A stroll down memory lane with HJ

[JL21]

The first game I ever went to (a pitcher's duel between, of all people, John Stuper and Craig McMurtry):

http://retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1983/B08250SLN1983.htm

[StL Dan]

I'm sure you've printed this page for your personal archives. If not, do so!

The last year of Busch I took a stroll down memory lane by trying to recall every single game I went to as a kid. Alot of detective work was involved, because often I could only remember one or two details. My family made one trip per year to St. Louis, which was always the highlight of my summer. That made it a little easier to figure stuff out. Here is my list, and the details that I remembered to help me find them.

I remember that the Cards beat the Phillies 8-0 and that Gibson pitched. It was hotter than blazes in St. Louis that day:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes ... 7220.shtml

I was a huge Dolphin fan as a kid, and I remember following the Dolphins 17-0 win over the Chiefs on the scoreboard. I also remember the Cards beating the Pirates:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes ... 9170.shtml

This is the one that stumped me. I remember almost getting my hands on a Joe Peppitone foul ball (my mother hated the man), I remember beating the Cubs, I remember it was on a school day, I remember it was really warm, and I remember wearing a jersey I had gotten for my b-day. What fooled me was the weather, I swore it was May or June. But I searched a 3 year window and this was the only game that made sense, then I looked up the weather in the weather almanac - BINGO. Made sense I wore a jersey from my b-day (April 10):
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes ... 4130.shtml

Easy one, my Khoury League team made a trip down to see this DH and one of the cars broke down and they missed Gibby's grandslam:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes ... 7261.shtml
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes ... 7262.shtml

A good year 1973 was, four games! I remember this because my Dad loved the Big Red Machine, I loved Johnny Bench, and Pete Rose led off the game with a double and the Reds cruised.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes ... 8120.shtml

Another Khourly League team visit. They used to sell the lineup cards already typed up with the starting lineup, and we were seriously bummed to see Aaron not in the lineup. When they announced the lineup and Aaron was in it, we all went crazy. Bad game for the Cards, but we got to see Hammerin' Hank.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes ... 7140.shtml

And one more Khoury League visit. We made it to the state championship and had to play a Belleville team (we lost). So depressing, lots of tears, but once inside the park with our dirty uniforms life was good:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes ... 8100.shtml

This one I remember the Cards scored in the 1st, and Willie Stargell almost jacked one in the 9th, but the Cards won 1-0. I remember it was late in the season.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes ... 9260.shtml

This one was easy because I still have the scorecard:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes ... 8050.shtml

Another real easy one. I'll give you a clue as to how I remembered this one so easy, I BIG celebrity died this day and Ernie Hayes played his music all night.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes ... 8160.shtml

I remember horrible fog that didn't entirely burn off until about game time. We sat in the OF Loge Box and you could hardly make out the players at homeplate taking BP.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes ... 6120.shtml

Free tickets to the last game of the season.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes ... 0010.shtml

And at this point my older sisters and brothers had moved out, and my own baseball schedule got so busy that we just never found time to make it down. I probably went five years without seeing a game.

That's my stroll down memory lane. It took me weeks to put this list together, some of it involved a great deal of detective work. Weather reports, scanning box scores, asking Mom and Dad for some details. It was alot of fun compiling this.

[JL21]

Other games I remember attending:

http://retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1989/B07050SLN1989.htm
Orel Hershiser gets beat by Scott Terry. I watch from the upper deck and it's 185 degrees up there.

http://retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1987/B04190MIL1987.htm
Rob Deer and Dale Sveum hit homeruns in the 9th to cap a 5-run 9th inning rally that pushes the Brewers' winning streak to 12 games opening the season.

http://retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1988/B08110MIL1988.htm
Don August shuts out the Red Sox and everyone's favorite fat guy, Joey Meyer, hits a homerun.

http://retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1997/B09010SLN1997.htm
I skip class to see the White Sox' first trip to St. Louis. I also see the first ever homerun in the career of Magglio Ordoñez.

[Leroy]

/me waits for the inevitable Stephenson comment.

[JL21]

Purposely redacted from the record, Leroy.

[fanforever]

this was the best game I ever went to.

St. Louis Cardinals 4, New York Mets 3
DayGame Played on Wednesday, September 11, 1974 (N) at Shea Stadium
STL N 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 - 4 18 2
NY N 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 3 16 4


Stayed the whole game with my Dad. Did not go to school the next day and Dad didn't go to work.

Ate allot of Hot Dogs that night

[doe_boy]

this was the best game I ever went to.

St. Louis Cardinals 4, New York Mets 3
DayGame Played on Wednesday, September 11, 1974 (N) at Shea Stadium
STL N 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 - 4 18 2
NY N 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 3 16 4


Stayed the whole game with my Dad. Did not go to school the next day and Dad didn't go to work.

Ate allot of Hot Dogs that night

I remember trying to stay up to catch the whole game. Finally fell asleep.

If I recall, Ken Reitz tied the game and the Cards won after Bake McBride scored from first on a wild pick-off throw. Claude Osteen pitched 9 innings of SO relief in that game too.

What a game that must have been to see.

[MDCardsFan]

I can't possibly remember the handful of games I went to many, many years ago. I do, however, know that I witnessed at least the following:


Lou Brock stealing a base. (that should narrow it down)

Hank Aaron hitting a homerun AFTER he was the record holder.

Bob Forsch hitting, what I believe, was his first major league homerun.

Some guy named Jerry Morales making the final out of losing game!

[doe_boy]

Some guy named Jerry Morales making the final out of losing game!

I remember several of those from when he was a Cardinal.

He was a big 'Cardinal killer' while with the Cubs though.

He killed the Cardinals as an opponent and while with them.

[JL21]

Hank Aaron hitting a homerun AFTER he was the record holder.

This is not unlike when I got to go to Camden Yards for an O's game... the same week that Cal Ripken, Jr. went on the DL for the first time maybe ever.