San Francisco Baseball, USA
Airing Date: Jul 26th, 2004
San Francisco isn't just famous for the Golden Gate Bridge, its cable cars or even Alcatraz. It's also home to the SBC Park and the Giants baseball team.
The SBC Park opened in 2000 and has become one of the greatest ballparks in baseball. After years of threatening to move the San Francisco Giants to a new city, a local ownership group decided to purchase the Giants in 1993 in order to keep the team in San Francisco. The Giants needed a new ballpark because of the bad conditions at their then home, Candlestick Park.
Now you can not only watch the Giants in action, but also take a behind-the-scenes tour round the stadium beforehand. Tours run twice daily and cost around $14 per person.
SBC Park has become an excellent place to watch a baseball game because of the beautiful views of the San Francisco Bay. Despite being located right by the bay, apparently only 33 balls have been lost in the water to date.
During your tour you'll see the statue of the famous Willie Mays Junior, considered the greatest all rounder in baseball history. In fact, he was so good they decided to name a street after him, which runs for one block right up to the stadium.
If the game is a sell out and you can't get a ticket don't worry, because you can always head down to the 'Knot Hole' gang area. In the old days, fans used to knock a hole in the picket fence and peep through. Today, the Giants have decided to provide 30 metres of mesh fencing for prime viewing at no cost.
If you do have a ticket, you can enter the park at 5pm and watch the Giants start their practice session. Before the first pitch at 7.30pm you can get kitted out in some team merchandise and grab yourself a hot dog or another snack from one of the many stalls.
The seats in the stadium are commonly referred to as bleachers, which mean the spectators adopt the name 'bleachers bums'. From where you are sitting you may also notice several canoes out in the bay. These are hopeful fans waiting to catch a stray ball for a keepsake.
There's plenty of entertainment to keep fans entertained at SBC Park. The Coca Cola Fan Lot is an interactive play area for children and adults, where fans of all ages can enjoy a slide into home plate or a stroll up to the world's largest baseball glove.
The facts
Air New Zealand can fly you to San Francisco with flights starting from $1893 from Sydney or $2286 from Perth.
Air New Zealand
Tel: 13 24 76
The Harbor Court Hotel has special baseball packages for $240 per room per night. That includes pre-game drinks and a gift pack with a cap, binoculars and a couple of beers. The baseball season runs from April until October.
Harbor Court Hotel
Tel: 0011 1 415 537 7572
SBC Park and San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau
Tel: 0011 1 415 391 2000
To buy tickets, visit San Francisco Giants ticketing
Prices correct at 26/07/04
