Category: Uncategorized
Think pink
Boy, Saturday was quite an exciting day at AT&T Park, starting with the Junior Giants Glove Drive (photos to come soon), Aaron Rowand receiving his 2007 Gold Glove Award, Tim Lincecum’s dazzling performance and the season debut of Omar Vizquel.
Sunday will also be a great day at the yard as the Giants and Major League Baseball mark Mother’s Day with efforts to help fight breast cancer.
As part of Genentech Strike Out Cancer Day, the first 20,000 fans will receive special pink Giants caps, and as part of MLB’s “Going to Bat Against Breast Cancer” program in association with Susan G. Komen for the Cure, players will wear pink wristbands, titanium necklaces and ribbons, pink logos will appear on bases and home plate, pink lineup cards will be in the dugout and players will use pink bats that will later be autographed and auctioned, along with the special home plates, on MLB.com to raise funds for Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
Badge of honor
In case you need another good last-minute reason to attend tonight’s game (assuming the K Zone offer for $5 off select tickets hadn’t already enticed you), it’s Commemorative Croix de Candlestick Night on this Orange Friday.
In 1983, the Giants launched a promotion to celebrate those hardy souls who stuck it out for an extra-innings night game at Candlestick Park, awarding a Croix de Candlestick pin. You can tell the true diehards from the Candlestick days by the rows of orange pins circling their caps. Tonight’s pin is a black version, but it still boasts the motto from the original pin: Veni Vidi Vixi (“I came, I saw, I lived”).
Almost forgot: It’s also Forever Giants Friday, and tonight’s special guest, who’ll be signing autographs down the third-base line before the game, is shortstop Johnnie LeMaster. Here’s a shot from the last Forever Giants Friday, with Robb Nen.
Catching up
The end of the last homestand included a couple of pregame events at the ballpark that were pretty inspiring for kids (and adults): BAWSI Night and Little League Day.
The Bay Area Women’s Sports Initiative held its first ballpark event on Saturday night, inviting a panel of distinguished female athletes to speak and sign autographs. These are women who have had to fight for their place in the sports world, from Anne Cribbs speaking about how after winning a gold medal at the 1960 Olympics, she had to stop swimming because her college had no program for women, to Sharon Kelleher talking about getting involved in wheelchair sports after a car accident left her paralyzed.
Each of the women shared uplifting and challenging moments from their lives, as well as words of advice for the girls in the audience — BAWSI (“bossy”) girls. More photos from the event are at the bottom of this entry.
On Sunday, bright and early, a huge number of Little Leaguers descended on the ballpark for a pregame presentation by Mike Krukow, J.T. Snow, Brian Wilson, Matt Cain, Aaron Rowand and others. They also got to parade around the field before the game.
Snow talked about challenging moments in his baseball life, coaching his son’s Little League team and his famous grab of Darren Baker in the 2002 World Series, among other topics, while Wilson got a laugh when he was asked how many homers he’d given up (he declined to answer).
More photos from BAWSI Night (apologies for the clumsy format — we still don’t have gallery capability on the new blogs):
Meet your match
On Tuesday, the Giants will host the first of three Singles Nights at AT&T Park. Folks, these things work — the number of couples to result from previous Singles Nights is impressive, including several marriages. What could be better than finding a fellow Giants fan as the love of your life?
Purchase of a special ticket gets you admission to the pregame party in the plaza behind the scoreboard, a seat in the Singles Night section and one complimentary alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverage. Tickets are sold in equal numbers for men and women, so it’ll be a diverse group.
Girls rule
On Saturday, the Giants will host BAWSI Night, honoring Bay Area women athletes and encouraging girls and women to pursue their goals. With the purchase of a special ticket for the Reds-Giants game, fans can attend a pregame Q&A session led by soccer star Brandi Chastain, one of the co-founders of the Bay Area Women’s Sports Initiative.
The panel participants will be honored in a pregame ceremony at 5:30 and then will greet fans and sign autographs at the Community Clubhouse during the first two innings of the game.
Here’s who’s scheduled to be there:
- Monica Abbott and Vicky Galindo, USA Softball members
- Dawn Riley, captain of the first all-female ship in the America’s Cup
- Susan Armenta, U.S. women’s record holder in racewalking
- Sissi, Brazilian soccer star and 1999 World Cup Golden Boot winner
- Sharon Kelleher, former top ranked women’s paraplegic tennis player
- Chelsea Spencer, National Pro Fastpitch and University of California Berkeley alumna
Orange is in
The Giants return home Friday for a six-game homestand against the Reds and Rockies at AT&T Park. Friday’s opener features not only the return of Dusty Baker but it’s also Orange Friday and Retro Cap Night, with the first 20,000 fans getting a replica of the famous orange-billed cap worn by the Giants in the ’80s.
It’s also the second Forever Giants Friday, with a special Giants alumni guest slated to visit the ballpark. Whoever it is will be signing autographs near the left-field bullpen mound from 5:45-6:15 p.m. for the first 100 fans. To find out who it is, listen to Murph and Mac on KNBR 680 at 8 a.m. Friday.
The first Forever Giants Friday featured Darrell Evans, the slugging infielder who played for the Giants from 1976 to 1983. Coincidentally, he was the player featured on that game’s season ticket (this year’s season ticket booklet features a different Giants alum or broadcaster on each ticket). And an AT&T Park usher pointed out it was also the 28th anniversary, to the day, of the game where Evans committed three errors in one inning to tie a National League record.
Happy birthday
The Giants will officially turn 50, so to speak, with the first pitch of Tuesday’s game at 1:34 p.m. On April 15, 1958, at that same time, Ruben Gomez delivered the inaugural pitch of Major League Baseball on the West Coast to the Dodgers’ Gino Cimoli.
Before the 50th anniversary game, Cimoli will throw out the ceremonial first pitch with Giants Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda, the 1958 National League Rookie of the Year. The pregame ceremony will honor Horace Stoneham, the Giants owner who moved the team from New York to San Francisco, and throughout the game, the scoreboard will feature interviews with fans who recall that first game at Seals Stadium.
Speaking of Seals Stadium, at 10:30 a.m., the Giants will unveil a bronze plaque at the corner of 16th and Bryant streets, which is where Seals Stadium once stood. Cepeda, Willie Mays, Jim Davenport and Ed Bressoud from the 1958 team will attend, along with members of Stoneham’s family and the sisters of former Mayor George Christopher, who championed bringing the Giants to San Francisco.
If you’re coming to the game, get there early, since the first 20,000 fans will receive a print of the 1958 first pitch, adapted from Bill Purdom’s original painting. How nice is this print? When members of the media are offered some of the promotional items in the pressbox, like calendars or magnet schedules, a lot of them have little interest. But when the media folks got an early look at this print, they were practically lining up to get them, and at least one person has already purchased a frame for it.
After the anniversary game (which is also Jackie Robinson Day), the homestand wraps up Wednesday vs. the D-backs, with fans getting a reusable Giants grocery bag in celebration of Earth Day. It’s an especially timely giveaway, what with plastic grocery bags banned in many San Francisco stores.
Fine art
Little later than I’d hoped, but here’s the 50th anniversary banner they’re giving away at Sunday’s game.
Heat wave
Folks in the Bay Area know it’s pretty warm today, and if you’re wondering what it’s like at AT&T Park — it’s warm here, too. Weather.com says it’s 68 right now, but honestly, it feels even warmer. I’d still bring a jacket tonight, though, since you never know what the wind might do.
Over the weekend, though, the most important things to bring will be sunscreen and a hat. The forecast calls for a high of 81(!) on Saturday and 76 on Sunday. Make sure to hydrate.
Everybody loves free stuff
Well, the last two nights have shown that you really shouldn’t leave early at AT&T Park, with the Giants getting walk-off heroics from Bengie Molina and Daniel Ortmeier.
(By the way, a little editorial aside here: Another thing you shouldn’t do at AT&T Park is the wave. Do you really want to be like Dodgers fans?)
As Opening Week continues with a visit from the Cardinals, there are several giveaways that will help a proud Giants fan appropriately decorate his or her home. Tonight, get the first in a series of posters (courtesy of AT&T) that replicate the cool “Gamer” street banners adorning the streets near AT&T Park. The first will be Matt Cain: “More arm, less talk.”
What’s neat is that all the posters have that strong orange stripe across the middle, so you could put them up end to end across a wall or two. Now that’s wallpaper.
On Friday night, the first Orange Friday of the season, get that refrigerator essential the magnet schedule. Another fine addition to your kitchen would be a 50th anniversary commemorative mug, which fans supporting Saturday’s CHW Food Drive to benefit the San Francisco Food Bank will receive in exchange for a donation of nonperishable food items or $5.
A thousand Boy Scouts will parade around the field before Sunday’s game, which is also the first Autograph Sunday for kids 16 and under. And as usual, postgame, kids get to run the bases.
Welcome to Third and King 