San Francisco Giants

When it opened, it was love at first sight. Everybody gushed over the place immediately. It was situated in one of America’s favorite cities. It had the Wow factor of McCovey Cove. And it took concessions to a whole other level. Bay Area sports fans, flush with cash thanks to the boom in Silicon Valley, fell in love again with live baseball. The play on the field was exciting thanks to adopted son Barry Bonds turning out some of the best stat lines ever in the history of baseball on route to winning 4 consecutive MVP awards. After Bonds retired, the team had a few soft years, but fans kept coming. Their loyalty was rewarded in 2010 when the Giants broke their 52-year championship drought in San Francisco and won their first of 3 World Series in 5 years. And the Giants have kept putting money into the place to improve it as it ages.

It’s home to one of my favorite ballpark memories. I was here for an Opening Day game when out on business in San Francisco and managed to score a great single ticket in the Field Club area. There were important people all around me including former mayor Willie Brown. But for the first two innings, the seats beside mine were vacant. Finally, in the top of the third, I see a fancy-looking bearded gentleman coming down the steps with a beret and scarf. My first thought was, “Who does THIS effing guy think he is?” Well, it turned out to be none other than acclaimed director Francis Ford Coppola. He sits in the seat next to mine carrying a sandwich and a plastic glass of wine. We make eye contact and I knew I had to say something. What are you going to say to a Hollywood legend for small talk? If you stumble into a “Hey. I loved the Godfather”, you’re re-enacting the Chris Farley Show. Instead, I decided to play to his love of wine and coyly asked him, “Is that a Niebaum-Coppola or are you doing some competitive monitoring?” He chuckled and then engaged me in a baseball conversation. My stadium journey came up organically (it’s hard to force it), and he took a shine. As a result, we ended up talking baseball and ballparks for the better part of 3 innings before he left in the 6^th never to return. I remember turning to the guy sitting next to my right asking him if that really happened.

I can’t say that you’ll meet Francis Ford Coppola, but you will enjoy your visit to Oracle Park. The killer view is for what its best known, but it’d still be an impressive park even if it had the White Sox view.

STADIUM 43/50

Exterior aesthetics 9/10; Interior & Concourse Aesthetics 5/10; Sightlines 4/5; Seating 4/5; Traffic flow 3/5; Scoreboard 9/10; Amenities & entertainment 4/5; Bars & Restaurants 5/5; Celebrating history 5/5; Grand entrance 5/5; Sense of place 23/25; WOW Factor 10/10. Total 86 points divided by 2 for 43

With views of San Francisco Bay, the Bay Bridge and the Berkeley Hills, Oracle Park will seduce you. But it’s not just a pretty face: the ballpark itself is good as well.

THE GOOD:

• All reviews of this place start with McCovey Cove. The park made great use of its waterfront location and made the bay part of the park. The days of a kayak traffic jam awaiting a Bonds Splash Hit are gone, but the beauty of the cove remains.
• The giant glove and Coke bottle in left adds a little whimsy to the otherwise stately palace. The Coke bottle houses a giant slide which is part of the kid’s area while the 3-finger vintage glove plays to the park’s retro feel.
• Its red brick exterior blends into its surroundings. In the brick between the double windows on King St, black bricks were also used to create a design that’s supposed to mimic the stitching on a baseball (though they look more like football laces to me)
• The good-looking front entrance is adorned with palm trees and a Willie Mays statue, projecting both a California and a baseball vibe all at once
• Speaking of statues, there are several. Mays greets you at the front door. Willie McCovey guards his cove. Juan Marichal, in full high leg kick, is by the Lefty O’Doul Entrance. Orlando Cepeda and Gaylord Perry sit at 2^nd and King. And the park’s ferry terminal showcases a statue of a seal balancing a baseball on its nose which was the logo for PCL’s San Francisco Seals, the minor league team that preceded the Giants.
• The team also pays homage to its past with the Giants Wall of Fame along King Street, and the Giants History Walk on the Portwalk. Check those out before entering the park.
• The tall right field fence is exactly 24 feet high as a nod to Mays (I wonder if they’ll add a foot in a section to pay tribute to Bonds?)
• The odd angles of the park are borne largely out of necessity due to the desire to hug the bay for as long as possible
• There are nice views of downtown from the upper deck concourse, and views of the bay from the outfield concourse
• There are historic murals throughout the concessions area
• While I have only seen pictures (because I’m not San Francisco elite), there’s a fantastic club behind the rightfield scoreboard for members of the exclusive Gotham Club. Club members also have access to a speakeasy and games room on the club level (including billiards and bowling), as well as being able to catch batting practice from an enclosed space right on the field.
• There are a few social spaces, albeit not all have views of the game
• The 4K videoboard is fantastic
• It’s the only park where you’ll see palm trees and sailboats from the seats (which can be cruelly ironic if you’re underdressed and shivering on a frigid San Francisco night)
• You can catch a glimpse of the game from outside the ballpark through the rightfield arches, a neat touch for the super fan who didn’t get a ticket (the place did sell out over 530 straight games)

THE BAD:

• Concourses are narrow and surprisingly dark. This creates a crowding issue, making movement around the park harder than it should be. The Giants have tried to address this by removing the last row of seats, but they’re still tight. And signage seems small and, at times, confusing.
• The beautiful bay views are only available to those in Club or Upper Deck (View) seats. The field couldn’t be sunk, so the lower deck seats can’t see the water from their seats, “settling” instead for an up-close view of the game and a view of palm trees behind the giant glove.
• Some of the sightlines in the upper deck aren’t great with seats angled toward the outfield instead of the infield

It’s not a perfect park. But it’s close.

FOOD 9/10

Here’s another area where the park shines. I admire the local flair and variety of cuisine.

The signature dish is the Gilroy Garlic Fries. You’ll know this based on the overwhelming garlic smell that permeates the concession area. The Sheboygan brats and Mission-style bacon-wrapped dogs are also very popular. But specialty concessions abound. Among them:

• San Francisco chowder in a bread bowl
• Good Mexican food from Mission Street Taqueria
• Italian delights including a great meatball sandwich from A Taste of North Beach
• Rice bowls, sushi, and cold noodle salads from Edsel Ford Fong’s
• Poke bowls from Da Poke Man
• Good pizza from Tony’s Slice House
• Irish cuisine from Murph’s Clubhouse
• Stupid-good hot fudge sundaes from San Francisco institution Ghirardelli
• Homemade ice cream sandwiches that will make you purr in delight from CREAM

You also know you’re in San Francisco with the presence of The Garden which is a sit-down area behind the centerfield fence that serves healthier cuisine including fruits and vegetables picked right from the in-stadium garden. There’s also The Organic Coup (for açai bowls), and a stand serving bubble tea.

The real stars though are the concession out in the Sierra Nevada Plaza in centerfield. There you’ll find two of the park’s most renown concessions. Orlando’s Cha Cha Bowl (jerk chicken, season rice, black beans and pineapple salsa) tickles the taste buds. And my personal fave, the popular Crazy Crab Sandwich: Dungeness crab served on grilled buttery sourdough with tomato and lemon. Expensive, but delicious.

BEER 9/10

The Public House attached to the ballpark sells, among other great brews, Russian River Blind Pig. And unlike the old Mikkeller taproom in Citi Field, you can get to and from the pub during the game.

On previous trips, I found stuff from Bay-Area breweries Mad River, Fort Point Beer Co, Almanac Beer Co, Henhouse, Fieldwork Brewing, Laughing Monk, Temescal Brewing, and (maybe best of all) Russian River (I’ve had a Pliny the Elder in a ballpark!). It also used to be criminally expensive even in overpriced San Francisco. With tip, I paid $26 for my Pliny. At that price, the beer should come with a lap dance.

I had to hunt a lot more to find “true” craft on my 2023 visit, but the “default” stuff is from Sierra Nevada, Stone, Anchor, and Lagunitas, so you’re still in good hands. And with every other ballpark jacking up their beer prices, the Giants lowered theirs, so price is much less of an issue. There’s also a decent selection of wine available if that’s your bag.

NEIGHBORHOOD 7/10

When the stadium was built, the area was an industrial wasteland. It’s about a mile from the true downtown. But the area has built up quite a bit. As downtown San Francisco gets scruffier every year, the area around the park has become nicer. All the changes have led to a substantial turnover in the near-park bar scene (RIP Pete’s Tavern and The Polo Grounds, welcome Candlestick Sports Bar).

When the park first opened, the Game Day action was all north of the park in the South Beach and South Park neighborhoods. There are also a few places scattered along the Embarcadero like Hi Dive. With the opening of the Chase Center, the area south of the park has seen quite a bit of development and is now home to fun places like New Belgium Brewing Taproom, and Spark Social (a cool outdoor food court).

Since the ballpark’s salad days, crowds have thinned a little, so there’s usually no problem getting a seat someplace. Given the constant flux of the area, you may just let serendipity take over and find a place that seems to suit your mood and style. There are no shortage of options.

COST 1/5

San Francisco is expensive. So is a Giants game. As a privately-funded facility, Giants ownership needs to charge enough to help recoup the investment. Plus the city is flush with tech cash. Tickets are pricier than average, official Giants parking will cost $40, and the concessions, while great, will set you back big time.

ACCESSIBILITY 4/5

San Francisco traffic, while not as legendarily bad as Los Angeles, is still pretty brutal. If you’re stuck with a car, plan accordingly. Park a little further away to save money and help yourself escape the post-game crush better.

Fortunately, there are many other ways to get here. There’s a MUNI streetcar stop right in front of the park if you’re going somewhere in town, and the CalTrain stop is 2 minutes away if you’re heading toward the South Bay. BART is about a 20 minute/1 mile walk or you can take a street car. Cyclists can make use of San Francisco’s many bike paths and park in a free secure lot on the Portwalk. And Oracle Park even has its own ferry stop on site with ships that head to East Bay and North Bay (which is worth a bonus point).

WEATHER 3/5

Day games are usually warm and sunny all throughout the year and rain is uncommon. Night games can be chilly and sometimes outright cold. It’s not uncommon to see Giants fans bring heavy jackets into a July night game. Remember Mark Twain’s quote, “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco”. September may be the best month to come if you prefer warmer nights.

VIBE 19/25

For years this was one of, if not THE toughest ticket in baseball. The Giants sold out for nearly 7 straight years. Crowds have thinned, but they still draw 70%-80% capacity. And while some fans are of the “see and be seen” crowd, overwhelmingly, they are good ball fans. There’s great atmosphere here and it feels distinctly San Francisco.

It’s a place you want to be. You can go early just to enjoy some of the ballpark amenities. Consider:

• The Peet’s @Cafe has a bobblehead museum with an interactive feature worth checking out
• If you have Club seats, there’s a bunch of good Giants memorabilia on display
• The Public House allows you to duck in an out for fabulous beer.
• The Giants employ the only female PA Announcer, Renel Brooks-Moon whose really good once you train your ear for the unexpected (don’t shrug her off as a product of “progressive San Francisco”; she is legit!)
• Lou Seal is an underrated mascot
• The foghorn blowing after a home run is a long-standing tradition
• Even if the Dodgers aren’t in town, if someone is spotted wearing Dodgers gear, you’re likely to hear a “Beat LA” chant start up
• You can catch a few batters from inside a vintage cable car located in the outfield
• The fans wisely don’t do The Wave (because it may have started in Oakland or LA)
• If you’re sitting in the Field Club, when you head to the Club area for a bite or a bio break, you can pass players as they go to and from their clubhouse
• The “moats” separating high end seat areas from the hoi polloi are more subtle
• The slide is available for both kids and adults (I will neither confirm nor deny that I’ve slid down it after a few Bay Area suds)
• They’ll play “The Lights” by Bay-Area band Journey in the middle of the eight, and Tony Bennett’s “I Left Heart in San Francisco” after a win meaning you can even HEAR a sense of place

And if you’re lucky, you may have a multi-inning conversation with Francis Ford Coppola.

GALLERY

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OTHER FUN THINGS TO DO

Three fun San Francisco eateries:

• Tommy’s Joynt (Van Ness Corridor. Iconic, kitschy, hofbrau that serves meaty plates in quantity at a decent price. Usually a line.)
• Mama’s (North Beach. Legendary brunch spot, always with a line, with Benedicts and French Toast concoctions worthy of the wait.)
• Red’s Java House (Rincon Point. Ramshackle joint that has been serving longshoreman and dock workers since 1955. Enjoy a simple yet amazing double cheeseburger served on sourdough paired with a beer for less than $20, then take a 12-minute stroll to the park via the bay.)

Three places to imbibe before the game:

I am discounting the Public House which is attached to the ballpark simply because you’ll likely find it yourself. It’s an excellent pre-game option with a truly Class-A taplist loaded with local gems. If you want to wander a little:

• Garaje (SOMA. Great craft beer list paired with tacos in this unassuming Mexican place less than a 10-minute walk from the park. Fantastic spot!)
• Liquid Gold (Nob Hill. Hip tap room and bottle shop serving some great stuff from local and world-renown brewers. About 2 miles from the ballpark, but any place where you can drink a Heady Topper and a Pliny back to back, is worth the trek.)
• ATwater TAvern (Mission Bay. A fun bar/resto specializing in California cuisine with a good beer list and great Mimosas.)

One bar in the area worth hitting:

Toronado (Lower Haight. Not far from the Painted Ladies and the legendary Zuni Cafe is one of the best beer bars in the country.)

Three craft breweries in the area worthy of your time:

The San Francisco brewing scene is in a bit of a flux. Long-time stalwart Anchor Brewing closed thanks to mismanagement by parent company Sapporo. The pandemic and the Tenderloin’s homeless problem killed Mikkeller. A great women’s-owned brewery near the ballpark, Local, was lost in a December 2022 fire. And between rent costs, the work-from-home phenomena that has left much of the city center without daily office workers, and the Gen Z movement away from beer, many small craft brewers have had to merge to stay afloat. The scene seems to be in more flux than in other cities, which worries me as a craft beer fan since San Francisco is often way ahead of the curve. Fortunately, there are still many quality options, including my three recommendations below:

• 21st Amendment (SOMA. Opened the same year the stadium opened. I’ve pre-gamed here since its early years, and it’s always buzzing with traffic).
• Black Hammer Brewing (SOMA. Classic German-style beers in a lofty warehouse a 10-minute walk from the park)
• Olfactory Brewing and Blending (Dogpatch. About a 20-minute walk south of the ballpark, just past the Chase Center, this newer brewery strums up some nice pales, lagers, and funks.)

Three fun tourist attractions in the area:

• Fisherman’s Wharf/Pier 39 (Locals avoid it like the plague, but odds are you’re not a local. While there are 3D rides, an aquarium, mazes, shopping and bay cruises, the best attraction is free: the sea lions. A few hundred sea lions have made Pier 39 their home since the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. I have spent 30-minutes just watching them frolic, and I have the attention span of a goldfish. Our family even has a rapport with one of the sea lions; we named him Carl. Best viewed early and late season since many traditionally migrate in June and July.)
• City Tour (San Francisco is a compact city with a ton of cool attractions. Sometimes the easiest way to see it all is on a tour. It’s a rare city in which I recommend this. Check out Chinatown, the Cable Car, the Embarcadero, Painted Ladies, Coit Tower, Golden Gate Bridge, etc. If a bus tour is not your thing, try the Segway tour instead; rolling down that crooked stretch Lombard Street on one of these bad boys is fun.)
• Alcatraz (It’s San Francisco’s number tourist attraction and they put on a good tour. On a clear day, the view of the Golden Gate bridge from the water can be stunning.)

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SUMMARY

Great views. Great food. Great beer. Great atmosphere. Great stadium. And despite a terrible homeless problem that seems to get worse every year, and a sky high crime rate, still a great city.

Oracle Park is on almost every pundit’s short list of best stadiums in America. Now into its third decade, it still holds up thanks to ongoing improvements. You’ll pay well for the privilege of being here, but it makes an amazing immediate impression, and follows it up with substance. Forget “flowers in your hair”; if you’re going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some black and orange (and a warm jacket for night games) and check out the majesty of Oracle Park.