SBC Park
I visited SBC Park (formerly Pac Bell Park) for the first time tonight. One of Jon's coworkers gave us five tickets for the Club Level to watch the Giants play the Rockies.
The ballpark lived up to the hype. It feels extremely intimate, almost like a really expensive and upscale college or minor league ballpark. It might just be the coziest baseball stadium I've ever been seen a game at. Club Level seats put us almost directly on top of home plate. The visuals of the ocean over the outfield wall are awesome, just one of the ways the stadium integrates seamlessly with (and takes advantage of) its surroundings.
The food selection impressed as well. I had an excellent Sheboygan bratwurst sandwich to start, accompanied by some garlic fries. From there Jon and I moved on to Compadres Beef Taco Trays and Nachos with Beef. If I hadn't gone for a walk to explore the stadium, I might have been arm-twisted into Krispy Kreme to top it all off. I've never been to a ballpark with a broader and more diverse selection of foods. Wine, fruit from a farmer's market, Carl's Jr., and sushi were just a few of the surprising additions to all the ballpark staples like hamburgers and pizza.
And, had I known about the Giants Wi-Fi Network ahead of time, I would have brought my laptop and been surfing the web between innings to check up on my fantasy players. Rumor has it fans will soon be able to see wireless instant replays and order food for delivery to their seats through the wi-fi network. Awesome.
Bonds was walked three times, two times intentionally. He hit a ball hard and deep in the other bat, but straight to the center fielder. Giants fans wave rubber chickens and screamed their displeasure everytime a pitcher threw a ball to Barry, let alone when the catcher stood to signal for the intentional walk. When you see his stats, you understand why opposing teams avoid him: his OBP this season is .608, and his slugging percentage is .818. Those are video game numbers, or those of someone in a slo-pitch softball league. Pedro Feliz, who bats behind Barry, has an OPB of .294 and a SLG of .467, most of it compiled against pitchers working out of the stretch. Of the 44 balls hit out of SBC Park into McCovey Cove since its inception, 31 of them have been hit by Bonds.
The Rockies seemed to be fielding a minor-league roster with the exception of Helton, Castilla, and Burnitz: Clint Barmes, Luis Gonzalez, Matt Holliday, Todd Greene, and Choo Freeman. Fortunately for them, the opposing pitcher was Kirk Rueter, a soft-tossing lefty who this season has allowed 200 hits in only 159 inions. He also has only 48 strikeouts to 57 walks. His WHIP is over 1.6!
The Giants lost, 4-1. The Cubs won in Montreal, 2-1, to take a one game lead in the wild-card race. The lone Colorado player on my fantasy roster (Barmes) went 2-3 with a walk and also snagged a few tough grounders. It was a good night.
The ballpark lived up to the hype. It feels extremely intimate, almost like a really expensive and upscale college or minor league ballpark. It might just be the coziest baseball stadium I've ever been seen a game at. Club Level seats put us almost directly on top of home plate. The visuals of the ocean over the outfield wall are awesome, just one of the ways the stadium integrates seamlessly with (and takes advantage of) its surroundings.
The food selection impressed as well. I had an excellent Sheboygan bratwurst sandwich to start, accompanied by some garlic fries. From there Jon and I moved on to Compadres Beef Taco Trays and Nachos with Beef. If I hadn't gone for a walk to explore the stadium, I might have been arm-twisted into Krispy Kreme to top it all off. I've never been to a ballpark with a broader and more diverse selection of foods. Wine, fruit from a farmer's market, Carl's Jr., and sushi were just a few of the surprising additions to all the ballpark staples like hamburgers and pizza.
And, had I known about the Giants Wi-Fi Network ahead of time, I would have brought my laptop and been surfing the web between innings to check up on my fantasy players. Rumor has it fans will soon be able to see wireless instant replays and order food for delivery to their seats through the wi-fi network. Awesome.
Bonds was walked three times, two times intentionally. He hit a ball hard and deep in the other bat, but straight to the center fielder. Giants fans wave rubber chickens and screamed their displeasure everytime a pitcher threw a ball to Barry, let alone when the catcher stood to signal for the intentional walk. When you see his stats, you understand why opposing teams avoid him: his OBP this season is .608, and his slugging percentage is .818. Those are video game numbers, or those of someone in a slo-pitch softball league. Pedro Feliz, who bats behind Barry, has an OPB of .294 and a SLG of .467, most of it compiled against pitchers working out of the stretch. Of the 44 balls hit out of SBC Park into McCovey Cove since its inception, 31 of them have been hit by Bonds.
The Rockies seemed to be fielding a minor-league roster with the exception of Helton, Castilla, and Burnitz: Clint Barmes, Luis Gonzalez, Matt Holliday, Todd Greene, and Choo Freeman. Fortunately for them, the opposing pitcher was Kirk Rueter, a soft-tossing lefty who this season has allowed 200 hits in only 159 inions. He also has only 48 strikeouts to 57 walks. His WHIP is over 1.6!
The Giants lost, 4-1. The Cubs won in Montreal, 2-1, to take a one game lead in the wild-card race. The lone Colorado player on my fantasy roster (Barmes) went 2-3 with a walk and also snagged a few tough grounders. It was a good night.