Sep 12, 2009

A Look at AT&T Park in San Francisco

I went to the Phillies vs. Giants game on August 2 and unfortunately, as has happened the three previous years that I have attended a Phillies game in San Francisco, the Phillies lost. This time it was ugly and they had no chance, so I didn't feel so bad.

Sidenote: Is it strange I'm less bothered by losses than I used to be? The Phillies are in first place, the Phillies are in first place...2008, yes...1964, no...this is the mantra.

Losses in which the other team outplays your team are easier to swallow than blown opportunities. Though there are opportunities nearly every inning, just track AVG with RISP and less than 2 outs the last couple weeks to source frustration of the fans of nearly every team.

In any case, I sat further away than I would prefer because I went with a group of people. Here's some photos of the general atmosphere of the stadium, set on the Bay (does the Bay actually have a formal name?), next to a bunch of piers.



Action on the field,the Giants were setting up for a rally, which was successful.


The left side of the Phillies infield warming up.


The huge HD scoreboard. This is one of the best scoreboards I've ever seen. It gives the scoring decisions next to the lineup as plays occur and even incorporates OPS into the statistics shown.


A view of left field. That Coke bottle is actually a functioning sliding board.


A view of the scoreboard in center field again. Davey Lopes's visage appears.


The whole outfield with the Bay in the background. That boat has to stay until 15 minutes until the game is finished. One time I was at a game that went into the 13th inning. And you know those people that leave early? They were on the boat for nearly 90 minutes. Being in San Francisco at night, it was also freezing.



The view down the right field line. Behind there is the famed McCovey Cove. During day games, you can usually find a couple kayaks or boats out there. During a night game, there's usually none. Some player doesn't play here anymore.

Overall, it's a fun place to watch a game. Plus during a cold night, you can enjoy clam chowder in a bread bowl. Giants fans, for the most part, don't mind if you're cheering for the opposing team (except if the Dodgers or A's are visiting). I recommend coming here....during a day game.

1 comment:

Jim said...

A visit to SF is definitely on my to-do list.

No worries about the Phillies.

(Right?)