So I just got myself a few copies of the Amazin’ Avenue Annual. I am blown away, and I think you will be too. I’m still astounded that I have writing in the same book as Joe Posnanski. Like, I thought somehow such an event would be outlawed between when I turned in my piece and when the book rolled off the press. Luckily, our lawmakers have bigger fish to fry and I’ve slipped through the cracks.
To celebrate this event, I am holding the first ever contest in the history of this site. I am giving away a copy of the Annual to one lucky reader, and all you have to do to get it is be the first person to correctly answer this question:
Who was the first batter I saw step up to the plate in the first major league game I saw in person?
I won’t say exactly when this game was, because, duh. But if you read this site, you can probably guess my relative age and take a stab at it. In fact, there are clues as to the answer to this question not-so-carefully hidden in posts I’ve written over the years. The one hint I will give you is that the game was at Shea. So that means the first batter I ever saw hit in person was not a Met, right? Not necessarily. I’m tricky like that!
You can post answers in the comments section, or email them to me here. In the unlikely event that two or more respondents come up with the correct answer at exactly the same time, we’ll figure out some way to determine a winner. I’m thinking either a knife fight or one-potato two-potato.
Good luck, and happy hunting!
I have a bit of an unfair advantage here, but the first game I remember going to was Mets vs. Expos in 1988? We were in the nosebleeds, the very last row of the upper deck. Hitting leadoff for the Expos would have been Otis Nixon or Rex Hudler.
close but no cigar. also, i should probably say that people who were actually at this game with me would be disqualified from entering…
I figured as much, but thought it was fun to take a stab at it anyway.
I’m gonna go with Lenny Dykstra.
i’m afraid voting is closed because we have a winner! officially announced here tomorrow (though if you follow me on twitter, you’ve probably already seen it)