Your favorite player growing up

My favorite player was Ken Griffey Jr. I loved his swing. When he would pull a homer it just looked perfect. I also liked his great fielding. He was so exciting to watch.

I got to see him hit a homer at Tiger Stadium in 1999 to left center by the flag pole. I am a Tigers fan but I sure was excited to see him hit one.

Griffey robbing a homer at Tiger Stadium. One of my favorite highlights of his.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URAuj4SAoYs

Bill Mazoroski! I used to practice his quick double play by the hour. Even today at the age of 68 I have really quick hands. I was listening on the radio when he hit his game winning home run against the hated Yanks.

Bob Gibson. I admired his warrior mentality on the mound. He let everyone on the field know that when he was on the mound, it was his game. When rookie Tim McCarver started toward the mound the first time he caught Gibson, Gibson stalked off the mound toward him screaming "When you know more about pitching than I do, you can come out to my mound!" Gibson was the ultimate competitor. He refused to speak to opposing players off the field. He hated All Star games because there was nothing at stake and he was expected to be friendly to the players who were trying to beat him in regular season games. Contrary to conventional wisdom, Gibson was not a head hunter. His statistics prove that out. He let the hitters know that the strike zone belonged to him. If a batter took away an inch of the strike zone by crowding the plate, Gibson would throw an inch inside to take back what was his. If the batter stole 2 inches, Gibson would come inside 2 inches. Hitting against Gibson was only dangerous for those who tried to steal part of his strike zone. They knew how to avoid being hit. Willie Mays was known for letting rookie hitters know that if you respect Gibson's strike zone, you'll never get hit by one of his pitches. Fellow Cardinal Curt Flood and a few others get credit for bringing the civil rights consciousness to MLB in the post-Jackie era. But to me, Gibson did more than them. His grace, dignity, strength, and quiet but fierce determination did more to project the legitimacy of the black player as a leader than anything else.

My senior year in high school I was walking outside Busch Stadium one Saturday mid-morning and by chance encountered Gibson, McCarver, and Joe Torre walking toward me in street clothes. I was so flummoxed I just stood there speechless as they strolled by. It was thrilling but at the same time oddly disappointing. Here were three of my childhood heroes and all three were shorter and smaller in stature than me. I think it was the first time I realized that heroes are human.

Dwight "Doc" Gooden. I was too young to remember the 73 Mets. I began becoming aware of, and liking, the Mets in the mid to late 1970s. By 83-84, the Mets had been bad for sooo long. When Doc came along, it seemed like anything was possible for the Mets. Obviously his story has a tragic arc, we all know that. But there was a short period of just seemingly boundless greatness...still gives me chills thinking about it. One of my great displeasures with Strat is how his 1985 card is so pedestrian.

I have always had a soft spot for the wounded, the shy, the troubled, the addict, those who have lost their way...and of course Doc is all of those things. Today I wish him comfort, confidence, and peace.

But back to the thread. Doc. When the Good Doctor was in, there was nothing like it. He was always my favorite!!

Chompsky

I can remember "K" corner at Shea. BANNER DAY was the best ! My favorite player probably was any NY MET from the 80's...but Mazzilli in the 70's / early 80's and then Cone later on. (before he became a Skankee).

As far as Gooden, I was sitting 3 rows off 1st base in his rookie year when he was pitching a no-no vs the Cubs until Ray Knight booted a slow roller (ruled a hit). He was as dominant that year as anyone I ever saw.

While we're on the METS on a STRAT BOARD, does any recall the 1st SOM card for Gregg Jefferies? He came up in late '88 on the push run when they lost to the Dodgers. His card the next year for those limited number of games was the best SOM card I ever saw up to that point. If they ever used it here, it would definitely be in the UNLEASHED SET. That card was part of the supplemental deck. Love to see that card again.

OK, I'm dating myself a bit here, but—Mickey Mantle. The first major league game I saw was in 1961, when Maris and Mantle were on their race to break Ruth's HR record. My dad took my brothers and me to the Stadium and each of the M & M boys hit homers.

Mays was the other baseball great of my youth—he was the other player with a magical aura— but by the time I became conscious of baseball, Willie's team had moved away to SF, so I didn't get to seem him much. And anyway, I was a Yankee fan, so it had to be the Mick.

BTW, my first distinct baseball memory was of Mazeroski's HR in the 1960 that won the series for the Pirates. I don't remember the home run itself so much as the incredible feeling of deflation that went with it.

Sandy Koufax. My first game my dad took me to. I didn't know anything about the game but my dad told me he was the best. He retired just as I was really getting into the game, so I chose Don Sutton to be my favorite, telling my dad "He's gonna be our best pitcher now". He had a great curve (not as good as Sandy's, but who was?) and I loved his "backward" way of pitching, as well as his outspoken manner.

Robin Yount. He was so smooth, and such a class act both on and off the field. Plus, his move to the outfield following his shoulder injury was the same year I moved to outfield as I went to high school ball, so it was like I was following his trajectory. Got to see him hit more than a few homers at County Stadium, including during his 1989 MVP season. Loved that he stayed in Milwaukee his whole career (an amazing 20 years) and excited to see him in the Hall of Fame now.

Bob Gibson.

Me too, and I love your write up. I wrote a mock interview with him in an elementary school assignment. It started with "Hello Mr. Gibson, it's nice to meet you." to which he responded "Just call me Bob." My brothers got hold of it and for years afterward randomly mocked me, saying "Just call me Bob."

Frank Howard. Growing up a Senators fan there wasn't much to root for but when you pulled a HR Leaders card out of a pack of Topps and saw Howard #1 it was awesome. Then they moved to TX and my allegiance went to Johnny Bench who is still the best player ever in the history of sports, not just baseball. Scratch that - Bench is probably the best person in the history of the world, not just sports.