Firstly, thank you for allowing me to join your forum. I have been reading it this season and it's fun and it is very informative.
My name is North, and I am a new member. I grew up in Western New York in the '50s, and went to Buffalo Bisons games at Offerman Stadium. The Bisons have been around since 1877.
When I was in grade school, if you brought in a ticket for the Bisons' opener and showed it to your teacher, you got the day off to attend!
I worked in the Pittsburgh area for 11 years, and went to a lot of Pirates games. First under the Chuck Tanner regime. Not so good...Tanner had a quick hook (for that era). Then the Pirates got GM Syd Thryft and manager Jimmie Leyland, and those good clubs that followed.
I will forever despise Barry Bonds...IMO he dogged it in a world series so he'd be traded.
My biggest sports thrill occurred at a Pirates game. The Padres were visiting Three Rivers Stadium and Doug Drabek took a no-hitter into the eighth inning with a lead. Drabek goes to the bench...nobody talks to him...fans have their caps backwards sitting on the edge of their seat.
THEN, the da*n Pirates almost batted around! With Drabek freezing up. Arrgh...he gave up a hit on a weak infield hit that took a bad bounce in front of SS Al Padrique.
I moved to the Cincy area in 1990 - in time to see the Reds knock off the Bucs for the NL crown. I lost respect for the Pirates organization as they comitted to running lousy teams just for the profits. So for many a year, watched the Reds now and then, Schotzy's teams, but drifted away from baseball.
I started watching again last season. And hoped that Riggleman got the job. Oh well : -)
Go Reds!!!