I grew up in Pompano Beach, Florida, which was the spring training home of thr Washington Senators and, later, the Texas Rangers. The great thing about being a kid...in the 60s...at spring training games is that you could get close to the players. I met Mantle and Maris, Whitey Ford, Berra, Ted Williams, Frank Howard, Brooks Robinson, Boog Powell, ......

I stray...

Game One: Orioles vs. Rangers. Rangers pitcher had runners on first and second with two outs. Dave johnson (I think) was at bat. The pitcher chooses to walk Johnson, loading ther bases, to pitch to the Oriole p;itcher, Mike Cuellar (pitchers can't hit, right?). Cuellar knocks it out of the park for a grand slam.

Game Two: Senators vs. Braves. I'm guessing that nthis was maybe 1965 or 66.

I have to give you a bit of background on this story. The Municipal Stadium in Pompano was 350 down the lines, 375 in the alleys, and 410 at dead center. The park had put up a mesh net perhaps 40 or 50 feet high at the left field fence to try to save balls from scavengers like me behind the homerun fence when righthanders hit them out.

Past the left field fence, there was a field that was 75 to 100 feet across. Past the field was a fenced-in parking lot where the Pompano school system parked their buses. The lot was of average size I guess, maybe 100 to 200 feet across?

Hank Aaron steps up to the plate. He hits a homerun that cleared the left field fence and additional mesh, cleared the field, cleared the fence around the school bus lot, and landed about half way in.

This was the longest homerun I've ever seen either in person or on TV. To this day I do not know just how far that shot went, but I think a conservative estimate is 500'. My dad was working the game as a cop. He was sitting in a folding chair next to one of the pitching coaches right on the left field line. They both watched, astonished, as this thing sail over their heads like an Apollo shot.

Ah, the good old days.

My late husbands all time favorite basketball player was Larry Bird. Back in the eighties he somehow got tickets when the Hawks played the Celtics. All five of us got on the Marta train in College Park and off we went to the Omni. (some guy got on the train with a mop and bucket, but that's another story)

I don't remember much about the game, or who won. I only remember the joy on my husbands face watching the great Larry Bird play basketball.

My favorite player was always Spud Webb. It was so much fun to watch the little guy out play the big guys.

NBA today, is not like it was then.

Thanks Michael B. that was a great idea.
I hope more bloggers post the greatest game they attended.

The greatest game I think I've ever attended at the pro level was the last season the Falcons played at the old Atlanta stadium. My wife had never seen a pro football game so we saw the Falcons take on the Buffalo Bills.

It was a pretty good game, but then with three minutes left the game went crazy...the Falcons scored, the Bills scored on the ensuing kickoff, the Falcons scored a field goal, the Bills scored a field goal, the Falcons won on a hail mary pass. 5 lead changes in a little over 180 seconds.

My wife: "Why didn't you TELL me that pro football was this exciting!"
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