In the summer of 1971 our family took a vacation to the Northeast. I was eight. We took in several historical sights and visited my uncle, but the backbone of the trip was a bunch of ball games. The documentation is sketchy in places after 37 years, but I’ll try to identify the games. Unfortunately, I have few distinct memories about most of the games, but I know they really kicked my baseball interest into a higher gear.
GAME 1: Chicago Cubs at New York Mets, Shea Stadium, Sunday August 1, 1971, 1:05 PM
In November I found a program from this game with a complete scorecard, so I know I’ve got this one identified correctly. My scorecard notation was certainly nonstandard, but seems to be somewhat original. “O1″ is “out at first.” The grid for batters reaching base is not a bad idea. Note the pic in the upper left of the scorecard, which was modified to fit Joe Pepitone, complete with correct number and correct sideburns!
The box score from The Sporting News below indicates that a doubleheader was originally scheduled, but the second game was cancelled due to rain.
There’s actually some Super-8 footage from this day. The clip below is taken from the TV playing a VHS that was created from the original film. Not much detail remains. At the end there’s a very short clip from Fenway (see game 3). It must have been at the end of the reel. Too bad, but at least there’s a brief glipse of the monster, which identifies the location.
GAME 2: Atlanta Braves at Philadelphia Phillies, Veterans Stadium, August 1971
The big event of this game, and the clearest memory I have of the trip, was getting Hank Aaron’s autograph before the game during BP. I don’t recall being very interested in autographs at the time—I think it was the only autograph I got the whole trip. I can’t find the program he signed the cover of, but I’m pretty sure the autograph is cut out and stashed away somewhere.
The Braves were in town on the 2nd, 3rd, & 4th, and we could have been at any one of the three night games. Because we were in New York on Sunday the 1st, my guess would be the game of August 4th, which the Braves won 5-3.
GAME 3: Detroit Tigers at Boston Red Sox, Fenway Park, Monday August 9, 1971
The old man remembers this one as being a wild, high-scoring game, and that fits the game on the 9th, which the Sox won 12-11 in the bottom of the ninth. What a game—too bad I don’t remember a damn thing about it!
There were only two other games this day: the Hall of Fame exhibition game in Cooperstown between the Cubs and the Indians, and a game in St. Louis that may have been a make-up game.
GAME 4: Oakland Athletics at New York Yankees, Yankee Stadium, August 1971
This was probably either Friday the 13th or Sunday the 15th. The old man remembers it was a night game and that Vida Blue started for the A’s. Well, the only night game was on Friday, and Blue didn’t pitch. He did pitch on Sunday, but that was a 2:00 day game.
Box score from Friday the 13th
Box score from Sunday the 15th
Sunday, Blue won his 22nd game, and went on to finish 24-8, collecting both the Cy Young and MVP.
The grown-ups remember seeing Pearl Bailey at this game, but she was a Mets fan, wasn’t she?
GAME 5?: Washington Senators, Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, August 1971
No good clues on this one. The Senators (playing their last season before becoming the Texas Rangers) had a long home stand from August 5th through the 18th. Best guess is that this was the last game we saw. Maybe it was against the Angels on the 15th or against the A’s on the 17th or 18th. Take your pick.
2 comments ↓
i remember uncle joe accosting pearl bailey and that she was very gracious. also, we scored a sweet senators popcorn box, which when you were done with the popcorn, converted into a cardboard megaphone. GO SENS! wish i still had the mustard buccos cap. damn.
I was there too… the old man. I remember the barn burner in Bean Town. Billy Martin was the Detroit manager. 5 guarantee you it was Pearlie in Yankee Stadium. Maybe she came to see the Yankees lose.
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