Great baseball memories

I was sitting around today and just thinking back on games I have played in or have watched. I had SO many memories about the game of baseball that I have experinced the past 15 years with so many great and talented players.

I thought it would be fun to start a thread let people post things about games they have played/coach/watched. It doesn't matter what age or level you were, I think it would be cool to just hear other stories.

I know me and Braves could on for days talking about the great time we had with On Deck. Finishing 3rd in Jupiter FL. has to be one of my best memories I have had and will always cherish.

 

Man

that is a tough one. It is hard to choose from the many, I have of my son and his team. Here a few
First game ball for a double play in tee ball, inside the park home run (tee ball), First USSSA State Championship 8 & under coach pitch, Game ball at AAU 9 & under in Orlando, Fl., Grand slam home run at the AAU 10 & under in Iowa, No hitter and perfect game at 12 yrs old (not a pitcher), First high school home run, him and is buddies playing wiffle ball in the backyard.
Being able to see him and his team winning many AAU & USSSA events and play the game. I know that compared to some of you I'm just getting started. I hope so!!!!!!!!!!!

 

List all the memories you want or have.

 

Little League and Babe Ruth Baseball

I have so many memories of my son so far that I think I'll let him have those memories and just write about mine.

First, in LL winning the County Championship as a 10 year old and making all-stars. Then competing against all the other all-star teams in NC. Travelling to Hickory was a big deal to us those days. Seemed like we went to the west coast to play.

Babe Ruth as a 14 yr old and playing in Kings Mountain.
We stayed the week with "adoptive Parents"!
I stayed in someone's house that I didn't know! They were very nice to me and took really good care of me, but it was still strange staying in someone's house.
We finished second in the State that year.

As a 15 yr old, we won the State in Statesville and went to Fort Myers Florida to play in the souteast regionals.
We again stayed with "adoptive parents", this time I was used to it from the previous year. No REAL parents anywhere as they had to stay at home and work!
This was the home of the Kansas City Royals spring training camp. We rode the Boy's Club bus all the way down and stopped for an overnight stay in a motel.
This was my first stay in a motel and one of the first times I had ever eaten at a restaurant. When we got to the park, I went to the concession stand and ordered a Cheerwine. The person looked at me with a big frown and said, "Son, we don't sell alcohol here" and turned away. Being so young and never traveled, I didn't know that Cheerwine wasn't sold everywhere. So I then asked for a Sundrop! Uhh, what's a Sundrop? Ok, give me a coke!

We got to play on the nicest fields that I had ever seen.
We had no grass infields then and to play on grass was a big deal. Not to mention a Major League field!!!!
We thought we were in the big leagues, our steps were a little sharper and our chins were up so far, if it had rained we would probably have drowned!!!

We lost two games 2-1 and 3-1 and they took us on the way home to the Glass Bottom boats and to Six Flags over Georgia! That was thirty-six years ago and I still remember it like it was yesterday.

My first home run was hit in Concord at Web field against Salisbury. A two run blast that won the game 3-2. Concord was a Sr. High with no freshman class so as a sophmore starting varsity and hitting a HR in the first game, well that was a big deal for me!
Had more HR's, AVG and RBI's that year than anyone on our conference championship team and didn't make all conference. My team mate won MVP of the conference that year! That's the first time I had to deal with politics!
Getting punched in the nose one night in Asheboro was a highlight of high school. A kid, I know his name, slid hard into 2nd base and cleated me in the back of the leg. He came after me as I was away from the base before he got there. I looked down and saw the blood and turned and called him a very nasty name. I turned away to throw the ball back to the pitcher and I felt him wheel me around and all I saw was his knuckles then I felt his knuckles on my NOSE. He got kicked out and I went 3-4 and we won the game. Played some college ball with this guy later. Turned out to be a decent person.

Sorry got carried away!!!

 

Baseball memories

WOW! I have more than a few myself.
Some of the best times with my two boys were on trips to and from tournaments. I remember a group of the "in kids" at the time and their dads headed down to watch spring training. My oldest thought he would be invited but wasn't...so single mom at the time took a week vacation and headed to Florida. Karaoke on the way down and a ball handed to my baby boy by Omar Viz*** (sp?) come to mind.
The 4-A Championship game in 06 was surreal. Watching that group of young men skip and jump and cry tears of joy. That was their year, any thing less for our town would have been unacceptable..and THEY DID IT!
Another great memory is catching a glimpse of my oldest bowing his head before every game with a few of his teammates. They didn't do this where everyone would see, how proud could a mom possibly be?
Then there's my baby boy hitting his teams only homerun in the Pony Zones in Cranberry Twnshp Pa, wow they almost made it to CA. More memories to come with this one I'm sure.
Last, the day my oldest hit his first collegiate homerun. I wasn't going to go, since it was a day game in Florence, SC. But I took a half day and hustled down in my work uniform at the last minute. There may have been 10 fans there. He didn't think I was coming. I was so happy to be able to share his joy.
Isn't baseball the BEST!!!

 

Baseball memories

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This is going to be a terrific thread. I have a lot of things I would like to post. I just don't have the time right now.

I don't know about you guys, but I love to read everybody's experiences. They are awesome.

I've got a couple of vivid memories with you, lefty I'll post them later.

 

Let's start with he was born....... best one. It is pretty hard to select one. He has been able to play with some great players and although each game was special it is hard to put a finger on one that is super special. I guess that seeing him cross the plate after his Grand Slam. He hit the ball after being in a slump for who knows how long. He hit the ball over a high fence, he thought he was out, he did not know till his first base coach told him to keep going. I guess the picture of his teammates meeting him at the plate was the topper. They finished 7th this was the 10 & under AAU National in Iowa. It was so hot with some great teams. So, it is up there. I am sure he will amaze me again. So stay tuned.

 

My son's JV team was playing against our (at that time) arch rivals. He played 3rd base up to after the first batter of the seventh inning. With a runner on 1st, no outs and a tie ball game, he got the nod to pitch. Before the first pitch, he made a throw over to 1st base...the setup throw. Everybody could hear the third base coach said, "Get another step". I said, yes get another step! My son threw back over to 1st but this time with a little zip on the ball and the runner was out by two or three steps. The 3rd base coach made a trip across the diamond to talk with the ump. My son said, "Coach he was out by a mile". The coach said, "I'm not talking to you son". But the whole time my son was playing 3rd base the coach was steady talking to him about what his players were going to do....you better back the outfielders up.....and on and on and on.
My son then went on to pitch the remainer of the 7th, 8th, 9th & 10th with out giving up a hit, run or a ball hit out of the infield. Then in the bottom of the 10th and leading off, he hit a line drive ball over the left field fence for a walk off homer to win game 5 to 4. This was right after the fans were about to have a throw down. To end the top of the 10th inning, a batter dribble a ball to my son and he threw to first for the final out. The runner while crossing the bag, kicked our first baseman in the calf (accidental or on purpose?), knocking him to the ground. Then the fans, started yelling at each other, not a pretty sight at the time. So the walk off was very good timing.
This was a very exciting game for my son, his team, our fans and his mother and I. To see your son so exciting to have accomplished something only a few accomplished.....the walk off homer! Not to mention, to beat arch rivals that were at the time, undefeated!

Note: Of course, the walk off homer baseball is the most cherished ball in the trophy cabinet....on the ball it reads, "Raider Killer"! Hopefully, there will be more to come.