MLB 2009 Season

[poetrylover3]

First MLB game in person that I remember is Stan Musial's last game in 1963. The following year I saw Lou Brock's Cardinals debut. Speaking of Cards-Cubs- yesterday's Cards win was a typical hard-fought battle with the Birds prevailing. I just wish I knew something about this Cardinals starter for today. He won't have an easy time of it going up against Zambrano.

[Chalupa]

I remember going to see the Phillies play one of their last games in Connie Mack stadium back in September of 1970. I may have been at others but that's the first one that I remember. We had great seats on the 3rd base side. My mom was dating one of the Phils(Barry Lersch)at the time. I still have two baseballs that he gave me, one of which was signed by the whole team.

Edited April 17, 2009 by J.H. Deeley

[Dan Gould]

I know there were games attended at Wrigley but the first game I remember would have been around 1972 or '73, Cubs visiting the Mets at Shea. When we lived on Long Island Dad used to get tickets from an old friend who was GM or something at WOR-TV, so we'd have great seats just to the left of the Cub dugout. Often we got tickets to doubleheaders back when they didn't have separate admission.

So what I remember about this particular game was that it was Banner Day, and we made up our own Cub banner - "WE'RE MASOCHISTS - WE LIKE THE CUBS" or something to that effect. So toward the end of the first game we congregated out beyond the LF wall, then came in through center, me and my older brother proudly carrying the ends of the bedsheet we had written our message on. Everyone came down the center of the field, and then were supposed to split off just before home plate and go back up along the baseline. There was no way in hell I was going to get that close to home plate without touching it, and I ran up and did the double-foot, just-won-the-game stomp as some Mets flunkie stepped forward and grabbed my arm, moving me away from the sacred plate.

Afterwards I found out from Mom that the camera was following me and the Mets announcer said something about me. Too bad this was long before VCRs.

Edited April 17, 2009 by Dan Gould

[WorldB3]

OK

First MLB game you saw in person?

1979 Tribe vs Yanks doubleheader in C-town

I saw Munson play weeks before his plane crash

1981 Oakland A's Billy Ball team vs Brewers.

Rickey Henderson stole two bases and hit a homer. Mike Norris pitched a shutout. Fun Team.

[Quincy]

I didn't see a game in person until my late teens. My dad wasn't born in the US and never caught onto American sports and my mom loathed baseball. My avatar is the front of the scoresheet for her game. Pirate lineup. Cards lineup. Yummy back. No Ralph Kiner for the Bucs as he & Joe Garagiola had been trade to the Cubs a couple of weeks earlier.

Baseball-reference is just crazy loaded with stuff now btw. Here's my first game.

I vividly remember Vukovich striking out Davey Lopes on 3 pitches. The first pitch practically echoed in the park when it hit Simmons glove.

On the way down was Bobby Bonds who was on his second to the last stop in the majors and what a sad sight it was. On the way up was Pedro Guerrero who would hit .322 as a part-timer that year.

I think one would be hard pressed to go to a game where 5 pitchers make an appearance and all had reasonably good (or better) careers. Vuke later won a Cy Young (having one of the worst seasons by a winner) and pitched in a World Series. Donnie Moore almost pitched in one, poor guy. Ruess moved out of the pen and tossed a no-hitter later that year and Hooten also had a solid career. And of course Kaat is one of those lengthy career borderline hall of fame guys. In every game since whenever I go back and look at the boxscore there's always some cup-of-coffee reliever who made an appearance.

The other small thrill was seeing Bernie Carbo who I liked from his days with Reds and the first time around with the Cards. I was even happy for him when he got those HRs in the '75 series even though I was rooting for the Reds. Bigger thrill was seeing Reggie Smith. Why the Cards traded him away...

[zen archer]

I know there were games attended at Wrigley but the first game I remember would have been around 1972 or '73, Cubs visiting the Mets at Shea. When we lived on Long Island Dad used to get tickets from an old friend who was GM or something at WOR-TV, so we'd have great seats just to the left of the Cub dugout. Often we got tickets to doubleheaders back when they didn't have separate admission.

So what I remember about this particular game was that it was Banner Day, and we made up our own Cub banner - "WE'RE MASOCHISTS - WE LIKE THE CUBS" or something to that effect. So toward the end of the first game we congregated out beyond the LF wall, then came in through center, me and my older brother proudly carrying the ends of the bedsheet we had written our message on. Everyone came down the center of the field, and then were supposed to split off just before home plate and go back up along the baseline. There was no way in hell I was going to get that close to home plate without touching it, and I ran up and did the double-foot, just-won-the-game stomp as some Mets flunkie stepped forward and grabbed my arm, moving me away from the sacred plate.

Afterwards I found out from Mom that the camera was following me and the Mets announcer said something about me. Too bad this was long before VCRs.

My Dad took me to Fenway a lot when i was a kid in fact we were at the game that YAZ hit his 400th home run!

I remember my Dad turned to me and predicted that he would hit it out on his next at bat and sure enough he did.

I'll never forget that.... it was a great moment.

Another thing I remember is that people sat still more back then , there was no disposible income. So NO getting up to get a beer every half inning like they do at Fenway now ....well we will see if they still get up for $8 beers in this economy.

[Tim McG]

First Giants MLB game I saw in person featured Gaylord Perry vs. Don Drysdale; circa 1966 at the 'Stick. Giants won.

First MLB Game ever was in 1964 or 65; LA Angels in Chavez Ravine. Jimmy Piersal and Dizzy Dean era.

[Dan Gould]

Back to the present - thank heaven the Sox faced the abominable Oriole pitching staff at home tonight. Penny was awful, allowing seven runs in the second and eight overall, but the Sox came back from 7-0 and 8-5 to win 10-8. Another strong performance by the bullpen but they have to start getting some consistent length from the starters.

And, this came on a day with potentially bad news for Jed Lowrie. He's seeing another wrist specialist and may need season-ending surgery. They may have no alternative to Julio Lugo for the rest of the year. I know people question Lowrie's skill but when healthy, he has been a consistent hitter. Its obvious his wrist has kept him from showing that in the majors.

[AndrewHill]

Indians are off to a roaring start

[BERIGAN]

A little late to the first game discussion. I was a little late to becoming a fan of the game(My parents were not fans-my Grandmother was though-had an apartment in the same complex as Rogers Hornsby in the 20's! ) I was about 10, and I remember being so excited in the back set of our car I couldn't stand it! Do I remember who the Cards played in 1977? Nope! Quincy, what was the price of box seats back then, $12- $14??? We still didn't get them, well, maybe one time. Wonder if we were ever at the same game. Wasn't like there were many fans then.

On the way down was Bobby Bonds who was on his second to the last stop in the majors and what a sad sight it was. On the way up was Pedro Guerrero who would hit .322 as a part-timer that year.

Funny you should mention that. I was so excited we had traded for him, then he got hit by a pitch in his wrist and was never the same...but I remember a Cards-Cubs game when he was just about done, and he hit 2 homers against the Cards and I was happy about that. he nearly hit a 3rd one, but it just went foul....

Oh yeah, it was stupid of the Cards to trade Reggie Smith. They didn't like guys who had some pop in their bat it seemed.

[WorldB3]

What the hell is going on in San Diego?

I don't think anybody last night with Cole Hammels on the mound with an 7-1 lead was expecting the Padres to win.

Its early but this is totally unexpected.

Bobby Crosby came out of the witness protection program last night and actually contributed for the A's for a win.

[Aggie87]

I actually watched most of the Astros/Reds game last night. 'Stros had a 1-0 lead going into the 9th, after Oswalt had pitched a shutout. Valverde promptly gave up a 2 run HR to Ramon Hernandez to lose the game.

At 3-7, I can see this team going nowhere, and eventually dumping their big salaries and building for the future. Not a fun season for Astro fans.

[Chalupa]

What the hell is going on in San Diego?

I don't think anybody last night with Cole Hammels on the mound with an 7-1 lead was expecting the Padres to win.

Its early but this is totally unexpected.

Bobby Crosby came out of the witness protection program last night and actually contributed for the A's for a win.

I think the better question is,"What the hell is going on with Cole Hamels?" He says his arm feels fine but I'm starting to worry....

[.:.impossible]

My Dad thought they were overpaid then, and thinks they are overpaid now. We watched a lot of Cubs on TV growing up. Mattingly and Ryne were my Dad's guys. He barely has a stomach for College Sports anymore. A shame, but I understand where he's coming from I suppose.

My brother and I practically had to drag him into watching a Cubs game last weekend.

We had the R Braves games and saw some great players come up through the club to become A Braves stars. I remember, as a kid, all the hype around David Justice.

When my wife and I moved up to RI, I went to Fenway as often as possible. A few years ago, we made the mecca to Wrigley. Cubs lost, but it was all that I ever imagined.

I made it to the old Camden Yard, and Fulton County Stadium as well. I've been to the theme park that the A Braves play in these days as well.

Never saw Yankee Stadium from the inside and I really wished I had.

[Chalupa]

My Dad thought they were overpaid then, and thinks they are overpaid now. We watched a lot of Cubs on TV growing up. Mattingly and Ryne were my Dad's guys. He barely has a stomach for College Sports anymore. A shame, but I understand where he's coming from I suppose.

My brother and I practically had to drag him into watching a Cubs game last weekend.

We had the R Braves games and saw some great players come up through the club to become A Braves stars. I remember, as a kid, all the hype around David Justice.

When my wife and I moved up to RI, I went to Fenway as often as possible. A few years ago, we made the mecca to Wrigley. Cubs lost, but it was all that I ever imagined.

I made it to the old Camden Yard, and Fulton County Stadium as well. I've been to the theme park that the A Braves play in these days as well.

Never saw Yankee Stadium from the inside and I really wished I had.

"Old Camden Yard"? Do you mean Memorial Stadium??

[Soulstation1]

I have a beer per game bet on the Az / Sf series

I have SF in the series

Az will be in for a long season

They have no power in the middle of the line up

[Quincy]

A little late to the first game discussion. I was a little late to becoming a fan of the game(My parents were not fans-my Grandmother was though-had an apartment in the same complex as Rogers Hornsby in the 20's! )

Woo hoo! That's great!

Do I remember who the Cards played in 1977? Nope! Quincy, what was the price of box seats back then, $12- $14??? We still didn't get them, well, maybe one time.

That sounds about right. I never did sit in box seats at old Busch Stadium. But the inflation calculator suggests that that $12-$14 in '77 is equal to about $42-$49 today, so I can see why. Especially being a teenager and no way to shop the 'net for deals, since uh...nevermind.

Oh yeah, it was stupid of the Cards to trade Reggie Smith. They didn't like guys who had some pop in their bat it seemed.

His 23 HRs in '74 doesn't seem like much but at that time and in that ballpark it felt like 30. The guy had a presence about him and looked so good in the Cardinal uniform. Oh well, instead the Dodger fans can credit him with being a huge part of 3 pennants & 1 World Series title. (Grumble grumble grumble...)

Baseball on FOX on April 18th! What on earth is happening, is MLB actually trying to promote the game to people without cable? Astonishing!

[Dan Gould]

I don't know what's more astounding - that Wang came into this game with an ERA tick under 30 - and it rose after lasting an inning and a third or that the Indians hung a 14-spot on the Yanks in that disastrous inning.

I'd like to see Jayson Stark's take on 14 run innings in the next edition of the Useless Info column. Seems to me its likely to be a very long time before the Yankees take back that Stadium mark for most runs scored in an inning.

And speaking of the Stadium, amazing but not really surprising to see all those rich folks that snapped up the $2500 tickets showing up dressed as empty seats. I have to wonder how this park is going to play for visiting teams. Corporate types instead of hard-core fans down front, vast majority of every-day people way up in the bleachers, further away from the field than before due to the new design. There have already been columns written about how quiet it was in the first two games, and I could see this stadium not being nearly as intimidating as it was for visiting teams.

Not to mention the fact that Mystique and Aura, the old strippers, haven't made it across the street yet.

[papsrus]

This new Yankee Stadium looks like a complete joke. Props to the Tribe lineup, but man! I don't know what the record for runs scored in a season in a single stadium is, but whatever it is, it might be broken in this billion-dollar band box.

Wang ... dang! What a mess.

[papsrus]

Don't remember what year it was exactly, but my first big-league game was at the old Metropolitan Stadium in Minneapolis. Me and dad in the second deck along the first base line. I was probably about 8, so it would be around 1965. Twins were playing the Red Sox. Got to see Yaz, Killebrew, Oliva. I remember thinking how big the place was. It actually seated 40,000 in 1965. 46,000 in '75, according to Wiki.

Edited April 18, 2009 by papsrus

[Dan Gould]

14 runs ties the Cleveland mark for runs in an inning, and 14 runs, 13 hits is the all-time mark for hits/runs allowed in an inning by a Yankee team.

I seem to recall a few years ago the Sox scored 14 in one inning at Fenway against the Marlins en route to a 24 run outburst. Then they had a big inning the next game and somehow lost the game, iirc.

See? We need Stark to get the lowdown on this type of insanity.

[Dan Gould]

I'm gettin more info from the Lohud Yankee blog - The Sox did score 14 against the Marlins, it was in 2003 and happened in the first inning - and Carl Pavano was the starter. In fact I think they scored like 9 runs before an out was recorded, or something insane like that.

[Dave James]

The only good thing about this is that Wang isn't going to be part of the rotation for awhile. When you're booking an ERA in the neighborhood of 29 and you give up enough runs to make it to an even three dozen, something is terribly wrong. It's time for the Yank's pitching coach to start earning his money. I'll tell one thing, if The Boss was still coherent enough to realize what was going on, I can't imagine the kind of noise he'd be making. Girardi better turn this around in a hurry or he's going to find himself sitting on a pretty hot seat. Screw it. Bring back Bobby Valentine.

Up over and out.

[Soulstation1]

We are going for 21 runs today

Edited April 18, 2009 by Soulstation1

[Dan Gould]

The only good thing about this is that Wang isn't going to be part of the rotation for awhile. When you're booking an ERA in the neighborhood of 29 and you give up enough runs to make it to an even three dozen, something is terribly wrong. It's time for the Yank's pitching coach to start earning his money. I'll tell one thing, if The Boss was still coherent enough to realize what was going on, I can't imagine the kind of noise he'd be making. Girardi better turn this around in a hurry or he's going to find himself sitting on a pretty hot seat. Screw it. Bring back Bobby Valentine.

Up over and out.

Earlier in the week, Wang threw his bullpen as a live batting practice - apparently the pitching coach's idea. And everyone agreed he looked much better, that his balls stayed down. After the first inning, I wondered if he was going to be the Wang of old again, and then the second inning just went bad in a hurry. I wonder if they will disable him or send him down (wouldn't be surprised if he still has options since he made it to the majors and pretty much stayed). It does look like his confidence is shot so it wouldn't be a bad idea to let Hughes take over.

Would be easier to reach that goal of 21 runs if they didn't load the bases with no outs and not score at all.