One of my friends took her son to his very first A's game this past season and he received a special certificate honoring the occasion. I'm not sure what her and her son did with the certificate, but there's a chance that in 40 years he'll be able to go back and reminisce with his children or grandchildren about that game. In addition to the certificate, my friend took a bunch of photos and recorded a few videos to document the experience.
When I was a kid... things were much different. Back in the 70's, my brother didn't have the privilege of owning a handheld mobile phone... and even if he did... they didn't come with a camera back then. I'm not even sure he ever brought a camera to those games back in the day. But if he did, we didn't keep any of those pictures.
As for the certificate... if the A's handed them back then and I received one, I sadly didn't keep it.
To make a long story short... I have no idea when I attend my first baseball game. My guess is that it was sometime around the mid 70's at either the Oakland Coliseum, Candlestick Park, or San Jose Municipal Stadium.
Personally... I'd like to think it was at the Oakland Coliseum watching guys like Bert Campaneris, Sal Bando, Joe Rudi, and Gene Tenace play in their prime.
Sadly... I'll never really know.
The good news is that even though I can't tell you the first game I ever attended, I'm 100% certain that I was able to watch all four of these players in person back in the day.
That's why I have been looking for this particular card ever since I learned about its existence:
2004 UD Legends Timeless Teams
Team Terrific Game-Used Team Logo #TT-OA
I was first exposed to this set and this particular card back in August over on GCRL's blog: Timeless Teams. If you're a fan of the 2004 UD Legends Timeless Teams set, then I highly encourage you checking out his blog. He has put together quite the collection of autographs and memorabilia cards from this product.
Anyways... I immediately added this card to my eBay search and saw it pop up not too long ago for what seemed like a reasonable price. Unfortunately... I waited too long and missed out on it.
Fast forward to last week and the card showed up in my mailbox:
Who sent me this amazing addition to my Oakland A's PC? Well... none other than GCRL himself.
Thank you Jim for this very generous gift. My mind was seriously blown. I truly wish you the best of luck on your mission to complete this insanely awesome project! The Don Sutton you requested should be arriving in the next few days.
Getting back to the original topic...
Do you remember the very first professional baseball game you attended?
If so... I'm super jealous. But I'm not gonna lie... staring at this amazing card makes me feel a little better.
Have a great week everyone! Happy Monday and sayonara!
Extra Innings
Congratulations Boston Red Sox fans! I was hoping it was gonna be a closer series... but your team was just way too good. I don't really have too many current Sox cards in my collection, so I went with an old school card to go along with this post.
23 comments:
That's an awesome card!
I don't remember if it was my first game that I attended, but the first game that I remember going to was in Montreal for a doubleheader against the Cardinals at the end of the 1979 season. It was Lou Brock's last visit to Montreal.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/MON/MON197909162.shtml
I can't see this have being my first game, as I can't believe my dad would bring an almost nine me to a doubleheader for my first game, but this is the one I remember.
I remember some stuff about my first game, White Sox at Yankee Stadium in July of 1960.... hot dog vendors... my Dad pointing out things about the stadium and that Whitey Ford was pitching. I tracked down a program from the DH that day a year or so ago
My first game was a 16-inning marathon at Candlestick in late September 1986. Definitely memorable and easy to pull up the box score and pbp.
retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/B09280SFN1986.htm
I wrote a little bit about it when Candlestick finally closed and it was still on my mind when I took my eldest to his first MLB game last summer. He did not get a certificate. Heck he didn't even get a ticket stub. I had to order one from ebay so he'd have a memento to go with the program and scorecard (I'm trying to track down a program from my first game but they're hard to find).
He's totally been to San Jose and Trenton games before though but there's something special about that first MLB game. None of us bothered to note his first MiLB games and I don't think he really cares either.
Not sure what my First Sporting event was. Chances are it was 1974 or '75 at the Cap Center either it was my first Bullets game (of 2 or 3 maybe) or my first Capitals game (of like 3). Pretty sure it wasn't the Diplomats game I saw in 75, that was my first event at RFK Stadium (not sure if they won or lost or who they played, not sure if I still have the ticket stub to tell me which game) my last event at RFK would be the Last Nationals game there in 2007. Another sports event I recall from the mid 70s was a MD Terrapins football game vs the FL Gators, but I think that was '76. The Terps won that game.
My first MLB game is easy to remember--it was last year. I took my 8-year old son to a D-Backs game when we were visiting Phoenix. It was the first time at an MLB park for either of us.
My first professional game in any sport was a Utah Jazz game in 1993 against the Clippers.
I would guess my first MLB game would be the O's at Memorial Stadium. Couldn't tell you when, though. Might have the stub.
I know my first NFL game was Steelers vs. Redskins at RFK in '74. I do have those stubs. I remember being a thousand yards up in the stands and seeing the Steelers run the opening kickoff back for a score.
I wish I could remember my first baseball game but, sadly, I can't. I'd be willing to bet it was a Cubs game around 1998-99 or so, though.
You must have been very young,those A's players all left after the 1976 season.
I remember the first time I saw the Red Sox play in person was at Cleveland Stadium in 1990. It was Roger Clemens's 20th win of that season, and the last time he'd win 20 for Boston.
My first game was 1970 Astro/Cardinals at the Astrodome,still have the ticket stub.
Can't pin point the exact game, but it was definitely a Braves game at Fulton County Stadium back in 1978. Went to a few that year and 79', 80', 81'
I think it was 1974 that my dad scored tickets for our family of 6 to see the Denver Rockets play at McNichold Arena. We sat in the nosebleed seats and I think Dr J was playing for the Nets. ABA basketball 🏀 at it’s finest 😊
My first game was a braves vs dodgers match-up at dodger stadium in 1974. I recall nothing as I was 3. First game I remember is from 1978, chanting dusty baker's name in the 9th.
July 15, 1978. I just wrote about this and not for the first time either.
https://nightowlcards.blogspot.com/2018/10/ca-2008-upper-deck-yankee-stadium.html
Very awesome card, I also immediately put those on my want list when I first saw them. Glad you got one!
I don't have pictures, a certificate, or a ticket stub from my first game. But, I remembered who played, that the Royals won, Bo Jackson struck out, and that I was in fourth grade. With all of that info, when I went to Cooperstown in 2002, I was able to look through some old Sporting News and make a copy of the boxscore from that game.
Padres v Giants, October 2004.
I was 28.
Barry Bonds was in the Giants line up and got booed every time he came into the outfield. The steroid thing had just broken.
Pirates @ Cubs July 14, 1956, Doubleheader
I was seven and went with my Dad and Uncle. My favorite player at the time Bob Rush was winning pitcher game one and the Cubs won the second game in ten. I don’t remember too much other than several home runs, I remember one hit by Eddie Miksis, the box score tells me Ernie hit one as well
I remember watching the Broncos play in the late 1980s. My first MLB game was the Rockies very first home game as a franchise.
angus - that's awesome! i loved going to doubleheaders when i was a kid.
commishbob - wow. i'm super impressed. these are the kinds of stories i'm jealous of.
nick vossbrink - i wonder if we were ever at candlestick at the same time. even though i was an a's fan, i attended just as many giants games back in the early to mid 80's. once i got to high school and was able to go with friends... that's when i started spending more time at the coliseum. as for the ticket... i can't stand that most of the games i go to these days have printed out tickets or tickets on my phone.
captkirk42 - another blogger with a great memory. i'm gonna have to sit down and think of the earliest game i actually still remember.
trevor p - that's an awesome father-son memory. hope they made a topps now card for you to collect ;)
gca - i wish i would have kept all of my old ticket stubs. even though the steelers scored first... i hope your redskins came back to win the game.
nick - i'm in the same club as you. at least you have it narrowed down to the cubs. my first mlb game could have been a giants or a's game.
sg488 - i'm gonna guess that my first mlb game was 1975 or 1976 when i was 3 or 4. i definitely when to 49er games at candlestick when i was baby though. guess technically that was my first sporting event i attended.
john miller - got a chance to watch bob horner and dale murphy early in their careers. nice.
baltmoss68 - nice. i never got a chance to attend an aba game. but my first warriors game was during the run tmc years (early 90's).
gcrl - that's cool that you remember the teams though. i'd take that at this point.
night owl - great post as usual. very cool that you remember this game.
steve at 1975baseballcards.com - i have a feeling that i won't be adding any of the others anytime soon. good luck on grabbing some for your collection.
zman40 - that's great detective work. these days with baseball reference, as long as you can remember certain details and are willing to put in the time... you can narrow it down to a specific game.
jongudmund - i don't remember him ever getting booed at at&t... even after the steroid news. gonna guess this game took place at petco.
tomrobak - another doubleheader and another awesome memory. very cool... and i'm very jealous.
sumomenkoman - that's awesome. wait. are you a rockies fan?
Yeah, it is fascinating how much has changed in the last fifteen years. Nowadays, you don't even have to leave home to do that, let alone hit up the archives at the Hall of Fame.
whoa Jim! amazing card and beyond generous! my first game would've been in 1985, OKC 89ers. I didn't catch a major league game until 94, Rangers.
Thanks for sharing this information! Keep on sharing.
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