When I posted a link with the story about the first major league baseball game I attended in 1973, the response was wonderful as many answered with their own stories.
This led me to want to write about what was probably the most memorable contest that I’ve attended.
Growing up in the 1970s near Cincinnati, it was easy to be a Reds fan. We went to games every year around my birthday. It was always an easy gift.
However, it took 12 years before I visited another ballpark for a big league game.
It was fun watching the Reds at Riverfront Stadium over those years, but I also wanted to visit other stadiums.
My first game away from “home” was at Comiskey Park in Chicago with a college friend, who was all about the White Sox.
We had a discussion about the game and I told him, “I just want to see history.” We laughed and went to see the Toronto Blue Jays and White Sox on Aug. 24, 1985.
It was real pitcher’s dual through five innings. With the game scoreless, Tom Seaver had allowed just three hits and Dave Stieb was throwing a no-hitter.
The Roof
Seaver lost his shutout in the top of the sixth when George Bell hit a solo homer. It was quite a blast.
Our seats were on the third base side at the field level. I could see the ball as it passed third base as it went to left field, but it soon disappeared. At that point, White Sox left fielder Ron Kittle really didn’t move except to turn around and probably admire the shot that landed on the roof.
Kittle who would know what it was like to hit a long ball that far, according to a forum post on the website baseball-fever.com, he hit the roof seven times, which is more than anyone else in the history of the park.
The Blue Jays were inspired as they scored two times in the seventh and added three more in the eighth to send Seaver to the showers before the frame was over.
Jesse Barfield tripled for the Blue Jays to drive in a run and then later scored on a wild pitch.
In the eighth, Willie Upshaw, Ernie Whitt and Barfield each had RBI singles and Seaver was done.
The Fans Stayed
This is normally the time when fans would be leaving the park to beat the traffic with the home team down by six runs and getting blanked.
However, the crowd actually seemed to be rooting for the Blue Jays and Stieb. Although Stieb had walked three, he finished the eighth inning without allowing a hit.
Juan Agosto, who had replaced Seaver, worked a perfect top of the ninth and the crowd was in a frenzy.
History Not Happening
We were three outs away from a historic performance by Stieb. It didn’t take long to realize it wasn’t going to happen as Rudy Law smacked a solo homer.
In a blink of an eye, the fans went from rooting for a no-hitter to somehow thinking about a win after Bryan Little hit another homer.
The White Sox were not finished. Gary Lavelle entered the game for Stieb, who like everyone else was probably stunned after the way he had dominated on the mound.
Harold Baines, who will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame this summer, greeted Lavelle with a homer and it was 6-3.
Lavelle managed to get an out before giving up a single to Carlton Fisk.
Tom Henke was next for the Blue Jays. He got another out, but Kittle singled and amazingly, the tying run was at the plate.
Ozzie Guillen hit a foul ball that was caught by Bell and the game was over, but that wild ninth inning was crazy.
History that Happened
Bell did make history that night with his roof shot. He is the only player to ever hit homers on the roof at Comiskey on back-to-back days.
The following day he hit the second shot off Floyd Bannister, but the Blue Jays lost 5-3.
As far as Stieb is concerned, he eventually tossed the only no-hitter for Toronto in 1990. He would go to post a 14-13 record with an ERA of 2.48 in 1985.
The Blue Jays won the American League West that season, but fell to the Kansas City Royals in the playoffs.
Bell would become the AL Most Valuable Player in 1987 as the Blue Jays would end up second in the division. In 1988, Bell would be the first big leaguer to hit three home runs on opening day.
Ironically, Bell and Stieb would be teammates with the White Sox in 1993.