Well, my San Francisco Giants didn't disappoint Thursday. KirkVallus and I rode the BART to AT&T Park and became a part of the team's 102nd consecutive sellout crowd.
As forecast, the wind turned into a northwest flow and the deep marine layer evaporated before game time. I do love afternoon baseball games, and at AT&T Park day games are magnificent! The winds reminded us of Candlestick in that they couldn't find a single direction and stick with it. There were even swirling winds for a while, and the northwesterlies gave balls hit into right-center a lift during the 3rd inning rally by the Cardinals when they wrested the lead away from the Giants who took the lead 2-1 in the 2nd.
The wind freshened as the day wore on, and the flags that rim the upper deck were really flapping in the brisk blow, making a loud, very sharp luffing noise. It's easy to get caught up in nautical thoughts at AT&T. The park is right on San Francisco Bay with an expansive view of Yerba Buena Island and the Bay Bridge with the East Bay Hills as a panoramic backdrop.
As the wind ramped up, so did the Giants regaining the lead a second time in the 6th, and adding two "insurance runs" in the 7th. The final score was 7-5 Giants, and the wind really whipped up the whitecaps on the Bay.
From the upper deck, the view is spectacular. San Francisco Bay is a working harbor, and the new eastern span of the Bay Bridge is coming along fine. There's always dredging in Oakland's harbor, and lots of container ships are coming and going into the Port of Oakland.
We walked the mile or so up Third Street back to BART. Let me tell you, that wind was howling through those concrete and glass canyons!
Descending under Market Street to the BART Station, the wind at last became a memory. Our train was there in 12 minutes and we even got seats together during rush hour!
Lots of happy Giants fans on the train were feeling good. So were we.
The Giants play the Oakland A's for three games beginning Friday night. I'll spare you my traditionalist rant on inter-league play.
Next peak event this week would be the annular eclipse on Sunday...and oh yeah...Pole Day at Indianapolis Saturday.
I've got a week to anticipate both the Indy 500 and the Monaco Grand Prix....sweet!
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I loved Candlestick Park! At least you could get a beer in the stands, no waiting at the restrooms, smoke it if you had it and the weather was part of the game.
ReplyDeleteBaseball sure has changed into a "rave" event. Too much info flow and loudness.
I love inter league play. Especially when it's the A's against the Giants. Two home town teams that have had very special moments in my life. Never really cared for the Dodgers but did root for the ANAHEIM Angels.
Take away the salaries and the politics and I might like the game once more.
What, no pictures?