Favorite Childhood Sox Memory...

[JohnCangelosi]

Ok, I am getting a bit nostalgic here but I thought it would be cool to share your favorite Sox childhood memory at a live game.

 

For me, it was an 85 or 86 game at Old Comiskey. The Sox were playing the Indians and Otis Nixon led off with a homer as I recall.

 

Nevertheless, the Sox were down 6-5 in the ninth with runners on 1st and 2nd. 2 outs. Harold Baines at the plate.

 

The whole crowd chanting "Harold, Harold, Harold..."

 

2 strikes on Harold.

 

He hits a shot to center field....

 

I keep watching the center fielder as I think he's got a bead on it, although he is running back furiously towards the track...

 

I keep looking at Nixon (the center fielder) running back...back...until the point I see him run face first into the wall...

 

I look just above him and see the ball sail above the fence for a game winner!!!!

 

The whole crowd is chanting "Harold, Harold, Harold...." looking for a curtain call.

 

We wait for 10 minutes to see him come out!!

 

The shy MOFO never comes out for a curtain call, but still my favorite childhood Sox memory. Harold later says that his father never got admiration for what he did for his kids growing up doing a great job raising them and he didn't feel comfortable taking credit for anything either....

 

Was there ever a more clutch hitter in White Sox history? I remember him getting so many huge hits growing up!

 

I'd love to hear other people's experiences (younger and older!!!) on this thread!!!

Edited May 26, 2007 by JohnCangelosi

[maggsmaggs]

For me it was in 1999. And it was when Singleton hit for the cycle as a rookie against I think the Royals. I just remember that was when I became a serious Sox fan, that year. I thought Singleton was the stud and C-Lee was just okay, guess I had that wrong.

[max power]

Sitting directly in front of the infamous reverend jessie jackson at one of my first games is my favorite memory. I hate that guy.

[greg775]

It's hard to beat the excitement in the old Comiskey in the summer of 77 when I went to 20 games

as a kid.

That team hit the ball soo hard.

I remember Soderholm hitting a home run in the sixth inning to break up a no hitter against

Kansas City in the first game of a doubleheader and the Sox winning.

Sox rolled in Game two with Jim Spencer hitting some rocket shot off the facade in the right field

upper deck.

 

I also saw the Royals score 3 runs in the first inning of game one on a Friday night

at a packed Comiskey. The Sox got four in the bottom of the first and won 11-9.

Of course that season went to s*** but it was after the summer had ended.

It was a glorious summer, lousy fall.

[briguy27]

in 2005 when i was 13, seeing them win it all

[knightni]

Probably going to my first Sox game as a kid at Old Comiskey in 1982 with a church group, sitting in the right field upper deck and seeing a beer get dropped on my pastor.

 

[Jordan4life_2007]

I don't have a single moment/memory. Just watching Frank Thomas in his prime, especially from 1991-94, was a magical experience every night.

Edited May 26, 2007 by Jordan4life_2007

[witesoxfan]

as a kid, it's probably seeing Mark Buerle make both his first career start and get his first career win. You bet your askholes

 

Beyond that, my favorite memory as a child was just flat out seeing baseball; in 1994, I saw the Twins play the Indians in Minnesota, and Shane Mack hit a grand slam in the first inning. That was about the coolest thing that had ever happened to me at that point in my life.

[zimne piwo]

I'm from the neighborhood, so we went to lots of games when I was growing up. We especially used to go whenever they had cool giveaways for the kids. I was 8 years old when we went to Bat Day 1973 (doubleheader vs. Minnesota, with the largest ever crowd at Comiskey... 55,555). What sucked about it was we got there pretty late and the people in front of us were the last to get bats. I still remember seeing all those people on the catwalks along the scoreboard. Although we missed out on that promo we did get those red bats the following year at "Bat Night" (vs. the Yankees, IIRC), not to mention the t-shirts, those awful plastic jackets (the red one with the Chevy logo on the back and also the black and white one with the English Leather logo on the sleeve), several mugs and lots of other cool stuff. I also remember my father giving me a taste of his Falstaff beer, going to games with my family (including my aunt and my grandmother) during the summer of the South Side Hit Men. One other thing I remember was that season WBBM-TV news did a "Sox Fan or Cub Fan?" poll and despite the Sox leading most of the way it ended up with the Cubs getting more votes. Bill Veeck however gave free tickets to a game at the end of the season to everyone who voted for the Sox. My grandmother picked the tickets up for us and it turned out to be one of the coldest nights I've ever been at a ballgame.

Edited May 26, 2007 by zimne piwo

[FLsouthsider]

I remember going to a game where Tim Laudner hit a grand slam (and looking it up on baseball-reference.com, it apparently was June 1987 off Jose DeLeon) at Old Comiskey when I was a young pup. One of my best friends at the time, his family had moved to my hometown from Minnesota, so I remember being especially pissed that they lost that game. I still hate those damned homer hankies.

 

We saw Nolan Ryan in 1989 or 1990 with the Rangers. Though he didn't pitch, it was still cool just to watch him play catch in the outfield.

 

I remember my dad getting us lost going to a game once and ending up in Chinatown. I thought we were done for.

 

We went to a game at the new ballpark in 92 or 93 with my great-grandfather, who was in his mid or upper 80s at the time. And our seats were like third row from the top of the upper deck behind the plate. I don't think my great-grandpa was very impressed with the new park.

 

I got screwed once buying tickets from a scalper to a Sox-Cubs game probably 10 years ago. "Yeah, these are right on third base!" They were the second-to-last section in left field, upper deck, second row from the top. At least I only paid $20 for them.

 

Still, that old park was such an amazing place. Yeah, it was cramped, falling apart and had some of the most ridiculous viewing angles ever conceived in the corners. But, man, the view when the field came into focus, unreal. That's when the cramped, closed-in nature of the park was a huge benefit. By modern standards, the place would be labeled a "dump," but it had so much charm, character and history (as well as funky smells and sticky floors) that no architect could ever recreate.

 

Sigh.

 

I miss Old Comiskey.

Edited May 26, 2007 by FLsouthsider

[rangercal]

-Frank Thomas hitting a HR in 93 against the cubs in the cross town classic

 

- Bo Jacksons HR in the Clicher in '93

 

- Frank Thomas HR against the blue jays in the alcs

 

- Frank Thomas winning 93 and 94 MVP, Jack Mcdowell winning 93 Cy Young

 

-Michael Jordan at bat, hits a ground out and the Wrigley Crowd boos their own pitcher for throwing Jordan out.

 

 

a lot more obviously, id be here all day though

[FLsouthsider]

p.s., Pitch to Fisk at Your Risk.

[RockRaines]

Sitting next to Pat Morita (sp?) at Old Comiskey right after the Karate Kid was released. Seeing the whole stadium stop and clap for him was awesome. This was followed directly by my first roof shot.

[WCSox]

My father somehow scored some really good seats to a game back in '84 (about 15 rows back between the plate and the third-base dugout). I forgot who they were playing, but Ron Kittle hit an absolute moonshot into the left field upper deck (it probably didn't miss the roof by much). It was the first home run I saw in person and, wow, it's something I'll never forget.

[chisoxt]

I'm from the neighborhood, so we went to lots of games when I was growing up. We especially used to go whenever they had cool giveaways for the kids. I was 8 years old when we went to Bat Day 1973 (doubleheader vs. Minnesota, with the largest ever crowd at Comiskey... 55,555). What sucked about it was we got there pretty late and the people in front of us were the last to get bats. I still remember seeing all those people on the catwalks along the scoreboard. Although we missed out on that promo we did get those red bats the following year at "Bat Night" (vs. the Yankees, IIRC), not to mention the t-shirts, those awful plastic jackets (the red one with the Chevy logo on the back and also the black and white one with the English Leather logo on the sleeve), several mugs and lots of other cool stuff. I also remember my father giving me a taste of his Falstaff beer, going to games with my family (including my aunt and my grandmother) during the summer of the South Side Hit Men. One other thing I remember was that season WBBM-TV news did a "Sox Fan or Cub Fan?" poll and despite the Sox leading most of the way it ended up with the Cubs getting more votes. Bill Veeck however gave free tickets to a game at the end of the season to everyone who voted for the Sox. My grandmother picked the tickets up for us and it turned out to be one of the coldest nights I've ever been at a ballgame.

 

I was at that game too. Not to rub it in, but I got a bat!

My favorite memory was the previous year in 1972, one of the greatest years for me as a Sox fan, watching Dick Allen torch Sparky Lyle for a three run walk off home run to complete a double header sweep against the Yankees.

[MattZakrowski]

At my first game in 1996 Robin Ventura, who at the time was my favorite player and probally one of my favorite players of all time, hit a walk off home run in the 10th inning.