San Francisco Giants
We normally prefer the more affordable/relaxed/family-friendly/small-town vibe of Minor League Baseball to the hype and expense of Major League Baseball. (We loved the MiLB game in Asheville.) But Oracle Park, the home of the San Francisco Giants, was an easy walk from our apartment, and the Tampa Bay Rays were in town, and tickets were just $16! We were off to see a MLB game.
The Giants have a storied past, starting in New York City in 1883 and moving to San Francisco in 1958. The New York Yankees may have won the most World Series championships, but the Giants have won the most MLB games. Famous Giants include Hall-of-Famers Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, and Orlando Cepeda, and home run record-holder Barry Bonds.
When we lived in San Francisco back in the early 90s, the Giants played in Candlestick Park. Oracle Park opened in 2000, and it’s already on its fourth name - it was formerly Pac Bell Park, SBC Park, and AT&T Park. We joined the throngs of fans walking to the stadium and walked up a long series of ramps to the top level. From our cheap seats, we had a sweeping view of the field, against the beautiful backdrop of San Francisco Bay.
It was a perfectl evening to be outdoors - clear and about 65℉. As the sun set, the temperature cooled slightly, and a bit of fog rolled in. There was an occasional cold breeze from the bay, so I was glad for my fleece vest.
I found myself distracted by the flocks of seagulls that swooped overhead, glowing in the spotlights. They seemed undeterred by our clapping and cheering. I guess seagulls are baseball fans, or more accurately, fans of the food left behind by baseball fans..
Speaking of food, the concessions at Oracle Field were top notch. Instead of hot dogs, we had a delicious sandwich made with fresh Dungeness crab and sliced tomato on buttery toasted sourdough bread. YUM!
It was a front-loaded game. Both teams hit home runs, and both called in relief pitchers (Tampa had FIVE). The Rays trailed initially, then tied it up in the fourth inning. The next four innings were scoreless and rather boring. Tampa finally scored again in the top of the ninth, ultimately winning 7-6. I think we may have been the only Rays fans at the park. Although we cheered for our home team, we also cheered for Giants center fielder Jung Hoo Lee, an obvious fan favorite. After just one game, I was ready to join the Jung Hoo Crew. (Two nights later at Oracle Park, Lee caught a fly ball between his knees!)
Giants fans like sing-alongs. We sang Bye Bye Baby, the Giants’ unofficial theme song, after the Giants’ home run. We sang Take Me Out to the Ballgame during the seventh-inning stretch. And the final sing-along song, selected by the fans via mobile phone poll, was the Backstreet Boys’ I Want It That Way.
As we left Oracle Park, the plaza looked pretty. The 24 soaring palm trees glittered with orange string lights, forming a dramatic backdrop for the statue of #24 Willie Mays.
We had enjoyed ourselves so much that we returned to Oracle Park for another game: the Giants versus the Chicago Cubs, for just $8 per ticket. Though there were a LOT of Cubs fans in the stadium, it was midweek, and the seats were more than half empty. I suspect there are many San Francisco residents who don’t know what they’re missing.
