Favorite Opening Days

[Frisbee Slider]

April 2, 2001

Dodgers 1

Brewers 0

This was the first Opening Day I was excited for. Jamey Wright pitched great, allowing only 1 run over 7 IP. 
 

Gary Sheffield’s sixth-inning HR was the difference. Jeffrey Hammonds had two hits. Sadly, he only had 41 hits the rest of the year.

Unrelated note: was Rafael Roque our worst opening day starter? 1999

[Jose Cardenal]

1980.

Sixto Lezcano wins it with a grand slam in the bottom of the ninth.

I was in middle school but remember listening to Uecker make the call.

Overall 1980 was a slight disappointment.  Coming of 93 & 95 win seasons in '78 & '79, expectations were high but they finished with 86 wins (17 GB in the pre-Wild Card era).  That disappointment led to Dalton making a big splash in the offseason bringing in Fingers, Vuke and Simmons, which led to the playoffs in '81 & '82.

[Vgmastr]

April 4, 1988

Brewers 12

Orioles 0

This is my earliest memory of watching the Brewers.  I was six years old, and it was spring break so I was able to be at home and watch.  What a way to be introduced to the Crew.

[OldHeidelberg]

21 minutes ago, Vgmastr said:

April 4, 1988

Brewers 12

Orioles 0

This is my earliest memory of watching the Brewers.  I was six years old, and it was spring break so I was able to be at home and watch.  What a way to be introduced to the Crew.

When I saw the thread title I was thinking the same game, I wasn't working or in school at the time and was super excited for season after the promising 87 campaign and that win was a blast.

[Jimbo]

On 3/20/2024 at 3:22 PM, Jose Cardenal said:

1980.

Sixto Lezcano wins it with a grand slam in the bottom of the ninth.

I was in middle school but remember listening to Uecker make the call.

Overall 1980 was a slight disappointment.  Coming of 93 & 95 win seasons in '78 & '79, expectations were high but they finished with 86 wins (17 GB in the pre-Wild Card era).  That disappointment led to Dalton making a big splash in the offseason bringing in Fingers, Vuke and Simmons, which led to the playoffs in '81 & '82.

I was at that game, but left after the eighth.  It was freaking cold.  Jim Slaton blew a two-run lead during the top of the ninth.  Like yourself, listened to the end on the radio.

 

[LouisEly]

April 7th, 1997.  A.K.A., the last time that they had baseballs as a fan giveaway item.

I'm one of the few whose baseball didn't end up on the field.  Still have it in the plastic wrap.  If anyone wants that for their memorabilia collection, send me a message.

[BruisedCrew]

On 3/20/2024 at 3:22 PM, Jose Cardenal said:

1980.

Sixto Lezcano wins it with a grand slam in the bottom of the ninth.

I was in middle school but remember listening to Uecker make the call.

Overall 1980 was a slight disappointment.  Coming of 93 & 95 win seasons in '78 & '79, expectations were high but they finished with 86 wins (17 GB in the pre-Wild Card era).  That disappointment led to Dalton making a big splash in the offseason bringing in Fingers, Vuke and Simmons, which led to the playoffs in '81 & '82.

This was mine too. Stuck it out in the bitter cold to see the great finish.

Went to the second game that year too and saw the Brewers hit two grand slams in one inning in a rout over the Red Sox.

After that the season was more than a slight disappointment.

 

 

[patrickgpe]

2019, LoCain's game saving over the wall catch vs the Cards. 

[BruisedCrew]

One other favorite Opening Day was in April of 1970 when I took a day off from my senior year in high school to see the Brewers first game ever. 

Even though they lost 12-0 it was great to have a team again. 

[owbc]

Say what you will about the Ned Yost era, but that guy always had his team motivated to win on Opening Day. Russell Branyan's two bombs in 2005 was probably my favorite one. Then there was a Ben Sheets complete game 2-hitter in 2007. And two bombs by Bill Hall in a blowout win in 2008 (home opener). 

[BruisedCrew]

Hearing the “Let’s Go Mets” chants today reminds me of another of my favorite Opening Days. 

In 1973 the student radio station I broadcast for became an affiliate on the Mets network to add some programming and revenue that would allow it to continue broadcasting over the summer.

As an affiliate all we had to do was contact the Mets and if there was availability they would leave us tickets. Opening Day wasn’t a big deal in NY in those days so a friend and I were able to get freebies. 

We drove the hour or so to Shea Stadium to see Hall of Famers Tom Seaver and Steve Carlton square off. Carlton had won 27 games the year before for a Phillies team that only won 57 games. 

The Mets rode 2 HR from Cleon Jones to beat the Phil’s 3-0 in a game that lasted an hour and 59 minutes. 

Good times.

(Thanks to Baseball Reference for refreshing my memory on some of the details.)

[HarryDoyle]

1994

Went to that game and it was colder than cold. Oakland's Terry Steinbach hits a first inning grand slam and score another run to take a 5-0 lead before we even bat and I'm already thinking the game is over but we tie it up after three and win 11-7. Then me and my buddies go to the strip joint and celebrate.

[hawing]

On 3/29/2024 at 7:13 PM, HarryDoyle said:

1994

Went to that game and it was colder than cold. Oakland's Terry Steinbach hits a first inning grand slam and score another run to take a 5-0 lead before we even bat and I'm already thinking the game is over but we tie it up after three and win 11-7. Then me and my buddies go to the strip joint and celebrate.

I hope you went to Heartbreakers. 

[HarryDoyle]

4 minutes ago, hawing said:

I hope you went to Heartbreakers. 

We did. 😁

[hawing]

I'm going to guess that the current brewerfan(atic) audience nowadays is a mix of people who remember the plane flying a loop over County Stadium hauling a HEARTBREAKERS - 95th AND NATIONAL banner before games.  Not my kind of venue, but it brings back County Stadium memories.  🙂

[StearnsFTW]

1978.  Lezcano with the grand slam.  Then they walked him 4 times the next day as the Brewers score 27 runs in their first 2 games.

 

The Brewers had some great teams from 78-82, but that may have been the best one.   Yankees were just too good.

[StearnsFTW]

6 hours ago, hawing said:

I hope you went to Heartbreakers. 

And Hoops

[Sixtolezcano]

17 hours ago, StearnsFTW said:

1978.  Lezcano with the grand slam.  Then they walked him 4 times the next day as the Brewers score 27 runs in their first 2 games.

 

The Brewers had some great teams from 78-82, but that may have been the best one.   Yankees were just too good.

Too much Guidry and not enough Caldwell. I agree that team player for player was the best the Brewers ever fielded. BTW my favorite OD, in fact that game motivated me to attend game 2 against the Orioles. This was the first Brewer game with Molitor and Hisle in the lineup.

[FidoMcCokefiend]

19 hours ago, StearnsFTW said:

1978.  Lezcano with the grand slam.  Then they walked him 4 times the next day as the Brewers score 27 runs in their first 2 games.

 

The Brewers had some great teams from 78-82, but that may have been the best one.   Yankees were just too good.

That's the one I would have said as well.

The opening to that season was bananas. Opened at home vs BLT and NYY, went 5-0, grand slams in all 3 games vs BLT, and scoring 54 runs against teams that won 97 and 100 games in 77.  All without Yount. 

[Joseph Zarr]

This is now one of my fave Opening Day memories.😝

[Sixtolezcano]

2 hours ago, Joseph Zarr said:

This is now one of my fave Opening Day memories.😝

Looks like a grill flare-up.

[valpocrewsader]

And the pathway is a giant blue L? (backwards, but still...)