Your first game at Fenway?

[maust]

I would also add Bobby Orr to the all time Boston classiest athlete.

To this day Orr still does the Boys & Girls Club circuit throughout New England and he's probably suffered through more Youth Hockey spaghetti dinner fund raisers than any other man alive. Does it all cheerfully and pretty much at his own expense. Four of our sons played youth hockey and he attended fundraisers for all of them. We ofc offered a car service each time and he wouldn't hear of it. I have never met anyone with more personal grace and genuine humility. The kids hung on his every word and so did their parents. Bobby Orr is the man we wish all pro athletes were.

 

[RobertWeathers]

August, 1978. I just turned 7. Don't remember much. They played the Brewers. It was a day game. No idea if we won or lost. My dad and I sat on the 1st base side. Dugout was to our left. 1b (George Scott?) was right in front of us. I remember the smell of cigarettes.

 

[john4psu]

June 28, 1985 Boston 6 Baltimore 1. My first trip to Boston to meet my wife's extended family in Walpole and Peabody. Her uncles took me to my first game at Fenway. I had been wanting to get there for a long time. She had spent summers with them growing up and never went to a game. I went on and on about how you could go to Boston and not get to Fenway? Like going to Paris and not seeing the Eifel Tower.

 

[1960Pats]

To this day Orr still does the Boys & Girls Club circuit throughout New England and he's probably suffered through more Youth Hockey spaghetti dinner fund raisers than any other man alive. Does it all cheerfully and pretty much at his own expense. Four of our sons played youth hockey and he attended fundraisers for all of them. We ofc offered a car service each time and he wouldn't hear of it. I have never met anyone with more personal grace and genuine humility. The kids hung on his every word and so did their parents. Bobby Orr is the man we wish all pro athletes were.

I was in a group that went to Montreal a couple of times to see the Bruins in 69 and 70. Bobby was in a class by himself but there were a couple of others who were also great guys. We stayed at the same hotel and they spent plenty of time in the lobby talking to fans.

Edit: As for baseball, the earliest game I remember was around 1960. I remember seeing Jackie Jensen in right field but not much else. When MLB went on strike in 99 I went with them. When they came back I didn't.

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

Not sure if this was my first game but the earliest I can remember. Ted Williams last game. I was 7. Don't remember much about it.
Most memorable first game for me was Game 7 of the 1967 World Series.
Bob Gibson. Lonborg was brilliant as usual but Gibson was a brother from another planet.

Gibson was 7-2 in the World Series with 9 complete games...

 

[jimnance]

Gibson was 7-2 in the World Series with 9 complete games...

Yeah he was a beast. Koufax was better but Gibson was easily the 2nd best of that era, which is saying something. There were a lot of great pitchers in the 60's. Also a lot of great hitters. There were probably more alltime great players from the 1960's than any other decade, before or since. Baseball was still the #1 sport in the U.S. in the 60's and the best athletes were going to MLB not the NFL or NBA.
Complete games were pretty much expected from all aces every time out.
But the most amazing complete game in the postseason was not done by a pitcher in the 60's but came much later:
Jack Morris. 10 inning shutout in 1991 WS. vs. Braves. In-f'n-credible

 

[ErniesPinkStripes]

I was like 5 and entered a contest at McDonald's to win this cool bike. Ended up winning box seats at fenway. My dad took me but they made him put on chef pants because jeans weren't allowed in the box ha

That's all I remember

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

Yeah he was a beast. Koufax was better but Gibson was easily the 2nd best of that era, which is saying something. There were a lot of great pitchers in the 60's. Also a lot of great hitters. There were probably more alltime great players from the 1960's than any other decade, before or since. Baseball was still the #1 sport in the U.S. in the 60's and the best athletes were going to MLB not the NFL or NBA.
Complete games were pretty much expected from all aces every time out.
But the most amazing complete game in the postseason was not done by a pitcher in the 60's but came much later:
Jack Morris. 10 inning shutout in 1991 WS. vs. Braves. In-f'n-credible

Koufax never got run support or defensive support. He was 4-3 in World series with a 0.95 ERA in 57 innings. How does that happen? By giving up 1 Earned run in each of his three losses, (one a 1-0 loss, one a 5-1 loss where he gave up 1 run in 6 innings and one a 4-1 loss where his outfielder ( Willie Davis) made three errors in one inning and the Dodgers as a team made 6 in the game.) Look at box score for 66 world series. Dodgers scored 2 runs in 4 games and didn't score after third inning of game one. It's a testament to Koufax and Drysdale, they got that far.

 

[WhatJustHappened]

I was probably there(I was in LL-We had a trip) in 74/75...right field, I almost caught a Yaz HR.. I was in RF, I remember running towards the wall, and the ball hit the corner of a step and bounced into the bullpen.
I was actually on TV(I was a FAILED STAR ) , there was no one near the wall, I was in the row ABOVE the RF WALL , I remember calling that he was gonna hit 1, and I was going to catch it ...
I was close, almost got my dream.

 

[NCPATSFAN1971]

It was a weekday game in the summer of 1961 and I got to see Carl Yastrzemski play during his Rookie Season. I was only 15 at the time and my boss took me and a couple of other kids to the game. I remember we could sit at almost any seats we wanted to because there were so few people at the game.

Man! That was a long time ago. LOL

 

[patfanken]

Don't remember the exact date or game, but it was in the late 50's and I was about 10 or 11. We had just moved from the projects in Dorchester to a 2bedroom apartment in Brookline.

I went with a about 3 or 4 friends. And IIRC, we were all armed with about a buck and quarter. Some of the richer kids might have had a buck and half. It was seventy-five cents for an unreserved seat in the left field grandstand. A quarter for a few rolls of lifesavers and 20 cents round trip on the Beacon Street line to Kenmore Square.

No parents or teenagers, just a crew of 4 preteens out on an adventure to the ball park to root on Ted Williams, Jackie Jensen, Frank Malzone, Sammy White, etc. with an admonishment to have fun and not get dirty. Different times I guess.

You know I was thinking about lasting memories of those times. I probably went to 4 or 5 games each summer. I have plenty from my college days when we used to brawl with the Yankee fans in the bleachers. But I do have one.

There was a really big and strong right handed hitter named Ted Klezuski (phonetic spelling) who had huge arms that he used to show off with shorter sleeves. The very old will remember him. He was a powerful guy and I remember to this day a homer he hit. It was a rocket into the left field screen when it truly was a screen. The ball was hit so hard and went out so fast it reminded me of a slap-shot hockey goal. BAM!!! and all you saw was the net move

At any rate in the late 50's the Yankees ruled the roost, and the Sox were also rans whose one redeeming starter was Ted Williams who IIRC hit something like .360 when he was 38. Sellouts were something that happened only on opening day or occasionally when the Yankees were in town. You could get your unreserved grandstand seat and by the 7th inning move down to the box seats and watch the rest of the game if you didn't draw too much attention to yourself.

Williams was also a guy who could claim to being one of the best in the world at THREE different disciplines. He was the best batter of baseballs. He was one of best combat pilots in the world in TWO different wars. And he was one the best fly fishermen in the world, at least according to some guys who claim to know about that stuff at the time. I don't fish.

... and this will teach you to ask an old guy about the past on a day he's feeling kind of nostalgic.

 

[jmt57]

I can recall annual trips with Little League and always being disappointed that Jim Lonborg would not be pitching that game, and instead it would be Darrell Brandon taking the mound. Bucky lost 19 games with the Sox and it feels like I must have been to at least three or four of them.

Darrell Brandon Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com

Check out the latest Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More of Darrell Brandon. Get info about his position, age, height, weight, draft status, bats, throws, school and more on Baseball-reference.com

www.baseball-reference.com

First game that I can remember it was 'Bat Day', where all kids entering Fenway received a full sized baseball bat. It was with a large group of kids, must have been either Little league or Cub Scouts. Tony C hit one over the wall and every one of us was raising our bat into the air, as high as we could hold it. (It may have been an "autographed" Conigliaro bat.) The adults a row or two away from us looked terrified, sure that they were going to get konked in the head by a wayward bat that slipped out of one or multiple nine-year old kid's hands.

I have been told that the first game I actually attended - which I don't remember - was against the Orioles. Boog Powell was playing LF and broke his wrist crashing into the wall. According to the internet that happened on August 20, 1964 on a flyball hit by pitcher dave Morehead. The following year Baltimore moved Boog to first base.


The biggest thing I remember is how vividly green the field was. That was in the days of lo-def, 12" B&W television screens - the in-person experience was something totally foreign to tv or a transistor radio.


A couple other games stand out in my memory:
- 1975, late summer, Luis Tiant pitched a great game vs Oakland; Sox won.
It was the first game at Fenway for my young sister, her reaction first seeing the field was priceless.

- May 30, 1997: Mo Vaughn hits three home runs, Sox crush Yankees 10-4.
The same sister, now grown up, bought tickets for my brother and I as a gift prior to her wedding.
Sox were up 9-0 before NYY scored a few runs late. Some Yankee bozo a row away was chirping nonstop.
Finally I stood up and shouted 'look at the scoreboard, you pathetic moron! You can't possibly be that stupid, can you?', or words to that effect. The entire section applauded and screamed insults at him for the rest of the game, until he finally slithered away in shame.

 

[bresna]

My father took me and my two older brothers to one Red Sox, Bruins, Celtics & Patriots game every year from when I was a wee tyke, so I don't know what would have been my first. My first memory is 1967, because they went to the World Series and I knew every player, with Petrocelli being my favorite. I still have his baseball cards from 1968 until 1975 stashed away somewhere.

I do remember the popcorn funnel that became a megaphone when you finished. I also remember the ice cream bars that melted all over your hands as you rushed to eat them. The only other weird memory I have is that we once sat in the last row of the bleachers in right field and this was before they erected they wall behind the seats so you could look over the wall to the street below. I think I even sat on the ledge for a bit.

 

[patman52]

Never forget mine. July 15, 1971... Jim Perry for the Twins against El Tiante.

My dad took me... I was 10... we sat in the centerfield bleachers... I'd never seen grass so green.

0-0 until the bottom of the 13th, when with two on, Rico Petrocelli hit one over the Green Monster.

Minnesota Twins vs Boston Red Sox Box Score: July 15, 1971 | Baseball-Reference.com

Boston Red Sox beat Minnesota Twins (3-0). Jul 15, 1971, Attendance: 27673, Time of Game: 3:39. Visit Baseball-Reference.com for the complete box score, play-by-play, and win probability

www.baseball-reference.com

mine was 66 and the senators, frank howard hit a ball so hard of the wall Ed Brosoud at ss got the carom in short left field.

 

[patfanken]

mine was 66 and the senators, frank howard hit a ball so hard of the wall Ed Brosoud at ss got the carom in short left field.

You know when I was remembering that Ted Kleuzuski homer, I also recalled another guy who was just as big and hit the ball just as hard. I remembered he played for the Senators, but I JUST couldn't remember his name.

Frank Howard. Thank you

 

[NCPATSFAN1971]

I can recall annual trips with Little League and always being disappointed that Jim Lonborg would not be pitching that game, and instead it would be Darrell Brandon taking the mound. Bucky lost 19 games with the Sox and it feels like I must have been to at least three or four of them.

Darrell Brandon Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com

Check out the latest Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More of Darrell Brandon. Get info about his position, age, height, weight, draft status, bats, throws, school and more on Baseball-reference.com

www.baseball-reference.com

First game that I can remember it was 'Bat Day', where all kids entering Fenway received a full sized baseball bat. It was with a large group of kids, must have been either Little league or Cub Scouts. Tony C hit one over the wall and every one of us was raising our bat into the air, as high as we could hold it. (It may have been an "autographed" Conigliaro bat.) The adults a row or two away from us looked terrified, sure that they were going to get konked in the head by a wayward bat that slipped out of one or multiple nine-year old kid's hands.

I have been told that the first game I actually attended - which I don't remember - was against the Orioles. Boog Powell was playing LF and broke his wrist crashing into the wall. According to the internet that happened on August 20, 1964 on a flyball hit by pitcher dave Morehead. The following year Baltimore moved Boog to first base.


The biggest thing I remember is how vividly green the field was. That was in the days of lo-def, 12" B&W television screens - the in-person experience was something totally foreign to tv or a transistor radio.


A couple other games stand out in my memory:
- 1975, late summer, Luis Tiant pitched a great game vs Oakland; Sox won.
It was the first game at Fenway for my young sister, her reaction first seeing the field was priceless.

- May 30, 1997: Mo Vaughn hits three home runs, Sox crush Yankees 10-4.
The same sister, now grown up, bought tickets for my brother and I as a gift prior to her wedding.
Sox were up 9-0 before NYY scored a few runs late. Some Yankee bozo a row away was chirping nonstop.
Finally I stood up and shouted 'look at the scoreboard, you pathetic moron! You can't possibly be that stupid, can you?', or words to that effect. The entire section applauded and screamed insults at him for the rest of the game, until he finally slithered away in shame.

You mentioned Jim Longborg and I remember the "Impossible Dream" Season of 1967 when he pitched the last must win game of the season that the Sox won. I think we still needed Detroit to lose later that night in order to get to the WS and they did. What a season that was! From that point forward, I became hopelessly addicted to the RS for many years after. I think I can still remember the starting line up from 1967. . .

 

[CantonJester]

My first game(s) at Fenway was a doubleheader. Pretty sure the previous night was rained out, but we were scheduled to go to the Wednesday game. My dad bought tickets to the early game (or they let us in just for showing up?, who knows...I mean, I was six years old).

It was May 25, 1977. The Twins swept the Red Sox. My favorite player in MLB was Rod Carew (that was the year he chased .400), and I think he had 13 hits in 12 ABs. No, but he did go 7-12 (with one double and a lot of singles).

By then I had seen probably 15 or so games in Bristol watching the AA Sox in the Eastern League. I saw maybe 5-10 games in New Britain after they moved (again, I was young - but we lived in Glastonbury, CT - so it was just a drive to the game, and a snooze on the ride home).

 

[captain stone]

A little OT but Lonborg truly was Gentleman Jim. He was in the class ahead of me at Tufts Dental and he was a class act the whole time. In addition to being 15 years older than most with his pro sports pedigree, he was friendly to all. The night they had the1967 reunion at Fenway in 1983 (Tony C. night) was the same night as a formal event for his Dental school class so they flew him in a helicopter in a tuxedo and that's how he arrived for the reunion.

Lonborg was maybe the classiest Boston athlete I can remember. As well as being a great pitcher.

Damn shame he broke his leg skiing after the '67 season, Christmas Eve too IIRC

My first game? I know for sure I went with my dad & brother to one in '67, weekday night game, definitely after the All-Star break when things started getting really interesting, vs the Athletics maybe, Jerry Adair hits a HR I think... My brother says we might've gone to a game the previous season but I really don't remember; I know he went to one in '66 with a couple of classmates & his 2nd-grade teacher because I had the same teacher the following school year of '66-'67...

 

[TomPatriot]

The day after Tony C was beaned. Saturday day game v. Angels and the Sox won a great pitchers’ duel, 12-11.

 

[jimnance]

Damn shame he broke his leg skiing after the '67 season, Christmas Eve too IIRC

My first game? I know for sure I went with my dad & brother to one in '67, weekday night game, definitely after the All-Star break when things started getting really interesting, vs the Athletics maybe, Jerry Adair hits a HR I think... My brother says we might've gone to a game the previous season but I really don't remember; I know he went to one in '66 with a couple of classmates & his 2nd-grade teacher because I had the same teacher the following school year of '66-'67...

'67 was just a magical season. No more doormats.
The last day of the regular season incredible.
I was at Fenway for Game 7 with my Dad and my brother. Sox hung tough but Gibson was unbeatable. But '67 made us unwilling to accept losing anymore.
Biggest year in the history of the team for that reason. Ok, 2nd biggest. 2004 is #1