Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Retro Wednesday.........




The first time I ever attended a Major League baseball game was in 1957.
The Detroit Tigers VS. The Baltimore Orioles, at Briggs Stadium, aka. Tiger Stadium!
Throughout the years I've attended dozens of games at that hallowed park on the corner of Michigan and Trumbull.
Anyway it's now Comerica Park, but thats another story.....
If you've ever attended a game, it's a thrill if you ever get close enough to catch a baseball hit into the stands, whether it's fair OR foul.
In 1984, the last year that the Tigers won a World Series, I attended a regular season game in April. I had seats right behind the rightfield foul pole, and all ground foul balls hit down the first base line, travelled along the wall, right past me and my crazy buddy Tim Haley. The second or third time this happened he said to me..."Grab my belt in the back and do NOT let go"!
Boom...He dove over the rail head first, and grabbed a loose foul ball! I hauled his ass back into the stands, and we had our First Souvenier!
We repeated this scene three times during the game, until an usher came down and told us to quit. So I had this ball from that year, and the night they won the Pennant, I took a Sharpie and wrote the date on that foul ball to commemorate the event!
Good Times...
Peace...!!!

18 comments:

Serena said...

Sounds like you had a great time at that ballgame. And you got the ball! Someday, eBay is gonna love you.:)

Fireblossom said...

Another championship this year would be nice!

big Jenn said...

That is a great story! jeNN

Cindy said...

Great Story! You're funny. You have neat stuff.

Monkey Man said...

Wow! An official G-man autographed major league baseball.

Of course, I'm just jealous because all we have out here is AAA baseball unless you drive to Seattle to see whatever team is playing them.

Great reminisce.

Anonymous said...

WOW that is so cool. Loved the story. I would have dollar signs in my eyes if I were you :)

forever lost said...

oh yea life is good! ~ And my son (27) has been going to Braves Games since he was 6 and still goes with a glove in tote just incase!!

Love Baseball, but mostly because of the time shared with my son and buds there! and all the silly games that go on during the game to keep folks awake lol
I got my RETRO UP too!

Shadow said...

men and their balls heee heeee heeeee

the walking man said...

I remember clearly the night they won the World Series. I went down to see the crowd...'nuff said about that.

buffalodick said...

Been there, and the old stadium was filled with memories.. 1984 Dad, who sold for George Sharpe Buick then- called me up at 1pm and offered Sharpe's 4 box seat tickets- for a twi-night double header! Picked out by Al Kaline(he did commercials for Sharpe!)Made phones calls- and we were there! Two come from behind wins against the Twins! What a year!

Dulçe ♥ said...

Oooh- naughty boy... Catching balls which were not yours... But now you keep a great souvenier for life! Well done!

Jessie said...

Yes I remember the first and might I add the LAST baseball game. It was a Cincinnati Reds game, 1977. I agree with Shadow ... men and their balls ... because besides tipping their hat, kicking the dirt, spitting out tobacco (which is disgusting), the only thing left ... is scratching their balls!!! lol

I'm glad you enjoyed it though -- good times, good times ...

smiles,

P.S. thank you for the wonderful and warm compliment on Fridays post.

lime said...

one of the things i love is seeing the kids go in with their gloves in hopes of catching a ball. cool souvenir. :)

Susan at Stony River said...

I so LOVE the story of how you got the ball! And whooooaaa.... my first major league baseball game was at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, so I was also watching the Orioles, and it would have been (let me think, or add some numbers...) 1972.

Where did the time go??

Lou said...

I'm going to Tex-ass, so no 55 this week;(

Akelamalu said...

Fab story G-man. You would have liked Cyril and Tommy's stories. :)

secret agent woman said...

I ahve a sister who is a baseball nut, but I don't really get it. Such a slo-o-o-ow game!

Lynn said...

I can just see you hauling your friend back up with him gleefully holding the ball up. :)