Who are the best players that you have seen live in a game?
 

Copy and Paste the grid below into you response. There are eight blanks to fill in. You need not fill them all in. The first column asks for the best player that you saw in the first game of that sport that you attended in person. The second column is for the best player of that sport that you ever saw in a game that you attended in person. Professional or collegiate athletes are acceptable.

Sport First Game Any Game

Baseball ______________ ________________

Football ______________ ________________

Basketball ______________ ________________

Hockey ______________ ________________



Sport --- First Game --- Any Game

Baseball : Roy Campanella , Nolan Ryan

Football : Jim Brown/Bart Starr , Aaron Rodgers

Basketball : Dolph Schayes , Magic Johnson

Hockey : Stan Mikita , Wayne Gretzky



Copying and Pasting the template doesn't work very well, so just name the sport and the two names in a single row per sport, similar to my choices.

If two posts are identical, you may have found your lost brother.:D

Remembering your first game may be a problem,

OK Frank, I'll start.

Sport First Game Any Game

Baseball: Tom Seaver, Hank Aaron/ Willie Mays

Football: Walter Payton, Walter Payton

Basketball: Scottie Pippen, Steve Nash

Hockey: Jean Beliveau, Bobby Orr

Best ever in Basketball......Michael Jordan, Pete Maravich, and Dominique Wilkins.....

Baseball: Luis Aparicio, Willie Mays

Football: Archie Griffin (Ohio State vs. U of Minnesota), Walter Payton

Hockey: Bobby Hull, Bobby Hull (I've been to one pro hockey game)

Basketball: Connie Hawkins, Kareem Abdul Jabbar

greats ive seen
 

Sport First Game Any Game

Baseball Cal Ripkin (Rochester)/Nolan Ryan

Football Pele (Santos)/Diego Maradona (Argentina) / George Best / Johan Cruyff

Basketball Harlem Globetrotters / Shaquill O'Neall

Hockey Wayne Gretzky / Sidney Crosby

Best ever in Football..... Deion Sanders, Jerry Rice, Lawrence Taylor, Julio Jones....

Baseball Mickey Mantle Willie Mays

Football Keith Lincoln Johnny Unitas

Basketball Wilt Chamberlain Kareem Abdul Jabbar

Hockey Dave Keon Gordie Howe

Bonus Content:

Soccer Pele Pele

Baseball: Hank Aaron ; Tim Hudson

Football: William Andrews (in HS)

Basketball: Connie Hawkins (w the Globetrotters)

Hockey: Several nameless local players.

Seaver, Lawrence Taylor, Dr. J, Mike Bossy

Sport First Game Any Game

Baseball Carl Yastrzemski, Hank Aaron

Football Jim Nance Drew Bledsoe

Basketball Larry Bird, Michael Jordon

Hockey Bobby Orr, Bobby Orr

I don't remember first games, but in baseball it was Mays, Aaron, and Clemente.

In basketball it was Chamberlain, Alcindor (pre-1971), and Julius Erving (with the Virginia Squires, as well as the Nets)

I rarely went to football or hockey games, so no real memories.

I do remember the first concert I went to, and it was the Beatles. That should count for something.

As long as you don’t want to hold my hand

Baseball....Frank Robinson....Mickey Mantle
Basketball..... Wilt......Ditto

Baseball: Mickey Mantle; Barry Bonds

Football: Johnny Unitas; Unitas/Alan Page

Basketball: Walter Davis (I don't remember which opponent I first saw the Suns play so I'll go with the home team); Michael Jordan

Hockey: Gordie Howe; Howe/Gretzky

Best ever in baseball.... Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Barry Bonds, Greg Maddux, and Dale Murphy, yes, Dale Murphy.....Back to back MVP with crappy teams!

Hi Frank
 

Baseball Mickey Mantle (1952 - 1973), Ted Williams (several times in the 1950's at Yankee Stadium)

Football Joe Namath, Johnny Unitas, John Riggins (1972 in Baltimore))

Basketball Wilt Chamberlain, Earl "the Pearl" Monroe (Madison Square Garden)

Hockey (haven't been to any games)


TED Z

T206 Reference
.

Baseball: Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle

Football: Paul Warfield, Joe Namath

Basketball: James Bailey (Rutgers), Larry Bird (Indiana St.)

Hockey: john Vanbiesbrouck, Wayne Gretzky

Mike

Baseball: Willy Mays, Barry Bonds
Football: O.J. Simpson, Adrian Peterson
Basketball: Wilt Chamberlain, Wilt Chamberlain
Hockey: Rogie Vachon, Wayne Gretzky

Sport First Game Any Game

Baseball _Mantle, Berra /- Mays, Williams, Aaron, Clemente

Football __Don't Remember 1st game / Brown, Unitas

Basketball _Russell, Baylor, West. & Cousy__/ Robertson

Hockey __Don't Remember 1st game / Gretzky, Lemieux, Ovechkin

Sport First / Game Any Game

Baseball Al Kaline / Mike Schmidt

Football Johnny Unitas / Johnny Unitas

Basketball Manute Bol / Manute Bol only been to one sorry game (PHL/WAS)

Hockey Gordie Howe / Gordie Howe

Baseball Ernie Banks - Stan Musial
Football George Blanda - Earl Campbell
Basketball Pete Maravich - Hakeem Olijawon
Hockey - Poul Popiel - Gordie Howe

I take it you haven’t been to any Patriot games since 2000? :D

Sport First Game Any Game

Baseball: Tim Raines, Barry Bonds
Football Rod Woodson, Troy Polamalu/Barry Sanders (tie) I could say Brady, but ugh
Basketball Michael Jordan/Michael Jordan
Hockey Mario, Mario

Baseball- Seaver, Pete Rose
Football- Dan Marino, Lawrence Taylor
Basketball- Never been to a game
Hockey- Mario Lemieux, Wayne Gretzky

Baseball: Can't remember who the visiting team was so I will go with home team player Rusty Staub Roberto Clemente

Football: Never been to a Game

Basketball: Never been to a Game

Hockey Guy LaFleur Mario Lemieux/Wayne Gretzky

Sport First Game Any Game

Baseball- Don Martingly, Ken Griffey, Jr/ Mike Trout

Football- Lawrence Taylor, OBJ ("The Catch" game)

Basketball- Kevin Garnett

Hockey- Wayne Gretzky, Martin Brodeur

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Baseball - Barry Bonds, Nolan Ryan, Greg Maddux, ARod and Robin Yount (many times).

Football - Brady v. Favre @ Lambeau, Reggie White

Baseball—Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams
Football—Lawrence Taylor, Walter Payton
Basketball—Bill Russell, Michael Jordan
Hockey—Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky

Bob-The only soccer game I’ve ever been to was Santos of Brazil against Milan at Yankee Stadium, so for me the soccer answer would also be Pele/Pele

Jay- I saw Pele play in person, but it wasn't soccer.

Every summer on the East End of Long Island there is a charity event called the Artists-Writers softball game. It's mostly celebrities now with only a limited number of real artists and writers playing.

In the early 90's we used to go every year to see it, and one time Pele was there playing. I don't think soccer skills translate that well to softball, since he did nothing remarkable batting or fielding. But at one point he walked right past me, which I thought was very cool. So I guess I can say I saw Pele play too, just the wrong sport.

Haven't seen many professional contests in person (only 2 - one NBA and one NHL), but I saw Allen Iverson come to town. He was AWESOME

You know what they say, "You always remember your first." ;):D

Baseball:
First game - Mickey Mantle, although technically I didn't see him play. I saw him walk around in the dugout. It was a Sunday day game and he had the day off. :(:mad: So, actually playing-wise, I'd have to say Reggie Jackson. He even hit a homerun in the game (I don't remember him hitting it let alone playing, but I do have the box score from the game and it says he did) [ok, so maybe you don't remember everything about your first;)]. The most memorable play was Rocky Colavito throwing Campy Campaneris out at home plate with an incredible throw from left field. That I do remember and will take to the grave with me ... along with the fact that Mantle didn't play. :mad:

Any game - would have to be Ryan. I'd drive down to Houston and then up to Arlington to see him pitch.

Other sports:
Do they even matter??!? :D

11 pitchers in that game, looks like one of today's games.

Ripken Jr, Griffey Jr, Jeter, ARod...come to mind.

The first baseball game I went to was a high school game. It would have been Will Clark, but he had graduated a year or two earlier, so really nobody special there. I later saw Roger Clemens pitch, so he's certainly the best I've witnessed first-hand.

I think I saw Chris Jackson (later Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf) in the first basketball game I went to (LSU/Georgetown), so he would have been the best in that game. And I don't recall ever having gone to an NBA game, so I haven't seen any of the all-time greats. Best I've seen in person might be Mike Bibby, although as college players (how I saw them) I'd say Chris Jackson was a little better.

First football game I saw was probably one I played in as a seven-year-old or something like that. Best player I've seen since then was maybe Ricky Williams. I was at about half of his college games. Or Rickey Jackson for the Saints back in the late 80s/early 90s.

For hockey I've only been to semipro and don't recall any of the players' names. Whoever was the best New Mexico Scorpions player about 15 years ago I guess.

That must have been a cool event. My Pele game was when he was with the Cosmos at the Meadowlands. So he wasn't 'vintage' Pele but it was still great. I've seen Messi in his prime but I still have to list Pele as the best I've ever seen in person.

I think in a few decades the consensus will be that Messi was better than Pele. These things take some time.

Sport --- First Game --- Any Game

Baseball : Jason Thompson (My favorite Pirate player as a little kid) , Frank Thomas (Spring Training game against the Pirates and had tickets right behind the plate. Dude is huge and hit a bomb that was so loud off the bat. I never heard anything like that before at a game.)

Football : Dan Marino (1981 Pitt vs. Army, I think he threw for 4 TD's and around 300 yds.), Troy Polamalu

Basketball : Curly Neal (Globetrotters) , Allen Iverson

Hockey : Mario Lemieux, Mario Lemieux (This one is easy. He's the most dominate athlete that I've seen in person in any sport.)

Baseball: Bob Gibson, Hank Aaron
Football: Len Dawson, Joe Montana
Basketball: Curley Neil & Meadowlark Lemon

My answers are based on my feeling of the "best" player and how they performed in the game(s) I attended, not necessarily best in popular culture. For example I saw Michael Jordan once, but he didn't have a very good game. I saw Mickey Mantle in his last season, but he was a shadow of what he was supposed to be.

Baseball Frank Robinson - Ken Griffey Jr

Football Ken Stabler - Emmett Smith

Basketball Meadowlark Lemon - Kevin Durant

Hockey Bobby Orr Bobby Orr/Mario Lemieux

That last one is a tough call. I saw them completely dominate a hockey game almost single-handedly, which is very tough to do in hockey. Then again, those games were against very poor Seals/Sharks teams.

Baseball: Kaline,Mantle, Bonds,Ryan
Basketball: Bird, Lew Alcindor
Hockey : Howe

It is a bit hard for me as I do not really remember what players were in games, and games tend to mix together. Typically I end up remembering weird players like Oleg Saprykin or Razor Shines.

Baseball: Jay Bell, Cliff Lee
Football: Thurman Thomas, Tom Brady
Hockey: ??? , Dominik Hasek

Baseball is hard as I say, being in a minor league town we end up having a bunch of... well... minor league guys. Then also some come in on rehab assignment... or some guy on the other team coming up that you don't know anything about until they make it in the majors later. I didn't even think of Cliff Lee at first, originally I would have had to say Brian Giles. But I have a keychain from a game, and I look up that game and he is the WP so...

Certainly I had seen some other good football players. I remember my first football game was Week 1 1990 Bills vs Colts, the Jeff George debut.

For hockey, I do not know what my first game was, but I doubt anyone I had seen would beat the any game best player. I did see Wayne Gretzky, but as a coach with Phoenix. Don't know if that counts.

Baseball: Schmidt, Bonds
Basketball: Jordan, Bird
Football: Emmitt, Reggie White
Hockey: Gretzky, Jagr

Baseball Lou Brock, Barry Bonds

Football Walter Payton, Walter Payton

Basketball Larry Bird, Lebron James

Hockey Denis Savard, Mario Lemieux

Baseball: Every great that played from the mid/late 80's to mid 00's. I went to 100's of games in that time period even though the closest stadium was a 600 mile round trip.

Basketball: I bought Timberwolves season tickets for the 06-07 season so I could see all the greats of the game in person that season. It is the only time I ever went to basketball games.

Football: Troy Aikman, Emmit Smith, and John Elway

Hockey: What is Hockey?:confused:

I had a chance to see Maradona when he was in Boston but passed, always regretted that. I think it was at a point where he was having lots of problems and wasn't at his top game, but nonetheless, my boss who went said the skill level was incredible to witness.

Baseball Yaz Brett

Football Bo Brady

Could be. Of course 'best ever' is something we'll all see differently in every sport. That's part of the fun of these threads.

No World Cups. He won't eclipse Pele in my opinion. Plus Pele had more charisma, joie de vivre, flair, whatever you want to call it. Even if Messi technically is better, it won't matter.

Hockey: Mario Lemieux, although props to Marian Hossa when he played for the Thrashers (who?)
Football: Jerry Rice saw him score 5 td's vs atl in 1990
Basketball: Michael Jordan, runner up saw Dominique go for 50 once
Baseball: So many, but at my first game in Cincinnati pick'em : Joe Morgan was my fav, Pete Rose, Bench,
Soccer Miguel Almiron :)

Sport First Game Any Game

Baseball: Nolan Ryan / Barry Bonds*

Football: Aaron Rodgers / Jerry Rice / All Day (in his prime)

Basketball: Michael Jordan

Hockey: Wayne Gretzky / Super Mario

Barry Bonds
Ken Griffey Jr
Nolan Ryan
Randy Johnson
Ichiro
Football
Tom Brady,
Peyton Manning
Ray Lewis
Basketball
Jordan
Bird
Magic
Hockey
AO

Sport First Game / 1970 @ Fenway Sox Angels Tony C dropped a bomb

Baseball Hank Aaron/ Roberto Clemente/ Nolan Ryan/Mike Trout/ Griffey Jr.

Football Jack Lambert/Joe Greene/ Barry Sanders

Basketball Dr J/Larry Bird

Bull Fighting Manuel Benitez "El Cordobes"

Sport First Game Any Game

Baseball Mr. October/Ken Griffey Jr

Football Big Ben/Big Ben (only have seen one game IP)

Basketball Dr. J/Magic Johnson

Best I have seen
 

Baseball: my first MLB game was an exhibition game featuring Hank Aaron at the Albuquerque Dukes’ old park: 1976 Reds including Rose, Concepcion, Bench, etc. my grandparents took me to both games, great memories!

Football: Aikman, futbol is Messi, Di Maria, Sánchez, Vidal, Bravo in a Copa America game with my daughter.

Basketball: the Admiral played an exhibition game on the UT campus when I was a student. He was walking around campus before the game, he was HUGE.

Sport First Game Any Game

Baseball Willie Mays (He was near the ent of his career) Lots of good players on the field that day...Rose, Bench, McCovey

Best player I have ever seen is most likely Trout.

Football Don't know...probably Bill Bergey Bengals vs. Jets...Namath wasn't playing.
Randy Moss

Mark Gastineau lighting up the Bills at 'Welcome Home, O.J., Night' in Buffalo in the 80's.

Dominique Wilkins making the Knicks look like they were a grade school church league team.

Pierre Turgeon on the ice. Holy crap could that man stick handle.

Sport First Game Any Game

Baseball __Joe DiMaggio____________ __Ted Williams______________

Football _Jim Brown_____________ _Tom Brady_______________

Basketball _Wilt Chamberlain_____________ Larry Bird________________

Hockey ______________ ________________

Baseball—Detroit’s Charlie “Paw Paw” Maxwell on a Sunday!
Basketball—Kareem Abdul Jabbar
Football—O.J. Simpson playing for USC
Hockey—A college game or two - but no memorable names

Baseball: Willie Mays, Willie Mays
Football: Fran Tarkenton, Terry Bradshaw
Basketball: Walt Frazier, Kareem Abdul Jabbar
Hockey: Eddie Giacomin, Wayne Gretzky
Boxing: Lennox Lewis, Lennox Lewis (I've only been to one fight, Lewis v. Klitschko)

Best I Have Seen
 

Have only been to MLB pro sports. 1959: Luis Aparicio, Nellie Fox and Eddie Mathews, Hank Aaron, Williw Mays. More recently: Frank Thomas

Jim

Sport First Game Any Game

Baseball Mickey Mantle (Bronx), Mickey Mantle (Bronx)

Football Scott Dierking (W. Lafayette), Joe Montana (W. Lafayette)

Basketball Bob Lanier (MSG), Magic Johnson (W. Lafayette)

Hockey Patrick Roy (Denver), Patrick Roy (Denver)

+1
 

Sport First Game Any Game

Baseball -- Roberto Clemente; Willie Mays
Football -- Joe Namath; John Riggins
Basketball -- Walt Frazier; Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Hockey -- Ed Giacomin; Alex Ovechkin

Baseball: Duke Snider ( Ebbets Field), Mickey Mantle (old Yankee Stadium)
Football: Frank Gifford (Polo Grounds). Peter Dawkins (West Point)
Basketball: Jerry West (Madison Square Garden) , Bod Cousy (Boston Garden)
Hockey: For me n/a

Sport First Game Any Game

Baseball Roberto Clemente / Roberto Clemente

Football Bill Fralic / Jerry Rice

Basketball Wilt Chamberlain / Chamberlain or Michael Jordan

Hockey Brett Hull / Brett Hull

Sport / First Game / Any Game
Baseball Rod Carew or Reggie Jackson / Rickey Henderson
Football Walter Payton / Dan Marino, Drew Brees, or Payton
Basketball Pete Maravich / Maravich or Julius Erving
Hockey Ron Francis / Mario Lemieux of Dominick Hasek

I saw games as a kid that I just don't remember, so I didn't count those. I saw Tony Dorsett at Pittsburgh when he came to play Tulane. I saw a bunch of Saints games from 1969-1973, but I honestly don't remember who we saw and who played. I saw the New Orleans Jazz numerous times. I remember Bob Love was amazing, and I remember being excited to see Dr. J. I don't remember too much of the rest. I've seen hundreds of NHL games, mostly in Carolina. Hard to say the best.

Just to mention basketball I think Kareem is still probably the best I've seen but the two that made the biggest impression, because they just seemed to be taking the game to a new level , were Magic as a sophomore in college and David Thompson as a freshman. I saw Johnson on what probably was an off-night but the sight of a 6 foot 9 kid playing point guard as skillfully as he did was a revelation, and Thompson not only was leaping out of the building but hitting jump shots from everywhere.

Seeing Erving live was really something too, his ability to defy gravity and make acrobatic moves had more of an impact in person than on TV.

Baseball: Pedro Martinez/ Ken Griffey Jr.
Basketball: Larry Bird/Magic Johnson
Football: Tom Brady/ Reggie White
Hockey: Cam Neely/Jaromir Jagr

Baseball - Brooks and Frank Robinson

Many others, but had the opportunity to see the O’s a lot when I was younger.

Football - Mike “Mad Dog” Curtis, Lawrence Taylor, Alan Page

- saw Unitas at the end of career, but he was my dads favorite along with Raymond Berry

Basketball- Earl “the Pearl” Monroe, Dr. J

- saw some other big names as well like Wilt and Jabbar...there up there as well

Hockey - Bobby Orr, Gerry Cheevers

Soccer - Pele, Franz Beckenbauer

Great Thread!

Baseball- First: George Brett. Best: George Brett/Nolan Ryan/Trout/Bonds/Griffey/Jeter

Football- First: Marcus Allen. Best: Joe Montana/Tom Brady/Patrick Mahomes 😀

Basketball (only college): First: Mitch Richmond. Best: Kevin Durant

Never been to a hockey game.

Baseball: Yaz, Brett, and Ripken.
Basketball: Paul Pierce
Football: Nobody of note on either team.

I was at the 1981 All star game in Cleveland. So that covers a lot. We got there and watched batting practice. Reggie Jackson was shagging balls in the outfield. The Cleveland fans were giving him grief. Then he caught one, and the fans were begging him for the ball. He walks over to the stands and points at a fan, acts like he’s going to give it to him, then shakes his head no and throws it back to the infield with a big smile on his face. Funniest thing I ever saw. Then he really heard it from the fans.

Best player Pujols

Best pitcher Greg Maddux

Great thread, Frank!!
 

Sport --- First Game --- Any Game

Baseball : Fred Lynn, Pedro Martinez

Football : Steve Largent, Tom Brady

Basketball : Larry Bird, Michael Jordan

Hockey : Ray Bourque, Wayne Gretzky

Sport First Game Any Game

Baseball: Stan Musial Enos Slaugther Pee Wee Reese Pete Reiser

Baseball Cliff Johnson, Dave Kingman

Football Dan Pastorini, Earl Campbell

Basketball Moses Malone, James Harden

Hockey Gordie Howe, Gordie Howe

Soccer Kyle Rote Jr., Brian Ching

Boxing Ron "Tequila" Collins

Golf Greg Norman, Tiger Woods

Auto Racing Niki Lauda, Geoff Brabham

I'm sure I think of some more sports, later.

Baseball: Bake McBride (he signed my ball before the game and had a couple hits)/Mark Grace (best? maybe not. Favorite)

Football: Walter Payton/Walter Payton

Basketball: Lebron James/Lebron James

Hockey: Jari Kurri (Kings)/Patrick Kane

On second thought, Grace was the best. You couldn't ask for a more perfect baseball player or teammate.

Cheers,
Geno

First Best
Baseball
Ron Santo/Jenkins Greg Maddux, Frank Thomas or Barry Bonds*
Football
Dick Butkus/Gale Sayers Walter Payton & Joe Montana
Basketball:
Chamberlain/West Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson or Lebron James
Hockey :
I don't really remember, once mid-70's Blackhawks: Tony Esposito maybe Stan Mikita was there, against the Canadians maybe Guy Lafluer. ..... Haven't been there much since....no one as good as those guys when I do go -- I missed Mario and Gretzky.
Soccer -- the Chicago Sting weren't very good and I don't remember who they played when I went ...It wasn't Cosmos who were loaded with big names.
I did see Tennis: McEnroe play Connors and Lendl also Serena and Venus

Great thread idea!


Sport First Game Any Game

Baseball Kenny Lofton Ken Griffey, Jr.

Football Lynn Swann Drew Brees

Basketball Mark Price Glenn Robinson

Hockey Marty St. Louis Sidney Crosby

Live
 

See Above i actually did it right the first time lol

Baseball: Hank Aaron, Greg Maddux
Football: Herschel Walker

Best Player
 

Here are mine. The Baseball and Basketball games were the first games I ever went to. I have never been to an NHL game.

Sport First Game Any Game

Baseball Jim Bunning - First Game 1962

Football Ken Stabler - Oakland vs Detroit

Basketball Bill Russell - First Game vs. Detroit 1967

Hockey Marc St. Louis - Indianapolis

Russell was unreal. He only scored 3 points but, had 17 rebounds and 11 assists and at LEAST 10 blocked shots. (They didn't keep that stat) He ate Joe Strawder alive. Bunning gave up 12 hits in 7 2/3 and won 5-2. Stabler torched the Lions.