OT: Famous Baseball Players You’ve Seen Play In Person

[alexd]

I'm a Red Sox fan , but I have to tell this story. My former brother in law is a huge Yankee fan. He buys a bunch of seats with his buddies every year and then splits them up. He averages 8-10 games a year at the Stadium. Turned out in 1998 and 1999 he was there for both David Cone's and David Wells' perfect games. Out of 162 home games over those two regular seasons....

 

[huskeynut]

Started going to games around 1958 with my father. So here's a partial list from over the years:
Ford
Mantle
Berra
Stottlemeyer
Skowron
Tresh
Richarson
Seaver
Koosman
Strawberry
Gary Carter
Willie Randolph
Mattingly
Jeter
O'Neil
Bernie Williams
Posada
Pettite
Rivera
Mo Vaughn - met him at our school. Nice guy.

 

[Pawsox]

Played 5 years in the Red Sox organization in the mid to late 70s. Made it to Pawtucket before my arm (Lefty pitcher) told me enough. Played with Boggs, Hurst, Stanley, Tudor, Gedman, etc. First catcher I threw to as a pro was Fisk. Good times, but my shoulder still hates me to this day.

 

[thatguyed]

In the stands in Tampa for Wade Boggs' 3000th hit. In Tiger Stadium when Reggie sent one out over the lights.

 

[jibsey]

Anyone out there see Joltin Joe play?

 

[Chuck]

Every Yankee from about 1978 to 2010 and I probably saw most of the American League stars (and many of the Nationals) during that time. I haven't gone much lately. Most memorable games and opponents:

• Game 4 of the 2001 World Series. Strange and sad times in NY/NJ, dramatic 9th inning and finish. Just so emotional
• Doc Gooden No-Hitter in 1996. I went with a few friends after school ended for the year. We sat in the bleachers. We knew there was a weird buzz, but because there were some walks/errors, and you can't see the scoreboard from the bleachers, we had no idea Doc was pitching a no-hitter until like the 6th inning. Then it was awesome.
• 1999 NLDS Mets vs. Diamondbacks. A friend got last minute tix from his boss. I'm a Yankee fan, but it was a great game. We had seats about 20 rows behind the plate and we were sitting with Al Leiter's family. His wife was super nice and his brother Mark was pleasant, but wanted nothing to do with us (good decision by him). Leiter had a no hitter going and my very chatty friend points it out. I told him to shut up and he tells me it's stupid to think his statement can ruin the no hitter. I swear that it was the next pitch that gets ripped for the first hit. Leiter's wife leans over to him and says, "you're really not supposed to talk about it" and I thought Mark was going to kill him. Ended with a walk-off homer for the Mets to go to the NLCS.
• Bo Jackson. I saw him as a teenager when he was at his biggest. We had seats right above the visitor dugout and we were friendly-heckling him (the Yankees were mediocre then) and we were pretty sure he grinned a bit. I'm sure I'm misremembering the exact timing, but first he went over the fence to take away a Yankee homer. Then he comes up the next half-inning and rips a homer. We gave him a polite "golf clap" standing O and he pointed up at us. What a freakin' talent.

 

[BlueDolphin]

Mays was exciting just walking onto the field.

Monte Irvin hit the longest HR I've ever seen in person (Polo Grounds 1949).

Bobby Thomson, Dark, Stanky, Reese, Robinson, Campy, Hodges, Manle, Berra, Maris and most of the other Giants, Dodgers, and Yankees of the Golden Era of NY Sports. At all 3 ball parks.

Saw Kiner & Garagiola hit HRs against the Dodgers in Ebbets Field (1951).

Saw Koosman hit Santo in the 1969 Black Cat game right after Hands hit Agee. That was the moment when we knew the Mets were winning the pennant. Banks & Williams were in that game.

Henry Aaron, Rico Carty et al in the 1969 Playoffs. Nolan Ryan came out of bullpen to fan Carty after he hit a couple of seat breakers and turned the game around to win the pennant.

 

[Palatine]

Eddie Kranepool.

 

[metsfan2323]

I saw Hank Aaron hit two home runs at Shea Stadium in 1973. Second one was in the blue lodge section in left field. Just a flip of the wrist for Aaron.

I saw Carlton best Tom Seaver in a 1 - 0 game that was over in two hours.

I saw Guidry pitch in AA West Haven.

My great grandfather played in a game against Babe Ruth when he was barnstorming one off season in PA.

 

[metsfan2323]

I'm a Red Sox fan , but I have to tell this story. My former brother in law is a huge Yankee fan. He buys a bunch of seats with his buddies every year and then splits them up. He averages 8-10 games a year at the Stadium. Turned out in 1998 and 1999 he was there for both David Cone's and David Wells' perfect games. Out of 162 home games over those two regular seasons....

I'm a Mets fan (obviously) but I've been to Yankee Stadium about 20 times in my life. Crazy thing is in those 20 games I was lucky to attend 3 of the top 25 games in Yankee Stadium history as rated by The Daily News in 2008 when Yankee stadium was closing.

I was at the game the day after Thurman Munson was killed and the crowd gave him a impromptu 20 minute standing ovation before the game started and I was also at Gooden's no hitter and the Aaron Boone game.

 

[Pawsox]

Mays was exciting just walking onto the field.

Monte Irvin hit the longest HR I've ever seen in person (Polo Grounds 1949).

Bobby Thomson, Dark, Stanky, Reese, Robinson, Campy, Hodges, Manle, Berra, Maris and most of the other Giants, Dodgers, and Yankees of the Golden Era of NY Sports. At all 3 ball parks.

Saw Kiner & Garagiola hit HRs against the Dodgers in Ebbets Field (1951).

Saw Koosman hit Santo in the 1969 Black Cat game right after Hands hit Agee. That was the moment when we knew the Mets were winning the pennant. Banks & Williams were in that game.

Henry Aaron, Rico Carty et al in the 1969 Playoffs. Nolan Ryan came out of bullpen to fan Carty after he hit a couple of seat breakers and turned the game around to win the pennant.

Played for Stanky in college. We weren't allowed to speak Rizzuto's name in his presence. Still hated him after all those years.

 

[Waquoit]

Eddie Kranepool.

It said in Bad Stuff About The Mets that Ed Kranepool didn't flush. Kranepool wasn't happy about it.

 

[Doheny]

I saw Satchel Paige pitch for the Miami Marlins against the Rochester Red Wings sometime in the early 50's. I was just a little kid, but I remember being told about his "palm ball" and the "hesitation pitch"

 

[August_West]

Manny Mota
Ed Kranepool
Bernie Carbo

 

[wheelerdog]

Like most folks here, too many to mention. I did see Aaron is his last days with the Brewers.

 

[Zanzman]

Saw Boggs (always hated him still do) 3000 hit a homer for the rays traveld to 3 Nolan Ryan games the last yearhe playe. saw him Brett , yount , cepeda inducted into the hof

 

[FlakeyFoont]

I was at Yankee Stadium, July 18, 1990, and saw Bo Jackson hit three home runs his first three times up. The whole place was electric awaiting his fourth at bat, but he partially dislocated his left shoulder diving for Deion Sanders’ inside-the-park homer in the sixth inning and had to leave the game.

“That’s the best performance I’ve ever seen by an individual in a major league game,” Kansas City Royal Manager John Wathan said at the time.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

1967 All Stars as a start. Too many to mention. The 60's were wonderful.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Played 5 years in the Red Sox organization in the mid to late 70s. Made it to Pawtucket before my arm (Lefty pitcher) told me enough. Played with Boggs, Hurst, Stanley, Tudor, Gedman, etc. First catcher I threw to as a pro was Fisk. Good times, but my shoulder still hates me to this day.

Pretty sick post/handle

 

[storrsroars]

HoFers... Aaron, Ashburn, Bagwell, Banks, Berra (his partial season with Mets), Biggio, Blyleven, Boggs, Brock, Bunning, Carlton, Carter, Cepeda, Clemente, Dawson, Drysdale, Gibson, Glavine, Gossage, Griffey Jr., Guerrero, Gwynn, Henderson, Hoffman, Jackson, Jenkins, Jeter, Jones, Koufax, Larkin, Maddux, Mantle (albeit a Mayor's Trophy game), Marichal, P. Martinez, Mathews, Mays, Mazeroski, McCovey, Morgan, Murray, Mussina, Perez, Perry, Piazza, Raines, Ripken, Rivera, F. Robinson, Ryan, Sandberg, Santo, Schmidt, Seaver, L, Smith, O. Smith, Smoltz, Spahn, Stargell, Sutter, Sutton, Torre, L. Walker, B. Williams, Winfield.

Didn't see a lot of AL guys till interleague started and the one I'm most surprised I never saw was Randy Johnson.

 

[jibsey]

HoFers... Aaron, Ashburn, Bagwell, Banks, Berra (his partial season with Mets), Biggio, Blyleven, Boggs, Brock, Bunning, Carlton, Carter, Cepeda, Clemente, Dawson, Drysdale, Gibson, Glavine, Gossage, Griffey Jr., Guerrero, Gwynn, Henderson, Hoffman, Jackson, Jenkins, Jeter, Jones, Koufax, Larkin, Maddux, Mantle (albeit a Mayor's Trophy game), Marichal, P. Martinez, Mathews, Mays, Mazeroski, McCovey, Morgan, Murray, Mussina, Perez, Perry, Piazza, Raines, Ripken, Rivera, F. Robinson, Ryan, Sandberg, Santo, Schmidt, Seaver, L, Smith, O. Smith, Smoltz, Spahn, Stargell, Sutter, Sutton, Torre, L. Walker, B. Williams, Winfield.

Didn't see a lot of AL guys till interleague started and the one I'm most surprised I never saw was Randy Johnson.

Great list.

 

[John Greene]

Anyone out there see Joltin Joe play?

Yes. In the same outfield as Mantle. 1951. Boy am I old!

 

[uconnfan68]

Famous Old Timers; Mantle, Mays, Koufax, Maris, Pedro among the best I’ve seen. Wish I saw Williams.

My first live game was at Fenway, but I don’t remember the year (59-60?). Red Sox vs. Yankees. Berra was playing right field that day. Mantle in center. Williams played for the home team. We had seats in right field, a few rows past the bullpen. It was a broiling hot day. First time I ever saw my father drink a beer... and he liked it.

 

[TheChamps990411]

I miss baseball so bad, summer sucks without it!

Summer without baseball just feels wrong. I know this seems a bit weird but spring to me is the final four on cbs. Summer to me is also a cookout watching the NBA Finals and of course Fall to me is football on a cool sunny sunday afternoon. These things all take me back to my childhood when life was easy.

 

[bfs3]

In the stands in Tampa for Wade Boggs' 3000th hit. In Tiger Stadium when Reggie sent one out over the lights.

I had tickets for the rained out game right next to where the guy caught Jeters 3000th. I know a different day/game means a completely different hit but...still.