MLB Opening Day
 

Happy opening day to all who care! Two questions for baseball fans.

1) Since Louisiana doesn't have a major team (leaving me no local teams to grow up with), who do you root for?

2) What was the first major league baseball game you went to?

Mine is the Mets. I lived in South America for a few years as a teenager and we happen to pick up the television broadcasts of the Mets on the tube. It was the first team I ever got to watch play games day to day, so they stuck.

My first Major League game was the Padres hosting the Cardinals in 1983.

living in seattle I root for the Mariners, they are like the old Saints of MLB anyway. Im an underdog fan so I gotsta. My first bball game was when Arod came back to seattle for the first time after leaving the mariners for the rangers. I fell in love with all the booooing and fake million dollar bills being throw, it rained fake money every time he got up to bat. Then he took one DEEP and it shut the whole stadium up...LOL

Ha Ha! Nice first game to see! Good memory. My brother lives in Renton and I've been to a few games in both the old King Dome and at Safeco field. I was really impressed with Safeco. Very nice. It seemed like every place in that stadium had a good view of the field. I was in line for the restroom and I swear I could turn around and see the game.

My first major league game was a Boston Red Sox at Texas Rangers at the old Arlington Stadium back about 89-90. I don’t even remember who won the game. Obviosly it wasn't a real impressive game. However, my second major league game was Cubs game up in Chicago. I think they were playing San Diego, but I’m not sure. It was the year that Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa were having the homerun race. A couple of co-workers and I were in Chicago for some classes for my job, and some of the reps took us to the game. It was the first and only time I’ve been to Wrigley Field. I was enjoying the game, kinda soaking in the day and the atmosphere at the ballpark. The park was full. I spent about half the time walking around watching the game from different parts of the park. Sammy Sosa had struck out his first two times at bat. At the seventh inning stretch everybody I was with decided to ”beat the crowd” and head over to a bar across the street from the ballpark. I didn’t want to go, I wanted to stay and watch the game. But since they had the car, I gave in and left with the rest of them. And I can remember the sound to this day, we had just walked through the gates out of the ballpark and we could hear the announcer call Sammy Sosa at bat. I think he took one pitch and let it fly out of the park…and I missed it. The crowd was going crazy. I was pissed. I got to see a rerun of it on the TV in the bar. As Archie Bunker used to say: “Woop-te-doo”. The biggest sporting news in the country at the time, and I had an opportunity to witness a small part of it, and I missed it to go to a bar. Yep, I was pissed. Have not had an opportunity to go to a major league game since. I do look forward to going to another game though. I want to take my daughter to one. She will really enjoy it.

Another great (but painful) story. I remember the year of that chase well. I've never made it to Wrigly, but it is high on my list. One of my "bucket list" things (still way too young, I hope, to worry about it now) is to see a game at all the major league parks. I was about half way there until a few teams built new stadiums! Now I'm only at about 12. My daughter made it to her first at 17 months when we went to see the Nationals in Washington.

Coolest baseball story I have, in 2002 the brothers and I took a trip around the eastern part of the USA. Got to see Astros/Cubs at Wrigley Field and was at Fenway Park a week or so after Ted Williams died and they had his number cut in the grass, to bad the Pirates suck cause they have a nice stadium

No MLB teams in NOLA or SoDak. Plus I don't really watch baseball. All I know is, the Yankees suck.

Baseball was actually my first love. Growing up in North Louisiana, the closest thing we had was the Texas Rangers, but I wasn't a fan of theirs. Not surprising since I hate all Texas based teams. If I were to root for one, though, it would be the Rangers. The team that I grew up and fell in love with was the Chicago Cubs. Then I became a Saints fan. I must be a friggen' glutton for punishment. I had aspirations of replacing Ryne Sandberg at 2nd base after he retired. That's what I played in high school and he is who I molded my batting stance and fielding from. I am still a Cubs fan to this day. I'm 35 years old, so I guess you could say I've bled Cubbie blue since birth.

Unfortunately, I've never been to a professional baseball game.

Baseball was also my first love and still is my favorite sport. I've always been a huge Braves and Rangers fan since they were regularly televised in our region... and the Cubbies to a certain extent. On that same note, I don't limit myself to watching any one team in particular these days... I just enjoy watching good baseball game. I also have never been to a game... but I hope to change that pretty soon. Will probably catch a Astro game this year... just because of proximity.

:-D

I love baseball as much as football, but in totally different ways. Football is about high energy weekends and giving it all you have while rooting for your team. Baseball is about relaxing, sipping a beer on sunny afternoons and childhood memories.

Geaux Rangers!

Astros/Braves was my first game. I grew up a fan of both teams, and when they were in the same division I used to drive over to Houston and catch a game or two every season. Ah, the Astrodome. LOL

My biggest memory was Maddox versus Bagwell in a game the Braves had all but won. Bottom of the Seventh, and Greg has a freakin no-hitter going. Up strolls Jeff and I was screaming WALK HIM! WALK HIM!

It wasn't a PERFECT game at that point, just a no-no, and Maddox had already made Jeff look bad twice. I knew it, and I'm pretty sure Jeff knew it, but Maddox never gave in to anybody as we know.

I don't remember the count, but I remember the sound. WHACK! The dame thing barely made it into the flower bed over the left field wall, but it grazed the top of the Astrodome the whole way.

Anyway. Braves win...a ONE HITTER! I still have my score card from that game. :-)

I love football and baseball, and played both. Growing up in the Houston tv viewing area, (but in the sticks) it was Astros all the way, even though, like the Saints and Oilers, they sucked too.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...stros_logo.gif

I wasnt just a casual fan. When I was a kid, if the game wasnt on tv, I would listen to the entire game on radio, pitch by pitch. I was glued.
Now you tell me, what kid today has the attention span to listen to baseball on radio?

But I remember being excited about the game just coming on the radio. And whenever we would just drive by the Astrodome, I was ready to jump out of my skin with excitement. I was stoked just going to the stupid Rodeo-- because it was in the Astrodome. (although seeing Sonny & Cher was a life experience.)

So you can imagine how pumped I was as a kid to actually get to go IN the Dome and see a game. It was all I could do to not explode when we walked into the concourse, and I could see the turf. Every player was a
movie star to me. We had Bob Watson, Cesar Cedeno, and my favorite, Jose Cruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuz. Going to an all-white school , I looked up to Cruz, who showed me it was ok to be Spanish. (not that I care what color anybody is, but just think like a kid for a moment -- no kid wants to
be different, not in the 70s. Every boy needs a man he can look at and say, "Oh, I'm like him. Ok.")

Knuckleballer Joe Niekro pitched for us. (His brother Phil was a Brave.)Our opponent was the San Francisco Giants, with Willie McCovey-- wow!
Every pitch, every inning. I didnt go to the can. I didnt want to eat. Between innings, I watched the players throw warmups. If there was absolutely nothing happening on the field, I marveled at the spiderwork ceiling of the Astrodome, and the giant flags, and the giant scoreboard-- all colored bulbs, and this one weird part of the Dome that looked like the bridge of a ship. I wondered what went on in there. To this day, the Astrodome is the most interesting building on earth. (Reliant Stadium sucks large green donkey.... I hate- hate - hate it. )

We sat in the mezzanine, (orange section) home plate. Best seats you can get, though I've sat everywhere and love every seat there thats not under an overhang.

So the game was tight, but the Astros led till the 9th, when the Giants scored two, then we didnt score, and --- the game went extra innings!!!!!! I was the happiest person in the building. A scoreless 10th, scoreless top-of-the 11th, and then guess who came to the plate. Jose Cruz. It was like a dream when he launched a bomb to left-center. (this is the old Astrodome dimensions -- even fewer homers than the updated walls of the 80s-- and it was still a pitchers park afterward!) It was gone! Astros win. Cruz is the hero. I have the program.

So that was then. Minute-Maid is just ok. Lots of bells, whistles, yuppie stuff, and stuff to distract kids, so maybe they'll sit still. Mostly, like Reliant, its named after a corporation, and the fans look like "clients" to me. I dont recognize these brick-colored uniforms, supposed to look like an east coast team in the '30s. That was never us. Sometimes they even wear pinstripes. And I dont know when black became an Astro color. Its supposed to be orange and blue. And later the rainbow rocket blast, with the space-odyssey 2001 lettering.

Worst of all, the Astros, who had Nolan Ryan, Mike Scott, Neikro, J.R. Richard, Larry Dierker, Don Wilson, Joaquin Andujar, and Ken Forsch, no longer have pitching- and havent since they moved to MM.

The Astros are terrible and hopeless again this year. And there wasnt a damn thing wrong with the Astrodome or the Rainbow Jerseys.

But I cant wait to go to the ballpark.

Nice thought!

What about the Red Sox start to the year? That's a bit of a suprise, no?

Its awesome, just like when the Yankees lose. A Yankee loss is a win for baseball, because they're always trying to buy a championship. Baseball shouldnt be a game of monopoly-- it should be baseball.

Glad to see the Royals winning. Hate to admit it, but I'm also happy to see the Reds winning. There's something I like about the whole Cincinnati
Sports tradition. Small town like us. (talking N.O.) tight.

Here's something interesting. Both the Red's world series runs in recent history came courtesy of the Astros. In the 70's it was because we gave them Joe Morgan and Dennis Menke--- thats when the Big Red Machine took off. Then in the 90s, we let em get away with Billy Hatcher and Bill Doran. Another W.S.

Man I remember Curuuuuuuuuuz. 'Member Rafael Rameriez - Braves SS from back in the 80's? Do you remember the Braves knocking a damn good Astros team out with a totally lucky stab by Jeff Blauser at SS for Atlanta?

Man I was a baseball junkie back then...and hey Mike, when I was a kid I was also completely in awe of the Astrodome. One of my earliest memories...even in my life...was seeing ELVIS in the Astrodome. I was 4. I remember being there and seeing all the glitter on the stage from damn near the top of that thing!

Oh and I totally forgot Joe Morgan was in the Astros organization. Somewhere along the way I attached myself to J.R Richard. I guess I must have seen him dominate against the Braves on TBS or something, but I'll always remember him.

As for the new Stadiums, I agree with your sentiment, but if you haven't done so you should check out the ballpark in Arlington. That truly is a great place to see a game.

I do remember Rafael Ramirez well. He ended up playing for the 'Stros, and platooned with Craig Reynolds, whom, my aunt used to babysit. RR was a badly needed stick, as our roster was filled with great pitching & defense, but our best hitters hit about .230. Also, he looked crosseyed, and I think he used the Force, when he threw to first.

What I remember about J.R. Richard was vs. the Reds, who we hated. I mean, we didnt just want to beat them, we wanted to beat them. We dont think Pete Rose "hustled." We think he played dirty. All of em wanted to talk sh**. Ray Knight started a bench clearer once, just running his mouth. freakin Reds. Even Nolan Ryan got into the hostility, when one of their pitchers took to doing this "in your face," humping pose, after a strikeout. Ryan started mocking the guy after he struck out Reds. It was beautiful. Anyway, J.R. could get the bases loaded, then strike out the side, and leave em stranded. Just burn their a$$es.

Im glad to hear someone else was fascinated by the Astrodome. Everything about it was interesting: the worlds biggest air conditioner. the giant flags. remember the huge gulf sign? just sitting in the yellow section was like looking off the cliff of a mountain. the colors everywhere, the "exploding" lighted scoreboard... the super-bright turf. what the hell were those swamp trees at the bottom of the dome for?
and did you ever just look up at the catwalks on the roof and wonder who has the guts to walk those?

... and you saw Elvis. I remember when that happened. This girl on my school bus came back with pictures. It was a whole day's worth stories.

--------Well, the Astros got the 2nd lowest attendance in Minute Maid history last night. Good seats are available. I know they suck, but it
is the Cubs --- whom we're supposed to be nasty to. Just another reminder what a pathetic sports town Houston has become.

HEY SF, come watch an Astros game with us.