Your First Home O's Game!

[csh_83]

First one I remember was 1985, my 11th B-day, my mom hauled me and four or five of my friends to Memorial. Seats upper deck behind the plate. Bottom of the 9th, Fred Lynn hit a three-run shot for the walk-off with Cal on 3rd, and Eddie on 1st. Madness in the streets after the game. O's FAN FOR LIFE!!!!!!

I was at a game in 1985 against the White Sox when Fred Lynn hit a 3 run homer in the bottom of the ninth to win the game and the fans went nuts. It was the loudest I have ever heard Memorial Stadium. I also remember Tony Larussa using 3 or 4 different pitchers in the last inning.

The game I am talking about is at the 2:39 mark of the video.

[video=youtube;11EoCRqFaxg]

[DrungoHazewood]

My first game was early in 1954. I was 11 years old. I remember the the Orioles won. My grandfather took me to see Orioles play the Washington Senators. My grandfather was a Senators fan and we had gone to Washington to see the Senators play in previous years. I had also been to a couple Orioles games before that when they were still in the International league.

Man, I would so count the pre-1954 O's games in my tally! That puts you in a higher stratosphere of fan! Did you see any games pre-Memorial Stadium, like at the football stadium (Municipal Stadium) they used after the old Federal League park burned in '44?

[hallmt18]

My first game was early in 1954. I was 11 years old. I remember the the Orioles won. My grandfather took me to see Orioles play the Washington Senators. My grandfather was a Senators fan and we had gone to Washington to see the Senators play in previous years. I had also been to a couple Orioles games before that when they were still in the International league.

That's so cool. Where did these games take place?

[Ohfan67]

Saturday, May 15, 1993, against the Detroit Tigers. This was my first major league baseball game. We walked into the seating bowl using one of the entrances behind home plate. The view literally took my breath away. Gorgeous field. Detroit was taking batting practice and I was in awe as I stood 30 feet from Cecil Fielder while he was waiting to get into the cage and 20 feet from Sparky Anderson as he gave a pregame interview. I was in total awe. I was also amazed at how large Cecil's butt was. My god did that man have a huge derriere! The O's lost, it was unseasonable cold and a little foggy that day, but I had a great time and that game really turned me into a rabid O's fan. I had moved to Maryland in the fall of 1991 and wasn't really a baseball fan at that point, but seeing the O's live changed that forever.

[RHall31]

Summer of '68. I was 8. My Grandparents, Parents, Sister, Brother and I saw Denny McClain and the tigers beat the Orioles. I don't remember a thing about the game except it wasn't close and my Grandfather talked about how good Denny McClain was on the way home. I do remember getting a team picture pennant though. I memorized every players name and it hung on my wall for a number of years. My grandfather took me to at least a game a year for quite a few years. Fun times!!!!

[SilentJames]

I have distinct memories of an O's/Mariners game in either 88 or 89.

The Orioles won, I was confused why everyone was booing Randy Milligan, my father explained.

I can't honestly remember if that was my first - but it is the earliest one I have the clearest memories of.

[PaulFolk]

The earliest game I can remember going to was when Wilson Alvarez pitched a no-hitter against the O's in 1991, in just his second major-league start.

I was too young to understand why everyone was cheering when Alvarez got the final out. "The Orioles lost! Why is everyone happy?"

[HarlowFan]

The earliest game I can remember going to was when Wilson Alvarez pitched a no-hitter against the O's in 1991, in just his second major-league start.

I was too young to understand why everyone was cheering when Alvarez got the final out. "The Orioles lost! Why is everyone happy?"

I was at this game, too. It was horrible; I kept waiting for some offense and it never happened. And, I wasn't cheering; instead went to a bar.

[OrangeJerseys]

First one I remember was 1985, my 11th B-day, my mom hauled me and four or five of my friends to Memorial. Seats upper deck behind the plate. Bottom of the 9th, Fred Lynn hit a three-run shot for the walk-off with Cal on 3rd, and Eddie on 1st. Madness in the streets after the game. O's FAN FOR LIFE!!!!!!

I was at that game sitting in the nfl press box.

[Dark Helmet]

July 14 1989. My sister and my brother -in-law took me for my 12th bday. It was against the Angels. Dave Schmidt started against Chuck Finley. O's won but can't rember the score. Cal homered tewice but the highlight for me was walking down the breezeway and seeing the field for the first time in person. It was an amazing feeling and one that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Best bday ever!

[DrungoHazewood]

July 14 1989. My sister and my brother -in-law took me for my 12th bday. It was against the Angels. Dave Schmidt started against Chuck Finley. O's won but can't rember the score. Cal homered tewice but the highlight for me was walking down the breezeway and seeing the field for the first time in person. It was an amazing feeling and one that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Best bday ever!

Close... July 14, 1989 the O's beat the Angels 6-4. Brian Holton over Kirk McCaskill, with Olson notching a save. Cal did homer, but only once. I'm not giving you grief, the brain has a way of mis-remembering a lot of stuff, that's why they make Retrosheet! That was the day before the epic Devereaux homer game, which was started by Finley and Schmidt.

[PeteU]

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/box-scores/boxscore.php?boxid=198906100BAL

June 10, 1989

I didn't follow the Orioles before that day. Didn't even follow baseball or any sports in general. The only names that sounded vaguely familiar were Cal Ripken, Bill Ripken and Mickey Tettleton.

I remember my dad circling Memorial Stadium twice trying to find parking that night until finally parking in someone's yard. As a result, we didn't get into the stadium until the 2nd Inning.

But there was, as is typically with all the first time ballpark stories, the big reveal. The great green grass field. The bright lights. Thousands of people in the stands. There was a helicopter that would periodically fly around the stadium. The players pictures up on the old Jumbotron. The air really did feel electric that night with all that excitement.

We entered in the upper deck...and walked up...and up....and up, all the way up to the very top row of the upper deck. Which, if you remember, had seats that backed up to nothing more than a rickety old chain link fence. It was both scary and exciting.

There was the Wave, which we all know as adults is rather lame and tired, but as a kid you have to admit it looked pretty cool. And I remember the banter between the Orioles fans and a few Brewers fans....Brewers fans shooting off a "Let's go Brewers, Let's go!", and Orioles fans answering back with a "Let's go Orioles, let's go!"

The game was something of a bust for the Orioles though. The birds were shut out. About the only play of memory to me was a deep fly ball to center (I forgot who hit it) that I hoped to be the first home run I ever saw, but unfortunately it died on the warning track.

Final score: Milwaukee Brewers 6, Orioles 0.

It didn't matter though. One game and I was hooked. I fell in love with baseball and the Orioles at first sight. I remember after the game ended, my dad taking me and my sister down to the lower deck to the seats by the field and seeing the on field reporter doing his report, and just being in awe of the entire experience.

And it was that 1989 team that was the team that brought me in. Which made 2012, and the many parallels to that '89 team, all the more special for me.

[PeteU]

My first game was Aug 3rd, 1990. Boy was it a great game! O's won 14-1! Cal hit two homers along with Sam Horn and Joe Orsulak. But that was only half of the fireworks. Steve Craford plunked Brady Anderson for some weird reason. Could have sworn it was because he stole a base when the O's were up by alot but I can't find any stolen bases in the box score. But Brady took excetion to it and charged the mound. It wasn't your run of the mill bench clearings either. I remember some fists flying and Pete Harnisch bodyslamming George Brett! I don't know exactly what went through my mind but I had a feeling like "It's all got to be downhill from here".

I remember that brawl. Right after the Orioles score, Brady got plunked right in the ass. I was still a newbie to baseball and had never seen a bench clearing brawl before, so when Brady got hit by the pitch and the very first thing he did was race up to the mound, my first reaction was, "Why is he doing that?"

[OsEatAlEast]

Yeah I remember Crawford looking like he outweighed Anderson by about 40lbs. Plus he looked alot like "Ogre" from "Revenge of the Nerds". Brady wasn't scared though! I can still see him waiving his hands and motioning to Crawford "Come on! I'm right here!". Then running out to the mound.

[DrungoHazewood]

Yeah I remember Crawford looking like he outweighed Anderson by about 40lbs. Plus he looked alot like "Ogre" from "Revenge of the Nerds". Brady wasn't scared though! I can still see him waiving his hands and motioning to Crawford "Come on! I'm right here!". Then running out to the mound.

I missed your original post - I was at that game, sitting waaaaay up in the upper deck by the RF foul pole.