The first major league game I ever saw was in 1964 at then new DC Stadium, watching the Senators play the Twins, which were once the Senators before they moved to Minnesota. We were 17 busloads of teenagers from Louisiana heading up to see the World's Fair in NYC, then on to a church youth group convention at Notre Dame, the first time I saw that campus and was immediately smitten.
The first minor league game I ever saw was sometime in the 50's, watching the New Orleans Pelicans play the Chattanooga Lookouts in the old Southern Association. Saw that one along with our Cub Scout pack.
What a trip, Fritz! Visits to DC and a ball game! The NY World's Fair and Notre Dame, too!
I love those baseball team names--like the Chattanooga Lookouts. I've been re-watching the Ken Burns
documentary series Baseball again and they have segments where many of those minor league team
names are mentioned and some are quite amusing.
A rather current minor league team name I find fascinating is the Albuquerque Isotopes!
They were founded in 2003 and the origin of the name came from The Simpsons, where
an episode featured the Springfield Isotopes.
Where I grew up the closest minor league team was the Utica Blue Sox. I always thought
an MLB team should be named that because then you'd have the Red, White & Blue Sox!