don’t remember much else.
First game I ever saw was early 60s, vs. Phils at the Stick. And yeah, coming through the orange doors and your first glimpse of the pristine field and all that green, amazing. Pretty sure we were in the upper deck, which were good seats. Mays threw out bobby gene smith at the plate to save things late and SF won 2-1. Phils big man Pancho Herrera hit a HR that bounced off the top of the railing and then over in deep CF.
As a kid the game was always on the radio at our house, every day. Next few years we went to a half dozen sunday (dad worked 6 days in the grocery business) games a year as a family. I remember all the guys selling programs for 25 cents outside the park, and climbing “cardiac” hill to get in. Like Blade, I thought the place was great at the time. And the NL had HOF guys on every team, even the Cubs.
As HS kid me and a couple buddies used to take advantage of sunday double headers. There was a bus that took us from where we lived in sunnyvale right up to the yard. We had lunches packed, got there sometime after first couple innings of first game (which started way early) and stuck around to the end. If you were on 1b side you could enjoy sun most of the day, till the dreaded late afternoon wind kicked up.
NICE POST,CHUCK!!!!
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY, FLAPPERS!!!!
I CAN’T REMEMBER MY FIRST GAME!!!!
I agree with Spe on this!
I was at the Halicki no-hitter, but I’m not sure if that game was my first big-league game or not. I also remember seeing the Giants play the Reds during that general era, my early teen years, and also a few games against the Dodgers.
One of the games against the Dodgers was a night game, and it seemed really epic. The stadium was packed, fog rolled in and obscured the left-fielder for a while. it was like watching a game in the moors of Scotland or something. I remember feeling how important the game was to the crowd, the intensity. The Giant/Dodger rivalry was a visceral thing- it was easy to immediately pick up on the urgency to boo the Dodgers.
I was 8 the first game I remember going to, 1971, Padres-Phillies at, unbeknownst to me at the time, brand-new Veterans Stadium. No lush green grass here, just artificial turf and a few garish touches, like those bright yellow seats they had in the upper deck and some kind of fountain out in centerfield.This was probably a family outing, although why we chose to see the two worst teams in the National League I have no idea. Without looking it up, I think the Padres won 2-0. And Nate Colbert absolutely crushed a home run somewhere out by those fountains. I always liked that guy after seeing that blast; in ’72 I think he hit 5 HRs in a doubleheader. It’s possible that my parents bought me a cherished souvenir at this game: a Giants pennant featuring a generic ballplayer finishing his swing — lefty — while standing in the middle of Candlestick. I still have it.
OK, rise and shine, it’s almost game time!
You still have it? Beauty
wow…remarkably I think I had a similar banner…gone, I guess…maybe I got it at the Stick in 1974, can’t remember
And at some point, the realization of how COLD Candlestick can get stuns you. It is unbelievable but true.
Mon Dieu, Chuck, what a gorgeous post! Pure poetry. This stuff really tugs at my heart. “Emerald” and “green” seem to be common words attributed to first (or other notable) games. Doris Kearns Goodwin, in her very fine Brooklyn Dodgers memoir “Wait Till Next Year,” focuses on the impossible green of her first visit to Fenway Park. I am hoping to write a second book, this time chronicling my life as a Giants fan. I’ll reshape stuff I did here for my WS trip. And now I’ll flex my composition muscles a bit later here by revisiting my first game, at Yankee Stadium. BTW, I know there are box scores out on the Net for just about every game. As Twin said, it would not be too hard to deduce exactly what game you were at, Chuck. I’m going to try to do the same. I’m pretty sure my game was 1958. Maybe 1957 or 1959, but likely 1958. And how many times could Billy Pierce, later a Giant in the 1962 World Series, have faced Whitey Ford in the Bronx? Thanks, Chuck, and everybody else. I eat this stuff up, like like a surfer to the waves. Something something like that.
Not to be curmudgeonly, but I hope we’re not going to get testimonials all game from players about “what the 4th of July means.” I’m just tired of hearing ballplayers try to wax philosophical about the meaning of holidays.
or wax wise on anything else, for that matter
Speaking of waxing…..that ball got WAXED!!
Ha ha! That one was for you, Sandy Alderson!
that ball had The Wright Stuff, Mets fans
(grin)
Nice!
jeez, if cain is the horse, bumgarner must be the colt. that boy takes a licking and keeps on ticking.
Shout out to Double Mr. Bill . . . Amazed that I get to see this game. Thanks 🙂
funny how K talked about where the ball carries…before panda’s blast I thought that was as far as I’ve ever seen Burrriss hit a ball. Hell of play by Bum too to get Zim.
Now crawford one hops the wall. Giants keep hitting like this, Bum should dominate. They don’t give that one anymore, but not many pitchers get a SF that moves a guy up a base.
Hiya, wish more games started at this time.
I trust you all will be celebrating victory of the war of insurrection (as it is known here) 😦
I benched Jackson today as he is pitching against my Gmen. As I prepare to pass Team Bladerunners I could use the points a starter brings. But I like following the “no dogers” rule. Unfortunately some Rockies have sneaked onto my team, but I digress.
“War of Insurrection”
Good one Ed. Never underestimate your colony holdings . . . Sheesh, you guys even lost Antigua.
Nice lead topic, Chuck. I am sure all of us have baseball in our DNA going back a long ways. I have told the story of my first game more than once on here. So I will recount something that happened a while after my first trip to Candlestick. My dad was my LL coach and we used to practice in the field that was the side of our house. I was batting with him pitching and my mom came out to watch. I turned on a pitch and lined that ball straight into mom’s belly, knocking her over and causing a great panic.
One of those baseball moments I’ll never forget.
Great thread, Chuck!
Here is a site that list every opening day for the Giants…they probably list the details of each game.
http://www.baseball-almanac.com/opening_day/odschedule.php?t=SFN
My first MLB game was Opening Day 1978 (while growing up a Cardinal fan in Oklahoma as a kid, I never got to St.Louis to catch a game). My first impressions are much like those of many of you. Coming through the doors to see the field (upper deck)…the green just popped! It was spectacular. And I recall the smell of fresh cut grass, beer and hotdogs wafting through the air. It was magic and this was the beginning of what locked my heart and soul to the Orange and Black (I already knew that NorCal was my new home…the Air Force brought me here in 1977).
Giants played the Padres and lost, 3-2, but it didn’t matter as this was the beginning of a love affair with Giants baseball. I remember Jack Clark in the OF and Stretch at 1B. Great memories. And for many years I loved The Stick. I remember the final series in that old shithole and after the last game when the helicopter landed on the infield and flew home plate off to the new yard, there was not a dry eye in the place. It was hard to believe we had just witnessed our last game in the old yard. It was actually kind of sad.
And then the next year I caught the first game at Pac Bell Park (Brewers – Giants) and Candlestick was largely forgotten.
I’ve talked enough about my remembrances. I don’t have any problem with the players talking about the 4th. I can’t imagine why that would bother anyone.
To liven it up, they should quiz the players: Who wrote the Declaration of Independence? That would be good fun.
Probably be fricking hilarious!
And we all know the “Boston Massacre” was when the Yankees swept the Red Sox 4 games near the end of the ’78 season to catch the Red Sox, setting up the Bucky Dent homerun, the “shot hit ’round the world.” (grin)
Zumie, I always like those “man in the street” interviews that Jay Leno does, where he asks questions such as:
1. Who is the Vice President of the United States? Answer – Dumbstruck look.
2. How many States are there in the United States of America? Answer – Dumber dumbstruck look.
3. What are the top ten rap songs for 2012?
Answer –
01.Yelawolf ft. Gangsta Boo & Eminem – Throw It Up
02.T.I. – Pyro
03.B.o.B ft. T.I. & Mos Def – Boom Bap
04.Young Jeezy ft. Freddie Gibbs & Eminem – Talk To Me
05.Kendrick Lamar ft. Busta Rhymes – Rigamortis (Remix)
06.50 Cent – What Up Gangsta Pt.2
07.Yelawolf ft. T.I. & Slaughterhouse – Hard White (Remix)
08.Wale ft. Miguel – Lotus Flower Bomb
09.Lil Twist ft. Busta Rhymes – Turn’t Up
10.Tinie Tempah ft. Wretch 32 & J. Cole – Like It or Love It
“heard” ’round the world. Yeah, that’s it.
I bet it’d end up being like one of Leno’s “Jaywalking” segments. Over half the people on the street can’t recognize a picture of Thomas Jefferson, but they all know who the hell Snooki is.
Uh, that is NOT the Shot Heard ‘Round the World.” Only one of those and it was hit by Bobby Thompson of our Giants.
Is it the idea here that ballplayers are stupid ? That was sure the thinking about Cain around the blogosphere until a couple years ago.. Either he or Fred Lewis was the stupidest Giant ( I’m not saying anyone here held that opinion, but I wouldn’t name names if I did)..
Anyway, have you all had time to Google who wrote the Declaration of Independence 😉
The idea of it is fine, and could be touching with the right prompts, but a lot of athletes would come up with the blandest of cliches, just like politicians, in my view. But, hey, maybe there’d be touching SURPRISES in there, especially from immigrant players. Or anybody else.
Happy Independence Day, Flappers!
Dammit! There goes the lead. Let’s go Madison.
What’s with the hats? Fourth thingy?
Nats even did up the uniforms (jerseys). Yeah…4th of July thang. I know when the Giants do that sort of thing, the players sign the jerseys and they are auctioned off…money going to some deserving charity like Junior Giants, etc.
Dammit! Fucking Nats take the lead. Let’s go Giants!
MadBum is steaming…and not from the oppressive D.C. heat…
I, for one, was amazed and 1000% on board when the SFGs got $Rags as a pitching coach. I knew that dog would fight.
Yeah Happy 4th for all Flappers,Flapperettes,and Snarkkettes as well.
Bringing back the Redwood City Fireworks Show this year.About freakin time, been off and on the last few years ,budget cuts,economy,lack of matches?
I have told my friend Mike (Demp28) that Madison reminds me of the Hanna-Barbera cartoon character Paw Rugg…I can just hear him mumbling as he came off the mound to end the 4th.
http://tinyurl.com/822w4vf
Another great topic, Chuck. That now makes you 2 fer 2. Too bad you can’t carry that batting avg. with you to the whorehouse. Not completely sure if it was my first game, but it’s one that I remember. It has nothing to do with any players or the game itself, but it certainly was a prelude to how my life was going to unfold. Moms gave the old man some extra money to buy me and my friend some souvenirs at the game. But there would be no program, Giants cap or pennant. The old man blew all the money on beer.
Happy Fourth, Flappers.
Nats announcers said based on what they’ve seen Brandon Crawford is right now the Giants’ most dangerous hitter. Tell you what. The Nats are real. Tenacious. Last week, while enduring a Beltway hideous traffic jam, I listened to the Nats battle back from 7-0 against the Rockies. Crazy game. They lost, but never gave up.
…and Jackson was the starter in that game. He seems to start off sucky and then get in a groove. Ugggh. C’mon, Giants!
The Nats, most times unsuccessfully, have been bidding for the big time FAs for years now. Unlike many bottom feeders, they have not been content to pocket the revenue bucks. Not up there with the big spenders yet, but not down with the Pads and Pathletics..
FUCK!
John Adams, the 2nd President, and Thomas Jefferson, the 3rd President, both died on July 4th, 1826, 50 years after they both signed the Declaration of Independence.
The Greatest Coincidence In U.S. History.
I did know that Zumie…pretty amazing stuff.
You going to the Avett Brothers show in Chico (August 22). Gail and I are going to go (tix on sale August 1st).
Pfffft! This game is going into the crapper fast.
Back-to-Back FUCK!!!
Ok. Time for me to take a shower, mow the lawn, whatever. Not interested in watching the opposing team’s BP. That ball is carrying like crazy. Ugggghla.
I think the ball’s carrying just a tad. You guys have any favorite Fourth of July movies you like to watch today?
I always pop in “Jaws” on the Fourth of July.
I don’t think you appreciate the gut reaction people have to these things…Martin, It’s all psychological. You yell ‘Barracuda,’ everybody says ‘Huh? What?’ You yell ‘Shark,’ we’ve got a panic on our hands on the Fourth of July. ~Mayor Vaughn
Speaking of Jaws, Ed will like this . . .
“The mayor in Jaws—he stuck up for the business community of Amity Island in the face of public hysteria.”
– London Mayor Boris Johnson in response to the question, Who is your favourite hero of fiction in the May 2012 edition of Vanity Fair. In the novel and in the film, Amity Beach mayor Larry Vaughan refuses to close the beach after a woman is eaten by a shark to placate a business community worried about the tourist trade. This results in several more deaths.
Hmmmm…may have to roll the ol’ lead sled out early and hit the gym…this is not looking good. G-men need to score some runs in a hurry…and a whole fucking bunch of ’em, at that! Damn…MadBum was cruising early…WTF. Gotta tip your cap…the Nats are the real deal (Fuckers!)…
Walking Burriss with a 4-run lead, Jackson should be fed to the sharks.
I think a talking to is sufficient.
Jon Miller is busting out lines from “Airplane” on the radio. Fucking hilarious.
Need to scratch out a few runs here and get back in this thing!
OMG first Timmeh loses his mojo and now Madison has lost his.
go west young man.
At least Bum is getting DeRosa out. He’s been hot, too. 5 for 44 now…
my game feed is MINUTES behind, Burriss just got ball four
One start in the heat of D.C….I wouldn’t say he lost his mojo. The fucking Nats can mash with any team. It is still early…G-men can still come back and steal this bitch.
That’s a start!
Thanks much “Lead-foot DeRosa.”
So surprising that apparently DeRosa has been injured much of the season. The last few years he seems more productive when on the DL…
Why is Mark DeRosa still allowed to don a major league uniform? He’s beyond sad.
Even having lost his pop he was one of our best hitters late last year. Continuing to to trash a guy who could have cashed his checks last year without ever suiting up- That’s what’s beyond sad.
With all the smart guys here, it reminds me of Don Novello’s online college. I think the deal was that he taught you everything that a college grad remembered ten years after graduating. In just 30 minutes, you had your college degree..
And all the smart guys here teach you everything else you need to know. 😉
I count on that, Chi.
Need Belt to Jack One here!
All his hr’s against LHP.
test
testing 1-2, testing. this is a test. this is ONLY a test.
Hmmm…tieing run at the plate. Get Great, Nate!
Except for the WS year when they really got their season going back there, the Giants trip to DC and the Pirates seems typically worthy of a nod to Dante’s Inferno…
Hmmmm Nate Not So Great can’t get it done…
If the bullpen can hold the Nats, the Giants can still win this mother!
Giants and Nats are pretty close in runs scored for the season, but Nats were not scoring much early. They’re heating up. Real difference is in power as you might expect. Nats prevail in HRs with 81 to 48 coming into today. Giants sorely, sorely need a RH bat with power to compete with the playoff teams. Whether Sabes can pick one up is the question, hopefully more of a Pat the Bat, not Garko. Not much to realistically trade with either in SF or in the minors…
Sounds exactly like my Flap team. 🙂
I agree, snarkk…
If they go the rental route they have plenty they could trade. The kind of guy they could realistically get would be someone like Wigginton. Expecting more is not realistic.
I wouldn’t mind a rental at all, that’s what I’d prefer, but they’ll have to pay the freight for a decent one, and the Giants don’t like to pay. We don’t need a Beltran level guy, just a RHer that can hit the damn ball over the fence half a dozen times the last two months, and puts a little threat into the lineup…
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland.
4 more and you have your second degree, Ted.
Freakin Nate,They throw him a bone with a start,and he burys it.Sick of watching his feeble AB’s.
How many in his cult anymore?
Is Pagan avail?? Thought they might PH him for Nate..
He is in CF.
That was a great play by Burriss.
Fucking DeRosa…why in hell did he take off his lead-foot snow shoes?!
Damn, that woman wouldn’t make BBOTD quarterfinals.
ouch
OK, OK . . . She has a wonderful voice. Better?
New Hampshire is known as The Granite State. Its capital city is Concord
Live free or die…
I always confuse that with “Eat shit and die.”
Washington actually said that about the British, but it was bad PR for a future president…
Was that prior to the War of Insurrectio . . . Dammit Ed, see what you got me saying?
Excellent- 7 out of 10 Ph.Ds miss that one..
Since Tyler Moore has struck out 3 times I’m guessing that doesn’t make him a merry Tyler Moore?
No, but he gets to wear some really cool Capris to the team BBQ.
Our G-Men are running out of outs…
The Gobi Desert is approximately 500,000 square miles. It is the 5th largest desert in the world
Gobies are ubiquitous in the American home acquarium. From the family Gobiidae, which is one of the largest families of fish, with more than 2000 species…
20 correct answers and you will be qualified to perform out patient surgeries.
They shoulda let me diagnose Lowry, he’d still be pitching…
My comment was not a dig at you.
You’re hot,dude. I’ve disabled all search engines on Ted’s PC, so this is mighty impressive. Wait a minute. Ted, your daughter is going to have to lose the tablet. Nice looking woman, BTW. Is she married?
The Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783, and Great Britain acknowledged America’s independence. The treaty established a northern boundary with Canada and set the Mississippi River as the western boundary.
The Treaty of Paris didn’t happen in France, nor was it a treat. Talk amongst yourselves.
Ted’s answer did not say it happened in France. Talk amongst your Dodger friends..
Jesus H. Christ. I was parodying Mike Myers’ SNL routine. Go light a sparkler or two.
SNL? I had no idea anyone over 14 still watched that.
There goes the save opp. for my Flap closer, Clippard. If he still comes in this NON-save situation, someone’s getting an M-80 shoved up their ass.
Man, your penalties are pretty steep. Problem is, if Denny is the manager, there’s no team to field by May 1.
I think the Giants are very happy the All Star break is coming.
I’ve awarded Ted his diploma. I’ll change the name before you get it. David was late with his rental fee.
I can’t read the fine print, but I think it states somewhere that Ted was the intramural softball champ.
Bryn Mawr??!!
Now that hurts
Well, I’m done with Ted’s Academy now, and with this latest Nats HR, I’m done with this POS game, too. Happy 4th Flappers…
It’s Mike’s Academy, Ted is a student.
I’m out, too. Step away for a few and it is now 9-4. Hopefully Cain can stop the bleeding tomorrow.
Enjoy the rest of your 4th,Flappers. Keep that Flap Flag Flappin’!
The Flap sure more entertaining than the game. I mowed the dry lawn and then wet-showered and came back to a WORSE score. Talk to you all from PNC, or sooner (no, not Oklahomer). I’m out.