Memories of Your 1st White Sox Game?

[StanBahnsen72]

Saw some references to this topic in another thread, I thought it might be fun to hear from others on your memories of your first White Sox game? Mine was a 4-0 loss vs. Cleveland in 1971.

Retrosheet Boxscore: Cleveland Indians 4, Chicago White Sox 0

Not the most exciting game in the world- but I remember being transfixed by the huge scoreboard in centerfield, the upper decks in the outfield and Comiskey Park overall- I was hooked.

[HomeFish]

It was in 1998. It was a night game. They were playing the Yankees - the mighty 1998 Yankees team that won 114 games. The White Sox won. Somebody on the White Sox hit a home run. I remember that last one because the person who caught the home run ball ran through the parking lot with it after the game. These are the only things I know for certain.

The White Sox only beat the Yankees in Comiskey Park three times in 1998:
- May 27
- Sep 5
- Sep 6

Sep 6 can be eliminated because it was not a night game. That narrows it down to Sep 5 or May 27. There were White Sox home runs in both of those games.

Sep 5 is a Saturday, and May 27 is a Wednesday. I don't remember when summer break started for me in middle school, but I think I was still in school through the end of May which makes me lean towards Sep 5. I also recall, but am not 100% sure, that the Yankees took an early lead and the Sox pulled ahead later, which is consistent with Sep 5 but not May 27 (when the Sox took a 5-0 lead en route to a 12-9 win).

So I'm more than 50% sure it was September 5, 1998. If so, this is the Box Score and I saw the Sox tag Andy Pettite with 5 earned runs, including a homer by Magglio. Jim Abbott got the win for the Sox. Frank Thomas went 2-for-4.

[LITTLE NELL]

https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/...150CHA1955.htm

My first game was July 15, 1955. Sox beat the original Washington Senators who are now the Twins, final score was 5-4 as the Sox walked it off win a 2 run double by Bob Kennedy. Attended the game with my Cub Scout Pack on a bus trip from Rogers Park. We sat out in left field right behind Minnie Minoso who we cheered on every time he came back out to play the field and he always smiled and tipped his hat for us.

[Dumpjerry]

Monday this week.

I'm kidding.

Some time in 1971 when I was 9. My dad who was a Sox fan, up to that point had been taking my brother and me to Cub games (we lived on the South Side, go figure). One day he said I was "ready" for a Sox game. Okay. It was he and me. For a few innings it seemed like a Cub game. Then Ed Hermann went yard. Fireworks. I looked at my dad with an excited look. "I forgot to tell you about the fireworks." Sold. I guess he took me to Cub games so I would never get curious later on in life.

[WSox597]

I remember who took me, my dad's brother who was a Sox fan. I don't remember the year, but Aparicio hit a home run in the game, so it was pretty rare. Early '60's is the best I can come up with. My immediate family were mostly Cub fans, but we didn't go to the games until mid '60's.
I went to see two Cubs games in '66, both against the Giants. There were more Willie Mays fans there than Cub fans I think. I haven't been back since.

[LITTLE NELL]

I remember who took me, my dad's brother who was a Sox fan. I don't remember the year, but Aparicio hit a home run in the game, so it was pretty rare. Early '60's is the best I can come up with. My immediate family were mostly Cub fans, but we didn't go to the games until mid '60's.
I went to see two Cubs games in '66, both against the Giants. There were more Willie Mays fans there than Cub fans I think. I haven't been back since.

WSox597, 1966 was Leo Durocher's first year as Cubs manager, at his press conference when hired he said about the Cubs that they weren't a 9th place team (1965 team). So the 1966 Cubs wound up in 10th place going 59-103 which tied for the most losses in their history with the 1962 team. Thats why there more Willie Mays fans than Cub fans at the games you attended, Cubs drew 635,000 for the year in 66.

[LITTLE NELL]

Saw some references to this topic in another thread, I thought it might be fun to hear from others on your memories of your first White Sox game? Mine was a 4-0 loss vs. Cleveland in 1971.

Retrosheet Boxscore: Cleveland Indians 4, Chicago White Sox 0

Not the most exciting game in the world- but I remember being transfixed by the huge scoreboard in centerfield, the upper decks in the outfield and Comiskey Park overall- I was hooked.

I can see why it wasn't too exciting for you as Sudden Sam McDowell pitched a 2 hitter.

[Foulke You]

I know it was in the mid-1980s and it was a day game but I haven't had luck digging up the specific game. My memory of that game was Floyd Bannister was the starting pitcher and the opponent was the Indians. The Sox didn't hit a HR (I remember being disappointed that the scoreboard didn't go off), and we sat on the lower deck on the 3B side near the outfield mezzanine level. The Sox lost a close game as well from what I recall. (3-2 or 4-3...) I thought Julio Franco hit a HR in that game for Cleveland but I tried digging it up on Baseball Reference but I couldn't find a game that Franco hit the HR that matched up with a Bannister start at Comiskey so it's possible my brain is mixing up two games from my youth. My Dad and I used to watch Sox games on a tiny 13" Zenith color TV in his bedroom while my Mom watched her shows in the living room so seeing Comiskey Park in person for the first time with the bright green grass and those bright white uniforms with the S-O-X across the chest really made a memory imprint on me. It was quite the contrast from how I was used to watching baseball. It really blows my mind that Tony LaRussa was the manager at my first ballgame in the mid '80s and is currently managing the ballclub now in 2021.

[Frater Perdurabo]

Saturday, June 1, 1985. Carlton Fisk makes the scoreboard explode and the Sox beat the Royals 8-7.

[Dick Allen]

It was May 1960, a Sunday DH against the Tigers. Sox won both games, 6-3 and 5-2. Al Smith hit a HR into the CF bullpen in game 1. I was 7 years old, and my initial reaction was to marvel at the infield and outfield grass since, of course, I’d only seen games on B&W TV.

[KenBerryGrab]

I was 6 when my family finally took me along. (My mom was pregnant with me when she attended Game 1 of the '59 World Series.) Gary Peters beat the Orioles in their '66 Championship year.
https://www.baseball-almanac.com/box...d=196607171CHA

[notjimrose]

Unfortunately, I can't remember my first game. The earliest memory I have of a Sox game is the voting ballots for the new uniforms in 1981, so I would have been 6 that summer. The earliest game I know for sure I attended was Luis Aparicio's jersey retirement in 1984.

I'm a big data nerd, so I have a database that tracks every game I've ever been to. My big project at the start of the pandemic last year was to try and find games that I didn't already know about, so I was buying pocket schedules from the 80s and trying to match up promotional giveaways with things I have around the house (this added one stinking game. The old pocket schedules weren't very descriptive.). All told, I'm closing in on 1000 MLB games attended that I know of.

[LoveMySox]

July 2nd 1977 Sox vs. Twinkies. We clobbered 13 to 8. 12 yrs old. Right field seats Ritchie Zisk down in right. I remember walking out and seeing that enormous beautiful park. That green grass. The smell of dogs. Being with mom and pops and my four brothers. It's something we never forget. Our first Sox game. Felll in love with baseball and the White Sox that day. I love them win or lose. Getting a little teary eyed writing this, but happy tears of a great memory in my life.

[LoveMySox]

I was 6 when my family finally took me along. (My mom was pregnant with me when she attended Game 1 of the '59 World Series.) Gary Peters beat the Orioles in their '66 Championship year.
https://www.baseball-almanac.com/box...d=196607171CHA

Well technically you were there. That counts. If your mother had a hot dog. You had one too

[LoveMySox]

It was May 1960, a Sunday DH against the Tigers. Sox won both games, 6-3 and 5-2. Al Smith hit a HR into the CF bullpen in game 1. I was 7 years old, and my initial reaction was to marvel at the infield and outfield grass since, of course, I’d only seen games on B&W TV.

I know. That was the first thing I noticed. That green grass. And we had color tv. It was like walking into the Roman Coliseum.