There is a thread circulating in the forums where people are retelling stories about their first ballgame experience. I find the thread very enjoyable, but going a step further I wonder if some of us have cool MLB game experiences that would be fun to recount but which were not the first game we ever saw.

Perhaps you saw a bench clearing brawl, witnessed a star player doing something cool for a fan, saw a perfect game or a someone hit for the cycle. Whatever it may be I think it would be fun to hear about it!

I'm curious to hear your stories if you have them. If the thread gets going I'll share a few of my own as well.

October 6, 2009 at the Metrodome, Game 163, Tigers at Twins, the loudest sporting event I've attended. Oh yeah, it was also one of the greatest games of the last half century, according to an MLB Network poll. Feeling the sound waves press against my chest when Orlando Cabrerra hit his go-ahead shot in the bottom of the seventh and when Alexi Cassilla won it with his base hit in extras in extras had to exceed any concert I've been to.

Two games I went to in 1976 -

Here is the best experience I ever had at a ball game:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197607250.shtml

The game-winner was even more dramatic than the event it seemed a precursor to - the pennant-winner by the same batter. I was seated along the first base line for this game and the ball went right in front of us down the line into the corner above our heads and disappeared and the next thing we all exploded in joy.

And here is the game that almost outdid it, but came up short - look at the 9th inning:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197608220.shtml

7/31/1990 - My Dad drove my brother and I up to County Stadium in Milwaukee to see Nolan Ryan win number 300. It was a blowout game, so eventually all the Brewers fans were cheering for Ryan and the Rangers to win and witness history.

8/29/2002 - I was attending UW-Milwaukee and a friend came up to visit. We went over to Miller Park to catch a game while the Cubs were in town and saw Mark Bellhorn hit two home runs in the same inning; one left-handed and one right-handed. According to mlb.com, that's only happened one other time in history.

Honestly can't believe I remembered the date of this game.

June 19, 2012

I was visiting my grandparents in San Diego in their new, beach resort type house after they retired. We decided, my grandpa and I to go to a Padres game. The Rangers were in town and I thought it was fate that I brought Josh Hamilton's biography of how he overcame drug addiction on he plane ride with me, and Josh Hamilton was in town playing. I convinced my grandpa to go extra early so I could try to get his autograph in my book. We got there, walked around for a bit, then I noticed a line forming by one of the dugouts. The Rangers were in there and people were waiting to get autographs. I ran over there but I was a bit late as around 50 people were ahead of me. I was waiting for around a minute then, someone picked me up. A security guard had picked me up, carried me to the front, and said, "little kids first." I was 14 at the time, but I was only around 4'8. I was little offended but hey, I'll take it. I got Josh Hamilton to not only sign my book, he wrote out his favorite verse in there too which I thought was cool. He was signing his name on baseballs but for me, he wrote his name, his favorite verse, and the chapter. I'm now 18, 6'1 (quite a growth spurt) sadly I lost the book somewhere in my room, and I had a picture of the signature...on my old phone. I'll try again to find it but have little hope.

As for the game, Adrian Beltre made a few diving stops and drove in a run, but it was a frustrating game as, even though I like Hamilton, I hate the Rangers. They won 7-3.

Nothing dramatic, but this one cracked me up and I remember it fondly. 2011 season, Vernon Wells arrives in Toronto for his first game back as an Angel after being traded away by the home team. He'd been one of my favorite Jays for years so I bought tickets for the game to see his return. He steps to the plate for his first at-bat, gets a nice ovation, steps out of the batter's box to acknowledge it, then steps back in. Then he smashes the first pitch for a home run! And as he's rounding the bases, he's getting booed -- and he's laughing! Loved it.

Posted by crazystengel on 4/26/2016 1:38:00 AM (view original):
Nothing dramatic, but this one cracked me up and I remember it fondly. 2011 season, Vernon Wells arrives in Toronto for his first game back as an Angel after being traded away by the home team. He'd been one of my favorite Jays for years so I bought tickets for the game to see his return. He steps to the plate for his first at-bat, gets a nice ovation, steps out of the batter's box to acknowledge it, then steps back in. Then he smashes the first pitch for a home run! And as he's rounding the bases, he's getting booed -- and he's laughing! Loved it.

lol, hopefully there's a video of it on MLB.com

Found it on youtube. It's amateur video, and you can't see Wells' face, but you can see the HR and hear the crowd's reaction:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDDG4Dd5N8I

I've had a few interesting experiences at the ballpark. The first one I'll share actually was at a minor league game in Vermont. It was 1988 and at the time the Vermont team was the Mariners affiliate. Ken Griffey Jr. had just joined the team so my parents and I went to a game to see him play. Griffey was about as hyped a young player as they had back then.

The seating was general admission at Burlington's Centennial Field. As we walked in to find a seat, I noticed Griffey close to the third base dugout and I say "hey, Ken Griffey!" I wasn't expecting him to acknowledge me at all, but in return he says "hey man, how you doing today?" It was almost as if he was acknowledging me as an old buddy of his or something...extremely personable young guy. Griffey and I were the same age and he was just being a cool dude.

He ends up coming over and we start shooting the breeze. I actually asked him for a dip of his Copenhagen tobacco and he let me take his tin and take a pinch! Lol. Pretty cool. My Dad asked him about how his Dad was doing who as I recall had just been traded. Griffey Jr seemed to like the question and enjoyed talking about his Dad.

That game showcased Griffey's entire package. He hit a HR, threw out a runner from centerfield, and had a base hit and stolen base. He pretty much seemed to dominate the game.

I had another run in with Griffey later on at a MLB game that was even more interesting. I'll recount that one later. Keep the posts coming...good stuff!!

I was at a game in Milwaukee to see the Tigers play the Brewers at the old County Stadium. It was the summer of 1980. Saw Jim Lentine hit his one and only HR as a big leaguer. It wasn't my favorite experience, going to games with my Dad and brothers would top the list, but for some reason this jumped into my head. Still have the ticket stub. I'd send it to Lentine if possible, but don't want to put in too much effort.

being a Braves fan, in Yankee Stadium for Game 1 of the 1996 WS, and seeing Andruw Jones go yard twice

Posted by nockahoma on 4/26/2016 12:52:00 PM (view original):
being a Braves fan, in Yankee Stadium for Game 1 of the 1996 WS, and seeing Andruw Jones go yard twice

nockahoma, I was in Italy, a grad student, and had only US Armed Forces radio from a nearby base to listen to the game on (no internet in those days, at least not for watching games etc.) - Vin Scully - and I can assure you that that part of the World Series sucked.

Of course when Leyritz hit that homer in game 4, and when O'Neill caught that ball in game 5, and when the last out landed in Charlie Hayes' glove...

well, there are 6 hours of difference, so it was like 5-6 in the morning by the time these games ended, and I lived with other people in an apartment. So I was lying in bed listening with earphones on and screaming silently with joy.

but not in game 1 when Andruw hit those homers. That part sucked. :-)

March 31, 1998 - Bank One Ballpark - Phoenix, AZ

Opening day of the Inaugural Season for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Awesome opening of the retractable roof, paratroopers thru the roof, rope repelling from the roof delivering the bases, Old rockers (Alice Cooper and more) performing the National Anthem (very well and respectfully), Andy Benes 1st pitch, Travis Lee's 1st hit and 1st HR, Matt Williams at 3rd and even seeing Larry Walker (one of my all time favs) added to the night. We lost but we were an expansion team.

Posted by italyprof on 4/26/2016 1:47:00 PM (view original):

Posted by nockahoma on 4/26/2016 12:52:00 PM (view original):
being a Braves fan, in Yankee Stadium for Game 1 of the 1996 WS, and seeing Andruw Jones go yard twice

nockahoma, I was in Italy, a grad student, and had only US Armed Forces radio from a nearby base to listen to the game on (no internet in those days, at least not for watching games etc.) - Vin Scully - and I can assure you that that part of the World Series sucked.

Of course when Leyritz hit that homer in game 4, and when O'Neill caught that ball in game 5, and when the last out landed in Charlie Hayes' glove...

well, there are 6 hours of difference, so it was like 5-6 in the morning by the time these games ended, and I lived with other people in an apartment. So I was lying in bed listening with earphones on and screaming silently with joy.

but not in game 1 when Andruw hit those homers. That part sucked. :-)

(game 4) I was screaming at the TV..."Leyritz can't catch up to the fastball" and "For the love of God do NOT throw him another off-speed pitch"(as he had yanked a few foul pretty hard)

....sure as sh*t......

I have never forgiven Mark Wohlers

Posted by italyprof on 4/26/2016 1:47:00 PM (view original):

Posted by nockahoma on 4/26/2016 12:52:00 PM (view original):
being a Braves fan, in Yankee Stadium for Game 1 of the 1996 WS, and seeing Andruw Jones go yard twice

nockahoma, I was in Italy, a grad student, and had only US Armed Forces radio from a nearby base to listen to the game on (no internet in those days, at least not for watching games etc.) - Vin Scully - and I can assure you that that part of the World Series sucked.

Of course when Leyritz hit that homer in game 4, and when O'Neill caught that ball in game 5, and when the last out landed in Charlie Hayes' glove...

well, there are 6 hours of difference, so it was like 5-6 in the morning by the time these games ended, and I lived with other people in an apartment. So I was lying in bed listening with earphones on and screaming silently with joy.

but not in game 1 when Andruw hit those homers. That part sucked. :-)

I spent a good deal of time in Europe back in my navy days. I fondly remember World Series games starting at 1 AM, Tuesday Morning football, etc. We always got the Monday after the Super Bowl off as a result.