This is definitely not one of my most artistic photos. In fact, it is almost a snapshot. I took this photo on my first visit to AT&T Park last July to see the Giants beat the San Diego Padres. It is a beautiful stadium in a fabulous location right on The Bay…and it is a great place to see a game.
As I write this on 7/14/13, just wanted to let you know that I will be back at this ballpark one week from today. It’s a day game this time with the Giants facing the Boston Red Sox in an inter-league game.
So, as you might guess, I am headed north to the Bay Area…this time to housesit (and dog sit) for a month for my close friends the Millers. They are off to Hawaii again, this time to housesit for one of their friends. I suggested we simplify things and I go to Hawaii to housesit, but they didn’t buy it. Can’t blame them. It’s OK, I am going back home where I was born and raised. You know that famous Tony Bennett song, “I Left my Heart in San Francisco”…well in my case it’s true.
The Giants game will not be my only sporting event while in the City…besides buying me a Giants ticket, the Millers also bought me a ticket to the opening day of the NFL season…49ers hosting the visiting Green Bay Packers. It’s the final year that the 49ers will play at Candlestick Park. Next year, the Niners will be ensconced at their brand new stadium in Santa Clara.
I was there that first year in 1960 when Candlestick opened its gates. For a long time, only the Giants played there…the 49ers were still at the old Kezar Stadium in Golden Gate Park (I went to several games there also when I lived in the Bay Area.) In 1972, they moved to Candlestick and the park was remodeled to accommodate a football field.
Do I have fond memories of Candlestick? Yes and no. I went to many baseball and football games over the years. I saw great players, many in their respective Hall of Fames now. I celebrated my 40th birthday there, thanks to some good friends, with a tailgate party followed by an Eagles/49er game featuring Joe Montana and other greats of 49er history. I could go on and on with memories, but I won’t. Maybe later.
But, Candlestick was a miserable place to see a ball game of any sport. They could not pick a worse place in the Bay Area to build a ballpark. The wind would come through in the late afternoon and you would just freeze to death. I once went to a Giants doubleheader game. In the first game, I could not take enough clothes off…for the second game, I didn’t have enough clothes to put on. It was freezing! It was better after they remodeled for football, but it still can be a miserable place. So I won’t miss that.
One of the worst parts is the traffic getting in and out of the park. I once went to a Giants game with 4,000 people and it took an hour to get on the freeway. A few months later, I went to the AFL Championship football game across the Bay in Oakland. Stadium was full, and after the game it took five minutes to get on the freeway. Go figure.
For this upcoming 49er game, I will take BART in to SF, then get on an express Muni bus direct to Candlestick. Maybe the driver will have to fight the traffic, but I won’t. Besides, game parking at Candlestick is $30. Forget it!
For the Giants game, I can take BART to the Embarcadero Station, and from there take an express trolley direct to AT&T Park. They got that all figured out.
So what will happen to Candlestick? It will be imploded right after the last 49er game of the 2013 season. Many long-time San Franciscans say it should never have been built in the first place. But that is a story for another day.
As for this blog, it will continue while I travel the Bay Area. After all, I have a new laptop and a new camera, so you will be hearing from me…just maybe a little more sporadically. Go Giants!!! Go Niners!!!
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