San Francisco Giants Fanfest

A massive throng of orange and black poured into AT&T Park earlier today, with all attendees intent on enjoying the Giants 2012 Fanfest. They weren’t disappointed, because the team planned this event to perfection, with activities spread across the stadium from one end to the other. Whether one milled about on the field, sat in the dugout, toured the clubhouse,  or waited endlessly in a line that would eventually yield an autograph, everyone seemed thrilled with the event. I know, because I spent a large part of my day talking with the fans. I found some interesting ones, too.

The group below was among them. From left to right Ferris, her charming Mother Heather and Darren were a delight. Heather was the biggest Giants fan of this group, rooting for the G men since birth. Darren’s favorite team memory was J. T. Snow’s dramatic home run  in Game 2 of the 2000 Giants – Mets National League Division Series, a towering, bottom of the ninth inning, three-run blow that tied the game and sent it into extra innings. Heather cited Will Clark as her favorite Giant. A shy Ferris said she liked the Giants and was excited because she got her picture taken with Lou Seal. When asked about the upcoming season, Darren said he thought the Giants will win the National League West Division. Both Heather and Darren hoped the team picked up a lot of speed by acquiring outfielders Angel Pagan and Melky Cabrera.

Heather and Darren were right on point. If Pagan and Cabrera repeat last season’s performance , when they combined for 52 stolen bases, the Giants stand a good chance of scoring a lot more runs this year. Last season’s offense, when the team was dead last in runs scored in the National League, was woefully inadequate. Pagan and Cabrera will need to take some walks, lay down bunts, steal bases, take the extra base when they can and in general create scoring opportunities for the heavy hitters who follow them in the lineup. Having productive table setters at the top of the lineup is an imperative for the Giants.

I happened upon Maya and Chad while they were  enjoying a leisurely lunch. Ordinarily I let people enjoy their meals in peace, but something inside me said these two, so I asked if I could join them, and they readily agreed. Life is uncanny at times. Of all the thousands of people in attendance, I had just sat down with one of the gentlemen featured on “The Torture Cast,” a weekly San Francisco Giants baseball podcast. How cool is that?

Chad has been a Giants fan for a long as he can remember, which roughly translates into 37 years. He recalled two favorite Giants memories. The first occurred at the age of five when he attended his first game at Candlestick Park, which he noted appeared immense from a child’s point of view. Will Clark was Chad’s favorite player when he was growing up, so it’s not surprising that his second memory recalls a “Will the Thrill” performance. “It would have to be watching him hit a grand slam in May of 1989, the year they went to the World Series,” he recalled.

Hearing him mention Candlestick Park reminded me of my only night game at the old yard. It was in the summer of 1979, with the Giants hosting the Astros. I was so cold I wished I was back at a New York Jets (football) game I attended years earlier, when the temperature was eighteen degrees. For me, a night game at Candlestick was that cold. There was fog on the field, and I don’t mean the kind that tiptoes in on little cat’s feet. The fog and howling winds at Candlestick announced “we’re here” like shots being fired from a cannon. You were immersed in a deep, enveloping, shivering chill. I had to ask Chad about his night-time experiences there.

He said there were “way too many” nights when he froze. “Layers were definitely the option, especially when you get there it wouldn’t be as cold as you think it would get. Then you would get to the seventh or eighth inning and it felt like it was thirty below. The wind is what made it cold.” Recognizing this, in the early 1980’s the team introduced the “Croix De Candlestick,” which was a pin given after extra-inning games to fans who stayed through the final out. Chad owns two of them.

He didn’t expect the team to go as far as it did in 2010, and cited some team failures in the past, such as its failure to win the 2002 World Series against the Angels, that caused him to stay grounded and not be too hopeful, especially during the World Series against the American League Champion Texas Rangers. As far as the team’s chances for 2012, Chad thinks if the players stay healthy, the team will contend. He recalled last season when both catcher Buster Posey and second baseman Freddy Sanchez suffered season-ending injuries, as occurrences that hit the offense, significantly undermining the team.

Chad knows his stuff. The first of these two significant injuries, the one to Posey, occurred on May 25th. Going into the game that night, the team was playing .574 baseball, good enough for a 27-20 record. At that pace, the Giants were on target to finish the season with 93 wins. Without Posey and Sanchez, who was lost for the season just a few weeks later, the team won 86. That’s an amazing number considering two of the team’s best hitters missed the majority of the season. Chad stated what many Giants fans accept as gospel. If those two had remained healthy,  the team would have easily made up the eight-game difference that separated them from the division winning Arizona Diamondbacks. We’ll soon see, because the reports from the team today stated that both players have recovered from their injuries and have returned to baseball activities.

I enjoyed some quality time with Aaron& Eliza, too. He’s been on board for twenty-four seasons and is well versed in the team’s history and its present situation. He’s bullish on the 2012 Giants, to say the least. In fact, Aaron is so confident of this year’s team that he said it’s “already won.” He cited the improvement in the team’s shortstop as a big reason. He was referring to Ryan Theriot, a free agent the Giants signed about a week ago. “He’s got a decent bat,” Aaron added.  “Ever since we lost (Omar) Vizquel, shortstop has been a gaping hole, so now we actually have some substance (at the position).”

It was appropriate that Aaron raised the issue of the team’s defense. My friend John summarizes the team’s ability with the leather with this observation: “if you hit it to them, they’ll catch it.” That’s not exactly a rousing endorsement, but it’s grounded in reality. Aubrey Huff playing right field was so bad it was laughable. Recently retired Pat Burrell resembled a potted plant in left field. Long past his prime Miguel Tejada played 91 games at shortstop, which was about 90 games too many for most fans. In Theriot, the Giants have a  quality, veteran player, but at the age of 32 a young one by Giants standards. He’s a gritty type, the kind of guy whose uniform is always dirty due to his aggressive play. A winning team has to be strong up the middle; a healthy Buster Posey at catcher and a resurgent Freddy Sanchez at second base, combined with shortstop Theriot makes for a nice start.

I spent some time listening to several of the player interviews. The fans on hand went ballistic when several key players made their way to the interview table. The biggest applause was reserved for Buster Posey and Tim Lincecum. Lincecum is one of the dots beneath the KNBR sign, shown below. The team’s General Manager, Brian Sabean, was also greeted warmly. When he mentioned that AT&T Park will be paid off in 2017, fans howled their approval. Maybe the team will be able to afford to keep its best players as they get deeper into their careers. Imagine that! A thriving baseball organization whose team plays in a beautiful downtown stadium, with a fawning fan base supporting it, and no mortgage payments. Gary and Barry, I saw it with my own eyes.

During the affair I found who I really wanted to see, Mascot Lou Seal. He was very gracious, waiting patiently while I readied myself for our portrait, which appears below. When I asked him about the team’s chances for 2012, a member of the crowd reminded me that he doesn’t talk. He listens however, and uses his body and mannerisms to convey his feelings. I think he liked me.

I know the Panda liked me. Once he saw my Yogi the Bear pin on my jacket, a gift from my sister Jane, I had a friend for life. Now kindred spirits, Panda and I shared a nice moment, shown below.

The San Francisco Giants 2012 Fanfest was a magical affair, a fun time at the yard and a chance to talk with members of the team’s community. Giants fans are passionate, support their team and are chomping at the bit for the season to begin. They like the team’s chances. So do I, but that’s a matter for another day. I’ll weigh in on the team’s outlook for the upcoming season in another post.

Here’s one last photo that captures the joy of the day. The fellow wearing the glove on his left hand was celebrating his 39th birthday. Or was he? He seemed more excited about his team and the upcoming season. After my experience at Fanfest 2012, that’s a sentiment I understand.