It has long been a tale of family lore: Billy's first major league baseball game.
Earlier this month, I attended a wild one at
Yankee Stadium (
Yankees 14,
Angels 9 - read about it
here.)
The historical nature of the game (most likely my last one at the "old" Yankee stadium) got me a thinking, especially with my daughters in tow. So I hopped on the web and did a little research.
But before I continue, a generous cousin took Shayna and me to another wild one this past Sunday (Yankees 15,
Royals 6) and we had completely awesome seats, so this past Sunday was my last game at the old Yankee Stadium (recap
here).
Now, scroll back to another time: I was 7 years old and visiting my dear young dad (who would some day become
The Ancient One, Blessed Be He). We had taken a break from summer in
Springfield, Illinois, and were visiting my Grandma Martha Cohen in
Southern California. We went to an Angels-
Tigers game at "
The Big A," the original stadium for the team then known as the California Angels.
Here's what I remember: it was a pitcher's duel, the stuff that excites grown-ups but bores little seven-year old boys. The game ended 1-0. The collective memory of me and my pops had the Tigers losing 1-0. Or maybe winning 1-0. I also remember a line drive foul ball coming right toward me at a million miles an hour, but somehow being miraculously diverted into the loge section above us Or we may have been in loge and it could have been an upper deck.
Mickey Lolich pitched for the Tigers.
Frank Tanana for the Angels. Or so we thought.
Fresh from the euphoria of the Angels loss at the hands of the Bronx Bombers, I went a digging in the cyber-archives.
Amazing what you find on line! There it is: Monday, August 19, 1974. Angels 1, Tigers 0. Winning pitcher: Frank Tanana. Losing pitcher:
Fred Holdsworth? What?
And then you look at the play-by-play: a pitcher's gem indeed. The game ended in the bottom of the ninth after a lead-off single, a sacrifice, an intentional walk, a passed ball (moving both runners into scoring position, and then another intentional walk to load the bases, and then pinch runner
Mickey Rivers scored on a sacrifice fly by pinch hitter
Winston Llenas.
Game summary
here.
But I am more impressed by who else I saw play that night...
For the Tigers,
Al Kaline,
Ron LeFlore, and the original third baseman named A-Rod,
Aurelio Rodriguez (name the baseball player with all five vowels in his first name). Sad news, I just learned he died in 2000.
For the Angels,
Denny Doyle,
Bruce Bochte,
Bobby Valentine and
Frank Robinson.
But I had swore we saw Lolich pitch for Detroit. But I was more certain Tanana was there.
The next night, however, was more memorable. Maybe I saw that game instead?
It was Lolich. Against
Nolan Ryan. Detroit won 1-0. Both pitchers went all 11 innings. And Ryan struck out 19 batters. And lost. Can you imagine?
No, it had to be the Tanana game. I would have remembered Ryan and 19 K's. Check out this
box.
I called my father. He believes we saw Lolich-Ryan, but that it wasn't extra innings. I remember Tanana. But I was 7 and he was 37. Whose memory is more reliable? I can't imagine dear old dad having such a great month that both Nixon resigned and the Tigers won a game, despite fanning
nineteen times.
Of course, once he reads this, he'll remember who else was there and start making some phone calls. Or maybe he won't.
To you, Dad, I issue this challenge....tell us once and for all which game it was.....
