Bill's Journal Entry #14

Pacific Bell Park

Date: July 25, 2002

Location: San Francisco, California

Opponent: St. Louis Cardinals

Travel companion: Matt Glover, a friend

Link to my photos: http://cards.webshots.com/cp-30848358-wRRD-album/45277325aPNwwG

Game Result: A very close, see-saw game. The Cardinals got an unearned run in the top of the first, which the Giants answered in the second. The home team got their one and only lead of the game two innings later on a Damon Minor solo homer. But J.D. Drew’s three-run blast in the sixth gave the lead back to St. Louis. The Giants got one back in the seventh, but neither team’s bullpen gave up any runs, and the Cards held on for a 4-3 victory.

Stadium Summary: I had a dream the other night. (OK, some of you who know me personally know that this isn’t true. But just play along. It makes for a better story.) I was Ray Kinsella, looking over the baseball field I had just built outside my Iowa farmhouse. Around the edge of the outfield, members of the 1919 White Sox were walking toward me. And they were emerging from -- no, not a cornfield, but from the San Francisco Bay!

I’ve been to Wrigley. And Dodger. And Yankee. And Kaufmann. And they’re all great. But I have now found my “Field of Dreams,” and it is Pac Bell Park.

For some of you reading this, the following statement may sound a bit unusual, but trust me, it’s about as high of a compliment as I can give: Pac Bell Park feels more like Lambeau Field than any other sports stadium I’ve ever visited. Now, allow me to explain that. I grew up in Wisconsin, where Packer football isn’t a passion, it’s a religion. And Lambeau Field is our Mecca. At Lambeau, you can feel the history everywhere you go. You don’t dread the inclement weather; you celebrate it. Regardless of what else is happening around you, be it the game, the weather, the state of the world, or whatever, you get the feeling in Lambeau that this is truly the way things are meant to be. And this is a feeling that I have never had, in any amount, at any other stadium, be it baseball, football, or other. Until I got to Pac Bell. Pac Bell just feels like this is the way baseball is meant to be. The home run fence with all sorts of Fenway-esque nooks and crannies. The foghorns and fountains that celebrate homers. The views of the Bay, the mountains on the far side of the Bay, the city of Oakland, the Bay Bridge, the next-door marina, and so much more. The corrugated sheet metal roofs over the ramps to the upper decks, like you’d more likely expect to see in a century old urban park than here. The food court, kids’ stadium, and giant three-fingered glove behind the left field bleachers. The space behind right field where fans outside the park can peer in and watch the action for free. The small amount of parking space, which makes getting to the game difficult for drivers, but eliminates the ugly acres of asphalt that surround most stadiums. The trolleys running right outside the park, taking fans to and from downtown, the ferries, and Fisherman’s Wharf. The history, both of the park, and the Giants in general, that you can sense everywhere, despite the fact that the place is less than three years old. And the cove, that beautiful McCovey Cove, where boaters can enjoy an afternoon watching the park and the fans, listening to the crowd, tuning into the game, and hoping for Barry to hit one into the drink. It all blends to give the impression that everything is right ... not just with that baseball game, but life in general. Other baseball stadiums have made me feel comfortable. Many have even made me feel quite pleased. But Pac Bell went beyond that: it actually made me feel content. Granted, it’s not quite the religious experience of Lambeau. But it is everything Ray Kinsella had hoped for, and more.

Best way to travel to San Francisco: Driving up the Pacific Coast Highway. On a sunny day. In a convertible. With the top down. There is no way to adequately describe this beautiful melding of ocean, mountain, sky, and highway. You simply need to experience it. Or at least view pictures of it: http://cards.webshots.com/cp-30820525-HuEe-album/45279129QqvxgR

The new streak continues…: Damon Minor’s home run marked the third straight home team on my tour to homer. I’m now thirteen-for-fourteen, with just one blemish to the perfect streak. @#$%ing Dodgers.

Stadium grade: A+   Sorry, Kevin Costner. Heaven ain’t in an Iowa cornfield. It’s sitting on the dock of the Bay, right next to McCovey Cove.

Overall grade of my experience at the game: A   Why not an A+ ? Because at some point, I had to leave.

-- Bill Verkuilen  biggbill@hotmail.com 

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