For “my first game”, I went with my father to see the St. Louis Cardinals (Bob Gibson, Lou Brock et al.) play the San Francisco Giants- my most durable memory of that game was a spectacular swing (and miss) delivered by Willie Mays for strike three in a critical part of the game. This powerful arc was accompanied initially by an awed hush from the crowd followed by an eruption of applause. Later, when I was in high school, the Cardinals sent me tickets to games every year I received good grades, further fueling an affection for my team that has never waned.
