Who ya got, and why?

WATPOAE

Team: Blue Jays

Why?: I lived in Toronto for 8 years during my teens so got hooked that way. Lucky enough to have lived there during the back to back World Series years of 92 & 93. Been persevering ever since.

Going to see them in Baltimore and NY in June. Have seen them in Seattle and Boston as well in past few years.

Innish_Rebel

Cubs...
A bit similar to the J1 stories except I already had a love affair with the Bears prior to traveling. We landed in Chicago the week of Jordan's final championship so we were covered with the Basketball, so I still keep an eye on the Bulls. I got to a good few Cubs games - season of the Sammy Sosa v Mark Maguire home run & Kerry Wood pitching was awesome!!! Same year got to see 2 Chicago Fire games in soldier field before catching the Bears season opener v the Jags in Soldier field as well...

So as far as US sports goes I a Chicagoan!!!!

Oh yes on an old NHL game for the playstation my team was the Blackhawks!!!

In general though Bears & Cubs would be the two that I follow closely...

Itssoeasy

The Mets for my sins. It's actually partly because of the movie rookie of the year as they were one of the teams I remembered and then when I started into getting into baseball and I picked them because of that.

circular flexing

Have passing interest in a few teams

- Seattle Mariners was the first game I went to see when I really didn't have a clue. Been to a few games there and would probably follow them the most
- SF Giants because I like watching games in AT&T Park.
- Oakland A's after reading Moneyball and understanding how they are playing the game differently.
- NY Mets because we went to see a game there during our honeymoon. Even went to extra innings.

I think I enjoy the game itself more than following a team too closely and I also tend to enjoy watching specific players rather than teams.

DvB

White Sox fan myself, worked with 2 guys from Chicago a few years back, both big baseball fans, one the WS the other the cubs, I always had a bit of a thing for the white sox since reading about the black sox scandal so the WS fan won me over, that was back in 1994.... so 20 yrs a WS fan now.

jack presley

You're probably a fan of this ad then?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A63XjuA8u3U

MoyVilla9

Nothing like a good ol' match-fixing scandal to get me into a team!

Shakakan

Oakland A's - because of Moneyball

lankythecamel

Detroit Tigers,
In 1986 I started to watch American football,I didn't have a Team until Barry Sanders came along in 1989,at the same time I began playing softball which gave me an interest in baseball.Later on Channel 5 started showing live games with the great Todd Macklin who explained every aspect of the game.When it came to picking a team I basically just decided to stay with same city and picked The Tigers.

lambayire

First time posting in here.

Mets.

Was over in NY on the J1 in 1991 and was taken to a Mets Dodgers game. More below. Got hooked on the game and made the mistake of picking the Mets.

Back in 1999 my then girlfriend (now wife) travelled to NY for the Millennium celebrations. I got an idea to try and organise a stadium tour of Shea. So I ring up from Ireland and explain my situation. I am told that the Mets don't do tours of Shea Stadium. Well, I persisted that I live in Ireland and that "no" was not good enough for me. I was coming to NY and I expected a tour. So I am put in touch with the stadium manager who agreed to show us around Shea on the 4th of January. "Be there for 9.30am at a certain Gate".

We were shown absolutely everywhere. Out onto the snowy field, the bullpen, the dugouts, the scoreboard/organ area, the commentary booths, even Bobby V's office. That was the only place where photos were not permitted. It was a beautiful office, a total shrine to the game of baseball.

So as we are saying our goodbyes, I say that if the Mets ever make the World Series, I would be ringing up from Ireland to try and secure tickets for a game. Well 10 months later it happens. I make the call and am told that my call was expected and that there were 2 tickets put by for me for Game 3 of the Subway World Series.

Following frantic efforts to arrange flights, I fly out via London and bring my sister-in-law's brother to Game 3. He had taken me to my first game at Shea back in 1991, Mets v Dodgers. One of Darryl's first game back in NY as a Dodger. Darryl hit a home run that night but the Mets won. My love of basebal was born that night. I had the time of my life at that game and the World Series game 3. I even made an phone call appearance on the UK coverage of the game on Channel 5 in England. I got a phone call just as John Franco was coming in to pitch. The noise in Shea was so incredible that night, especially when Benny Agbayani ripped the game winning doulbe late in the game. I even found the game on YouTube this week. Who Let the Dogs Out!!!

With the exception of 99, 00 and 06, it has been an exercise in futility but I still check the Mets score first thing every morning.

jack presley

lambayire wrote: »

Mets.
.

Sorry for your troubles.

lambayire wrote: »

Got hooked on the game and made the mistake of picking the Mets.

I feel your pain.

Seriously though, cool story and welcome aboard. There's a good thread on the current baseball season and there are a few Mets fan that post and it's always nice to have once more to rant with as things continue to go pear shaped.

Rebel_Kn1ght

I like the Mets for my sins!!

jack presley

Rebel_Kn1ght wrote: »

I like the Mets for my sins!!

You must have a lot of sins.

8-10

This thread really makes me regret never doing the J1 thing in college

Swiper the fox

Not so much these days to be honest but I was a huge Mets fan and still follow their progress, haven't been to the states in a good few years since I had kids so my interest has waned.

In the late 80s/early 90s as a young teenager I spent a few summers in the states. I hung around with my cousin and initially I loved playing the game (stickball usually but the occasional proper game). As a hurler I found that I was quite good straight away, could get into position or hunt down a fly ball and the hitting was a piece of cake, pitching less so, my arm used to be wrecked.
We went to Shea a few times in my first summer (88), wasn't that into it until one afternoon Tim Teufel who looked like an accountant charged the mound after Rob Dibble who looked like a pro wrestler beaned him, cue bench clearing brawl, cue Swipers love affair with baseball. Probably been to Shea over 50 times, looking forward to seeing the new stadium in the next few years, I love ballparks, the view when you step into the light is up there with any scenery in the world for me. I've been to Shea, Yankee, Dodger, Fenway and a few minor leagues.

fanatics2014

yankees.

Amerika

Mostly the Phillies because I was a bat boy during some scrimmages when my uncle worked for them as a scout after he retired from the MLB. I also go to their AAA team, the LV Iron Pigs games quite often. I enjoy watching the Dodgers this year though, and they’ll probably take it all. But any team my uncle played for I cheer on… Phillies, Dodgers, Yankees, Indians, Twins, and Athletics.

8-10

Amerika wrote: »

Mostly the Phillies because I was a bat boy during some scrimmages when my uncle worked for them as a scout after he retired from the MLB. I also go to their AAA team, the LV Iron Pigs games quite often. I enjoy watching the Dodgers this year though, and they’ll probably take it all. But any team my uncle played for I cheer on… Phillies, Dodgers, Yankees, Indians, Twins, and Athletics.

The ironpigs have the best logos in baseball! My company has an office over there

Amerika

8-10 wrote: »

The ironpigs have the best logos in baseball! My company has an office over there

The new bacon logo is the hottest selling AAA baseball hat across the US right now. I think it's kinda inane, but of course I had to get one at the beginning of the season. :rolleyes:



One thing I don’t like about Coca-Cola Park though is I always have to buy more expensive tickets. The only alcohol the main level is allowed to serve is beer, and I’ve become allergic to beer. But the restricted upper level has a full bar and sells wine and liquor, so I have to shell out a few extra dollars on seats. And baseball and alcohol is a necessity by tradition.

jack presley

Amerika wrote: »

Mostly the Phillies because I was a bat boy during some scrimmages when my uncle worked for them as a scout after he retired from the MLB. I also go to their AAA team, the LV Iron Pigs games quite often. I enjoy watching the Dodgers this year though, and they’ll probably take it all. But any team my uncle played for I cheer on… Phillies, Dodgers, Yankees, Indians, Twins, and Athletics.

Cool story. Who's your uncle by the way?

Amerika

jack presley wrote: »

Cool story. Who's your uncle by the way?

Waitsian

8-10 wrote: »

The ironpigs have the best logos in baseball!

Minor league names and logos are the best! I like the Lansing Lugnuts.

Swiper the fox

Amerika wrote: »

He had an incredible career(I wiki'd him:o). Involved in three franchise relocations including the famous and controversial Dodgers in 57, in good company with Ted Williams as a four decade player (39-61), .356 BA in 1956, the list goes on and includes some MLB pinch hitting records. There's nobody like that in my family:(

Amerika

mod9maple wrote: »

Minor league names and logos are the best! I like the Lansing Lugnuts.

Agreed. The LA Dodgers AAA team is the Albuquerque Isotopes, and was taken from the TV series The Simpsons. The name "IronPigs" was chosen because the area was home to Bethlehem Steel, and pig iron. My entry into the team naming contest didn't cut it... The "Black Knights."

jack presley

Amerika wrote: »

Obviously way before my limited time as a baseball fan but just checked him out on Wikipedia and it sounds like he had a great career. Staying in the majors for over 20 years isn't something easily done.

Amerika

Swiper the fox wrote: »

He had an incredible career(I wiki'd him:o). Involved in three franchise relocations including the famous and controversial Dodgers in 57, in good company with Ted Williams as a four decade player (39-61), .356 BA in 1956, the list goes on and includes some MLB pinch hitting records. There's nobody like that in my family:(

He had a knack of knowing when the pitches were balls, and his career On Base Percentage (OBP) was .398 because of it. Ted Williams was his arch nemesis on the field, and I never tired of his stories.

(Oh, and by the way, the family is not allowed to talk about him “supposedly” playing in the last game in ’39. Can’t have them change all the MLB history books, now can we. )

Amerika

jack presley wrote: »

Obviously way before my limited time as a baseball fan but just checked him out on Wikipedia and it sounds like he had a great career. Staying in the majors for over 20 years isn't something easily done.

Got to know a lot of the Phillies players when I was a kid in the late ‘60s. That damn Bob Uecker gave me the nickname “Spaghetti Muscles,” which unfortunately stuck with me 'till I stopped going to their practices and scrimmages.