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

[HCCForever]

Great thread. I have seen many famous players on the field.
My greatest game memories were Righetti's no hitter. I am a Sox fan but still I feel fortunate to be at the game. It was a very hot afternoon game and cap day as well.
I was also at Yaz day as well as the last game Yaz played. Yaz was my childhood hero along with Johnny Unitas. My brother and I drove down to Memorial Stadium in Baltimore to see Yaz play his last year. He got on base either a walk or hit and was then promptly picked off. I thought that was pretty cold by the O's pitcher.
I was also at Tony C night. What Tony C. could have been?
I was also at the ALCS 1999 Pedre vs Clemens. What a performance by Pedro. The fans were rabid that day and wanted Clemen's blood.

 

[HCCForever]

I sat behind Ted Williams during a spring training game.

This reminds me of the question that Stuttering John of the Howard Stern TV show asked Ted Williams if he ever passed gas while batting.

 

[Improviser]

In September 1958, I went to a doubleheader at the Polo Grounds. What a couple of games and what surprises. I actually saw Willie Mays drop a fly ball! But he did not disappoint because he hit plenty of homers and stole lots of bases. Roberto Clemente was a rookie that year and he made lots of errors and struck out a lot. Who would have guessed he was a future all star from his terrible performance that day. This was the year before the move to Frisco and before Marichal and the Alou Brothers, and Cepeda. Bill Rigney was the manager. I looked up a year ago which players were still alive. I recall Jackie Brandt was still living then.

 

[Zanzman]

In September 1958, I went to a doubleheader at the Polo Grounds. What a couple of games and what surprises. I actually saw Willie Mays drop a fly ball! But he did not disappoint because he hit plenty of homers and stole lots of bases. Roberto Clemente was a rookie that year and he made lots of errors and struck out a lot. Who would have guessed he was a future all star from his terrible performance that day. This was the year before the move to Frisco and before Marichal and the Alou Brothers, and Cepeda. Bill Rigney was the manager. I looked up a year ago which players were still alive. I recall Jackie Brandt was still living then.

Actually close but giants played in San Fran in 58 so u maybe thinking 57 but Clementes rookie year was 55

 

[Sachem]

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.

Absolutely, NBA/NHL playoffs every other night, highland park burgers and Muckies hot dogs on the grill while watching my yanks dump on the Sox!! hopefully the MLBPA will figure this nonsense money issue out. We shall see..

 

[Improviser]

Actually close but giants played in San Fran in 58 so u maybe thinking 57 but Clementes rookie year was 55

Thank you for the correction. I should have researched it better. But, Clemente really did play a bad game that day. The Giants had a player, Hank Sauer who for that year was a power hitter and he whacked a few into the stands that day.

 

[Sachem]

My mom taught AJ Pollock at RAHM. I checked out a game.

Pollack was the best thing to happen to Steiner, I was so psyched for him. Who’s your mom(does this thing have a DM?) and it’s RHAM

 

[jibsey]

I saw Willie throw a clothesline from center to home at Shea. Ball seemed about 4 feet off the ground the whole way. Koufax pitching against the Mets was a special experience, they couldn’t hit him, nobody could.

 

[uconnfan68]

Anyone out there see Joltin Joe play?

Missed him, saw Willie, Ted, Yogi, and Mickie.

 

[Spaceman213J]

I saw all of the Red Sox players from the mid 80's through around 2000. Got to see Reggie Jackson, Cal Ripken Jr. and a few others play at Fenway. Also, saw the 84 Olympic team.
Since moving to VA, I've had the opportunity to see Mookie, Bogaerts, Ellsbury, Devers and a few other young Red Sox play for Salem.
Bogaerts absolutely crushed a homer in a game against the Nationals high A team, Potomac.

Also, got to see Jayson Werth on multiple rehab stints, and the great Kolbrin Vitek.

 

[2PointGuards]

I have attended 12 fantasy baseball camps over the years and batted against Catfish Hunter, Luis Tiant, Ron Guidry, Goose Gossage, Ron Davis, Dennis Rasmussen. Played in the field with Moose Skowron, Bucky Dent, Jake Gibbs, Mickey Rivers, Tom Tresh, Don Mattingly, Tino Martinez, Mike Pagliarullo, and Jim Leyritz. All are good and fun guys to hang out with.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

Anyone out there see Joltin Joe play?

One of my first Yankee Game as a 7 year old
Was an Old Timers game at Yankee Stadium
So I saw
Ty Cobb
Home Run Baker plus many more I don’t remember.
Few alive could claim that
I remember once standing next to the Indian dugout as The Great Bob Feller warmed up
with the print photographer flashing his picture I was in total awe . Those guys were bigger than rock stars.
I saw Joe D but only at the end of his career My late older brother and uncle who took us to the games were Joe D fans.
I saw the 1950’s and 1960 eraYankees many time. Plus all their league opponents I even saw Ted Williams hit a home run.
As a kid I remember by brother telling me Bucky Harris was fired and the Yankees hired this guy named Casey Stengel. I had no clue what he was talking about.
Than as a kid winning the series in 1949,50,51,52,53 for some reason
losing the Pennant to Cleveland wasn’t so bad. Probably because I didn’t know any Indian fans but losing the 1955 World Series to the Dodgers was heartbreaking
I still hate the Dodgers. In my area of the state there were mostly Yankee ,Dodger ,and Giant Fans. The few Red Sox fans were mostly allies as are arguments always got around to National vs American League
Williams vs Musial etc. I mainly viewed the National League as a foreign enemy
. We sat in right field and the kids would beg guys like Kaline and Maris to throw us a ball during BP.
We were afraid of Hank Bauer ,Williams played left so we didn’t interact with him but he was a guy you we’re afraid to approach he was bigger than life.
Plus I saw a few Giant Games one of my uncles friends was a fan , with Mays and that crew. I remember wanting to see this hot rookie named Cepada who was tearing up the league . I remember seeing them playing the Phillies with Richie Ashburn.
i saw the infamous Met team of 1962 at the Polo Grounes on Willie Mays night. and remember seeing the Big Red Machine play the Mets at Shea.
The odd part is although I loved baseball and was a decent player I could care less if they ever play another game. I haven’t been a fan since 1995.

 

[ThetaZoo]

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

I was 6 or 7 and the year was probably '56 or '57 when I went to my first game at Yankee Stadium. Mickey Mantle hits a ground rule double to center or left center which was a prodigious shot in the old stadium. Everyone jumps up out of their seats except me because I don't react that way in big moments. The lady sitting next to me says, 'do you know who that is?' as she grabs the back of my shirt and pulls me up. Of course I knew who that was. He was my very first sports hero and if she knew how I revered Mantle she wouldn't have asked the question.

 

[jibsey]

I was 6 or 7 and the year was probably '56 or '57 when I went to my first game at Yankee Stadium. Mickey Mantle hits a ground rule double to center or left center which was a prodigious shot in the old stadium. Everyone jumps up out of their seats except me because I don't react that way in big moments. The lady sitting next to me says, 'do you know who that is?' as she grabs the back of my shirt and pulls me up. Of course I knew who that was. He was my very first sports hero and if she knew how I revered Mantle she wouldn't have asked the question.

Stadium first time 10 years old. Thought players were actually buried under the monuments which looked like gravestones.

 

[AreBee1969]

Wow there's some great stuff here.

My brother (15 years older) is a big Mets fan and even though I was a diehard Sox fan, he used to take me to a Mets game every year. The highlight was in '77 when I saw Seaver pitch against the Mets in his return to Shea Stadium. In that game alone I saw Seaver, Rose, Morgan, Foster, Concepcion, Griffey Sr. and Bench. Koosman pitched for the Mets that day.

I was also at Game 3 of the 1999 ALCS when Pedro faced Clemens and the Sox shredded the Yanks 13-1 for their only win of that series. Fenway was crazy that day and it was probably the most amazing sporting event I've ever attended. I was hoarse for a week after that game.

 

[borninansonia]

In 1955, I went to Yankee Stadium for a double-header (remember those?) against the Boston Red Sox. Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, and many more. The Red Sox were my brother's favorite team.
Later that year, 1955, we went to Ebbets Field and saw the Brooklyn Dodgers, my favorite team, against the New York Giants. Duke Snider, Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese, Roy Campenella, Gil Hodges and, of course, the 3rd best center fielder I saw that year, Willie Mays.

 

[Waquoit]

I went to that Righetti no-hitter as well. I was in the upper deck. Up there when you came through the portal, there were seats up and down. I was in the last row in the lower seats. The railing just behind me, I came to find was about 3-4 inches below the top of my head when I was seated. Luckily for me, that railing was perfect for the beer vendors to rest their tray upon when selling a few. And it was just amazing how those vendors kept smacking the lone Sox fan in the back of the head with their steel trays the entire game. As we're leaving my buddy says, "At least you saw history!" "F---- history!"

 

[AZHuskiePop]

I remember sitting next to a guy from France in 1955 or 1956 who never saw a baseball game .He came to see Mickey Mantle .or Meeky Man’ Tell
He asked my uncle which one he.was an told the man number 7
The man then pointed to Al Rosen who was the Indians third basemen . I laughed because the guy had no idea which team was the Yankees.
Mantle’s celebrity trancended the sport.

 

[olehead]

George Brett
Ozzie Smith
Keith Hernandez
D. Strawberry
In a commercial w/ Lou Brock as a kid, selling the Brock - a- Brella

The Brockabrella

July 2, 2010 -- Cardinals hall of famer Lou Brock wears a replica Brockabrella he popularized before a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Milwaukee Brewers at Busch

www.stltoday.com

 

[AreBee1969]

[QUOTE="AreBee1969, post: 3580281, member: 7315"I was also at Game 3 of the 1999 ALCS when Pedro faced Clemens and the Sox shredded the Yanks 13-1 for their only win of that series. Fenway was crazy that day and it was probably the most amazing sporting event I've ever attended. I was hoarse for a week after that game.
[/QUOTE]
This game is on NESN right now!

 

[87Xfer]

Growing up in New England I got to see the Red Sox guys of the time, Jim Rice, Yaz, Fisk, Burleson.

But on a different track, I was sitting at the bar in a local brewpub a few years ago and there was a baseball game on. I started talking to the guy next to me, and it quickly became obvious that he knew the game. About a half hour into the conversation, we finally introduced ourselves. It was Steve Carlton. Duh. I've run into him several times in the same place since then.

 

[WillB4]

First Yankee game was '59, Whitey Ford vs. Chisox with Aparicio and Fox. Too many to mention after that as I usually attended a dozen games a year.
Last year, the Golf club I work at down here in Venice, FL has a Celebrity Tourney, I had the fortune to meet Bill Lee. After greeting him I said I've looking forward to meeting you and told him that I was at Yankee Stadium one game in which he threw out three runners at second base on sac bunts. His response with a sly grin, "Yeah, I could field." Great guy, nice conversation.

 

[M.S.G.]

I saw the great Paul Sorrento hit a moon shot in the former Indians stadium that they sunk into the river.

 

[Mr. French]

I had a couple really fun road trips to see ball games in the late 2000s with a buddy, but being in Buffalo the closest teams are 2-3 hours away (TO, PIT, CLE).

I saw a couple Braves games, who are my squad, so always thrilled to see Chipper and Andruw. Went to Camden to see Sox vs. Os and the Os upset them with a walk off by Miggy Tejada, I believe. Great experiences, but I haven’t seen too many “legends” play. Sad I never saw Greg Maddux in person.

Edit: was either Tejada or Melvin Mora.

 

[Bliss]

Musial, Maris, Ozzie Smith..........