Fall Classic means baseball, crisp weather

Late October is one of my favorite times of the year for many reasons.

Fall colors arrive
just in time for
baseball's Fall Classic.

For one, the fall Bay Area weather is crisp ~ cooler temperatures mixed with just the right amount of sunshine ~ which makes it ideal for taking brisk walks.  Plus, the beautiful autumn colors have started dotting the neighborhood landscapes.

Best of all, baseball's Fall Classic has arrived.  And this year, it holds an extra-special meaning for me since my local nines, the San Francisco Giants, have made it to the World Series for the first time since 2002.

The Ballpark by the Bay:
Home of the San Francisco Giants
and site of Games 1 and 2
of the 2010 World Series.

This year's World Series starts today in the Bay Area at AT&T Park, which I prefer to think of as the Ballpark by the Bay. Less commercial that way and, in its decade of existence, the ballpark has changed its name three times (from Pac Bell Park to SBC Park to AT&T Park).  Still, it's a wonderful setting for watching a game ~ regular season or World Series ~ with great upper-deck views of San Francisco Bay ~ and, it's not every park that has knothole area (located in right field) for walking in to sneak a peak of the game for free, or a McCovey Cove, the water inlet beyond right field, that's about a 350-foot shot from home plate (a tidy 309 feet to the foul pole).

Giants baseball ~ Torture:
Brian Wilson preserves a 2-1
Giants victory on May 15.

The team's theme this year was coined by Giants broadcaster (and former player) Duane Kuiper:  "Giants baseball (pause) ~ Torture." Dramatic emphasis is placed on the word "torture." Kuiper came up with the moniker on May 15 after the team's maniacal and tattooed closer, Brian Wilson, needed 39 pitches to save an early season, 2-1 home victory for Tim Lincecum over the Houston Astros.  I remember the game well because I was there at the ballpark that day to witness the "torture." The Giants had their fair share of one-run victories in 2010.  They also accumulated a lot of one-run losses, too. Folks, it's the same gut-wrenching feeling, win or lose.

The Ballpark by the Bay provides
parking for ferry boats and
great views of San Francisco Bay.
Plus,  it's only 309 feet to
the right field foul pole.
(Photo: 2009)

Still, it's hard to believe the Giants have emerged as the last team standing from the National League.  It's also improbable that the Texas Rangers, who have never been to the World Series before now, are the last team remaining from the American League.  And, the Giants have never won a World Series in three previous tries (1962, 1989, 2002) since moving from New York to San Francisco in 1958.  So, in the words of Giants infielder Juan Uribe, there's going to be "a lot of happy" for which ever team wins the World Series this year.

Win or lose, a walk along
the Embarcadero from
the ballpark is just one
of the many things for
Giants fans to appreciate.

When you follow a team like the Giants on a day-in, day-out basis as I have this season ~ watching on TV, listening on radio, reading in print and on the Internet ~ it's like a season-long soap opera filled with plenty of ups and downs, and it involves a lot of unusually interesting characters.  I've spent a lot of time since the beginning of the 2010 season watching Kuiper and Mike Krukow describe what I'm watching on TV; a lot of hours listening to Jon Miller and Dave Flemming paint word pictures on the radio and, along with Kuiper and Krukow, after the games during their often-hilarious Post Game Wrap segments; reading Henry Schulman and John Shea's game accounts and columns in the San Francisco Chronicle and Andy Baggarly's San Jose Mercury News "Extra Baggs" blog.

This year's Giants team includes the following cast of characters:

* A youthful, long-haired, two-time Cy Young Award pitcher (Tim Lincecum), who was the object of Philadelphia fans' affectionate whistling during the NLCS.  Perhaps, they thought he looked cute with long hair or had a cute butt.

* A journeyman, tattooed first baseman (Aubrey Huff), who had never been to the post season before now, and who likes to sport colorful "rally" thongs around the team's clubhouse to keep the players loose while providing the press good quotes.

* A switch-hitting outfielder (Andres Torres), who needed an emergency appendectomy last month, then returned to the club healed just in time for the final weekend of the regular season, and who was voted the team's winner of the Willie Mac Award (named for Giants great Willie McCovey), voted by the team's players and coaches as most inspirational player on the team.

* Another outfielder (Cody Ross), who was waived by the Florida Marlins in August and, then, was "accidentally" claimed by the Giants in order to block the San Diego Padres from claiming him.  Ross merely became the starting right fielder in the post season and hit three home runs against the Philadelphia Phillies ~ including two against Roy Halliday ~ and he won the NLCS MVP trophy.  He's been all smiles this week.

* Finally, there's the rookie catcher (Buster Posey), who was recalled to the big leagues in May and not only became a regular by July, but also became the team's cleanup hitter and best clutch performer ~ both at the plate (.305 batting average, 18 homers and 67 RBI) and behind it, guiding a very deep and talented pitching staff like a seasoned veteran. Posey has been the team's MVP and is a deserving candidate for NL Rookie of the Year.

On paper, it says the Giants should have lost to the Phillies in the NLCS and, with a different outcome, it could have been the New York Yankees ~ or even the Minnesota Twins, had they played up to their potential ~ winning the ALCS.  But, the Giants and Rangers have gutted it out with the right amount of clutch hitting, the right amount of clutch pitching, the right amount of dumb luck.  Never underestimate the importance of dumb luck during the post season.  However, to their credit, Giants manager Bruce Bochy and Rangers manager Ron Washington have pulled all the right levers, made all the right moves to get their teams this far.  Now, four more wins closes the deal for one manager and his team.

Little Timmy:
After winning back-to-back Cy Young Awards in 2008 and 2009,
Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum went 16-10 with a 3.43 ERA this season.

So, the scene is set for Game 1:  It's Lincecum against Rangers lefty Cliff Lee, a mid-season acquisition, who has been unflappable and unbeatable in the post season.  Game 2 is Thursday in The City (as locals like to refer to San Francisco as) before the Series shifts to Arlington, Texas, for Games 3 and 4 over the weekend.  Maybe, Cody Ross continues hitting homers like Babe Ruth.  Maybe, Tim Lincecum  comes up big and tosses another 14-strike out gem like he did against the Atlanta Braves during the NL Division Series.  Perhaps, Bengie Molina comes back to haunt his former team.  After all, he was made redundant when it was time for Buster Posey to become the every-day catcher for the Giants and, then, was traded to the Rangers.  Molina knows what it's like to play against the Giants in the World Series.  He was the starting catcher for the victorious Los Angeles Angels against the Giants in the 2002 World Series.

An inspirational Giant:
The Willie McCovey statue is located across
McCovey Cove from the ballpark.
(Photo: 2008)

The Say Hey Kid:
The Willie Mays statue is the focal point of
Willie Mays Plaza in front of the ballpark.

I hope the Giants (finally) win a World Series title for San Francisco.   Do it for Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Orlando Cepeda and Juan Marichal, all Giants Hall of Famers, who never experienced the thrill of winning a World Series for the San Francisco Giants.  Heck, do it for Will "The Thrill" Clark, who was the charismatic leader of the 1989 Giants that were swept in the Earthquake Series by the Oakland A's.

It would be a lot of fun to join in and be a part of The City's celebration if the Giants win the World Series.  I remember the euphoria of the Twins' 1987 World Series victory when I lived in St. Paul, Minn.  There was "a lot of happy" back then, and the memories of the victory parade carried us through the cold, snowy winter months. However, if the Giants come up short, like they did in 2002 when it was the Barry Bonds Giants, there's always next season to look forward to.  Spring training starts in just a few months.

For now, however, it's all upbeat and smiles around The City and pretty bunting spread around The Ballpark by the Bay. The Giants have the home-field advantage for the first two games. Dumb luck.

Game on. Play ball!

All photos copyright by Michael Dickens (2010, except where noted).

A beautiful day at the ballpark

With the Major League baseball season in full swing ~ and one of my local teams, the San Francisco Giants, playing competitively ~ I decided it was time to check out the fun in person last weekend and go "root, root, root for the home team."

As it turned out, it was a Saturday afternoon well spent at the ballpark ~ the chaotic, 39-pitch ninth-inning performance by closer Brian Wilson, which preserved a 2-1 Giants victory, not withstanding.

Mind you, after 10 seasons of attending both day and night Giants games in China Basin and enduring the Barry Bonds years, my wife and I have become very selective about going to a game in person at AT&T Park. One, because of unpredictable Bay Area weather that can make even summer evenings seem like winter, it must be a day game. Two, Tim Lincecum, the team's two-time Cy Young Award winning hurler, must be the starting pitcher. Nothing against seeing Barry Zito or Matt Cain pitch. Lincecum started the season with a 4-0 record and left three other starts ahead before the bullpen squandered leads. With a little bit of luck, he could have been 7-0.

So, if you're going to spend good money ~ and leave the comfort of your living room to go watch in person ~ you want to see the local nines win. Right?

With those prerequisites, we found the perfect Giants game for us whilst we watched a recent Giants-Mets game on TV:

Giants vs. Astros, Saturday May 15, 1:10 p.m.

With day baseball, and knowing that Lincecum would be pitching for the Giants, we went online and ~ luckily ~ found a couple of $20 View Reserve tickets in row 4 of section 311 that fit our budget and promised a good view of the game below, a good view of the Bay beyond and a little bit of sunshine above, too.

As we have done numerous times since The Ballpark at 24 Willie Mays Plaza opened for business in 2000 ~ first as Pac Bell Park, then SBC Park and, finally, AT&T Park ~ we took a BART train from Oakland to San Francisco, exited at the Montgomery Station and walked down Second Street, about a 20-minute stroll, which nicely aligned us with the left-field corner of the ball park at Second and King streets.

We arrived at 12:30 p.m., too late to catch batting practice, but still about 40 minutes until first pitch. After we retrieved our tickets from a very efficient Will Call ticket machine (while others stood in long queue lines to buy tickets) and purchased a scorecard, we entered the ballpark and rode a pair of escalators up to the upper deck View Level. Then, after buying a couple of Johnsonville bratwursts and Diet Cokes for our ball game lunch, we located our seats, settled in and spent a few minutes just admiring the beautiful Bay vista.

Even with a day game, we've learned from experience, it helps dressing in layers. A pullover, half-zip Lands End fleece over a tee-shirt with an additional fleece vest for good measure seemed right for this spring afternoon. There was a slight Bay breeze and the sun hadn't fully broken through the clouds. We threw on some sunscreen, donned a Giants cap and sunglasses, and we were ready for the first pitch.

Then, as the game began, we tuned out the crowd of 40,060 around us and tuned in the Giants' broadcast on our Sony Walkman radios. The "three-headed booth" of Duane Kuiper, Mike Krukow and Dave Flemming kept us duly informed of the matters down on the field and, often times, entertained us with wonderful insight and baseball lore. Listening to their breezy commentary made you feel like you were sitting at a sports bar and sharing a cold one with them.

Thanks to a nifty pitcher's duel between Lincecum and the Astros' ace Roy Oswalt, the game moved along at a brisk pace, much quicker than we anticipated. Once the sun broke through the clouds, the Giants' offense warmed up to the 61-degree San Francisco afternoon very nicely.

A two-run homer by Juan Uribe gave the Giants a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning and Lincecum, nicknamed "The Freak" for his unique pitching motion, got stronger as the game reached the later innings. He left after eight innings and 120 pitches, having allowed only one earned run, four hits, and five walks while striking out five. His ERA lowered from 1.89 to 1.76.

The game's outcome in the top of the ninth remained tenuous, thanks to Wilson, who loaded the bases with two outs. Finally, a lengthy, 15-pitch final duel between Wilson and the Astros' Kaz Matsui culminated with a routine fly out to left field that ended the game.

Whew!

The Giants owned a modest two-game winning streak and Lincecum finally notched his fifth victory of the 2010 season. While the game only lasted an economical two hours and 35 minutes, it all added up to a beautiful day at the ballpark.

With our record perfect at 1-0, the post-game walk from AT&T Park along the Embarcadero became more satisfying, too.