If you are a baseball fan, it’s likely that you remember your first major league game.
I had just turned 10 years old in 1973 and as part of my birthday present my parents arranged for me to take a trip to a Cincinnati Reds game with the local Boy’s Club.
The Reds would be playing one of my other favorite teams in the Chicago Cubs on Aug. 8.
My parents would not be going with me, which was the first time that had happened. I would be taking a bus with a group of kids that I had not seen in a while because we had moved and I had changed schools.
It was a tough trip for me, but once we got to Riverfront Stadium I didn’t remember the bus ride.
Boy’s Life
After checking the local newspapers prior to the trip, I found out that Fergie Jenkins was the starting pitcher.
Jenkins was one of my favorites growing up and it all started with an article in Boy’s Life Magazine. He appeared on the cover of the March 1973 issue.
By that time, he had won at least 20 games in six straight seasons. Unfortunately for him and the Cubs, 1973 wasn’t a great year as he finished 14-16.
Green Seats
At Riverfront Stadium, the green seats were the second level and went all the way around the place. Over the years, I was able to sit in the best seats, which were blue and the red, which was pretty high up. Even sat below the scoreboard once in center field.
There were also yellow seats. Later in life, I sat at that level as a member of the press behind home plate.
On this night, we were in right field. Any green seat was great in my mind. It was my first game, so nothing really mattered except that the Reds would go on to win 4-3.
To be honest, I had to look some of this stuff up because I really just have two memories from that game. First, Tony Perez became my favorite all-time player that night.
The Cubs had scored in the top of the fourth inning off Fred Norman, who had just been traded to the Reds a month earlier.
In the bottom of the frame, the Reds tied the game and the place was going crazy when Perez tripled to give the Reds a 3-1 lead. Bobby Tolan followed with another triple and it was 4-1.
It was so loud in the stadium that I was hooked on baseball for good.
Ron Santo
My only other memory was when Ron Santo hit a two-run homer. It was quite a blast.
Santo made the National League all-star team that season and finished with 20 homers and 77 RBI.
It was quite a birthday present for me and thankfully, I can remember some of it.
My Grudge
The 1973 season would be the last time I really rooted for the Cubs. You see, apparently, I can hold a grudge.
Right after the season, the Cubs decided to trade Jenkins to the Texas Rangers for Vic Harris and some dude named Bill Madlock, who I would eventually root for as a Pittsburgh Pirate.
The Cubs also tried to trade Santo to the California Angels, which he would veto. He eventually ended up finishing his career with the Chicago White Sox, which gave us some strange baseball cards in 1974 and 1975.
Postscript
It might be a bit of irony that my two most vivid memories would stay with me later in life.
In 2000, my family took its only journey to Cooperstown and the Baseball Hall of Fame.
We attended the induction ceremony that included Perez, Sparky Anderson, Bid McPhee, Reds announcer Marty Brennaman and Turkey Stearnes. Quite a day for a lifetime fan of the Reds. Not be forgotten, Carlton Fisk was also there giving the longest speech ever on a hot day. The whole experience was awesome.
I eventually became a sportswriter for the earlier mentioned local newspaper. I was fortunate to interview Brennaman a couple of times and just be in the clubhouse and on the field.
Not being a regular in the press room, it was always kind of strange not to really know anyone, so it was uncomfortable to just be hanging around on an opening day.
Although he wouldn’t really remember, Hal McCoy the Reds beat writer from Dayton, was always nice to me.
In May of 1999, the Cubs played the Reds at Riverfront … ugh … Cinergy Field.
In a not so wide hallway as I was walking to the dining area of the press room, I saw Santo. I wasn’t planning to speak, but he smiled and asked me how I was doing. I said, “Fine thanks.” That was it. We went in different directions and I never saw him the rest of the day.
I really wish that there would have been more time to tell him about “My” first home run, but there wasn’t. I’m left with the fact that he spoke to me first, which tells you a lot about him as a person in that he would take the time to acknowledge a stranger in a hallway when he didn’t have to do it.
During my time covering sports, I was able to attend many different events and I can tell you I’ve been in situations like the one in the hallway on that day. Not every famous personality speaks to a stranger, so it makes me appreciate that moment with Santo even more.