Your first MLB game, your kid’s first MLB game

My first one was Kansas City vs. Yankees in KC. It was the first time my husband and I had travelled together and he suggested we go to a game. I didn't understand that he was a Yankees fan and was going to be kind of loud about it. It was during a time when KC sucked and the Yankees beat them badly. Royals fans relieved their feelings by throwing ice at us.

My son's first game was at Seattle. He was a toddler at the time, and we were worried how long he would last. Silly us, he cried when the game was over.

When I turn my head right now, I can see the picture of me holding him in front of the scoreboard and it makes my heart happy.

1969 in Jarry Park. John Boccabella, John Bateman, Coco Laboy, le Grand Orange, Ron Fairly, Bill Stoneman. I remember them all. What a great atmosphere in that little park, till the Expos destroyed themselves by moving into The Big Owe in 77.

    57Special jr. went to the Baggie here in MN. Saw the Vlad Guerrero Angels go against a young Joe Mauer, with Glenn  Perkins pitching. Awful stadium but a better team than the early Expos.

Good idea RJM.

Late '60's... I was probably 8 or 9.  Oldest brother was ten years older so we weren't real close but he was taking me to my first real game!  We lived a little over an hour drive from Cleveland.  He drove me to an Indians game at Old Muni (with the big Chief Wahoo neon sign) in an old VW bug with the floorboards rusted out and mostly gone.  I was terrified, watching the highway flying  by under my feet.  Felt like it took ten hours to get there.  

Sam McDowell was the starting P for the Tribe that night.  We were there early enough to see McDowell warm up in the pen.  The crowd was the usual 750 or so in that cavern of a stadium that held like 80K.  I remember the lighting being really poor - almost seemed like in the movie "The Natural".  Big brother took me down to the railing over the bullpen where McDowell was warming up.  He was bigger than life.  Brother egged me on to ask him for his autograph.  Several of my loudest shouts went completely ignored.  I was sure he could hear me.  I was too young to have any idea why he wouldn't at least turn around.  Crushed me.  Being a lefty myself, and Sudden Sam being the only good thing about Indians baseball those days, I was really excited about being so close to him in person, only to leave with the impression that he was the biggest jerk in the world.  I endured... still a Tribe fan, fifty years later and 2,000 miles away.

One of the first games for my kids went like this…  

Youngest was the son that had the passion from a very early age.  We live on the West Coast.  For a while, I had lots of perks for ballgames.  I had groomed the youngest to be a Tribe fan like his daddy, even at five years old.  (The other two had mild to passing interest in the baseball thing.)  He would watch games with me and mimic the players when we hit wiffle balls in the back yard.  Once, we traveled back to Ohio and I took the family to a Tribe game, this time, the new fancy Jake.  I used my pull and did it up right... preferred parking, big sponsor corporate box seats, etc.  I didn't know exactly where the seats were but I knew they were very low and very good.  We entered the stadium and made our way to the seats.... kept going lower and lower, closer and closer to the point where it felt like we could touch the infield grass and the on deck batter.  Watching the kids' faces, especially the little one, I thought for sure I was scoring big.  The game began, all's good, the little guy is really glued to the game and the other two are enjoying ballpark snacks.  Then, something I didn't see coming ... he starts focusing on the foul balls... going up over our heads and into the upper decks behind us.  Yup, around the 3rd inning, I think, he says in a five year old whiny begging voice "dad, can we sit up there??".  Best laid plans.  We've shared thousands of games since and he's now a college coach... in Ohio .  And, fortunately, I've shared thousands of other things with his brother and sister.

Great topic.

My first game was the Mets near mid 80s as a camp trip during their rise to power. Surprising they did not leave an impression. My dad was a converted Yanks fan when his beloved Dodgers left B'klyn so i guess thats how I became one.  Also it was during their dark ages in 80s as the Mets were talk of the town and it was hard being a Yankee fan in Queens NY so maybe it gave me a bit of the old chip on shoulder.  My 2 kids followed my tradition of going to a Mets game for their first ballgame as their rec league had an arrangement where they were permitted to march the field during the pregame infront of several hundo parents, it was the 2010-ish mets so it was a large crowd for them. My kids became Yankees fan because dad was and they probably enjoyed torturing their met fan classmates

My first MLB game was at Shea Stadium either 1970 or 1971.   I was about 9 or 10.  Mets were playing the Reds if my memory serves.   At the time we lived near Binghamton and Dad worked for IBM.    The IBM country club would organize day game trips to either the Mets or Yankees.   Don't remember much of the game, but at the time Shea Stadium was relatively new and wonderful looking.  We went to Yankees game the next time and I noted how dingy (old) Yankee Stadium was compared to Shea.

Son's first game was about the same age, but at the Camden Yards.  We arrived early and after finding our seats, were wandering around looking for refreshments.   An Oriole rep approached us and asked if my son would like to 1) be part of pregame festivities or 2) help the grounds crew change bases after the 5th inning.   He chose the latter so they had me bring him to a designated point after the 2nd inning.   Sure enough after the 5th he came out with the grounds crew after the 5th and changed 1st base.   There he was within 25 feet of his heroes.   Told me later they showed him the club house, locker room and the bull pen.  He was in heaven though it was a hot day (100 F).

About the time the game ended my wife (who was visiting her parents) was at a Rockies game in Denver where the temperature at game time was 40 F.   As I recall this was about mid spring and it was still cold in Denver.

1st game Shea Stadium in 1970.  Mets vs. Braves.  Aaron went deep and Mets won.  Will never forget coming out of the tunnel and seeing the field open up below (Upper Deck behind Home).  Most awesome thing I ever saw.  Best Hot dog I ever ate.

Fast forward 28 years.  Living in South Jersey.  Lousy Mets and Phillies hooking up in a great Sunday in early June.  Spend $125 to buy tickets in the waitress section of the Vet behind 1st base.  Get there for batting practice and my 6 and 4 year old are properly awed.  After two hitters deposit 10 balls in the bleachers my kids yell at me - WE WANT TO GO THERE!  pointing to the $5 per right field bleachers at the Vet.

We went out to the bleachers were Curt Shilling threw about 15 balls into the stands.  My kids talked about that for days and Curt became their favorite player for about a week.  After the game started we went back to the pricey seats - and spent 6 innings watching & talking about the Phanatic and ate about 15 hot dogs before we left sick to our stomachs. 

Another Awesome day at the yard.

I can't remember what my first game was.  We lived 2.5 hours from the nearest park, and I didn't have any adults in my life inclined to make that drive. After we moved to Baltimore, I went to a LOT of games with friends, usually sitting in upper deck section 34, where Wild Bill Hagy held court.  So much fun - and some good baseball. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_Bill_Hagy

Though we lived in SoCal at the time, my 2015's first game was at Camden Yards in Baltimore, back when they actually had an MLB team playing there.  Great atmosphere at the time.  He was a 1yo and I  believe he was asleep by the end of the first inning.

I'm not sure which was 2017's first game, but among the first few was a 2002 NL Division Series playoff game at then ATT Park in San Francisco.  No mom, just me and the kids.  I remember soon after we got to our seats the Giants took the field and the whole stadium let out a huge roar. 2017 was 4 at the time, and he looked very alarmed and said, "We have to go now." I thought oh, crap, but I flagged an ice cream vendor, and then a cotton candy vendor and that settled him down and we made it through to watch Livian Hernandez baffle the Braves.

Also - back then we lived an hour north of San Francisco, I didn't know the city all that well, and there were no smartphones. I left the stadium with a notion of heading west for an end-run around the traffic downtown and managed to get thoroughly lost. 2015, then 6yo, picks up on that, and I say, "yeah we're lost, but don't worry, I'll figure it out."  He  says "Lost? Oh, no!  Oh, no!  WE'RE DOOMED!"

Needless to say that still cracks me up and I remind him of it every year or so.

Can't remember the first, but my I was born in the Bronx, and my dad started taking me to Yankee games around 77-78.

Not the first, but I did take my then 6yo son to the very last game at the old Yankee stadium in 2008. As a 6yo, he didn't appreciate it much then, but talks about it all the time now.

my first was in mid 60's at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. My granddad and cousin took me. My cousin was a sportscaster on the local radio, I somehow had my name pulled as a prize winner to go to a Pirate game. I got to sit in the dugout and interview a player, the interview was played back on the radio the following week. I remember sounding like a real idiot....I did get an autographed Clemente ball that day that somehow stills survives to this day.

my sons first game was in late 90's at Three Rivers stadium. I had seats right on 3rd base line , front row. It was a day game and had to be 100 degrees out. Son was only maybe two years old, he looks around and says I wanna sit up there, pointing to upper levels. It took the wife and I about 3 seconds to head up to a shady spot.. years later I always had access to some great seats at PNC park, son got spoiled and would not go to games unless we were  three rows from the field.

JCG posted:

...back then we lived an hour north of San Francisco, I didn't know the city all that well, and there were no smartphones. I left the stadium with a notion of heading west for an end-run around the traffic downtown and managed to get thoroughly lost. 2015, then 6yo, picks up on that, and I say, "yeah we're lost, but don't worry, I'll figure it out."  He  says "Lost? Oh, no!  Oh, no!  WE'RE DOOMED!"

Needless to say that still cracks me up and I remind him of it every year or so....

... reminds me of another "fond" baseball game memory with the youngest...

In SF, leaving the stadium after a great playoff game, beautiful night, moonroof fully retracted.  Just me and the youngest, who is 9 or 10 and fully passed out by now in the passenger seat.  Just a few blocks from the stadium, we are sitting at a red light with a car in front of us and several behind.  Two hookers on the corner start a major hair pulling profanity-filled fight and spill out onto the street, eventually directly on the hood of my car and then hanging over the open moonroof.  Yup, that woke up the young'un.  Just another story we didn't tell mom, right away anway 

My kids first game was much safer than my first experience.  We took my kids to Fenway in the 90s when it was rumored they were going to build a new baseball field.   We were vacationing on Cape Cod and decided to go see a game against the Rangers with all 3 kids and my wife.  Rangers were an offensive juggernaut in those days.

Contrast that with my first game.  My parents had briefly moved to Ohio (from Mass) when I was in first grade.  My class had a summer field trip to the old Tiger stadium.   The Tigers had a really good team that year, but I thought the stadium was not that much nicer than the parking lot.   Mickey Lolich pitched, and Gates Brown hit a towering home run into left center field...I was mesmerized how far he hit it.      I somehow got separated from my class after the game (yes in downtown Detroit) for what seemed like an eternity, but somehow found my way back to the bus. Probably a guardian angel or something.   I never told my parents I got lost.

Detroit story: A friend of mine was touring with Deep Purple a few years ago. He’s a diehard baseball fan. His son played college ball.

They played the Fox Theatre in Detroit. I asked if it was exciting to play where all the old Motown acts once played. His first comment was the coolest thing about the Fox Theatre was it’s within walking distance of Comerica Park. 

Can't remember mine. Likely little league nite at Padres game. Took sons to Dodger game at ages 4&5. Older son at five on the edge of his seat entire game. Still that passionate. Younger son at 4 after a couple of innings was like " can I have more snacks?" "When is it over. Can we go now" still that way. They both play in college but If younger son didn't catch would likely be out of the game due to boredom. 

My first game was at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore.  I don't remember much about it, as I was only 7 years old, other than being extremely impressed with Brooks Robinson.

My son's first game was at Miller Park rooting for the Brewers.  J.J. Hardy hit 2 HR's, and after that Hardy was my kid's favorite player for several years.

3and2Fastball posted:

My first game was at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore.  I don't remember much about it, as I was only 7 years old, other than being extremely impressed with Brooks Robinson.

My son's first game was at Miller Park rooting for the Brewers.  J.J. Hardy hit 2 HR's, and after that Hardy was my kid's favorite player for several years.

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