Favorite Municipal Stadium Memory

• Footwedge

  Dick Bosman of all people pitched a no-no against the World Champion Oakland A's on a Friday night. (1974) The next day we went to the stadium and the Indians made a stunning comeback to win 10-9. Johnny Ellis hit a 2 out, 2 run single to right center off of Rollie Fingers in the bottom of the ninth to win it. For all you young farts....Fingers was the second relief pitcher to make the HOF.
• Footwedge

  In 1968...the tribe broke tradition and actually had a good team. Mainly, due to a really strong starting staff. The Tigers came to town with a 7 game lead over the Indians in late July. The series was an oddity with a Friday night, Saturday, double header Sunday and a rare Monday 5th game.
  
  An unlikely sweep would have put the tribe fans into a pennant fever frenzy.
  
  The Indians beat All Star Mickey Lolich on Friday and won again on Saturday. The starters for Cleveland for the twin bill were Luis Tiant and Sudden Sam McDowell in the nightcap....our 2 aces.
  
  
  65,000 plus were in attendence and we found the nickel seats behind one of the poles in deep right center field. The first game was sweet as Tiant shut out the hard hitting Tigers. Game 2 had the fans all fired up....score holding at 1-1 through the top of the 8th. Sam was pitching a gem...and then it happened. 2 on 2 out, back up scrub Dick fuckin Traciewsky (google him) hit a 3 run homer, just inside the left field foul pole. Traciewsky maybe...maybe had 3 lifetime homers and I'm pretty sure Mario Mendoza had a better lifetime batting average. The only reason he was even playing...it was the nightcap of a DH.
  
  The tribe lost...and the following day, Denny McClain beat us 13-1 as the sails had gone out of our ship.
  
  That year, McClain went 31-6....but it was Mickey Lolich who won 3 World Series games...including beating Bob Gibson in game 7...as the Tigers won it all.
• Footwedge

  OK...I had to look it up...to make sure my memorey was correct. Tracewski actually had 8 lifetime homers, but his lifetime average was in fact less than Mario Mendoza. Mayo Smith, the Tiger manager called Tracewski's home run against Cleveland the biggest hit of the season.
  
  From a baseball bio of this little piece of shit....
  
  "...including the three-run shot against Cleveland in the nightcap of a June 23 doubleheader, the opening salvo in a 4–1 Detroit win that Mayo Smith credited with spurring on the team in its pennant run.
  
  http://bioproj.sabr.org/bioproj.cfm?a=v&v=l&bid=1853&pid=14313
• BRF

  

  Well I sure have enjoyed reading everyone's memories of good old Municipal Stadium. Here are a few of mine:
  
  Walking in for the first time and seeing the beauty of the field along with the smell of cigars. I liked that smell. For the young pups, you could smoke anywhere and anytime in those days. Hard to imagine today. Lots of people hated that cigar smell, but little BRF loved it. (went to the last fan walk around and pulled out a big plug of grass and planted it in my backyard.)
  
  Catching my first and only foul ball. July 22, 1966 against Detroit. Bill Freehan hits a high popper into the upper deck of a Sam McDowell pitch. Fan a few rows ahead gets the "hot hands" and ball lands right in 8th grader BRF's lap. Still have that ball in a case.
  
  Bathrooms: Nasty business there. God help you if you had to take a shit. Opposing fans stunned by the sights and smells. Favorite memory: The urinal troughs had a water line running above them and when you hit a button at the end of the trough, water would shoot down to help flush. Some guy torqued the line to point outward. About ten guys jumped back while pissing when somebody hit the button. Funny, funny stuff. Can you imagine that happening to you when you are taking a whiz? I was fortunately back of the "squirted" crowd.
  
  In my late 20's and early 30's, being asked for my autograph because fans thought I was a player. I actually resembled Brook Jacoby and earlier, a minor player named Jim Wilson for the Tribe. In football, I one time walked down onto the field after a game, then walked up the tunnel and out a door where I was surrounded by kids asking for my John Hancock. I signed "Dino Hall".
  
  All the great games and players that I saw during those times. Great great memories. I may have some more stories later.
  
  If I can find the pics, I might post Bert Blyleven holding my oldest daughter when she was just 2, along with Tony Bernazard holding my second oldest daughter. Those were the days you could get up close and personal with the players and the players seemed to really enjoy it.
• BRF

  

  Oh, I was wondering, Footwedge, if when I Google Tracewski's stats.....should I use that middle name that you provided?
• Footwedge

  BRF;737634 wrote:Oh, I was wondering, Footwedge, if when I Google Tracewski's stats.....should I use that middle name that you provided?

  Absolutely!! It was Dicky fuckin Tracewski long before Sawx fans laid claim to Bucky fuckin Dent.
• THE4RINGZ

  

  Circa 1989 I took my nephew who was a big A's fan at the time to a game to watch his hero's on a Sunday afternoon. He was about 8 years old. That day each kid under 12 got a ticket to get their picture taken with an Indian's player. He was photographed with Greg Swindell.
  
  I wonder if he still has that Polaroid. I also wonder since he had his first child a month and a half ago, a son, what memories they will make at the at the ballpark?
• wildcats20

  

  Laley23;736316 wrote:Whats Municipal Stadium???
  
  Kidding aside, I actually wish I was alive to experience it. My dad and his friends always talk about the games back in the Muni. I was born in 1986, so my fondest memories are the Major League movies...

  
  Which were filmed in Milwaukee.
• wkfan

  Several stand out for me......
  
  Went to a 1964 Indians vs. Twins game one evening. My Dad was an editor of a Cleveland area newspaper and got tickets often. Minnesota was leadin the AL at the time and Cleveland won with nack to back home runs in the 8th or 9th....
  
  Went to a Sunday Indians v Red Sox double header in about '67 or so. Sat right behind home plate because the 3 of us were about the only ones there....
  
  Took my kids to the 11th to the last game at Municipal Stadium. Sat right behind the 1st base dugout and my kids got balls thrown to them after the game.
  
  Good times.....just too bad that the Indians sucked most of that time.....
• Con_Alma

  Frank Robinson's first game as Manager in Cleveland. As a player/manager I think he was the first black manager. I remember the program cover had him on it. I think it was 1976.
  
  He put himself in as a pitch hitter I believe and knocked one over the wall.
• THE4RINGZ

  

  Con_Alma;740454 wrote:Frank Robinson's first game as Manager in Cleveland. As a player/manager I think he was the first black manager. I remember the program cover had him on it. I think it was 1976.
  
  He put himself in as a pitch hitter I believe and knocked one over the wall.

  All that and those red home unis
• riders1

  

  Not my 1st game, but one of the best ever, opening day 4-7-1973. Gaylord Perry against Mickey Lolich, Billy Martin and Ken Aspromonte managers, 1st base side reserved seats just in front of the poles, 74,420 fans, both pitchers all the way in 2 hrs 10 minutes, only 4 hits per team, 2-1 indians on a 2run HR by Chambliss in the 1st inning and Tigers a run in the 8th, Martin complaining about the spitter, what a game!
  
  A home run ball from Griffey, another from Oscar Gamble, and a foul ball thrown into the stands by Mel Hall.
• riders1

  

  THE4RINGZ;740508 wrote:All that and those red home unis

  
  Boog Powell looked like a tomato, lol
• september63

  

  Footwedge;737383 wrote:Dick Bosman of all people pitched a no-no against the World Champion Oakland A's on a Friday night. (1974) The next day we went to the stadium and the Indians made a stunning comeback to win 10-9. Johnny Ellis hit a 2 out, 2 run single to right center off of Rollie Fingers in the bottom of the ninth to win it. For all you young farts....Fingers was the second relief pitcher to make the HOF.

  
  I was there the night Bosman pitched his No-Hitter!!! July 19th 1974 vs the soon to be World Champs Oakland A's. Crazy shit that night.
• BRF

  

  I was thinking about the scoreboard with the big Marlboro ads and Longines. Anyone remember the fake trumpets that swung out from behind when there was a Tribe home run?
• THE4RINGZ

  

  BRF;743194 wrote:I was thinking about the scoreboard with the big Marlboro ads and Longines. Anyone remember the fake trumpets that swung out from behind when there was a Tribe home run?

  No I don't remember those, but would love to have seen them.
• BR1986FB

  riders1;741601 wrote:Boog Powell looked like a tomato, lol

  
  This.
  
  First game was a doubleheader between the Tribe and the Rangers in 1975. I remember Powell looking like a giant tomato and a streaker jumping over the centerfield fence as the cops & umps chased him around the field. He had time to stop in centerfield to acknowledge rookie centerfielder, Rick Manning, and then hop back over the fence. Also had a foul ball hit one row over and I remember my older brother getting french fries and ketchup all over the guy in front of him trying to catch it.
• Art Modell

  

  Nobody has brought up all the world series wins.
• BRF

  

  Read all the stories on this thread, BR. They are awesome.
  
  I was also at the opening day game for Frank Robinson. Pretty sure his line shot homer was in his first AB as the DH. Photographers were all over the place. I believe it was off of Doc Medich. Gaylord was "da bomb"! Had something like 26 complete games that year. Ringz: Smitty and I attended many games there. One of our highlights was talking to Mike Birkbeck at the dugout. We always enjoyed the fake binoculars, too!
• THE4RINGZ

  

  Birkbeck when he pitched for the Brewers back when they were in the AL?
• Al Bundy

  It was always great to see the giant Chief Wahoo with the bat on top of the stadium when getting close. Does anyone know if that was saved when the stadium was torn down?
• BRF

  

  THE4RINGZ;743292 wrote:Birkbeck when he pitched for the Brewers back when they were in the AL?

  
  
  Yes sir. I have a great picture that I should scan and post up. That was in 1986.
  
  Al Bundy: I'm pretty sure somebody has got the old Chief Wahoo that was on the top of the stadium. Check this out: http://www.clevelandmagazine.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=E73ABD6180B44874871A91F6BA5C249C&nm=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=1578600D80804596A222593669321019&tier=4&id=4EAC2FADF8FA4082AB65F0D2E6F7EDFE
  
  Art Modell......being annoying...AGAIN. OK, I will bring up the 1920 and 1948 World Series wins. God, you just can't give it up.
• THE4RINGZ

  

  Walking through Jesse Owens park to get to the ballyard.
  
  My dad buying a beer and a bag of peanuts in the shell. He would drink the beer, set the cup on the floor in front of him, and we would take turns eating peanuts and throwing ( or trying to throw) the shells into the empty cup.
  
  Being fascinated by the adult book store that had blue siding on it that was located where Progressive Field is currently located. It was the first thin We would see after we exited the highway.
• Al Bundy

  BRF;743338 wrote:Yes sir. I have a great picture that I should scan and post up. That was in 1986.
  
  Al Bundy: I'm pretty sure somebody has got the old Chief Wahoo that was on the top of the stadium. Check this out: http://www.clevelandmagazine.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=E73ABD6180B44874871A91F6BA5C249C&nm=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=1578600D80804596A222593669321019&tier=4&id=4EAC2FADF8FA4082AB65F0D2E6F7EDFE
  
  Art Modell......being annoying...AGAIN. OK, I will bring up the 1920 and 1948 World Series wins. God, you just can't give it up.

  
  
  Thanks for posting. It's too bad they didn't put up the sign at Jacobs Field. The 1920 WS win was at League Park.
• BRF

  

  Al Bundy;743411 wrote:The 1920 WS win was at League Park.

  
  I was wondering if someone would point that out. Let's see...I believe that series saw the Indians pull off a triple play (unassisted) by Wambsgannss. And the first WS grand slam (Elmer Smith). And the first HR by a pitcher (Bagby). I think that is right. It was a long time ago.