Fernando Valenzuela dies at 63.
Fernando Valenzuela dies at 63.
I've been to one game at Dodger Stadium, it was July, 1982 and Fernando pitched against the Expos. Crazy fun memory and dumb luck, we were in LA on vacation and my dad got the tickets sometime that spring so we had no idea who the starting pitcher would be.
Several HOFers in the game and was interesting to see who got the save. I did not remember him being in that game until I looked up the boxscore this morning.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/LAN/LAN198207210.shtml
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@greyeagle Wow, what a great experience! That box score is amazing. Raines, Dawson, Carter, and Reardon for the Expos, and just about everyone on the Dodgers was a good/great player.
Sadly, I don't remember my first MLB game. I lived, breathed and slept hockey when I was a kid, so I DO remember my first NHL game. I know the North Stars beat the Red Wings 6-1, and some dude named Willie Huber got the only goal for Detroit (a slap shot from just inside the blue line). It's weird the kind of random stuff you remember.
You posting the Expos/Dodgers box score inspired me to try to find it. Took me about 10 minutes of digging, but I found it. Feb 13, 1982. I had just turned 7 the week before, so guessing it was a birthday present.
https://www.hockey-reference.com/boxscores/198202130MNS.html
@hockeybum That's awesome, random memories like that are really cool.
First baseball game I remember going to was at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, O's against the Red Sox and I imagine there are a ton of HOFers in that game. We lived in Baltimore when I was a kid (1969-1974) and it was a great time to be there.....Brooks, Boog, Johnny Unitas, and a whole ton of great players plus going to Pimlico for races. Good times! I was a Colts and Oriole's fan long before I was a Twins and Vikes fan.
I remember my grandpa taking me to a North Star game when we were home one year, probably around Christmas and I saw them play the Penguins but don't remember much about the game.
Another random memory, first arena I remember skating at in the Twin Cities (I started playing in MD) was Richfield, some summer hockey school my grandparents brought me to. I still love that old barn.
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Another random memory, first arena I remember skating at in the Twin Cities (I started playing in MD) was Richfield, some summer hockey school my grandparents brought me to. I still love that old barn.
Me too. I remember when the arena was new. In high school and college I worked at the Red Owl about a mile away. There was a guy from the store who started a contract on Saturday nights for guys from the store and his neighborhood buddies. Played for many years on Saturday night starting around 10 pm, I believe, but one night we were delayed because Neal Broten and Roseau were playing Richfield High School and the game ran late. I remember it being a beautiful arena but I went back a few years ago after being away for decades and was disappointed to see the beautiful ceiling had been covered by insulation.
Me too. I remember when the arena was new. In high school and college I worked at the Red Owl about a mile away. There was a guy from the store who started a contract on Saturday nights for guys from the store and his neighborhood buddies. Played for many years on Saturday night starting around 10 pm, I believe, but one night we were delayed because Neal Broten and Roseau were playing Richfield High School and the game ran late. I remember it being a beautiful arena but I went back a few years ago after being away for decades and was disappointed to see the beautiful ceiling had been covered by insulation.
I may have been there that evening. I went out to Richfield (pretty sure it was the first time there for me) specifically to see Steve Christoff. I didn’t know anything about Roseau, but I think I still have a roster around the house somewhere (unless my anti-pack rat wife has struck) where I had checked Neal, Butsy and someone who has faded into obscurity as players to remember. Christoff was a senior, Neal and Butsy sophomores, or possibly freshmen. Not sure if Aaron was on the team. I remember it being a close game, but for the life of me I can’t recall who won.
Others have been throwing out their first MLB game and HERE is mine. I was 10 and we were living in Papillion, Nebraska (suburb of Omaha) at the time. We were visiting my Grandparents in Babbitt and hit the Twins game on the way home. Of course ‘65 was the year of the Twins first World Series. Don’t recall if I was in 4th or 5th grade that year, but I do remember being the only one in my class pulling for the Twins.
@iceburg Mudcat Grant as a pinch runner!
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I know my first Twins game was one in in which they gave away Dairy Queen Rod Carew jerseys, there was not a lot of people there but that's about all I can remember.
Fortunately I attended a bunch of games in '80 and '81 as my brother was a bat boy in the visiting dugout. Back then (and it continued for a while) most of the bat boys were Tonka kids because of some connection to their longtime clubhouse manager (Jay Wiesner?).
With that I got to go into the visitors locker-room after many a game and was able to meet players like Reggie Jackson, George Brett, Eddie Murray, Jim Rice (one of my favorites), Rod Carew (by then an Angel), and on and on. And obviously I got to meet pretty much every Twins player.
Still have a game-used Reggie bat and a signed ball by him.
The Yankees in game 1 of World Series were up 3-2 with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning but Freddie Freeman just hit a walk off grand slam home run (left vs. left) to win it.
Wow!!! He just accomplished a boyhood dream.
https://twitter.com/barstoolsports/status/1850019546016489814
Freddie Freeman with a walk off grand slam in the 10th for the Dodgers. It was crushed. Nice!
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That swing - wow. What a nice finish!
Freddie Freeman with a walk off grand slam in the 10th for the Dodgers. It was crushed. Nice!
This has been as fun as any post season that I can recall
Freddie Freeman with a walk off grand slam in the 10th for the Dodgers. It was crushed. Nice!
It looked very close to where Gibson’s HR landed in ‘88.
Keep your stick on the ice...
I don’t really care for either team to win, (well, I guess maybe the Yankees have the slight edge in teams I don’t want to win in this series) - but (wo)man do I love me some World Series baseball!
I’d like to see seven games and all go to extra innings. 😁
Freddie Freeman with a walk off grand slam in the 10th for the Dodgers. It was crushed. Nice!
It looked very close to where Gibson’s HR landed in ‘88.
https://twitter.com/MLBMetrics/status/1850023194658218262
Seems weird for me to be for the Yankees because they have the lower payroll.
Honestly, it's Yankees (East) vs Yankees (West)
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
Freddie Freeman with a walk off grand slam in the 10th for the Dodgers. It was crushed. Nice!
Both Dodger hitters swung at the first pitch. Two pitches, game over.
In the game-within-the-game concept of baseball, walking Betts to load the bases gave the Yankees pitcher--who did not play for a month--no wiggle room at all. He needed to get ahead in the count with a strike.
This wasn't lost on Freeman who was loaded up for a first-pitch fastball.
Joe Mauer wouldn't have twitched on that pitch.
I saw a Tweet earlier that said both Gibson's and Freeman's HRs were hit at 8:37 Pacific. 🤯
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I can’t believe the World Series is 2-3-2 instead of 2-2-1-1-1 🤦♂️
2-3-2 is how it should be played, IMO. Get as few off days as possible to keep it real.I can’t believe the World Series is 2-3-2 instead of 2-2-1-1-1 🤦♂️
I like it too, only two travel/off days.
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So TRUE streaky! That’s an astute observation. We all loved the hometown hero, literally the Baby Jesus…but there’s no way he offers at the 1st pitch fastball. That type of ending is what makes playoff ⚾️ compellingFreddie Freeman with a walk off grand slam in the 10th for the Dodgers. It was crushed. Nice!
Both Dodger hitters swung at the first pitch. Two pitches, game over.
In the game-within-the-game concept of baseball, walking Betts to load the bases gave the Yankees pitcher--who did not play for a month--no wiggle room at all. He needed to get ahead in the count with a strike.
This wasn't lost on Freeman who was loaded up for a first-pitch fastball.
Joe Mauer wouldn't have twitched on that pitch.
I can’t believe the World Series is 2-3-2 instead of 2-2-1-1-1 🤦♂️
Don’t worry, they’ve messed with just about everything else in the game of baseball, this will probably happen at some point.
It’s been 2-3-2 as long as I can remember and I’m fine with it. They don’t get days off in the regular season between every series, why should they need days off between damn near every game in the postseason? Less travel, less logistics. Why fix what isn’t broken? 😁.
Of course dragging out the World Series would probably benefit someone’s pocketbooks. 🤷♀️
Agree…
2-3-2 over 9 days
2-2-1-1-1 over 11 days
And I imagine managers would want lesS travels and keep their pitching rotations on pace as the regular season.
Keep your stick on the ice...
Have to laugh at Yankee fans complaining about strike zones.
Keep your stick on the ice...
@cowgirl yelling - "All you damn kids get off my lawn!!!" 🤣 😉
The 2-3-2 format of the World Series likely isn't even up for discussion about be changing.
The next change in the baseball playoff system will likely be extending the division round series from best of 5 to best of 7.
I'm ok with expanding the playoffs, it was the most exclusive admissions to the playoffs. But, then I'd say shorten the regular season.
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
That'd be nice. Official summer season, official sport of summer, make it a marketing push. Summer Belongs To Baseball or something like that.
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
Freddy (Fning) Freeman! 3 homers in 3 games, that’s better than Reggie Jackson sh-t! where he hit 3 HR in one game, which was incredible, but not as impactful as 3 in 3 games! Wow
I meant more from a home field advantage perspective. You have a better record and get home field advantage and have to play 3 road games before you play your 3rd home game.
Make them fly out after the game and still play the next day. I’m happy for them to play all 7 games in 7 days 😆
Oh my damn that ny fan that tried to pull the ball out of the outfielders glove after he caught it. They really should not let fans sit in the front rows during playoffs. Get a brain morans!
Oh, and FFF hit another homer. 😂
Aw crap. Grand slam by the damn Yankees.
Welp,
While I was here for the Yankees to blow it in four, we get at least one more night of baseball!
From what I was hearing, and it appears to be right, bullpen game for LA, take the L, shut 'er down next game.
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
The Yankee fan working to pry the ball from Mookie's glove was the play of the game. 🤣