Buck O'Neil Wisdom....number 1

Buck O'Neil asked this question numerous times in Joe Posnanski's book, and I have been trying to answer it throughout the whole process. Now I finally have an answer. And there are a few things to go along with it.

The question is: "What was the first baseball game your father ever took you to?"

Before I answer, you should dig through your mind and try to answer the same question. And don't settle for the easy answer, a story that maybe a dozen other people could tell. And don't count the first T-Ball game you played in as a toddler, although that could count in some other cases.

The first professional baseball game that I can remember going to, my father did not actually take me to it. But he did pay for my ticket. Rather, it was part of a summer camp field trip, and a bunch of us kids sat 10 rows up behind home plate at Hadlock Field.

It was the Portland Sea Dogs vs. Bowie Baysox, back when the Dogs were affiliated with the Florida Marlins. I don't remember the exact year either but I must have been between 10 and 11 years old, so call it 1996 or 1997. I do remember something that mostly everyone remembers when they go to their first professional baseball game: someone famous hitting a home run.

Now, don't go looking up archived Sea Dogs stats between 1996-1997 to see if I'm right about this, just enjoy my childhood memories for a minute.

The story goes, I was sitting in the stands next to my lifelong friend, Scott, who brought his glove with him. I did not. It was the 2nd inning, and the 5-6-7 hitters for the Sea Dogs were due up. Kevin Millar, the number 6 hitter, was an up and coming prospect in the Marlins system, and Scott was a huge Millar fan because his dad was a huge Millar fan. Earlier in the season, Scott's dad had Kevin sign his little league mitt for him. Earlier that day, I had some player named Damian sign my Miami Dolphins hat. Scott's autograph, I would realize, was way cooler.

Kevin Millar, batter number 6 for the Sea Dogs, stepped to the plate. And after a lengthy at bat, Kevin launched one over the spot where Hadlock's Green Monster is today. It was a towering shot, a monster home run that seemed to hit the highway. I would like to think that was in 1997, because Millar would set club records in hits, home runs, average, and total bases that year, most of which are still standing today.

He wasn't famous before that shot. He was just another prospect in a mediocre Marlins system (one that would win the World Series that year). But I like to think that that home run would pave the way for him and his "Cowboy Up" rally that would push the Red Sox into World Series Champions in 2004.

So, to answer Buck O'Neil's question: Portland Sea Dogs, 1996 or 1997, and Kevin Millar hit a home run.



Note: Go check out Joe Posnanski's blog at soulofbaseball.blogspot.com.

Baseball...number 1

I'm Matt, and you can find me here. I created this blog first and foremost to just write. I don't do it enough, so I'm giving it a shot.

Also, I'll be going on a trip up and down the east coast to a handfull of ballparks in August, both major and minor league, and I want to keep my friends and family informed on what's going on.

I titled this post "baseball" because I wanted to tell everyone why I'll be keeping this blog this summer. When my girlfriend, Michelle, saw this, she waned to know why I'm titling it "Baseball," even though I'm technically not even on our trip yet.

Well here's why.

Baseball IS America's sport, before football, basketball, soccer, tennis, hockey, batmitton, pingpong, beerpong, quarters, and thumper (all though the last 3 are sinfully fun.) Anyone who watches sports center or their local news sports update will undoubtedly know the current status of the game, which is shamefully in a gutter along with the American economy.

The power-king idols of my childhood--McGwire, Sosa, Palmiero, and even Manny F-ing Ramirez, have all fallen from starhood to roided-up scum with artificial numbers, and while the truth is undeniable, it is still sad. It's wicked sad. We have all heard the commentary, and I'm not going to provide any original thought on this issue. And while I maintain that baseball is and always will be America's sport, it needs to fix its internal issues before taking back it's throne atop public opinion. I say this, and I'm guesssing it's already being done.

But we can never be sure. The only way we can be sure is when we look back 20 years from now and evaluate the decisions made by MLB, the teams, the owners, players and trainers, and most importantly, Mr. A-Hole himself: former MLBPA director Donald Fehr.

With Fehr's retirement, maybe we can finally begin writing the "afterward" chapter of the steroid era and put the story out in the pasture with the dead ball era. Unfortunately, I feel that more big names will fall from the 101 remaining names on that dark list, the same one that exposed Sosa and A-Rod. Until that passes, the Steroid Era will remain in the dimming spotlight of today's game, the same game that former greats of the "Golden Age" watch with the same questions as the fans.

So, why did I title this post "Baseball?" Ask Michelle, because she just watched me type this whole thing.