San Francisco or Bust

Jason Michael Barker

Sure, it was spur of the moment. But isn't that half the fun of a road trip? My friend David turned 21 this past week, and all he really wanted for his birthday was to see a Giants game. In San Francisco. The Giants and Braves were getting together on Sunday night at 5 pm (ESPN's Sunday Night Game of the Week), and we would be there, dammit, come hell or high water.

We left Saturday morning with mochas in one hand and maps in the other, south on Interstate 5 with plans to stay the night somewhere in Northern California. Spirits were high as we entered Oregon (state motto: "Don't even think about pumping your own gas"), and we soon found ourselves in the Golden State.

Perhaps given a false sense of security by: 1) daylight, and 2) a full tank of gas, we decided to drive straight through, not stopping until San Francisco. Finally at midnight we reached the Golden Gate Bridge, much to our excitement, and we had arrived. It was an excitement that would be short-lived, however.

Two hours and about a dozen hotels later, we were still in search of a room. While looking for a place to stay, we were nearly arrested (don't ask), and came very close to death several times at the hands of the fine motorists of California. The nightmare came to an end shortly thereafter, and we found ourselves at the Hyatt Regency just south of the airport.

The next day was game day. We arrived at 3CandleComStick Park two and a half hours before the 5:05 first pitch, and were shocked to find the parking lot nearly two-thirds full. Not only was the lot full of cars, but people were actually tailgating and talking to each other, as well as tossing around baseballs and the occasional football.

At this point I should remind you that I'm used to baseball at the KingDome. Fans arrive five to ten minutes before the game starts, and you can just forget about pre-game tailgating. More comparisons to follow.

The other thing that struck me immediately (no pun intended) was the wind. My first thought was to take back all the not-so-nice things I had ever said about Glenallen Hill's outfield defense, but then I remembered that he was bad indoors as well. Despite that it was upwards of 90 degrees in San Francisco, it was almost cold at the stadium thanks to the wind. And this was only 3 pm. We bought tickets, trying not to think about how cold it would be in the seventh inning once the sun went down.

On to the game itself. Atlanta scored two in the top of the first on a Chipper Jones home run, and Barry Bonds answered back with a solo shot in the bottom half of the inning. The Braves added two more in the third on another longball, this time a two-run job from Andres Galarraga. Not to be outdone, Bonds tied the game at four with his second home run of the game, a three-run blast off John Smoltz, also in the third.

Perhaps as a commentary on the starting pitching, a pigeon landed on the mound between the third and fourth inning, prompting more than one fan to yell "Let the bird pitch!"

Both Smoltz and Giants' starter Mark Gardner settled down from that point, and the game remained tied at four until the seventh inning, when each team tallied a single run. With both starters now out of the game, it would be a battle of the bullpens.

Rudy Seanez, Dennis Martinez and Kerry Ligtenberg combined for two and two-thirds innings of scoreless relief, while the Giants bullpen wasn't quite so effective. Rich Rodriguez and Julian Tavarez combined for a scoreless eighth, but new acquisition Jose Mesa allowed the Braves two runs in the ninth. Ellis Burks grounded out to second to end the game; Braves 7, Giants 5.

Sitting in the left field bleachers, much of the game was spent heckling Atlanta's Ryan Klesko. Jeers ranged from "Hey Klesko, can I borrow five bucks?" to "Know why you're oh-for-three? Because you suck!" The most popular cry of the night consisted of one fan yelling "What's a matter with Klesko?" to which the fans would reply "HE'S A BUM!" My personal favorite came in the fifth, as the Braves intentionally walked Bonds - "Hey Klesko! That's what happens when you can HIT!"

This sort of thing doesn't happen in Seattle. For starters, the crowd in the outfield consists mostly of families with small children, who generally aren't into heckling. I've actually gotten nasty looks from both fans and ushers for heckling players on the opposing team. But not in San Francisco. Bravo, Giants fans.

Some miscellaneous notes:

­ Atlanta's Ozzie Guillen walked to lead off the game. This was personally exciting for me, because I know it's a rare feat for him and I was there to see it. Don't laugh - he's only walked 212 times in his 14-year career. By comparison, Barry Bonds has walked 240 times in 1997-98 alone.

­ Here's a fun game you can play to pass the time on long car trips: see how many of the Seattle's 50-odd left fielders you can name who have played alongside Ken Griffey Jr. It took us almost an hour, but David and I managed to come up with over 40. Here's a hint to get you started: Gary Thurman.

­ Bring pants and a long-sleeved shirt (if not a coat) to a Giants game. Once the sun disappears, the temperature drops about 20 degrees, the wind is freezing, and this was a 5:05 game in August. I applaud the fans who go to 3Com regularly and stay into the night despite the weather.

­ 70's disco group KC and the Sunshine Band played on the field before the game, and people were actually dancing in the stands. I'm talking about grown men and women here. This is another thing you'd never see at the KingDome.

­ All in all I'd deem the trip a success, despite several major setbacks along the way. If you're a baseball fan, I definitely recommend taking some sort of road trip to see a game in another city.

Jason Michael Barker was so inspired by his trip to San Francisco that upon returning to Seattle he immediately began planning a trip to visit the cities of the Eastern League. If you know of any good lodging in Harrisburg, historical landmarks in Bowie, or cheap eats in Norwich drop him a line at jmb@strikethree.com.