Your First Pro Games

[bulldogbarks55]

My first professional baseball game was on August 20, 1959. The Montreal Royals vs. the Rochester Red Wings at Red Wing Stadium in Rochester. The starting pitcher for the Royals was Tommy Lasorda. Bob Keegan started for the Wings. 17-year old Tim Mc Carver pinch hit for Rochester. Montreal won the game.

One week later on August 27, 1959 we saw the Red Wings beat the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs 6-5 in 15 innings.

The first pro hockey game I saw was the Providence Reds vs. the Rochester Americans at the War Memorial on October 16, 1959. The Amerks won the game 4-1.

[KevinMcD]

MLB:Orioles @ Blue Jays (9/20/01) Ripken's last game at the SkyDome. Orioles Won big.

NHL:???? @ Sabres (??/??/97) I remember going to a preseason game at the Aud vs. St Louis. But my first regular season game was in the '97 season.

NFL:Steelers @ Bills (9/30/01) This was my first regular season game. I have been to many preseason games before this but this was 100X better, even though the Bills lost.

[BlueSky]

My first professional baseball game was on August 20, 1959. The Montreal Royals vs. the Rochester Red Wings at Red Wing Stadium in Rochester. The starting pitcher for the Royals was Tommy Lasorda. Bob Keegan started for the Wings. 17-year old Tim Mc Carver pinch hit for Rochester. Montreal won the game.

One week later on August 27, 1959 we saw the Red Wings beat the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs 6-5 in 15 innings.

The first pro hockey game I saw was the Providence Reds vs. the Rochester Americans at the War Memorial on October 16, 1959. The Amerks won the game 4-1.

Awesome. You never know what the future holds for the players you see. For example, in 1983 I had season tickets for the Saints. In week 5 they hosted the Miami Dolphins, and after the starter (Don Strock maybe?) was ineffective, they sent in a rookie QB to finish the game - Dan Marino. He started the next week and never looked back.

[DelayedPenalty]

NHL: New York Islanders @ Florida Panthers at the London Ice House, London, Ontario, Canada (preseason). 1995, the season after they went to the Cup finals, outcome unknown. Had seats in the very top row, right at center ice on the bench side. Frederic Chabot was in net for the Panthers and I thought he was sensational, but he didn't make the final roster.

MLB: Chicago White Sox @ Toronto Blue Jays, 1992. Jays won, score unknown. Went on a trip with my Beavers (Boy Scout) pack, or troop, or whatever they're called. Sat somewhere in the outfield and missed a homerun ball by 2 rows (went behind me).

NASCAR: 2004 GFS Food System 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Greg Biffle won in the Flash car. The Ford cars all had Justice League paint schemes that day. Sat in row 15 between turns 1 and 2.

[ivan26278]

Pacers @ Knicks January 10 1995

3 River Plate(Argentine football) games as home team

1 Platense(Argentine football) game as home team

for yankees replace football with soccer

[Jer15]

CFL: It was in July of 1990 I'm sure. Calgary at home against Winnipeg. I don't recall the score, I was 6 at the time.

CFL Playoffs: Surprisingly, only lasty season, Toronto's loss to Winnipeg in the East final.

NHL: It was again 1990, maybe even then end of '89. I don't recall. I just know it was the Flames against the Blues.

NHL Playoffs: The Leafs Playoff run in 2002-2003 season (I believe) game 2 of the East final when Buffalo beat them in 5, and went on to loose the cup final to Dallas. That was the only game the Leafs won in that series, and if I recall it was 4-2 Leafs

NFL: Bills -vs- Ravens. October 21, 2007. Bills won 19-14 and I don't think there was a better day in my life.

MLB: Sometime in 1992, Jays -vs- who knows? I just know my family had just moved back to the Toronto area.

NLL: Toronto Rock -vs- New York Saints in Maple Leaf gardens. I know the rock won, but I don't remember the score.

OHL: Brampton Battalion -vs- Belville Bulls, sometime in 1999, I can't recall all these dates (my grandparents are from Belville, so that's why I chose that as my first Battalions game). I don't remember the score, but I bet Brampton lost.

MLS: Toronto FC -vs- San Jose Earthquakes. July 19, 2008. A scoreless tie on a wet day, but still fun.

Also I went to see the Calgary Cannons once back in 1991. Against who? No idea.

[usahockeyrube]

MLB- Twins v. Indians- 8/7/1977- Twins 11 Indians 1

NFL- Vikings V. Bears- 10/21/79- Vikes 30 Bears 27

NHL- North Stars v. Rockies- 1977- Stars lost

NBA- T-Wolves v. Jazz- 1990- T- Wolves lost

NCAA Football- Gophers v. Badgers- 1979- Gophers lost

NCAA Basketball- Gophers v. Illinois- 1988- Gophers lost

[B-Rich]

I think I'm up there with Skyaa, Infrared and Bulldogbarks as having the oldest 1sts....

MLB: 1973, Astrodome, summer vacation. Astros vs. Mets (Astros lost). I remeber Doug Rader did well in that game, though.

NBA: Fall of 1975-- Superdome. New Orleans Jazz vs. Washington Bullets. Had scored cheap giveaway tickets in the Upper Deck.

NFL: October 10, 1976 -- Superdome. New Orleans Saints 30, Atlanta Falcons 0. What a great game to first see the Saints in person...

NHL: Tricky-- saw an exhibition in Atlanta, 1989, Calgary Flames vs. Boston. But my first regular season game was in February 1991 at the Capital Centre, Caps vs. Canucks.

BONUS:

NCAA football: Starkville... Mississippi State vs. Southern Miss, October 24, 1970.

NASL (one and only): Tampa Stadium, Saturday Night before Easter, 1980, Rowdies vs. Philadelphia Fury.

[ZoomZoom18]

I'm originally from Indianapolis, but I've included both first games in Indy and my first games here in Arizona.

NFL - 1988 preseason. Colts 38-34 W over the Broncos at the HOOSIER Dome in Indy.

January 2, 2005. Cardinals 12-10 W over the Buccaneers at Sun Devil Stadium.

NBA - 1990 season. Pacers beat the Trailblazers at Market Square Arena. Not sure what score was.

December 4, 2005. Suns stomped all over the Atlanta Hawks, again not sure on the score. *Honorable Mention* on November 11, 2003, got to take my oath of enlistment into the military on the court at halftime of the Pacers-Celtics game, which the Celtics ultimately won.

MLB - April 2005. Diamondbacks 2 Padres 1 at Chase Field. Webb vs. Peavy pitching duel.

NHL - October 2000. Buffalo 2 Toronto 1. Family vacation to Niagara Falls. Got pelted by Maple Leafs fans in the crowd in Buffalo as I was wearing a Curtis Brown jersey. Fun times.

November 2005. Colorado defeats the Coyotes, like 5-2. First Coyote game ever.

Not sure if this counts for this one, but in Auto Racing...

2000 Brickyard 400, Bobby Labonte passes Rusty Wallace for win. Got to see Dale Sr. race. To this day, I'd rather not watch NASCAR at Indy unless I have a scanner or radio. At the April 2006 PIR race, watched Kevin Harvick win, a much more enjoyable race.

2001 Indy 500, Helio Castroneves wins a rain delayed race by passing teammate Gil de Ferran.

2002 Formula 1 USGP, Michael Freaking Schumacher leads the entire race only to slow up on the last lap and let Rubens Barrichello pass him supposedly for Barrichello letting Schu win at Austria earlier in the season, but that's a debate for another day. Michael claimed he wanted a photo finish...

[Don]

MLB: Orioles vs Angels (cant remember the year, but the Angels wore their Disney unis)

NHL: Caps vs Penguins at USAir Arena. my cousin took me whose name was ironically Kevin Stevens.

[AndrewPF]

When I was real little, I would go to Red Sox "kids' opening day". That's the first weekend home game, which is more popular for families with kids because it's obviously not on a school day. I probably first went in 1996 or 1998, probably against the Orioles. My first Celtics game was with my cub scout pack in 1999 or so. I believe it was against the Raptors. My first Bruins game was in 2006, against the Lightning. I've never been to a Pats, Revs, or Cannons game.

[BlueSky]

Someday my grandson will be able to illustrate his post in a thread like this. Here's his first NFL game - 12/26/2004, Saints 26, Falcons 13. This was the last regular season game in the Superdome before Katrina. The next Saints game I attended was the first home game after Katrina, the MNF victory over the hated Falcons.

[Mac the Knife]

My first game was a Pirates-Reds game at Three Rivers Stadium sometime in 1977. Honestly the only thing I remember about it was my father complaining about the weather, the cost of everything, and the fact that his kid (me) had to have every souvenier under the sun.

The first one I really remember was a Pirates-Phillies twinbill the following year. It was noteworthy because (i) Pope John Paul I's death was announced during the 7th inning stretch of Game 1, (ii) Willie Stargell surpassed Mickey Mantle that day to become baseball's all-time whiff king (since passed himself), (iii) I got on the JumboTron, and (iv) My old man didn't bitch nearly as much.

I've yet to take my kid to a game (I'm waiting for her to gain an appreciation for sports in general, and she's just not there yet), but when I do it'll more than likely be a Durham Bulls or Carolina Mudcats game. I'd rather she develop an appreciation for the games rather than the individual players (as I did); that way she won't feel so bad when an Ed Ott goes to the Angels, an Al Oliver heads off to Texas or Montreal, or a Willie Stargell retires.

[BB61]

NL: Phillies 2, Montreal 0 -- May, 1987 (Veterans Stadium)

AL: Orioles 5, A's 4 -- May, 2002 (Oriole Park)

InterLeague: Devil Rays 5, Phillies 4 -- June, 1998 (Veterans Stadium)

AAA: Norfolk 6, Toledo 5 -- August, 2006 (Harbor Yard - Norfolk, VA)

AA: Trenton vs. Harrisburg -- July, 1995 (Mercer Co. Waterfront Park - Trenton, NJ)

A: Myrtle Beach vs. Frederick -- August 20, 2004 (Coastal Federal Field - Myrtle Beach, SC)

Indy: Camden Riversharks vs. Long Island Ducks -- June 1, 2002 (Campbell's Field - Camden, NJ)

NHL: Edmonton 5, Los Angeles 4, OT -- October, 1988 (The Forum)

AHL: Kentucky 2, Philadelphia 0 -- November, 1999 (Spectrum)

NBA: Philadelphia 109, New Jersey 90 -- February, 1990 (Spectrum)

NFL: Philadelphia 28, Arizona 21 -- December, 1995 (Veterans Stadium)

NCAA-F: Maryland 6, Temple 0 -- September, 1999 (Franklin Field)

NCAA-B: Temple 76, Penn St. 62 -- December, 1999 (Liacoras Center)

AFL: Philadelphia 48, Los Angeles 33 -- January, 2006 (Wachovia Center)