CNN has lost all credibility

[Abby Normal]

I love the bar. Last summer me, my wife and kids were behind the plate....I took off solo and made my way around the stadium. I finally settled in up there for a few innings.

hope the wife wasn't too pissed off--You can lose track of time up there!!
very enjoyable.

[Abby Normal]

Are you quoting the "The Natural"?

Pittsburgh is great. Saw two games against the Cubs there last year. Iron City Beer is not my favorite, though.

Used to love foul balls hitting the rafters at Tiger Stadium and seeing the rust flakes fall onto the crowd. I miss the old Yankee Stadium too. My favorite memory there was watching Vlad Guererro take BP and pelting people around monument park with baseballs. They had a net up to protect people IN monument park but there were people around the periphery that weren't paying attention and several people almost died. That guy could mash.

we call it Iron Stomach beer

[Steadmund Brand]

I was quoting the Natural I guess... but was inadvertent (on a side note.. I was at the filming of it.. was a kid at the time I was only 11 when it was being filmed) but great memories....a friend of mine at the time actually got to be in the film.. he is one of the kids in the newsreel with Redford....

I was at a game in old Three River in Pittsburgh when McGwire was with St Louis and I watched him hit 4 balls in a row into the top deck.....and remember.. that was a football stadium... was INSANE

I also saw a game in old Tiger Stadium where Jorge Posada hit a home run that hit the old football press box (anyone who remember that stadium will know what a shot that was!!!)

Vlad was a beast!! one of my favorite all time ball players... his son is with the Toronto organization, I think in single A ball now ( I know this because their AAA team is my Buffalo Bisons).. word is he is one of the top prospects in all of Baseball and he is only 18....I hope in the next few season I will get to see him play here (I can see the stadium from my office window)

My favorite all time baseball memory is from when I was a little kid, probably 7 or 8 years old, my family went to Cleveland to see the Yankees and that weekend was the Indians old timers VS. the Yankees old timers...remember when they did that stuff..... anyway.. the hotel I was in is where all the old timers were staying, and they were having this huge banquet reception..my mother took me and my younger brother down to where it was.. and just kinda waited outside so we could see the players (much to my fathers embarrassment.....he hated when she did things like that.. no wonder they were divorced within a few more years hahaha) anyway.. here are these two kids me like 7 or 8 my brother like 6 wearing little Yankees jerseys and hats... well someone spots us.. and says.. "hey guys look we have fans" and came out..asked my mother if he could take us in as his guests (she could come in as well) and he took me by one hand, my brother by the other and we went into the party.....and these guys treated us like kings... we became the guests of honor for like 1/2 an hour....the man who came out and took us in was Yogi Berra... no joke....was an amazing night....some real legends there as well, Luis Tiant, Buddy Bell, Larry Doby, Elston Howard, Gaylord Perry, Don Larson....was just crazy.... I almost wish I was older and could have appreciated it more..ya know

Steadmund Brand

[Patrick S]

hope the wife wasn't too pissed off--You can lose track of time up there!!
very enjoyable.

her and the kids loved it. unlike many wives I know, she let's me act l like an idiot without complaint, so long as no one gets hurt.

[Patrick S]

I was quoting the Natural I guess... but was inadvertent (on a side note.. I was at the filming of it.. was a kid at the time I was only 11 when it was being filmed) but great memories....a friend of mine at the time actually got to be in the film.. he is one of the kids in the newsreel with Redford....

I was at a game in old Three River in Pittsburgh when McGwire was with St Louis and I watched him hit 4 balls in a row into the top deck.....and remember.. that was a football stadium... was INSANE

I also saw a game in old Tiger Stadium where Jorge Posada hit a home run that hit the old football press box (anyone who remember that stadium will know what a shot that was!!!)

Vlad was a beast!! one of my favorite all time ball players... his son is with the Toronto organization, I think in single A ball now ( I know this because their AAA team is my Buffalo Bisons).. word is he is one of the top prospects in all of Baseball and he is only 18....I hope in the next few season I will get to see him play here (I can see the stadium from my office window)

My favorite all time baseball memory is from when I was a little kid, probably 7 or 8 years old, my family went to Cleveland to see the Yankees and that weekend was the Indians old timers VS. the Yankees old timers...remember when they did that stuff..... anyway.. the hotel I was in is where all the old timers were staying, and they were having this huge banquet reception..my mother took me and my younger brother down to where it was.. and just kinda waited outside so we could see the players (much to my fathers embarrassment.....he hated when she did things like that.. no wonder they were divorced within a few more years hahaha) anyway.. here are these two kids me like 7 or 8 my brother like 6 wearing little Yankees jerseys and hats... well someone spots us.. and says.. "hey guys look we have fans" and came out..asked my mother if he could take us in as his guests (she could come in as well) and he took me by one hand, my brother by the other and we went into the party.....and these guys treated us like kings... we became the guests of honor for like 1/2 an hour....the man who came out and took us in was Yogi Berra... no joke....was an amazing night....some real legends there as well, Luis Tiant, Buddy Bell, Larry Doby, Elston Howard, Gaylord Perry, Don Larson....was just crazy.... I almost wish I was older and could have appreciated it more..ya know

Steadmund Brand

I saw Jr. hit a ball off the façade above the upper tank in right at Tiger Stadium. I was sitting right below impact. You won't hear that kind of metallic BOOM! at any of today's parks.

My favorite memory is from 2012 at Huntington Park (home of the AAA Clippers). I played there in a men's league All-Star game. In my first AB I doubled off the centerfield wall. Ball went 400 feet in the air. I then stole third and scored on a sac fly. My buddy took a pick of the double. I've tried to upload it.

[Patrick S]

I should add a bit about WHY this was such a great moment for me.
1. My two boys were in the stands (up the first base line - no seating was made available down the third base line - that's why it looks so empty!).
2. This was a 25+ league and I made the All-Star game at the age of 43.
3. I had missed most of the entire 2011 season because I had surgery to repair my triceps tendon which I had torn off the bone lifting.
4. They had the gun working on the board and the pitch I hit (off of a former Atlanta farmhand) clocked at 93.
5. We won the game 1-0.

Note two important things: Wood bat. No batting gloves. That's how you're supposed to play it.

[Wickerman]

Patrick, SIZE really does matter...

[Patrick S]

Patrick, SIZE really does matter...

What does that mean?

[Wickerman]

What does that mean?

The pic is too big when it stretches the forum page way off into next week....

A 50% reduction would have been great

[Patrick S]

The pic is too big when it stretches the forum page way off into next week....

A 50% reduction would have been great

I see that. my bad. first upload to this site.

[Abby Normal]

I should add a bit about WHY this was such a great moment for me.
1. My two boys were in the stands (up the first base line - no seating was made available down the third base line - that's why it looks so empty!).
2. This was a 25+ league and I made the All-Star game at the age of 43.
3. I had missed most of the entire 2011 season because I had surgery to repair my triceps tendon which I had torn off the bone lifting.
4. They had the gun working on the board and the pitch I hit (off of a former Atlanta farmhand) clocked at 93.
5. We won the game 1-0.

Note two important things: Wood bat. No batting gloves. That's how you're supposed to play it.

Yup. I'm always amazed by the photos of the old timers..... huge bat, little gloves total badasses.

[Abby Normal]

Yup. I'm always amazed by the photos of the old timers..... huge bat, little gloves total badasses.

And when I say little gloves I mean the fielding ones

[Patrick S]

And when I say little gloves I mean the fielding ones

Old timer? I'm going to cry myself to sleep. Because it's true.

[Steadmund Brand]

Don't feel bad Patrick... we are all old times...but not all of us could hit a double off the wall.....

Giant bats and small gloves....I got to hold one of Babe Ruths bats at a national sports collectors convention a few years back....was sooooo top heavy, was amazing. One of my interests is pre deadball era baseball...(yep pre deadball) when they didn't even wear gloves!! some fascinating books on the subject I will recommend if anyone is interested in that part of history (spoiler alert I'm sure you all know.......Abner Doubleday did NOT invent baseball haha)

Steadmund Brand

[Abby Normal]

Don't feel bad Patrick... we are all old times...but not all of us could hit a double off the wall.....

Giant bats and small gloves....I got to hold one of Babe Ruths bats at a national sports collectors convention a few years back....was sooooo top heavy, was amazing. One of my interests is pre deadball era baseball...(yep pre deadball) when they didn't even wear gloves!! some fascinating books on the subject I will recommend if anyone is interested in that part of history (spoiler alert I'm sure you all know.......Abner Doubleday did NOT invent baseball haha)

Steadmund Brand

yeah it should more be credited to Cartwright, if anyone is designated as the inventor or founder of baseball.

But of course its kind of misnomer as baseball evolved over many years from earlier folk games like rounders, stick and ball games etc.and it goes way back-theres evidence of "base ball" being played as early as the 1700s!!!