What was your first MLB game and best memory of it

[Halo in Chicago]

37 minutes ago, Chitown27Fan said:

I remember mine because my Dad and Mom were not real sports fans outside of racing and for them to break down and buy tickets to a game so that I could go see my hero at the time Jose Canceco "yes I know roids but i didnt even know what that was back then" was so cool and then that guys funny ass dance has been welded in my memory all these years lol 

That’s a cool memory. And I was a Big McGwire fan especially as a Card so no judgment from me. 

[Halo in Chicago]

1 hour ago, T.G. said:

It has always bothered me that I'm not certain of the first game I ever attended.  It might be (only because I know for certain that I was at this game) May 9, 1970 when the Angels beat the Yankees 11-3 on Bat Night.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CAL/CAL197005090.shtml

I remember everyone in the crowd holding up their bats and it looked like a forest of bats.  I don't remember much about the game, other than Andy Messersmith was pitching.  He even hit a homerun that game.

I really believe I went to a game earlier than that, but I've never been able to figure out which one. That game in 1970 sticks out in my mind because it was bat night. 

 

I have always been bothered by that too. I recently decided it would be cool to try and see all the ballparks and I looked into maps or things you can use to track them. Most of them have a place to put the date/score. 
 

[katie]

2 hours ago, Taylor said:

I miss chocolate malts. Those were my jam as a kid. Do they still sell them at Angel Stadium?

I don’t think I’ve ever had one at Angel Stadium so I’m not sure. My daughter loves the softee ice cream in the helmet. 

[Jason]

My first game was in 1981 to see the Twins play the Orioles at Memorial Park in Baltimore. I remember my dad telling me about this rookie third baseman the orioles had that was going to be a good ball player. The most memorable thing was how long it took us to get out of the parking lot after the game. It was a large lot with no designated parking spaces and it took around three hours to leave. 

[Swordsman78]

1 hour ago, T.G. said:

It has always bothered me that I'm not certain of the first game I ever attended.  It might be (only because I know for certain that I was at this game) May 9, 1970 when the Angels beat the Yankees 11-3 on Bat Night.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CAL/CAL197005090.shtml

I remember everyone in the crowd holding up their bats and it looked like a forest of bats.  I don't remember much about the game, other than Andy Messersmith was pitching.  He even hit a homerun that game.

I really believe I went to a game earlier than that, but I've never been able to figure out which one. That game in 1970 sticks out in my mind because it was bat night. 

 

My favorite giveaway was helmet night.   Having an Angel or Dodger helmet (with the brown adjustable plastic strap) was a big deal 

[OneandDone]

I've been an Angels fan my entire life but my first game was in Oakland, July of 1969 against the Seattle Pilots. I had seen a few games on television but nothing could prepare me for what it was like in person. Before I even saw the field, I could hear the sounds of batting practice because there wasn't any loud music piped through the stadium.

When I walked up the steps to my seat and had my first look at the field, I was amazed at how green the grass was how you could smell hot dogs and popcorn before you even saw the vendor. Charlie O the mule was on the field by the stands delighting all the kids but leaving behind a mess for the grounds keepers. I can remember most of the players for Oakland that day. Sal Bando, Reggie Jackson, Campy Campeneris and so on before they became more well known. I wish I had the same feeling today when going to a game but there really is only one "first" game.

[Halo in Chicago]

10 minutes ago, Swordsman78 said:

My favorite giveaway was helmet night.   Having an Angel or Dodger helmet (with the brown adjustable plastic strap) was a big deal 

Totally. I had the “batting helmets” and the mesh back caps from the five away nights. 
 

I also remember buying a $5 Braves cap - mesh back - outside the Braves stadium. 

[Tank]

3 hours ago, Swordsman78 said:

My favorite giveaway was helmet night.   Having an Angel or Dodger helmet (with the brown adjustable plastic strap) was a big deal 

my brother and i LOVED batting helmets. i can remember buying them at dodger stadium for $2.50 each. we saved our allowance money each time we knew we were going to a game so we could buy a new one. we had a decent collection with each of us having about 12-15 helmets. reached a point in our 20s when we decided we were too old for such things and just tossed them. that was one of my more regrettable decisions. 

fortunately, we managed to save our very first helmets. it was a reds helmet with foam rubber inside instead of the brown adjustable plastic strap. it also says Reds inside the capital C. i think we got them in 1970.

[Swordsman78]

2 hours ago, Tank said:

my brother and i LOVED batting helmets. i can remember buying them at dodger stadium for $2.50 each. we saved our allowance money each time we knew we were going to a game so we could buy a new one. we had a decent collection with each of us having about 12-15 helmets. reached a point in our 20s when we decided we were too old for such things and just tossed them. that was one of my more regrettable decisions. 

fortunately, we managed to save our very first helmets. it was a reds helmet with foam rubber inside instead of the brown adjustable plastic strap. it also says Reds inside the capital C. i think we got them in 1970.

That helmet collection would have been awesome.  All the old logos!   Back then you could only get helmets at the stadium.  I always liked how the sun reflected through the light blue Dodger helmet.   Also really wanted the Angel helmet to have the halo.  (They never did though, so my mom sewed a halo onto my Angel cap).

[Tank]

1 hour ago, Swordsman78 said:

That helmet collection would have been awesome.  All the old logos!   Back then you could only get helmets at the stadium.  I always liked how the sun reflected through the light blue Dodger helmet.   Also really wanted the Angel helmet to have the halo.  (They never did though, so my mom sewed a halo onto my Angel cap).

i would LOVE to have an angels batting helmet with the halo around the top. i don't remember ever seeing them for sale.

i've looked for any that might be out there, which isn't many at all. the authentic ones are either too expensive or in pretty poor condition or both.

i've considered trying to make my own, but i don't think i could get the halo proportions correct, and i wouldn't want it to look cheap.

as for our old collection, we had an a's helmet that was yellow with a green bill, the opposite of their hats. we also had the original orange astros helmet before they switched to the sunrise jerseys. 

[halodground]

Was anyone else's first time trying Sushi of any kind (California Roll) at the sushi place in the stadium back before the remodel? I think it was on the Field Level and I'm pretty sure it was total crap but it was tasty enough that I've been a sushi fan since.

[arch stanton]

First time eating sushi was in Misawa, Japan. Didn't love it but still love wasabi.

First actual game was Angels playing the Yankees some time in 1968. I was 4 but I remember my uncles pointing out Mickey Mantle to me

First one I remember was in August of 1973. A Ryan start against the Tigers. I still have a program somewhere. We were about 20 rows behind first base and you could definitely hear the difference between his pitches hitting the mitt and those of the Tigers' pitchers

[Jay]

My first Angels game came around 1972 when one of the neighbors piled a bunch of kids into his 1963 Biscayne wagon:

It was kind of a major road trip to get down to Anaheim Stadium from the Valley back in those days.

[Blarg]

Hah, you were doing 60 mph the whole way. Today you'd be lucky to average 25. 

[Taylor]

1 hour ago, Jay said:

My first Angels game came around 1972 when one of the neighbors piled a bunch of kids into his 1963 Biscayne wagon:

It was kind of a major road trip to get down to Anaheim Stadium from the Valley back in those days.

"Hey there kids, you like baseball?"

[fan_since79]

3 hours ago, Jay said:

My first Angels game came around 1972 when one of the neighbors piled a bunch of kids into his 1963 Biscayne wagon:

It was kind of a major road trip to get down to Anaheim Stadium from the Valley back in those days.

We had a '63 Biscayne sedan back in Philly, same color. It was the first car I drove, a few years later. 

[cgoldangel]

My first game was the Angels and Yankees in the early 70’s. I remember a picture of Mickey Rivers on the cover of the program and then walking through the tunnel to the upper deck and seeing the beautiful green Angel’s stadium grass and the size of the stadium. I just looked at the scene in awe and have loved the Angels since.

[FabulousFabregas]

September 29, 2000. Angels beat the Mariners 9-3, they had me for life after that game. Bengie Molina threw me a ball before the game, I still have it!

[Chitown27Fan]

On 5/8/2024 at 3:09 PM, Jason said:

My first game was in 1981 to see the Twins play the Orioles at Memorial Park in Baltimore. I remember my dad telling me about this rookie third baseman the orioles had that was going to be a good ball player. The most memorable thing was how long it took us to get out of the parking lot after the game. It was a large lot with no designated parking spaces and it took around three hours to leave. 

Sounds juat like Dodger stadium to me My mom had Dodger season tickets one year and would always ask me if I wanted to go and my answer was always if your driving cuss I am not. 200 people there to help you get in " go here turn there park here walk this way" on the way out its every man and woman for them self good luck god be with you lol. Im good on that.

[Halo in Chicago]

2 hours ago, Chitown27Fan said:

Sounds juat like Dodger stadium to me My mom had Dodger season tickets one year and would always ask me if I wanted to go and my answer was always if your driving cuss I am not. 200 people there to help you get in " go here turn there park here walk this way" on the way out its every man and woman for them self good luck god be with you lol. Im good on that.

Yep, my grandfather always has Dodger tickets and he always wanted to leave after the 7th inning stretch bc of the parking/exiting... My dad always took us to the Angels games in large part bc it was so much easier to get in and out of the Big A parking lot.

[Swordsman78]

10 hours ago, cgoldangel said:

My first game was the Angels and Yankees in the early 70’s. I remember a picture of Mickey Rivers on the cover of the program and then walking through the tunnel to the upper deck and seeing the beautiful green Angel’s stadium grass and the size of the stadium. I just looked at the scene in awe and have loved the Angels since.

Walking out of the tunnel on the upper deck (1st base side) was also my first memory.  Can't remember the team that Angels were playing but my first look at the green grass and filed was awe inspiring to this 6 yr old,  and unforgettable.

Also remember looking out the back of the top deck to see the disneyland fireworks.

[HanfordGuy]

I don’t think it was my first baseball game but it’s the one I remember as one of the earlier games I attended. My mom hated driving to Southern California so my uncle took us to an Angels game. It was a double header against the Chicago White Sox. Both games went extra innings and unfortunately, the Halos lost both. I did get a little Angels Catcher Bear and named him Boon-e Bear. Thank you Uncle Marcellino. RIP.

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

I was 8 years old, and my first game was a Dodger, Giant game in 1958 at the LA Coliseum. All l really remember was my favorite uncle took me and we parked on someones front yard and walked to the stadium, we had sits in LF behind a huge screen, and that's all l really remember.

[Jay]

10 minutes ago, Ace-Of-Diamonds said:

I was 8 years old, and my first game was a Dodger, Giant game in 1958 at the LA Coliseum. All l really remember was my favorite uncle took me and we parked on someones front yard and walked to the stadium, we had sits in LF behind a huge screen, and that's all l really remember.

Seems like every event I have attended at the Coliseum involved parking in someone's front yard.

[rottiesworld]

Sept 25,1979 when Tanana got the last out at first and Angels win their first division and I remember the hug I got from the girl next to me. Then next month in October off to the Army.