Yesterday, I added the 29th entry to my list of MLB parks in which I have enjoyed a ballgame – the San Francisco Giants’ AT&T Park; the beauty by the Bay. Unfortunately, it was pretty much an “in (for one game) and out” experience, since I was in the Bay Area on family rather than baseball business. Still, I would like to share just a few observations.
You’re as Cold As Ice … Foreigner
Photo by RalphArvesen
There are three things I will always remember about my first experience at AT&T Park – the Juan Marichal, high-kicking statue, the view of McCovey Cove and the shiver-inducing wind chill (All the people with hoodies, multiple layers and stadium blankets I saw heading into the park should have been a hint.)
Location-Location-Location … The Bay
First, this is one beautiful ballpark – thanks primarily to its location on San Francisco Bay. The views of the Bay Bridge and McCovey’s Cove are spectacular(ly) unique. The ships, boats and kayaks that dot McCovey Cove, many waiting to join in spirited competition over long balls that splash down beyond the right field wall, just add to the ambiance. (AT&T is one of the few parks that justify the word ambiance over atmosphere.)
History-History-History
Make sure you take in the statues – Willie Mays, Juan Marichal, Willie McCovey, Orlando Cepeda, Gaylord Perry — on the approach and at the entrances to the ballpark. Also visit the Giant Vault, lots of great Giants’ memorabilia. Located just inside the Lefty O’Doul Gate entrance, the rotating exhibit currently includes such items as a Willie Mays’ 1957 jersey, the last home plate from the Polo Grounds, the first home run ball hit in San Francisco and much more.
Picture This-Picture This-Picture This … Photo Ops
Lots of great photo ops. Just a few: With one of the Giants’ stars statues – Juan Marichal’s is located near the main park entrance and you can get a nice shot with the ATT&T Park “gateway” in the background; the #44 Cable Car on the right-center field concourse; from the second deck behind home plate with the field, Bay Bridge and McCovey Cove in the background. I’m sure you’ll find other photo-worthy spots (like seated on the park bench with “” in the bar area below the left-center bleachers.)
Location-Location-Location … Your Seats
If you want the full panoramic experience of “Baseball By the Bay” get a seat in the infield area of the grandstand, second deck. (The pictures below show the difference in what you see from lower-level outfield (bleacher) seats versus (infield) View seats. (View seats on the top.) Also, if you have back issues avoid going for the bleacher bargain. These are true bleacher seats (although reserved), with no seat backs. Locals providing free advice say to avoid Arcade Level seats in the 150’s and Left Field Reserve in the mid-330s due to difficult views. (I didn’t get there to check them out.)
THERE WAS A GAME …and it was a bit old style.
We took in the Brewers and the Giants – won by the Brew Crew 3-1. With today’s game dominated by strikeouts and home runs, this contest was a bit old-style (great for me, I’m a bit OLD-style myself). Consider these observations:
- No home runs and only eleven strikeouts.
- The game moved briskly, only two hours and 33 minutes.
- The starting pitchers each had two at bats.
- Giants’ starter (and losing pitcher) Madison Bumgarner went eight innings (before being lifted for a pinch hitter).
Old-style small ball made the difference.
After the Gaints took the lead in the second on a pair of doubles (C Buster Posey and SS Brandon Crawford), the Brewers tied it in the sixth – without getting the ball out of the infield. It went: Leadoff hitter/CF Keon Broxton was safe on a throwing error by Giants’ 3B Evan Longoria; RF Christian Yelich walked; 1B Jesus Aguilar grounded out short-to-first (with runners going) and Broxton and Yelich each moved up a base; LF Ryan Braun grounded out second-to-first, Broxton scoring and Yelich taking third. 3B Tyler Saladino flies out. The Brewers manufactured a run on no hits, a walk, an error, a stolen base and a couple of ground outs.
The Brewers then further used small ball to take the lead in the top of the seventh. Hernan Perez rolled a ground single through the right side to open the inning; Manny Pina sacrificed Perez to second (nice bunt to the right side, with Pina thrown out by Bumgarner with 2B al Nansen covering first); Perez then stole third and scored on an Orlando Arcia ground out (third to first). A successful sacrifice – now that’s old-style hardball.
Milwaukee added an insurance run in the eighth on a Christian Yelich double and a Ryan Braun run-scoring single.
Those who follow BBRT know how much I love the 6-4-3 and 4-6-3 double killing. Well, I got one in the bottom of the seventh, as the Giants’ 1B Pable Sandoval hint into a nifty second-to-short-to first, inning-ending double play (with Evan Longoria, who had walked on first).
The crowd (40,000+) had been pretty quiet – perhaps literally frozen in their seats – until the Giants tried to rally in the eighth, loading the bases (two ground ball singles and a walk) for Buster Posey (with two out). Chants of “Posey – Posey” rippled across the stadium. Posey is clearly an SF favorite. Unfortunately, he ended the threat, grounding out third-to-first.
Food-Food-Food … But bring your wallet.
This IS San Francisco, where the locals love to eat, so there are plenty of great options – from sausage to sushi to … clam chowder to caramel corn (hand tossed) … and Ghirardelli chocolate to garlic fries. Again, this IS San Francisco, so you can expect a little sticker shock. I recommend walking the concourse (they are a bit narrow by the way), to take in the sights and smells before making your decision. A few recommendations: Garlic Fries are really an AT&T staple; Crazy Crab’s Dungeness Crab sandwich on sourdough is a local favorite; clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl is perfect for cold, breezy SF evenings (aren’t they all); and, if you have a sweet tooth, you cannot beat the Ghirardelli Chocolate’s Hot Fudge Sundae. There are some bargains to be found. For example, hot dogs, brats and the like are grilled (not steamed or boiled) around the park and can be reasonably priced. I tried the Giant Dog – grilled and served with fried onions – form The Doggie Diner for just $6.50. Also, you’ll see lots of “independents” selling grilled sausages and other treats on the way into the park. Well worth a try and you can bring food into AT&T.
Service-Service-Service … Now that’s an usher.
Okay, one bit of gripe – maybe the Twins have spoiled me – no free scorecards (the Twins scorecard is inside the free Twins Magazine.) I searched for a scorecard for about 20 minutes and with game time getting close, I asked an usher where I could find one. I learned that the scorecard is included in the five-dollar program. I was about to look for a souvenir booth offering programs, but the usher (seeing we were close to game time and not wanting me to miss any action) took down my section and seat number and said he would find one, bring it to me and I could pay him then. Three batters into the contest, he showed up with my program and I was good to go. Now that is fan-friendly service.
Wind-Wind-Wind … Bring your jacket
A night game on the Bay can get pretty cold. After my AT&T experience, I’ll never complain about a Twins’ Opener again. It was in the low 50’s with a chilly breeze off the Bay. Lots of blankets, hoodies and jackets in use throughout the game – and after the sun set, it was shivering cold.
Fans-Fans-Fans … Did you lose your watch?
Okay, a watch is old school and, maybe, showing up for the first inning is as well. The stands were only about half-full at game time and not looking like the announced 40,000 until by the fourth. A few of other general observations: I saw literally no one near me keeping score; the crowd didn’t really seem to get into the game until the Giants loaded the bases late; and, at one point, I looked down my row and saw fiveof the eight people closest to me looking at the cell phones (mid-inning). Seemed like a subdued crowd – possibly a combination of recent World Series Championships and this years around-.500 squad? Anecdotally, I’ve heard that Giants’ fan are a good crowd, might just have been the chill of the eventing. Yes, I’m back to that again.
Photo by mvmarconi
Lou Seal … the Giants’ mascot … have a very mininmal presence during the game (a blessing for us old-school fans. In fact, I only recall one t-shirt tossing trip around the field. As a side note, my daughter and I actually thought Lou was a mouse. Look at the photo, what do you think.
Beverages-Beverages-Beverages – For Adults that is.
Plenty of wine, spirits and brews around the park – but again, bring your wallet. One person in our group, for example, paid $19.25 for a 24-ounce craft beer. (Team Marketing Report found the Giants had MLB’s fourth-highest average beer cost.) As usual, I tried a ballpark Bloody Mary – from the Jack Daniels Barrel House under the left-center field bleachers (a very cozy social area worth a visit. It ran $14, included a generous pour of vodka, spicy mix with added tobacco, three olives, a wedge of lemon and a wedge of lime. It could have used a bit more seasons (celery salt and pepper, for example), but was still a solid (not spectacular) Bloody Mary. Kind of in the middle in terms of my ballpark Bloody Mary experiences, but near the top in terms of price.
Getting There-Getting There-Getting There .. Use public transit.
Parking is a bit difficult (and expensive), but public transit options abound. I’d use them.
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Members: Society For American Baseball Research; The Baseball Reliquary; The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
