How many Hall-of-Famers played in the first game you saw in person?

[Benjamin Grimm]

This is a question that came up in my Facebook feed from some unknown source. I don't answer these things because they just lead to spam, but I'm okay with repurposing the question.

How many Hall-of-Famers played in the first game you saw in person, and who were they?

For me it was Johnny Bench and Tony Perez. August 4, 1971, Reds vs. Mets at Shea. Pete Rose also played in that game.

Tom Seaver and Nolan Ryan were 1971 Mets, but neither appeared in the game that day. (Gary Gentry started for the Mets.)

Joe Morgan didn't get into that game either, primarily because he was still a Houston Astro.

[Cowtipper]

July 5, 2003. Mets at Reds. Barry Larkin was the sole Hall of Famer.

[The Hot Corner]

The first MLB game I attended was at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, MN on Monday, August 7, 1972. My Little League team made a trip down for the afternoon game against the Texas Rangers. My biggest memory of the game was that the first batter of the game, Dave Nelson, drew a walk from Jim Perry. Nelson stole a lot of bases that season (51) and after a few throws over he was picked off for the first out of the game.

Two future Hall of Famers played in the game. Harmon Killebrew took the pick off throw at first base and applied the tag. Rod Carew played second base for the Twins. I remember that the Twins won and that someone (BBRef. boxscore shows me it was Bobby Darwin) hit a home run for the Twins. The rest of the game is lost to the fog of time due to youthful inattentiveness from goofing with my teammates.

[Fman99]

I attended my first Mets game in person sometime in 1976 or 1977, I would think. But I have no way of knowing what day or who they played, I do not recall even who the opponent was. Maybe a Cubs game?

[metirish]

My first Mets game ever featured Mike Piazza not long after he signed long term , I have memory of who the other team was , I would say that was 99

[cal sharpie]

The first professional baseball game I attended was played on August 16, 1964 in Shea Stadium's first season.

Galen Cisco (not a Hall of Famer), in a season he went 6-19, pitched a complete game as the Mets win 12-4. Leadoff hitter Bobby Klaus (also not a Hall-of-Famer) who had a career .200 average got four hits.

The only Hall-of-Famer to play in that game was Dick Allen (back when he was known as Richie Allen). He hit his 20th homer of that season in the 4th inning.

That game made me a Mets fan.

[Frayed Knot]

I think it wss this one

If so the answer is Frank Robinson and [CROSSOUT]Pete Rose[/CROSSOUT] nobody else.

[MFS62]

My dad took me to YsI in 1949 to see the the Indians play the mfys.

Lookin at the rosters, the hall of Famers at the game ;

Indians:

Joe Gordon

Lou boudreau

Larry doby

Minnie Minoso

Bob lemon

Bob feller

Satchel Paige

Mfys:

Casey stengel( mgr)

Yogi Berra

Phil rizutto

Joe DiMaggio

Johnny mize

I may have missed someone.

I’m not sure how many actually played in the game but as a baseball fan I wish I had kept a scorecard.

Latrr

[Chad ochoseis]

Billy Williams, Ron Santo, and some guy named Seaver.

For most of my life, I thought the first game I ever saw was a Cubs-Mets game with Jenkins facing Seaver. Sometime in the pre-BBRef days and in the early days of the internet, I mentioned this to a friend of mine, who researched it and noted that Jenkins and Seaver didn't face each other at Shea in 1971 or 1972.

I did remember clearly that Rick Monday had hit a home run mid-game and that the Mets were shut out, so we concluded it must have been this one.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197209050.shtml

[whippoorwill]

I have no idea what the date was of my first baseball game. Either September 1972 or 1973 vs St Louis I think.

[Centerfield]

I have no idea what the date was of my first baseball game. Either September 1972 or 1973 vs St Louis I think.

 

Right? I don't think I can pin down the year, much less the date.

[Centerfield]

I'll tell you who will know his first game is Short Center. And frankly, he's got all of you beat. It was July 14, 2007. Ralph Kiner night. Mets played the Reds.

Hall of Famers in the Game:

Reds:

1. Ken Griffey Jr.

Mets:

2. Carlos Beltran

3. Tom Glavine

4. Billy Wagner

In the Stadium:

5. Ralph Kiner

6. Tim McCarver

7. Tom Seaver

8. Rickey Henderson

9. Yogi Berra

10. Bob Feller

11. Ernie Harwell

[whippoorwill]

I have no idea what the date was of my first baseball game. Either September 1972 or 1973 vs St Louis I think.

 

I do remember a very young Keef being with the cardinals. September call up I guess. Wasn’t in the scorecard but found him in my Baseball Digest when I got home.

[whippoorwill]

I'll tell you who will know his first game is Short Center. And frankly, he's got all of you beat. It was July 14, 2007. Ralph Kiner night. Mets played the Reds.

Hall of Famers in the Game:

Reds:

1. Ken Griffey Jr.

Mets:

2. Carlos Beltran

3. Tom Glavine

4. Billy Wagner

In the Stadium:

5. Ralph Kiner

6. Tim McCarver

7. Tom Seaver

8. Rickey Henderson

9. Yogi Berra

10. Bob Feller

11. Ernie Harwell

 

Can’t beat that!

[MFS62]

Nope.

I beat him 12-11 (see my list above).and if you're counting broadcasters in the booth, add Red Barber.

Later

[Benjamin Grimm]

I have no idea what the date was of my first baseball game. Either September 1972 or 1973 vs St Louis I think.

 

Right? I don't think I can pin down the year, much less the date.

 

For me, I knew it was 1971 because that was my first year as a Mets fan. And I recall the scoreboard wishing Cleon Jones a happy birthday. So it was easy enough to pinpoint the date. I also remembered Gary Gentry was the starter and that the Mets lost 1-0. That lined up with Cleon's 1971 birthday, which confirmed it.

[G-Fafif]

July 11, 1973: 1 Baseball Hall of Famer on the field (Willie Mays) and 2 Baseball Hall of Famers in opposing dugouts (Yogi Berra, who was already inducted, and Leo Durocher), along with 7 New York Mets Hall of Famers (Cleon Jones, Rusty Staub, Bud Harrelson, Jerry Grote, Jerry Koosman, Tug McGraw, and, in an Astros uniform, Tommie Agee). Had I peered into the broadcast booth, I’d include BB/NYM HOFer Ralph Kiner (plus Frick winners Lindsey Nelson and Bob Murphy).

[RealityChuck]

October 1, 1961. Yogi Berra and Carl Yastrzemski were the only HOFers playing, though Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford were on the roster.

[metsmarathon]

i think my first mets game was in 86 (or maybe 87), so there's a pretty good chance that i saw carter. no clue who they might've been playing against though. coulda been 85...