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Old 05-15-2007, 08:34 PM   #1
Cyclone792
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Who are the Hall of Famers that you've actually seen play?

I figured this topic was a bit interesting, and I'm curious to see how many Hall of Fame players our collective list can reach. Apologies in advance go out to people fearing they may give their age away here, and apologies to RFS for opening up a wide platform for Puffy to do what he does best.

Which Hall of Fame players have you had the pleasure of watching play?

Any players inducted already in the 2006 class or previous years count, and all players elected for 2007 also count (i.e. Gwynn and Ripken). Also, by watching play, I mean actually in person, live at the ballpark. Television doesn't count. Pitchers would have actually had to have pitched some part of the game in a live game attended, and hitters would have had to make at least one plate appearance in a live game attended. So watching a game where a Hall of Fame player just sat on the bench also doesn't count.

A chronological list of Hall inductees can be found here.

Also, do you remember any stories or game events from any of the games when you watched one or more Hall of Famers participate?

Obviously my list will grow by a wide margin in the next 10+ years when certain guys such as a Ken Griffey, Jr. are inducted into Cooperstown, but for now, it remains extremely small. I've only seen a grand total of five Hall of Fame players live on the field.
  • Ozzie Smith (STL) @ Riverfront Stadium/Cinergy Field
  • Ryne Sandberg (CHC) @ Riverfront Stadium/Cinergy Field
  • Eddie Murray (BAL) @ Comiskey Park II
  • Cal Ripken, Jr. (BAL) @ Comiskey Park II
  • Tony Gwynn (SD) @ Riverfront Stadium/Cinergy Field
Two guys I just don't know if I ever saw were Dennis Eckersley and Gary Carter. Eckersley played a few games in Cincinnati in 1996-97 with the Cardinals, but I just don't know if I ever attended any of those Reds/Cardinals games during those two years. As for Gary Carter, I would have been too young to remember.

I saw Ozzie Smith, Ryne Sandberg, and Tony Gwynn quite a few times. I only saw Eddie Murray and Cal Ripken, Jr. once each, both in the same game in 1996.

Tony Gwynn was an absolute joy to watch hit, at least when I wasn't bummed when he'd light up Reds pitching. It was amazing how quickly and easily he'd flip the bat out into the strike zone and shoot a line drive into left field. Or, if he got around on one, it was probably heading into a gap somewhere.

Eddie Murray hit 19 career grand slams. I watched one of them live on August 10th, 1996 in new Comiskey when the Orioles went to Chicago to face the White Sox. Murray had an outstanding game, and he finished the night going 3-4 with a grand slam, two singles, and a walk. Murray was near the end of his career in 1996, but for that night he morphed back into the Eddie Murray of his peak.

It's actually amazing how many Hall of Famers and potential future Hall of Famers I saw play in that same Orioles/White Sox game in 1996. Murray and Ripken are already Hall of Famers from that game. Frank Thomas, Roberto Alomar, Mike Mussina, and Rafael Palmeiro also played in that game, though at this point it seems unlikely for Palmeiro to reach Cooperstown for some other well-known reasons.
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Old 05-15-2007, 08:38 PM   #2
Always Red
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Re: Who are the Hall of Famers that you've actually seen play?

Clemente
Banks
Mays
Gibson
Aaron
Marichal
Brock
McCovey
Catfish Hunter (1972 WS)
Billy Williams
Stargell
Bench
Morgan
Jenkins
Perry
Fingers
Seaver
Jackson
Carlton
Schmidt
Neikro
Sutton
Cepeda
Ryan
Sparky
Perez
Winfield
Smith
Carter
Eckersley
Sandberg
Sutter
Gwynn

Pretty good list, as I go back and review it. I grew up on the west side, going to games at Crosley in the late 60's, and one of my first memories is my Dad pointing out Willie Mays to me and telling me he was the very best baseball player in the game. Dad managed to get tickets to game 7 of the 1972 WS (it was a great game), but we couldn't get then for the "75 series. I did get to go to game 2 of the 1990 WS (Eckersley).

I saw most of the HoF'ers make their way through Riverfront in the 70's and 80's, and moved to Chicago during the late 80's, and went to Wrigley and Old Comiskey (I loved that park!) a bunch of times, Wrigley more than Comiskey (bad 'hood). I remember seeing Clemens pitch for the BoSox back then, so I probably should add Boggs to my list as well.

*I went to a lot of games over the years; so I can't tell you what date I was there that I saw Fergie Jenkins pitch for the Cubs (for example); I'm just sure in my own mind that I did. In fact, I would go out of my way to see Jenkins, Seaver or Ryan, for example, pitch.

Last edited by Always Red; 05-15-2007 at 08:52 PM.
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Old 05-15-2007, 08:44 PM   #3
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Re: Who are the Hall of Famers that you've actually seen play?

Morgan, Bench and Perez. As a teenager My uncle would only take me if Soto was pitching. So I only saw a handful of games from the early 80's through the late 90's when I started taking my family. Maybe Sandberg.
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Old 05-15-2007, 08:46 PM   #4
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Re: Who are the Hall of Famers that you've actually seen play?

Ripken at an Indians game a while back is the only one for me.

My list for the future should also grow quite a bit, but for now it sits at 1.
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Old 05-15-2007, 08:49 PM   #5
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Re: Who are the Hall of Famers that you've actually seen play?

Much harder question than I originally thought. I started going to games in 1976 but don't remember much until about 1979/1980. I'm sure I've seen the likes of Morgan, Ozzie Smith, Niekro, Ryan, Suter, etc and just don't remember it.

The ones I do remember are Bench, Parez and Gary Carter. Not too many at all really.

However, I have seen Maddux, Jr and Bonds live so I can add them to the list in a few years.
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Old 05-15-2007, 08:52 PM   #6
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Re: Who are the Hall of Famers that you've actually seen play?

Reds:
Bench
Morgan
Perez
Seaver

Non-Reds:
Billy Williams
Willie McCovey (as a Padre--got to go down on the field for Camera Day and take a picture of him when I was 10--never saw anyone so big before)
Mike Schmidt (when the Phillies came to town during Pete's hit streak)
Gary Carter (when he was with the Mets)
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Old 05-15-2007, 08:58 PM   #7
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Re: Who are the Hall of Famers that you've actually seen play?

Sandy Koufax
Roberto Clemente
Warren Spahn
Ernie Banks
Eddie Matthews
Willie Mays
Bob Gibson
Hank Aaron
Frank Robinson
Juan Marichal
Don Drysdale
Harmon Hillebrew
Willie McCovey
Billy Williams
Willie Stargell
Johnny Bench
Joe Morgan
Rod Carew
Fergie Jenkins
Gaylord Perry
Phil Niekro
Orlando Cepeda
Nolan Ryan
Tony Perez
Bill Mazerowski
Dave Winfield
Eddie Murphy
Cal Ripken
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Old 05-15-2007, 09:02 PM   #8
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Re: Who are the Hall of Famers that you've actually seen play?

Cal Ripken Jr., however, that list will grow significantly in the next ten years...Ken Griffey Jr., Barry Bonds, Pedro Martinez, Barry Larkin, Mike Piazza, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa (both may be excluded due to steroids), Vladimir Guerrero, Jim Thome, Chipper Jones/Andruw Jones.
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Old 05-15-2007, 09:06 PM   #9
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Re: Who are the Hall of Famers that you've actually seen play?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Always Red View Post
Pretty good list, as I go back and review it. I grew up on the west side, going to games at Crosley in the late 60's, and one of my first memories is my Dad pointing out Willie Mays to me and telling me he was the very best baseball player in the game. Dad managed to get tickets to game 7 of the 1972 WS (it was a great game), but we couldn't get then for the "75 series. I did get to go to game 2 of the 1990 WS (Eckersley).

I saw most of the HoF'ers make their way through Riverfront in the 70's and 80's, and moved to Chicago during the late 80's, and went to Wrigley and Old Comiskey (I loved that park!) a bunch of times, Wrigley more than Comiskey (bad 'hood). I remember seeing Clemens pitch for the BoSox back then, so I probably should add Boggs to my list as well.

*I went to a lot of games over the years; so I can't tell you what date I was there that I saw Fergie Jenkins pitch for the Cubs (for example); I'm just sure in my own mind that I did. In fact, I would go out of my way to see Jenkins, Seaver or Ryan, for example, pitch.
Wow, over 30 Hall of Famers is impressive, and you've got a couple AL players on your list too.

I definitely know what you mean by going out of your way to see certain guys play, especially pitchers. I've gone out of my way to see Greg Maddux, Randy Johnson, and Tom Glavine pitch. I tried to go out of my way to see Clemens pitch here at GABP a few years back, but the game sold out before I could get tickets. In fact, that game was the only time I ever tried to attend a baseball game and was unable to land tickets due to a sellout.
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Old 05-15-2007, 09:26 PM   #10
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Re: Who are the Hall of Famers that you've actually seen play?

Reds: Bench, Perez, Morgan, Rose, Seaver.

Willie Stargell, Ozzie Smith, Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton, Gary Carter, Nolan Ryan, Tony Gwynn, Ryne Sandberg, Don Sutton - all the NL HOFs since ~1975.

Fisk and Yaz at Riverfront game 5 1975 World series.

I went to college in Boston ( 1982-1986 ) and saw Boggs & Clemens play several times. I can't recall which other AL HOFs I saw play.

I once as a child was at a convention where Harmon Killebrew gave a motivational speech!

Greatest athlete I had the priviledge of seeing play in person was Mario Lemieux. Even after multiple back surgeries and treatment for lymphoma he was obviously far far better than anyone on the ice when I saw him play in ~2000.
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Old 05-15-2007, 09:37 PM   #11
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Re: Who are the Hall of Famers that you've actually seen play?

Pete Rose*
Davey Concepcion*
Sparky Anderson
Johnny Bench
Steve Carlton
Gary Carter
Dennis Eckersley
Fergie Jenkins
Tommy Lasorda
Phil Niekro
Tony Perez
Frank Robinson
Nolan Ryan
Ryne Sandberg
Mike Schmidt
Tom Seaver
Ozzie Smith
Bruce Sutter
Dave Winfield

*Hooligans HOF
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Old 05-15-2007, 09:43 PM   #12
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Re: Who are the Hall of Famers that you've actually seen play?

My list is a lot shorter than I'd like (for an old guy like me) I only saw one game live when I was a kid in the US, but afterwards I was a regular in Winter Ball in Puerto Rico and Venezuela. Quite a few HOFers honed their skills there. Carew actually was a player-manager and Mike Schmidt credits his winter ball experience for finding the swing that put him in the HOF.

Al Kaline
Reggie Jackson (PR)
Roberto Clemente (PR)
Mike Schmidt (PR)
Tony Perez (PR)
Rod Carew (Ven)
Ryne Sandberg (Ven)
Luis Aparicio (Ven)

That's all I can remember (for now).
(I think Winfield was in PR, but he didn't play on my favorite team)..
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Old 05-15-2007, 11:53 PM   #13
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Re: Who are the Hall of Famers that you've actually seen play?

Tony Perez
Joe Morgan
Johnny Bench
Cal Ripken Jr (AAA & Majors)
Eddie Murray (AAA)
Ozzie Smith

(Barry Larkin - soon to be)
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Old 05-15-2007, 11:58 PM   #14
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Re: Who are the Hall of Famers that you've actually seen play?

Ted Williams
Carl Yastrzemski
Carlton Fisk
Wade Boggs
Orlando Cepeda
Dennis Eckersley
Fergie Jenkins
Whitey Ford
Mickey Mantle
Yogi Berra
Luis Aparicio
Frank Robinson
Brooks Robinson
Jim Palmer
Al Kaline
Catfish Hunter
Reggie Jackson
Joe Morgan
Johnny Bench
Tony Perez
Joe Morgan
Hank Aaron
Eddie Mathews
Phil Niekro
Sandy Koufax (Sammy Ellis beat him 1-0 at Crosley Field)
Don Drysdale
Don Sutton
Billy Williams
Ryne Sandberg
Ernie Banks
Steve Carlton
Jim Bunning
Mike Schmidt
Tom Seaver
Willie Stargell
Roberto Clemente
Hoyt Wilhelm
Rollie Fingers
Bob Gibson
Willie Mays
Willie McCovey
Juan Marichal
Ozzie Smith
Bill Mazeroski
Eddie Murray
Jim Palmer
Waite Hoyte (Well, I listened to him)
Eppa Rixey (Okay, I was in an English class with his grandson in junior high in Indian Hill)
Tommy Lasorda
Sparky Anderson
Earl Weaver

Also, Jerry Garcia, Mick Jagger, Ozzie Osborne, Frank Zappa, Willie Nelson, B.B. King, and Duane Allman.
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Old 05-16-2007, 12:36 AM   #15
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Re: Who are the Hall of Famers that you've actually seen play?

Quote:
Originally Posted by RFS62 View Post
Sandy Koufax
Roberto Clemente
Warren Spahn
Ernie Banks
Eddie Matthews
Willie Mays
Bob Gibson
Hank Aaron
Frank Robinson
Juan Marichal
Don Drysdale
Harmon Hillebrew
Willie McCovey
Billy Williams
Willie Stargell
Johnny Bench
Joe Morgan
Rod Carew
Fergie Jenkins
Gaylord Perry
Phil Niekro
Orlando Cepeda
Nolan Ryan
Tony Perez
Bill Mazerowski
Dave Winfield
Eddie Murphy
Cal Ripken
You forgot Honus Wagner
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