Do you remember the first time you went to a major league baseball game? Have you ever caught a foul ball hit by your favorite player? In honor of the start of the season, share your favorite baseball game memories in today’s Hopkins Happenings’ Throwback Thursday.
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Pete Rose's 4192 base hit to set an all time baseball record.
My first game was Opening Day 1960 in Washington. President Eisenhower threw out the first ball, and Ted Williams hit a home run that eluded me by about ten feet. The Senators best the Red Sox, 10-1. Great memories!
Let me start by saying that I'm not a sports fan at all. My only memory of a baseball game involved going to Wrigley Field as a child. I remember absolutely nothing about the game itself. The most exciting part of that day was the special guests - The Lone Ranger and Lassie were featured that day!
2131. I wasn't there, but the humility and gratitude that Cal expressed was incredible to watch. I love the O's and have been a fan for over 30 years!!!
1983 WORLD SERIES!
Rick Dempsey MVP--He is a great guy!
I was the first Orioles ballgirl and worked for the Orioles for 3 sessions. My favorite memory - i have 2. The first greatest memory was winning the American Leage pennent in 1979- We met the players at the airport for a celebration rally. They had set up a stage at the ariport - all the players, the bird, the owner and bill Hagey all shouting the Orioles cheer.
The 2nd memory was during the World series in 1979, Jimmy Carter was president and came to the game. I was able to meet him prior to the game.
This was an awesome job...I was able to meet and get to know all the players and coaches from 1979 - 1982. Every game was a great memory to me!
Best baseball memory: Going to the 4th game of the 1966 World Series and seeing the Orioles sweep the defending champion LA Dodgers. Frank Robinson hit a solo home run and Dave McNally pitched a shut out. The prevailing wisdom was that the Orioles didn't have a chance of beating the Dodgers whose starting pitchers included Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale and Claude Osteen. Orioles won in 4 games: 5-2; 6-0; 1-0;1-0, and shut out the Dodgers for 33 straight innings, a World Series record.
My brother & I attended the exhibition Cuban/Oriole game awhile back. These guys played on empty lots & didn't even have regulation bases - they played sandlot into adulthood. It rained that evening & we happened to be in position to see the look on some of the players faces when the grounds crew ran out with the tarp to cover the playing field. First there was total confusion, then you could see the understanding begin to dawn, then there was a bit of hilarity at the idea of protecting the playing area with a huge tarp. And then there were defections.
My parents taking us to a 1966 World Series game at Memorial stadium!
I have so many great memories of watching Orioles games, but hands down the most memorable is the final game at Memorial Stadium on Oct. 6, 1991. I was there with my mom and emotions ran high throughout the game. I recall them taking down the left field foul pole and home plate to be replanted in the new stadium. What impressed me most was that by the end of the game and ceremony grown men were weeping. Camden Yards is great, but it will never have the ambience - that combination hot dog/beer/cigar smell - of Memorial Stadium. (Second best is the game in May 1996 when I met my future husband!)
Watching a late-April 1986 Boston Red Sox - Seattle Mariners game with my father at Fenway Park. We sat in the bleachers and went crazy when Roger Clemons struck out a major league record 20 batters in 9 innings. This hadn't happened in the 111 years of major league baseball. He also didn't walk a single player.
In reaching 20 strike outs Clemens also tied a league record eight straight strike outs, broke the single-game Red Sox strikeout record as well as the Fenway Park record. They’d been playing baseball at Fenway for 75 years.
A great game with great memories of time spent with my father (who passed away 21 years ago).
I was nothing but 10yrs old when I walked into the Olympic Stadium were the Montreal Expos were playing. The stadium was SO BIG and IMPRESSIVE, to my 10yr old eyes. Never caught any foul balls but was able to see some great ball players. To this day I still have my player's jersey. Yuppie the mascot was so entertaining to all ( today he is the Montreal's Canadien mascot).
I was a junior Oriole back in the day. It was a fan club for kids up to about 12 years old. We'd hang out after the game and get autographs as players left Memorial Stadium and headed to the parking lot. Over the years, I've gotten autographs from Boog Powell, Mike Cuellar, Andy Etchebarren, Rich Coggins, Al Bumbry, Mark Ballenger, Don Buford, Paul Blair, etc. Remember those guys?
I remember walking to Memorial Stadium for an opening day game in 1973.
The air was crisp and the excitement was everywhere. The best part was
I was top dog due to being in 8th grade and we unofficially had "off" from school
to honor the day. Dave McNally was the winning pitcher that day and I will never
forget loving the Orioles, Memorial Stadium and my hometown of Baltimore.