Which RBI'ers have you seen in person?
Sandberg Aug 8 1985, Aug 7 and 8 1989, July 31 2005
Chris Speir Aug 1985
Steve Lake Aug 1985
Coleman Aug '85
McGee
Herr
Jack Clark
Pendleton
Ozzie Smith
John Tudor (pitched a 1 hitter that day. .. durham had a single)
Dawson Aug 1989
Gallaraga Aug 1989
Mike Aldrete Aug 1989
Tim Raines Aug '89
Spike Owen Aug '89
Dave Henderson Aug '89
McGwire Aug 89, July '01
Canseco Aug '89
Greg Gagne Aug 93
G Brett Aug 93
Wally Joyner Aug 93
Gaetti Aug 93
Too many to list.
But in person, not during a game, I've met HoJo, Gary Carter, Kirby Puckett, and Kent Hrbek.
As for on the field. Pretty much every RBIer that was playing in the American League between the years of 1988 and 1995, and every Met.
I saw the 91 Twins in a parade, which included MANY RBIers.
living in a MLB city during your youth probably helps out a bunch.
shit i forgot one:
Wade Boggs in 05
Julio Franco.
I've only been to games at the Metrodome, so my list is fairly limited. I was at a Twins game each year from '87 to '94, so I'm pretty much positive I saw every RBI Twins hitter (except maybe Davidson, who I don't really remember), plus Chili Davis. I don't recall for sure whether Blyleven or Viola ever started a game I was at, but I do recall seeing Reardon and Berenguer.
I don't specifically recall many visiting players. There probably were a few RBIers, though - the first game I went to was Twins-Red Sox, I think. I was supposed to see McGwire in '00, but he was hurt when the Cards came to town. My highlight instead was seeing Shawon Dunston, who was with the Cardinals that year.
Specific player memories:
- Dan Gladden watching three down-the-pipe strikes as the first Twins batter of my first game
- Steve Lombardozzi hitting a 2-run in-the-park homer in the same game
- Kent Hrbek hitting a go-ahead double in the 8th to beat the Yankees, during the last week of his career (right before the strike)
- Cal Ripken killing the Twins with two homeruns (maybe a homer and a double; I'm not positive) in '89 or '90
- Berenguer barehanding a grounder and making the play at the plate on an attempted squeeze in '88
I have probably seen about 80-90% of them in person if you include seeing them in person playing baseball.
However, I have met:
Nolan Ryan
Phil Garner
Davy Lopes
Roger Clemens
Paul Molitor
Bill Shroeder
Mark McGwire
Jose Canseco
Kevin Bass
If we count arcade RBI I've met Craig Nettles and Mickey Mantle (wee kid at the time for Mick)
I almost caught a foul ball from Marty Barrett. But that really has nothing to do with the question at hand.
So, like Stock, I've probably seen at least 90% of the guys in the game, but met none.
Everyone in the NL, for sure. I don't know that I've seen the Angels play back then...
stock, did you meet all of those guys at spring training or something?
he met 'em at a kegger at his house.
I've met Sandberg, Sutcliffe, and Boggs.
I guess I should add sutt to my list. I met him after a game in 89.
I personally met Burks, Mattingly, Canseco, Dawson, Sandberg, Raines' wife (sat next to her at a spring training game and dang Tim Raines Jr. was about 4 or something), Barrett, and I once saw Keith Hernandez and Roger McDowell on Seinfeld.
do tell your sandberg story, Mr. Dirt.
Quote from: Ryno on 01/02/06, 11:45:14 PM
do tell your sandberg Canseco story, Mr. Dirt.
Really, how interesting can meeting Ryne Sandberg be?
most sandberg stories are pretty mild mannered. However I heard one (might have been here) where Sandberg and particularly his (ex) wife were jerks.
Quote from: Ryno on 01/02/06, 11:45:14 PM
do tell your sandberg story, Mr. Dirt.
Well, when I was in the 7th or 8th grade, my mom took Riley and I to Cincy to see a game vs the Cubs...we somehow found out where the Cubs were staying, so my mom booked us a night at the same hotel and took us super early and let us stay super late.
We meet a ton of Cubbies--Ryne didn't have much to say, really--just the usual greeting-type of stuff (there weren't many people at the hotel hounding the players so they could relax and be cordial). However, there is an interesting story behind one of the Sandberg autographs that I got:
For those of you who've seen Sandberg's autograph, you know that it's pretty sloppy. On this day, Riley and I each handed Sandberg a few baseball cards to sign and a baseball each; as I recall, we were the only ones asking for autographs, but he must of tired of the event because his signature became increasingly messy. As it turned out, the baseball that Riley got signed was signed in very neat Sandberg penmanship; mine must have been one of the last things signed because it completely sucked.
So, on the way home, I devised an offer Riley could not refuse:
We play one game of RBI, if I win, we get to trade Sandberg baseballs; if he wins, we get to trade Sandberg baseballs and I give him $50.
Obviously, I really wanted the good Sandberg ball (the bad one looked like a 4 yr old signed it)...I guess I wanted it more, 'cause I won. :)
Quote from: Nacho on 01/02/06, 11:54:23 PM
Quote from: Ryno on 01/02/06, 11:45:14 PM
do tell your sandberg Canseco story, Mr. Dirt.
Really, how interesting can meeting Ryne Sandberg be?
Unfortunately, the Hjose Canseco story isn't much of a story at all. He was signing autographs at a baseball card show, back in the day when players did that and kids were foolish enough to fork over $15 for it and then the player was stupid enough to get busted for tax evasion.
Quote from: broiler on 01/02/06, 07:26:54 PM
stock, did you meet all of those guys at spring training or something?
Nope, never been to a spring training game.
Met Mac and Jose after a Brewer game in '90 or '91. This was the game where Mac had 2 home runs and Jose had 1. The brewers ended up winning the game via a Greg Vaughn Grand Slam in the bottom of the ninth.
They both signed balls for me (and no, Jose did not even charge me for it).
Met Nolan Ryan prior to the game he pitched his 300th win. He signed balls before the game to the people sitting in the bleachers by the bullpen. I met him again recently at a Roundrock Express game (with Roger Clemens). The company I work for's local council has a luxury box very close to Nolan's.
Met Garner and Lopes while they were coaching the Brewers before games. Met Garner at a baseball camp held at Milwaukee County statdium as well.
I met Molitor and Shroeder when I was a really little kid at Milw. County stadium Policemen were handing out baseball cards before the game, and I stayed after the game game and got the cards of them signed.
Also, met molitor again at a batting cage in Milwaukee (Heagan's Sports). He was there when I was attending a batting camp in High School.
Kevin Bass came to the restaurant I was working at in High School.
Also, I forgot to mention that I met Darryl Strawberry. It was at a Madison Muskey minor league game. He hit 2 home runs in the game and was signing auto's before and after the game. I had nothing for him to sign but shook his hand.
Outside of watching a game, I haven't met a single RBI'er. Though I was at a card convention and my buddy Nick got Thad Bosley's signature. Does that count?
joe, I've seen very very few "neat" sandberg signatures. I guess his name is too long for him to give a shit.
Yeah, 8 whole letters in your last name. That's crazy fucking long.
not to mention a whopping four letters in his first name.
Quote from: nomaaa on 01/03/06, 03:36:51 PM
not to mention a whopping four letters in his first name.
But the spelling of it has got to confuse him.
39 posts already?
making up for lost time.
Quote from: nomaaa on 01/03/06, 03:44:02 PM
39 posts already?
making up for lost time.
That's what happens when your only income comes from online gambling.
What? You aren't at the hotel anymore? How are we gonna save 10 bucks a night at the COTUT?
Quote from: JoeDirt on 01/03/06, 04:23:40 PM
What? You aren't at the hotel anymore? How are we gonna save 10 bucks a night at the COTUT?
I haven't been at the hotel since Thanksgiving, but I still have plenty of friends who work at hotels.
See, I did not know that.