First Game Memories

I saw my first professional baseball game in 1959 at Pynchon Park on the banks of the Connecticut River in Springfield Massachusetts. The home team, Springfield Giants, were a Double A farm team of the San Francisco Giants. As I recall, the pitcher that day was Juan Marichal. The team was distinguished in that several prominent future major leaguers played for that club: Tom Haller, Jose Pagan, Felipe Alou. The park has since been torn down -- replaced by urban blight -- not too far from the current site of the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Springfield has produced a number of famous athletes (not to mention Dr. Seuss) including: Leo Durocher, Allie Reynolds and Nick Buoniconti. Maybe someday another minor league will take root on the banks of the CT River in Springfield.