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Baseball is really funny. In the heat of battle, we boo the opponent. Koufax obviously got lots of boos in Cincy. We loved to boo Willie McCovey in L.A. At the end of his career, his last at bat was at Dodger Stadium. In the ninth inning, he hit a sacrifice fly. I had quite a lump in my throat when we gave him a standing O that lasted 15 minutes.

What an awesome memory....it matches one of my own. It had to be before I joined the army in 1970, because Crosley field was down when I returned in '74, so it must've been around 68/69. The Giants were in town.

Willie Mays, an old man in baseball terms at that time, steps to the plate.

It started as a smattering of applause in a section on the 1st base side, then it spread to the entire stadium. Just as in your memory with McCovey, Crosley Field erupted in an extended round of applause for an old, respected baseball warrior. I can't say it was 15 minutes, but it went on and on and on....It's one of my neatest memories in all of baseball in Cincinnati.

It's part of what I love about baseball. A baseball fan loves a baseball player and understands a great play and will applaud an opponent. It's bittersweet, but it's an appreciation of the game itself and the jedi/samurai who play it.

'Baseball is really funny. In the heat of battle, we boo the opponent. Koufax obviously got lots of boos in Cincy. We loved to boo Willie McCovey in L.A. At the end of his career, his last at bat was at Dodger Stadium. In the ninth inning, he hit a sacrifice fly. I had quite a lump in my throat when we gave him a standing O that lasted 15 minutes.'

OK, I haven't read thru the end of the thread, but let me add some meat.

Sandy Koufax was a great pitcher, without question. He was a Brooklyn kid who got a scholarship to the University of Cincinnati to play basketball and tennis. I don't know why he decided to go for the baseball team but it was obviously a good decision.