Friday, July 31, 2009

Opening Post, Opening Day

This is the program/scorecard from Opening Day, April 8, 1969. It was my very first game. Our seats were in the lower boxes on the third base side. This was back when the average guy could still get them at face value. My Dad went down by the dugout before the game and was lucky enough to get three signatures--Rich Nye, Ken Rudolph and Joe Niekro. Other than the memory of first coming up the stairs and seeing the field, which was spectacular, what stands out for me was the bright red of the Phillies uniforms.

Here's the scorecard filled in by my Dad (even as an adult my handwriting was never nice as his). Cub fans remember this game for the last at bat in the 11th inning. The Cubs were trailing by a run. With one out and Randy Hundley on first, Willie Smith, pinch-hitting for Jim Hickman, homered to right center to win the game. I can't say I remember much of the previous action, including Ernie Banks' two home runs, but I do remember that moment. My Dad is gone now but looking at this scorecard brings back the memory of him jumping to his feet and hollering for joy.

3 comments:

  1. very cool to see an old scorecard like that. Not too many people keep score anymore.

    welcome to the blogs! Have fun with it!

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  2. Welcome to the blogosphere. My first game was in Philadelphia, at Connie Mack Field, Phillies against the Giants. My strongest memory is how green was the grass.

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  3. Wow, the Phillies started 3 rookies (Larry Hisle, Ron Stone, Don Money) on opening day.


    My first MLB game was a Saturday in May 1967, with the Phillies hosting the Reds at Connie Mack Stadium. My strongest memory is how steep the upper deck was (and, like Capewood, how green the grass was).

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