August 29, 2007: San Francisco, California
My introduction to San Francisco was in the late 1980’s. ABC’s Full House on Friday nights, the 49ers combination of Montana to Rice on Sundays, and (if I was lucky) Rice-a-Roni, the San Francisco treat, during the week. The San Francisco Giants won the first game I attended, a 5-0 win against the Mets, and were the home team during the World Series’ first earthquake, 1989’s Game 3. In 2000, the Giants moved from Candlestick Park, their home since the 1960 season, to Pacific Bell Park located in the China Basin section of San Francisco. Pacific Bell Park (renamed AT&T Park in 2006) served as a tipping point for the Giants organization. The Giants’ front office tailored the team to the spacious pitcher-friendly ballpark leading to 2010, 2012 and 2014 World Series titles. AT&T Park also served as my final active ballpark visit before the Nationals would open their new park in 2008. The game featured Giants starter Noah Lowry, making his 100th and final MLB start, and the newly crowned home run king Barry Bonds playing in what would be his final season. [Read more…]
