How old are you?
- Thread starter jose melendez
- Start date
I think that you were there with my uncle then.
My first team was the 1977 Red Sox, who had just an ungodly amount of power and pretty decent pitching overall. Probably still the best Red Sox team of my lifetime to do jack shit. I blame Zim.
Hey everyone. I rarely post but read almost everything here. I was born in Cleveland, OH in 1969. My dad and I had strained relationship before college and didn’t have much in common. One thing we did do together was watch baseball. In May of ‘87 I was in Boston for a summer orientation session before starting at BU. Dad got us 2 tix to watch the Sox vs. Indians (who was the first team I ever saw play). Clemens beat Phil Niekro 1-0, both pitched complete games and we had a fantastic time. I’m pretty sure Sam Horn was the DH.
I got a subscription to the Herald so I could follow the Sox and talk baseball with my pop and have been hooked ever since. Dad became my best friend as well. Go Sox!!!
I got a subscription to the Herald so I could follow the Sox and talk baseball with my pop and have been hooked ever since. Dad became my best friend as well. Go Sox!!!
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59. Moved to RI at age 4 in 1969. Did not have any exposure to Boston/NE sports in my extended family before then. Went to Fenway a few times in the early 70s with my dad and friends (first game, June 25, 1973) and got really hooked on the team in 1975. Little did I know what was to come.
I was still a teenager when I helped establish the DTFC... now I'm a couple of months away from 49.
70. Grew up in Connecticut as a Pittsburgh Pirates fan. Roberto Clemente was my hero, probably because his name was on my Little League glove. Saw the Mets play in the Polo Grounds, but remember the drunk in front of us much more than the game. I latched on to the Red Sox when I moved back to Connecticut in 1981 after I got out of the Army. I still remember my Dad's consistent refrain: "They'll find some way to screw it up". They usually did. Suffered through 1986 and then kind of tuned out until 2003/2004. Watched every minute of the 2004 ALCS by myself (the kids were in school and too young to stay up and my wife has always been early to bed and early to rise). Unbelievable excitement and I wish my Dad had lived long enough to see it. I have remained a fan, but keep hoping the Pirates will finally turn things around and get good again.
I was in second grade when the ball went through Buckner's legs.
Now I'm older than everyone playing. That's a weird feeling.
Now I'm older than everyone playing. That's a weird feeling.
Only 11/7% are in my geezer age bracket here. I guess that means that most of the other geezers grew up and moved on to other things.
I was born the same year as Jim Corsi, Dave Stapleton, Dana Kiecker, Wes Gardner, Spike Owen and Don Mattingly. The first game I ever attended, Norm Siebern hit a bases loaded, bases clearing triple to cap an absurd comeback against the Angels, the day after Tony C was hit by Jack Hamilton. It was the last game I ever attended with my Dad (whom I'm named after), who died a year later. I clearly remember watching Frank Howard hit a HR ball so hard and far out of Fenway that I think it may still be traveling. Oh, and when I was nine I caught a foul ball liner off the bat of Gary Peters, then dropped it when it popped out of my glove. Someone else got the ball. I got booed.
This is great. Thank you! I guess I misremembered, Horn had not been brought up yet. I DO remember Rice scoring the winning (and only) run. My dad was bummed because a guy “older than him, with a trick pitch” was going toe to toe with Clemens. Fun times. Cheers!
Born 1960. The 1967 team is the first one I remember, but I got serious in 1972, Fisk’s rookie year. He was my favorite player. My first time at Fenway was probably mid-1960s. I was the youngest and my parents planned to leave me home with a baby sitter. So I sat by myself and watched an entire game on TV and gave a full report. I got to go to the game after all! In the end I became the biggest Sox fan in the house.
My first game at Fenway: https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BOS/BOS198807151.shtml - Bo Jackson an 0-4 and the names on both of those lineups are awesome
My next games at Fenway: https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BOS/BOS202207060.shtml - not our finest showing of a disappointing year, but Verdugo did throw my kid a ball during warmups while we were on the Monster
https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BOS/BOS202207080.shtml - JBJ closing out the game and nearly striking out Judge (did strike out LeMahieu)
My next games at Fenway: https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BOS/BOS202207060.shtml - not our finest showing of a disappointing year, but Verdugo did throw my kid a ball during warmups while we were on the Monster
https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BOS/BOS202207080.shtml - JBJ closing out the game and nearly striking out Judge (did strike out LeMahieu)
What's DTFC stand for again?
My first baseball memory is watching the Yaz farewell game on tv. The one where he was gifted boats and motorcycles and such. Hendu's homer in '86 first showed me the magic that can happen in sports and Buckner a few weeks later showed me that magic does not play favorites.
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This was the first game I remember going to. I know that I went to a couple before them, but my Dad invited his mom along to this game. She was in the forefront of "turn off the TV and turn up the radio" .
She knew that my favorite player was #14, so on the ride in on the T she said "I think Jimmy is going to hit a homer for you tonight"
https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BOS/BOS198509101.shtml
It was also in her living room where I watched the Flutie-Phelan pass as a 4th grader.
She knew that my favorite player was #14, so on the ride in on the T she said "I think Jimmy is going to hit a homer for you tonight"
https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BOS/BOS198509101.shtml
It was also in her living room where I watched the Flutie-Phelan pass as a 4th grader.
Dickie Thon Fan Club... it was originally an inside joke between four random fans on Fastball.com around November 1995 – an Astros fan, Twins fan, Braves fan and Indians fan (me). I was a college sophomore at the time. The following year I prompted the others to make it more of a thing and we organized and recruited from the forums there. We were just sort of a merry band of renegades but eventually developed a website and hosted our own discussion boards. It was there that the first members of SoSH gathered... so the roots of the roots will be 30 years old next year.
This thread is depressing. Now I wish I was old enough to have gone to Ebbets Field and also young enough to have been an early teenager in 2004. I probably would have gone all Doris Kearns Goodwin on you guys if I had seen the Brooklyn Dodgers at home, so it probably all worked out for the best.
I just barely make the last group at 79 so my memories are a little older if we talking about the first players I followed closely - since I was a catcher and played some 1st and 3rd I followed Sammy White, Frank Malzone and Norm Zauchin - seems forever ago but the first game I saw in Fenway I saw Mel Parnell throw a complete game and won 3-1.
Whenever someone notes how old they are in baseball years, my mind immediately goes to this:
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-04-26-sp-2343-story.html
I am pre-Bill James Abstracts old. I remember Brooks Robinson diving to his right in the WS as vividly as Bobby Orr sailing across the crease against St. Louis.
As far as I can tell, not a single notable Red Sox cohort was born in 1955. But by the time I was 10 and growing up in Roanoke, VA - a LONG way from Boston - I inexplicably developed an attachment to the St. Louis Cardinals ( Gibson, Brock) and Red Sox, and more explicitly in the latter case to the likes of Yaz, Willie Horton, Bill Monboqette (what a great name), a young Jim Lonborg, Jack Lamabe, and Rico Petricellli. Hell,they even had Chuck Schilling and Russ Nixon!!
Wow! Well, I'm so glad you did what you did. I've been here twenty years and this place is an embarrassingly large part of my life. Thank you.
I'm Roger Clemens' and Jody Reed's age. My father introduced me to the Sox and was a Doug Griffin fan. But Yaz hooked me on the Sox. The Brooks Robinson backhander down the line during the 1970 World Series made me a baseball fan for life.
Sorry, Tony. A young and promising player at the time...My attention was drawn to him from my introduction to APBA back ln the day.
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73 years old – born in 1951.
At age 8 in a Chicago suburb, baseball taught me that life isn’t fair when I discover the game The Go-Go White Sox pulled off a miracle and won the AL pennant - only the second non-Yankee team to do so in the previous 10 years. The White Sox manager, Al Lopez, also managed the other team to turn the trick - the 1954 Indians.
The White Sox finished last in the majors in home runs. So, in very late August, to provide power they picked up Ted Kluszewski (later hitting coach for the Big Red Machine who Pete Rose said taught him how to hit) .
Even at age 8, I knew Klu was special. Over four years (1953-56) he had slugged 40, 49, 47, and 35 home runs and, in each of those seasons, had fewer whiffs than homers.
The White Sox won game 1 big, but the Dodgers stole game 2 for a split in Chicago. The Sox had to win game 3. The game was tight when my hero came to the plate. The camera (TV pretty rare in 1959) panned out to right center field - Big Klu's power alley. I had a WTF moment. I swear the fence was over the damn horizon! Fans out there looked like little ants sitting in the bleachers.
I was stunned. The TV people explained that the Dodgers were playing in the LA Coliseum until their real stadium was ready and to fit the baseball diamond, right field went long-ways in the Coliseum. So, right field was very deep (especially right center) – a cavernous 440 feet. Death Valley to left hand hitters.
In the Series Big Klu hit .391, .440 OBP, .and 826 SLG with 10 RBIs – but no home runs in LA and just one RBI there because of that damn right field. Game 5 drew 92,706 fans. The whole series shocked me.
For a long time, I blamed the LA stadium for that Series, but I now recognize that Early Wynn (22-10 and the Cy Young winner) lead the league in innings pitched at age 39. His Series ERA was 5.54 with a 1.769 WHIP (gave up 19 hits in 13 innings). He had a good game one, but in two later starts didn’t get past the 4th inning. The tough SOB just ran out of gas.
The next year I was watching a September west-coast Cubs game on TV. With Boston 3 hours ahead, the TV switched to Boston to focus on Ted Williams' last career at bat.
So I saw Williams hit a homer in that last at bat. Attendance was less than 11,000 people.
Original footage here:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1MQIZglrNE
My family moved to the Boston area in 1963 – just in time to watch Dick Stuart (Dr. Strange Glove to the media) make 53 errors at first base over the next two years – leading the majors both times.
At age 8 in a Chicago suburb, baseball taught me that life isn’t fair when I discover the game The Go-Go White Sox pulled off a miracle and won the AL pennant - only the second non-Yankee team to do so in the previous 10 years. The White Sox manager, Al Lopez, also managed the other team to turn the trick - the 1954 Indians.
The White Sox finished last in the majors in home runs. So, in very late August, to provide power they picked up Ted Kluszewski (later hitting coach for the Big Red Machine who Pete Rose said taught him how to hit) .
Even at age 8, I knew Klu was special. Over four years (1953-56) he had slugged 40, 49, 47, and 35 home runs and, in each of those seasons, had fewer whiffs than homers.
The White Sox won game 1 big, but the Dodgers stole game 2 for a split in Chicago. The Sox had to win game 3. The game was tight when my hero came to the plate. The camera (TV pretty rare in 1959) panned out to right center field - Big Klu's power alley. I had a WTF moment. I swear the fence was over the damn horizon! Fans out there looked like little ants sitting in the bleachers.
I was stunned. The TV people explained that the Dodgers were playing in the LA Coliseum until their real stadium was ready and to fit the baseball diamond, right field went long-ways in the Coliseum. So, right field was very deep (especially right center) – a cavernous 440 feet. Death Valley to left hand hitters.
In the Series Big Klu hit .391, .440 OBP, .and 826 SLG with 10 RBIs – but no home runs in LA and just one RBI there because of that damn right field. Game 5 drew 92,706 fans. The whole series shocked me.
For a long time, I blamed the LA stadium for that Series, but I now recognize that Early Wynn (22-10 and the Cy Young winner) lead the league in innings pitched at age 39. His Series ERA was 5.54 with a 1.769 WHIP (gave up 19 hits in 13 innings). He had a good game one, but in two later starts didn’t get past the 4th inning. The tough SOB just ran out of gas.
********************
The next year I was watching a September west-coast Cubs game on TV. With Boston 3 hours ahead, the TV switched to Boston to focus on Ted Williams' last career at bat.
So I saw Williams hit a homer in that last at bat. Attendance was less than 11,000 people.
Original footage here:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1MQIZglrNE
My family moved to the Boston area in 1963 – just in time to watch Dick Stuart (Dr. Strange Glove to the media) make 53 errors at first base over the next two years – leading the majors both times.
I'm a few months older than Oil Can and a few months younger than Nip. I don't mind being old, but it weirds me out to think that The Can is eligible for Medicare.
Growing up in southern Virginia, I knew nothing of the Red Sox and baseball was something that only came on Saturday afternoons. But when I was 8, I came home from school one day and a couple of neighbor kids, Tommy and Harry Graham were at my house watching Baseball on our big(!) color TV. Maybe their grandad was Moonlight. Tommy was an old guy, I think he was 11, and he started telling me all about his favorite team and this guy Yaz who was the best player in the world. That was it for me. I became a Red Sox fan that day, and Yaz was my guy. I started copying his batting stance in neighborhood games, with my hands up around my ear.
My dad taught me how to read the box scores, and I followed Yaz and the Sox in the papers until there weren't papers any more. My dad, by the way, was born in the Bronx, and he went to Yankee Stadium and cheered for the Babe when he was a kid. But I got lucky. Dad didn't really care for baseball (said it was boring) and he let me root for the Sox to my heart's content (I did become a Jets fan, however that's another story).
My grandparents would take me to Maine every summer back then, and OMG it was a revelation! The Sox were on TV almost every night (Channel 38) and it was like heaven.
My first trip to Fenway was in July of 1976. Yaz hit a double into the triangle.
Fast forward to 2003, and my son was born that summer. My wife predicted that his arrival would herald a world series win for the Red Sox. I was holding my baby boy in my arms watching with him when that DIDN'T happen. Just took another year, and he loves the Sox as much as I do. He was the first to text me when the Sox traded for Crochet (and he still wants Burnes).
Growing up in southern Virginia, I knew nothing of the Red Sox and baseball was something that only came on Saturday afternoons. But when I was 8, I came home from school one day and a couple of neighbor kids, Tommy and Harry Graham were at my house watching Baseball on our big(!) color TV. Maybe their grandad was Moonlight. Tommy was an old guy, I think he was 11, and he started telling me all about his favorite team and this guy Yaz who was the best player in the world. That was it for me. I became a Red Sox fan that day, and Yaz was my guy. I started copying his batting stance in neighborhood games, with my hands up around my ear.
My dad taught me how to read the box scores, and I followed Yaz and the Sox in the papers until there weren't papers any more. My dad, by the way, was born in the Bronx, and he went to Yankee Stadium and cheered for the Babe when he was a kid. But I got lucky. Dad didn't really care for baseball (said it was boring) and he let me root for the Sox to my heart's content (I did become a Jets fan, however that's another story).
My grandparents would take me to Maine every summer back then, and OMG it was a revelation! The Sox were on TV almost every night (Channel 38) and it was like heaven.
My first trip to Fenway was in July of 1976. Yaz hit a double into the triangle.
Fast forward to 2003, and my son was born that summer. My wife predicted that his arrival would herald a world series win for the Red Sox. I was holding my baby boy in my arms watching with him when that DIDN'T happen. Just took another year, and he loves the Sox as much as I do. He was the first to text me when the Sox traded for Crochet (and he still wants Burnes).
I am Nomar Garciaparra years old. Also Derek Lowe years old, Johnny Damon years old, and Pokey Reese years old. Two years younger than Pedro, one year younger than Manny, two years older than Papi. I love all the great Red Sox teams of the last twenty years, but the 2004 team, they were all right around my age and there was something special about that.
I might be Izzy Alcantara years old — but I'm not sure, as B-Ref, Fangraphs, and MLB.com say he's one age, while Wikipedia and ESPN say he's another. The world may never know.
I am Julian Tavarez years old, and as far I can tell he was the first of us to play in MLB, making his debut in the summer of 1993, at age 20.
I'm also Bartolo Colon years old, and he played until 2018, at age 45. But he did not last the longest of any of us, because we are both also Ichiro Suzuki years old, and he played two games in 2019. But we're all retired now.
The journey of going from every baseball player being older than me, to a few being younger, to most being about the same age, to almost all being younger, to every single one being younger has been an interesting one, and my perspective on myself and where I fit in the world has changed with it. Now my son is poised to go through the same thing, and that will be a whole new experience in itself. Wishing him a team of Red Sox players his own age that inspire him like mine did.
I might be Izzy Alcantara years old — but I'm not sure, as B-Ref, Fangraphs, and MLB.com say he's one age, while Wikipedia and ESPN say he's another. The world may never know.
I am Julian Tavarez years old, and as far I can tell he was the first of us to play in MLB, making his debut in the summer of 1993, at age 20.
I'm also Bartolo Colon years old, and he played until 2018, at age 45. But he did not last the longest of any of us, because we are both also Ichiro Suzuki years old, and he played two games in 2019. But we're all retired now.
The journey of going from every baseball player being older than me, to a few being younger, to most being about the same age, to almost all being younger, to every single one being younger has been an interesting one, and my perspective on myself and where I fit in the world has changed with it. Now my son is poised to go through the same thing, and that will be a whole new experience in itself. Wishing him a team of Red Sox players his own age that inspire him like mine did.
I turn 50 on Sunday - apparently no longer part of the largest SoSH age demographic. Grew up listining to Joe and Ken on the radio as I fell asleep. I don't remember a lot of things, but I recall listening to Dewy's season opening homer at Detroit in '86 while practicing my jumpshot in the driveway (never did get that jumpshot down quite right). Still feel '86 was my fault - I was in bed listening and came out to watch the "end" with my parents and their friends. As soon as I sat down, the ball went through Bill's legs. Apologies.
One month older than Bruce Hurst. First game was 4 years old to see Ted before he retired. My only memory of the game was coming up the tunnel behind Sox dugout and seeing all the bright colors. The grass, the Wall, the whiteness of the uniforms. It was a Wizard of Oz, Dorothy moment for me, when I went from black and white to Technocolor. Unfortunately, no memory of seeing Ted play.
My first passionate experience with the Sox was running home from elementary school to watch the Bucky F-in Dent game. I'm old. 
I was a junior at American University on this glorious evening and one of the girls in the dorm room next to me was from Arizona was so elated on that hit that her jumping and celebrating shook the entire floor. One of the two most memorable moments in the Fall 2001 semester in Washington, DC.
Larry Bird and Doug Flutie (first Patriots stint) were my first sports heroes but I discovered baseball cards in 1988 and became a fan, then got obsessed in 1989 when my mom gave me a dollar a week for baseball cards.
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I enjoy reading all the contributions to this thread. My favorite sounding battery of all time was (Bill) Monbouquette to (Lou) Berberet.
I'm a month older than Pokey Reese.
My older brother "gave me" my first favorite player, Fred Lynn, because "he's a lefty too." Every computer password, etc. has the number 19 somewhere in it.
My fandom peaked in 1986. My father covered a wall in my room with corkboard and and clippings from every red sox win went up. In the middle of the 7th inning of game 6 I was literally celebrating in the street. My father warned me. To this day I think there is still a little part of me that thinks the loss was my fault. Sorry, everyone...
My older brother "gave me" my first favorite player, Fred Lynn, because "he's a lefty too." Every computer password, etc. has the number 19 somewhere in it.
My fandom peaked in 1986. My father covered a wall in my room with corkboard and and clippings from every red sox win went up. In the middle of the 7th inning of game 6 I was literally celebrating in the street. My father warned me. To this day I think there is still a little part of me that thinks the loss was my fault. Sorry, everyone...
Not quite 70. Professional sports burst upon my life in 1967 and favorite players were Yaz, Mike Andrews and then Sonny Siebert. First game at Fenway was May 1971 (doubleheader vs MN, I believe). Moved away from Boston in the early 70's and the Sox were my way of holding onto home. Then it became a true joy - just a beautifully designed game and understanding the underlying stats really helps manage the team from my seat.
2 months younger than Manny but I'm a way better hitter than him. I can also dance better than Astaire and am often mistaken for young George Clooney. I like walks on the beach (what asshole doesn't???) and am a satisfied sex addict.
I grew up a Yankees fan just because my older brother was a Sox fan. Switched my allegiance during the '86 season when my Dad took me to Fenway and it just so happened to be sometime in April when a certain pitcher K'ed 20. My best friend (still my best friend) was a Mets fan then...
I grew up a Yankees fan just because my older brother was a Sox fan. Switched my allegiance during the '86 season when my Dad took me to Fenway and it just so happened to be sometime in April when a certain pitcher K'ed 20. My best friend (still my best friend) was a Mets fan then...
i‘m 78 years old. Began with baseball as a Brooklyn Dodger fan in north Jersey. taught me as a kid that the team has no loyalty to me,so I owe the team nothing. Then a Met fan and season ticket holder. Switched to the Sox in 1988. Always were my American League team as a Yankee hater
Being 78 has a few benefits, believe it or not:
1. I couldn’t care less if Breslow signs a good player by giving him more years than he should. If a guy doesn’t live up to his money in years 8 and 9, what do I care? I could be dribbling my food by then! I remember when the Sox almost signed Bernie Williams. George stopped that by adding years 9 or 10 or something like that. Bernie was not much of a player those last few years. My guess is that Yankee fans couldn‘t have cared less given what he provided those first 6 or 7 years.
2. The 4 World Series make me unable to get angry about bad years. I don’t like it, of course, but at no point have I actually gotten mad at things like Mookie, Jon Lester etc etc. This year I’ll enjoy watching all these young guys whether they sign the pitchers they need or not. If they have a bad year, so be it. I can get excited watching a year like the Tigers just had because I like my son in law, and he’s a die hard Tigers fan.
This has nothing to do with age, but I truly don’t understand why any fan would say something like “I would sign him at 3 years 75 mill but wouldn’t give him a 4th year” Why should any fan care about that? I’m personally more than willing to let those in charge worry about the payroll years up
the road I’d just be happy to get a good player even if they have to overpay for it.
Being 78 has a few benefits, believe it or not:
1. I couldn’t care less if Breslow signs a good player by giving him more years than he should. If a guy doesn’t live up to his money in years 8 and 9, what do I care? I could be dribbling my food by then! I remember when the Sox almost signed Bernie Williams. George stopped that by adding years 9 or 10 or something like that. Bernie was not much of a player those last few years. My guess is that Yankee fans couldn‘t have cared less given what he provided those first 6 or 7 years.
2. The 4 World Series make me unable to get angry about bad years. I don’t like it, of course, but at no point have I actually gotten mad at things like Mookie, Jon Lester etc etc. This year I’ll enjoy watching all these young guys whether they sign the pitchers they need or not. If they have a bad year, so be it. I can get excited watching a year like the Tigers just had because I like my son in law, and he’s a die hard Tigers fan.
This has nothing to do with age, but I truly don’t understand why any fan would say something like “I would sign him at 3 years 75 mill but wouldn’t give him a 4th year” Why should any fan care about that? I’m personally more than willing to let those in charge worry about the payroll years up
the road I’d just be happy to get a good player even if they have to overpay for it.
6 months old when Ted retired. Lyons, Greenwell are a few months younger. Earliest memories are the Monbo/Radatz years. I remember watching the Twins/Dodgers World Series (Koufax MVP). First game was just after Tony C. got hit, early September 1967. Harrelson had been acquired a couple of days earlier. He almost hit for the cycle. My first favorite players were Joe Foy and Reggie Smith, then Petrocelli. Yaz goes without saying.
I don't think they "care." I think they like to play GM. And, anyway, it's a grim time of year, cold and damp, there's no fresh baseball, and therefore, things like this thread exist to fill the void. Or try to.
By the way, I did not grow up watching baseball, though I always sort of liked it, whenever the games came on the over-the-air TV. But then, for some reason, I started listening to Pedro pitch lying in the hammock in '99, I think, and I found it exciting. One of my most exciting TV viewings of baseball was for the AS game in '99 with Pedro on the mound and all the players hovering around Ted Williams. Somehow that game was when I really "got it." I haven't been to Fenway more than a few times, because I can see the game so much better watching at home.