Ballparks….You Gotta Love ‘Em!
Pittsburgh has a mighty fine ballpark. It definitely goes on my major-league-ballparks-I’d-like-to-attend-someday list. The list is rather long. Not that I dream about being one of those folks you hear about who has attended games in EVERY ballpark. (Although that would be pretty darned cool to do that.) I’m not close to accomplishing that feat anyway. But I have been to a few major league ballparks to watch baseball games over the years. And here they are, ranked according to greatness, using my own criteria (which is obviously very subjective.) In reverse order:
5. Candlestick Park: I saw a lot of baseball games there; the place was a unique challenge. Night games, in particular, were Arctic adventures. But there were lots of great times there, too.
4. Oakland Coliseum: Its baseball atmosphere was greatly harmed by the mid-1990s re-design for football. It used to be a real good place to watch a baseball game.
3. Dodger Stadium: A terrific ballpark that has a tarnished image these days. Maybe that is changing with the new ownership. I don’t like the Dodgers, but I like their ballpark.
2. Safeco Field, Seattle: A beautiful and elegant ballpark, with a simple neo-retro look. And a train going by next to the stadium every few innings, blowing its horn, adds to the retro feel of the place.
1. AT&T Park: A work of art- a perfect convergence of city, geography, and ballpark. One of the many neo-retro ballparks that have sprung up around the nation, but it stands alone at the top. Many great things for Giants fans have happened there already in the ballpark’s relatively short history. The future will bring many more great things.
What major league ballparks have you attended over the years to watch baseball? How would you rank them?
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
My favorite ballparks are the ones the Giants call home. I think the main reason they can’t be topped is the feeling of being home whenever I’m at either yard. Pac Bell, as a full season ticket holder (Charter Member) and the fact I could walk there from home, truly made it an extension of my living room. Stick, partial season ticket holder for years coupled with Niner tix made it easy to know the in and outs.
Other stadiums in no particular order.
Cinci (Crosley and Riverfront), a handful of ballgames in the late 60s early 70s would make it difficult to rate. I was a kid and just happy to go to a Major league park.
St Lou, A double header in April (late 80s early 90s I guess, they had just put the grass back in I think). Beer venders, a damn good Brat. The game I was at was cold, I mean really cold. Good baseball fans. The Bowling Hall of Fame is just across the street.
Chicago (during the Slammin’ Sammy days), It’s Wrigley, what can you say. I loved this old cathedral. Beer venders (tall Old Style, yee haw). Chicago dogs. Heaters in the bathrooms, which was needed. Another double header in April with the Ernie Banks flag pointed right at me, COLD. Great baseball fans.
AZ (Bonds dinger after taking time from the team to be with his dad). I sat about six rows up from the owner so the BP experience was pretty hoity toity. Margarita vendors. Can’t remember what I ate so nothing there. Baseball fans, clueless although the ushers knew their shit.
Oaktown (handful of games in the 80s). Never got comfortable here. Better weather than the Stick but it wasn’t home. Baseball fans talked a lot of shit.
Angel town (handful of games 70s and 80s) More football games than baseball (Niner roadtrips) but enough baseball games to know that the fans knew baseball pretty well. Cocktail stands and good nachos.
Dodger town (a couple games a year, 60s, 70s and 80s) The only thing good that ever came out of LA was an empty bus. OK that’s not fair, I got to see Koulfax pitch when I was a kid and the dude blew my mind.
San Diego (Jack Murphy) one football game so it doesn’t count.
DC (four games this year, home opener and the last 3 that I rather forget). For only being there 4 times I think I have this stadium wired. Very fan friendly or as Steven, the usher in section 134 says “This here is a playground. We’re here to have fun and party”. Beer vendors, Chili Bowl half smoked chili dogs. The Water taxi is very cool.
I’ve been by stadiums in Seattle (both), Cleveland (both) Pittsburgh (the new one, very nice looking), White Sox (old one) and Fenway. It’s a shame to be so close and not walk through the doors.
Wonderful post Bozo.
Weatherproof games: Brewers at Astros and Dodgers at Diamondbacks. The heat wave that is sweeping the nation may finally break a bit this weekend. Saturday thunderstorms are set for Cleveland, Chicago, Detroit, Boston and New York, which should cause a drop back into the 80s on Sunday from the high 90s. Those rains will linger in New York on Sunday, when Washington, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Texas and St. Louis join in, hoping to get relief from triple-digit heat. California is a much cooler place to be, with cloudy skies and highs of about 80 in Los Angeles, 70 in Oakland and 75 in San Diego.
Well, my list is short.
The Stick – while this place was a real crapper (at least that is how I felt after attending the first game at Pac Bell (now AT&T, it is the first place I saw a ML game (I shared that experience on Chuck’s thread the other day. So, while it was a shithole, it was OUR shithole, and I truly developed a true love for the old place. Will attend at lease one Niner game this year. Zumie, you talked about how cold this place could be at night…the coldest game I rememember (cannot even recall the year) was a day double-header against the Cubbies. We were lower level under the lip, first base line. It was so damned cold, people would walk down between innings into the sunshine just to try and warm up. A lot of good memories here.
Oaktown Nausolem – saw some good games here, and agree with Zumi, when they constructed Mount Davis, it totally ruined the ballpark. I don’t particularly like the acres and acres of fould ground in this yard, either.
Arizona – this place reminds me of a very large aircraft hanger that someone dropped a ballpark into. Not particularly fond of the place, and agree with John…the fans did not impress me a true fans….more of “oh wow this is a really cool experience” feel.
Pac Bell/SBC Park/AT&T – The Jewel by the Bay…my home away from home. What needs to be said…this place is a shrine. And regardless of “where” the games were played, since I attended my first Giant game in 1978, I have just always been impressed with the fans.
Gotta run…more later.
I liked Safeco Field, great location and a movable roof. 12 story pictures of Ichiro on the buildings down town..
I have seen a few games at the AZ ballpark. It used to have the greatest name BOB. When the bank failed it became Chase Field. I must be daft, but the park wasn’t quite as nice as when it was BOB.
Wrigley was on my bucket list and I finally made one game there. Fantastic fans, fantastic yard.
Candlestick was my home park for decades. I loved it, worse day game was leaving my Bay St. apartment on a hot sunny day and by the fourth inning it was cold foggy and windy at the yard. I had no coat. 😦
AT&T HAS to be a jewel. Perfect local and garlic fries.
I like half empty parks. That’s why I liked the Stick a lot. Sure it was a dump and it was cold. Perhaps I liked it’s imperfections. ATT is very nice but it has one big drawback for me, too many people in too small of an area and not enough parking and way too expensive.
Good topic, zumiee, but I’m a total homer. Besides Candlestick, ATT and Oakland I’ve never watched an MLB game anywhere else. I visited Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome when I was in Minneapolis once but that was just out of reverence for Harmon Killebrew and there was no game.
I feel like such a…failure
I am out doing Air Force stuff this weekend, so was in a rush and forgot about a couple of other yards at which I attended games.
I forgot the Metrodome (maybe I didn’t remember because it was so forgetable). Anyway, I caught games there on a couple of occasions. They had what I referrred to as the large “Glad Bag” on the wall in right field. I saw both baseball and football games there, and just hated the place. The plastic on the wall (Glad Bag), plastic seats, plastic field (turf)…it just did NOTHING for me.
I have also taken in a few Rocky games at Coors field in Denver. I like Coors…it reminds me of our yard, but on steroids…the fricking place is HUGE. Some of the seats in the outfield probably require a damned telescope to see the action. But it is a nice yard, and like our place, it sits in a refurbished part of Denver…lots of pubs and great places to grab food and people watch. Steve (Blade) picked me up while I was there on business one time, and unfortunately the Rox were not in town, but he is a good guy/host.
Parks that have always been on my bucket list are Wrigley and Fenway. And I have heard many say (arguably) that PNC Park in the Steel City is every bit as nice as our yard (some sites that rank ballparks have it at the top). So, I would like to take in a game there at some point.
Okay…I think that is it for my brainfarts and that I have truly identified all the yards I have attended (I have taken in quite a few minor league games, too, but that could be a topic of and unto itself).
Quite the pitching match-up today between Vogey (7-3, 2.26 ERA, but 3.45 on the road), and McDonald (8-3, 2.45 ERA, but 4-1 and 1.73 at home).
Make it a great day, Flappers!
GO GIANTS!
I have a short list of parks I’ve been too . . .
1. Candlestick – This was my first, so I had no idea initially that there were other “beautiful and magical” parks like Wrigley and Fenway. In any event, I wised up a bit later after freezing my ass off for the umpteenth time and attending a couple of games at . . .
2. Camden Yards – I was giving a keynote address at a 1994 occupational safety and health conference in Baltimore and was staying at the Marriott, which was on the main drag of the newly developed waterfront. The hotel was humongous, with shops, restaurants, a large beautiful atrium, and theater type conference room. Not only was I able to attend two games at Camden Yards, but conference attendees were able to attend a special night time visit of the new aquarium, closed off to the regular viewing public. However, the most memorable thing I recall is the fact that my business suit and other clothes didn’t arrive at my hotel for three days (airline sent my luggage to another city) and I had to wash my one pair of boxers nightly, as well as give my conference presentation in blue jeans and polo shirt. HA!
3. Seattle Kingdome – Some fans call it “the Tomb” and “Puget Puke.” I attended a couple of games here in 1979, while on Air National Guard two week “summer camp.” During the game, Seattle’s first baseman (I forgot his name) hit a shot to left field and it hit a speaker. A few years later, you might recall that Dave Kingman hit a tremendous drive to left field which struck a speaker hanging from the roof of the Kingdome, bounced back and was caught. Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy. Any way, this was a funky stadium, which had some weird dimensions besides the low hanging speakers, e.g., foul territory was quite large, and seating areas were set back far from the playing field, with seats in the upper deck as far as 600 feet plus from home plate. I thought the Olympia Brewery tour at Tumwater Falls was much more fun that a few buddies and I went on (grin). We got shit faced during the tour and bought another case of their beer and went down to the park below the brewery and played frisbee/drank beer.
4. Minneapolis Metropolitan Stadium – Again, this visit was due to an Air National Guard 2 week summer camp and much of this trip is a blur. I mostly recall the humidity, mosquitos, and taking showers to cool off (because we didn’t have air conditioning in our rooms. The stadium itself was forgettable. Most memorable thing that happened on this trip, was 4 Air Guard buddies and I “hijacking” an Air Force bus during a weekend night and taking it clubbing ala’ the movie Stripes. At the first club we went to, we met and picked up 4 stewardesses and told them about our bus . . . Anywho, we all went bar hopping and it is amazing that we didn’t get busted for drinking and driving and . . . umm, doing other things in that bus. 😉
5. Coors Field – I thought this was the most beautiful stadium I had ever been to until attending a game at the Phone park. If you are in right field, you have great views of the front range. However, it is usually hot there and I try to get tickets on the third base side, which have great sight lines. The outfield in left field is a great spot too. Wide concourses and excellent food. The fans don’t know their ass from a hole in the ground. Quite frequently, you will see more fans from the other team (or, at least it seems that way), especially if the Cubs or Red Sox are in town.
6. AT&T – What can you say that hasn’t already been said? I remember the first time I saw it during a trip to the SF bay area during the winter. My mom and I went to SF by train and we walked around every inch of it, including McCovey Point, which didn’t have the statue back then. It wasn’t until the following year (2004 or 5) that I actually attended a game there. I will only say one word to describe it . . . WOW!
I have seen the stadiums in NY (Yankees), Chicago (Wrigley), Pittsburg, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles (Dodgers), but have never attended games at these venues . . . sigh.
Whoops! Forgot about the Coliseum in Oakland . . . Well, it is forgettable. Ha. Actually, I liked the stadium before they made the football changes (as Chi and Zumie noted). Nevertheless, I was never an A’s fan, so I didn’t go there often. Besides, it was such a pain in the ass to drive there and night time is no time to be stuck in that neighborhood, should your car break down. 🙂
Glad to see I am not the only one with the CRS (Can’t Remember Shit) syndrome. 😉 (Gay-ass smiley face for Chuck.)
Yeah Chi, one of many reasons I quit drinking 25 plus years ago . . . If I wrote my bio about that period of time, let’s just say that Hollywood would knock down my door for the film rights (seriously, but with fond remembrances too. OH OH! 😉 )
I will never forget that first step into “The Stick.” I truly thought I had died and gone to heaven. And when they pulled-up home plate, landed a chopper on the infield, and flew (video of this on the screen) home plate to the new yard, well..there was nary a dry eye in the crowd (my friend Mike…Demp28) was with me for that series/ those games.
But the following year when Pac Bell opened…yes, as Steve says…it was a WOW! I remember, Mike and I went to the groundbreaking for Pac Bell in 1997. That part of the City was a shithole then (lots has changed), and we had a brew at MoMo’s on Saturday afternoon prior to the Giants game at the Stick. Mike and I ran into Larry Baer and Chris Berman there…got photos with them in the entryway to MoMos. Berman is one HUGE man, and a long-time Giant fan. Great memories…
Great posts, guys, and I was reminded of some things-
I attended a game at the Kingdome, also. It was in ’96, while I was in Seattle visiting a friend. The dome was such a part of the city’s skyline during its existence. The Space Needle, of course, more so; but the Kingdome was part of the city’s identity, too. The inside of the Kingdome was a trip. I was fascinated by the ceiling, for one thing. It looked like someone had taken a giant paper bowl, like those paper bowls you see at picnics, and turned it upside-down over the crowd and the field. I don’t know what I was expecting the ceiling to look like, but I wasn’t expecting it to look like a giant paper bowl.
Also, I took a couple of roadtrips, also, to see the 49ers play the Rams in Anaheim, at the “Big A,” during the 1980s. The first time I went, the Niners lost a close game on a last second fieldgoal; and the second time I went the 49ers blew out the Rams, 35-0, or something like that. Not only were the Rams outmatched, but that was the Ram’s first game after Eric Dickerson was traded.
I’ve never seen a baseball game at the Big A, and so I also have never attended there after the baseball-only re-design that was done to the stadium after the Rams left. The re-design that put Fred Flintstone rocks in the outfield seats area in left-center.
I’ll do mine throughout the day. I loved Candlestick- or more properly I loved the “Stadium Club” (I think that’s what it was called). My uncle Hal was supposed to be a great fisherman and I suppose he was, but I always felt the real deal was that he really was just fond of drinking on boats ..and so it was back then for our rowdy group, the ballpark was a big bar. In my first few years here, the attendance was horrible- 500,000, 600,000-it was great for our specialty- heckling. The the players could hear you. They had one goal, much like not rubbling after a HBP, the goal was not to look at the heckler(s). Our goal was quite obviously the opposite- to get the target to look. I was pretty mild, really- no Moms. When I think of it, that was the only no-no. The best hecklers are artists- when the heckle target’s teammates starting laughing-victory. When *HE* starts laughing- you have a HOF heckler in the house…anyway, a few innings at the bar and it was a lot warmer. I came here in 1974 and the first decent .year was ’78. They weren’t much of a hitting team- their strength was the pitching, they had a solid starting five- Blue, Knepper, the Count, Halicki, Jim Barr…that was the first year their attendance was good-almost three times than we were used to-the beginning of the end for pro heckling…
It’s a worn out old one now, but my favorite heckle was “Hey __________, did your mother have any children that lived?!?! First heard it at a mid-70’s Ranger game. It was directed at LW Steve Vickers…
Christian RF, Theriot 2B, Cabrera LF, Posey C, Sandoval 3B, Pagan CF, Belt 1B, Crawford SS, (Vogelsong P)
Christian has been seizing the opportunity the last couple of days. Blanco, after doing so much to ignite the team earlier, has hit a wall lately.
I seriously doubt that Gregor has lost his job. As he often does, Bochy is going with hot hand. It could end up with a platoon, but Christan hasn’t Pipped Blanco.
Has there been a change? The tweets I’ve seen from Baggs and the Giants have Blanco leading off.
The LU was from the usual site- now I do see that the Merc blog shows Blanco. So it would seeem it did change-from Christian to Blanco.
A couple of quirky All-Star facts I heard on the MLB network-
I was surprised to find out that Kirk Gibson never made an All-Star team! He was an MVP, a two-time World Series winner, but no All-Star. The ’88 MVP award was highly debatable; but still, I would have thought he would have made an All-Star team along the way at some point.
And Hank Greenberg had 103 RBIs at the All-Star break in 1935, and didn’t make the All-Star team! I don’t know the size of the rosters in those days, but Gehrig and Foxx were picked ahead of him at firstbase. Greenberg had the huge consolation of winning the MVP and the World Series that year. (grin)
Who chose the all star team? Hitler?
Mel Brooks
I don’t know if Blanco “hit a wall” or just had a bad month. In any case, Christian has made his case for more playing time, not to take anyone’s job away.
Cool topic, Z. I’ve been to 16 ballparks, including six no longer with us: Shea, Yanks (renovated), Vet, Busch, Comiskey, Memorial (O’s). Been there once: Fenway, Coors, Jacobs. Agree with everyone about Oakland, pre- and post-Mt. Davis. A few memorable moments:
Biggest brawl: Mets-Phils at the Vet in ’86. Went to a Friday game of a weekend series with the Mets needing one win to clinch the NL East, and Mets fans swarmed the place. About midway through a Philly fan held up a “FUCK NY” sign and all hell broke loose in our upper-deck section. We quickly moved to another section. BTW, the Phillies, a pretty good team that year, swept the series.
Most bizarre sight: A’s-Yanks at the Stadium, maybe ’91, around the time Canseco was rumored to have shacked up with Madonna. Sitting in the RF seats the Yanks fans gave it to him all night. Finally someone threw a naked blow-up doll onto the field. Canseco, not surprisingly, ate it all up.
Best time watching a bad Giants team: Giants-Mets at Shea in ’84. The last-place Giants swept the contending Mets in an August doubleheader. I nearly got into it with a drunken Mets fan who kept insisting the Giants suck while his team was about to get swept. I think we moved to another section.
Hottest (weather): A tie between any summer day at the Vet – even from the seats you could feel the heat from that artificial turf – and Busch in late June. Between the heat and the omnipresent feeling of Budweiser everywhere you looked, they couldn’t keep the beer coming fast enough.
Best ambience: Not sure what it’s like near the new St. Louis park, but the area around Busch was pretty festive. Plenty of bars and music and beer both pre- and post game. A helluva fun time.
Biggest tease: Staying at the Omni right next to Petco in 2005 while the Padres were out of town sweeping the Giants in SF.
I made my first visit to the new Yanks Stadium last night for a concert (Roger Waters doing The Wall), does that count?
Loved the ’Stick. Alas, I’ve yet to go to PacBell/AT&T. One of these days . . .
I want to see The Wall Mac . . . Waters was interviewed on 60 Minutes recently and it sounds like a “must see” concert.
Would love to see The Wall. A friend of mine caught the show at AT&T (in May) and said it was unbelievable.
Yeah, it’s something to see. The visuals really are mind-blowing. Also saw it in 2010, it was much better in an arena. Unfortunately, the tour already swung through the west and is winding down here in the east.
Great thread Zum. Here’s mine.
1. ATT. Great views, great city, great food, your fav team, good local neighborhood food/drink. What’s not to like?
2. Wrigley. Walk in and you swear you see the ghost of Hack Wilson taking BP. The green grass, the brick, the Ivy, the bars and eateries surrounding. After the game, suck down beers and then go to Blues clubs on the North side not too far away. Hard to beat.
3. Camden Yards. The first of the “new generation” yards. A great paradigm. Good public transport from DC and local. The BBQ place above the RF wall was damn good. Solid surrounding area bars and restaurants that were generated by the park.
4. Petco. Nice park, clean, good lines and the warehouse wall in left. In the middle of the Gaslamp makes it really cool. Go get beers and fish tacos before or after the game at Tinfish nearby.
5. Rangers Park. Good mix of new generation park amenities with some faux old park looks. Friggin hot, though.
6. Chavez Latrine. Enemy central, but good park. Hard to believe its one of the oldest out there, now. I’m sure the new ownership will rehab soon. If anything, it’s too big and the upper decks are too high, they ought to make it a little smaller somehow. Traffic is outrageous. Haven’t been there in over a decade.
7. Citizen’s Bank Park. Cozy, easy transport access from downtown.
8. The Big A, Anaheim. Nothing special kind of bowl. But, I was there once before they added the Disneyland touches.
9. Astrodome. I went to a coupla games there before “Minute Maid”, or whatever that is now. A mausoleum had more energy.
10. The phucking A’s place. Bad use of concrete. In horrible shape; lousy food. Good BART access and freeways, though.
11. The Stick. It sucked then, it sucks now. Move it all offshore and sink it for an artificial reef. The fish will ignore it….
The fish will ignore it…that’s some funny shit, snarkk.
Loo, ya got anything for the late PK 4 at Belmont?
And I’m with Nipper today. I don’t like crowds and the beer is cheaper at home. And he mentioned Mel Brooks for good measure.
Stay Thirsty, (by Bernardini out of Marozia) is 7/2 on the ML in the Grade II Suburban Handicap today at Belmont my friends.
9,11
1
6
5,7,8,9
The 2 horse here, Adirondack Dancer owes me cash. One more time, and I like the AE (13) w/ Juilen drawing in. That’s the big question, can someone beat Agave Kiss? I’ve seen that cherry cap come rolling down the lane on more than a few occasions. Shug’s filly will be on my ticket.
Good luck.
Loo, I’m trying to beat “Kiss with the 3 and 6 here. I have the 4/5 fav. on my b/u tix. Good luck.
Loo, you’ve been around this great game longer than I have. We both talked about Mucho Macho Man for the past few days.Funny thing happened on the way to the forum… my horse came up short today/ I was slow. Not now my day today. Period. End of sentence.
~#Walter Greenman
ATT- there’s defeinitely some truth to frequent critisism about casual and not so savvy fans- but they’re needed if they don’t want to be the other Oakland- it’s that or tarps.Haven’t been able to go for a few years, but kept my season tix unti a couple years ago- I’d echo Snarkk’s review- add in that they didn’t hit up the tax payers to pay for it ( first privately funded ballpark since Dodger Stadium in 1962 an they didn’t uproot, evict, and destroy an ethic neighborhood to get it done.
http://tinyurl.com/7tk58j6
1 pitch, 1 out for Vogey! I like it…hope that stuff continues.
do they have tacos in Pittsburg? Tacos are more a southwest thing.
you’d think it would be Isaly’s Chipped Ham and Heinz Ketchup
must be a nice day in the bay area, everyone is outside doing stuff
😀
Left to go talk to my commander and come back…down 1-0 and in a fucking rain delay. ARGH!
Let’s go Giants!
I know the Melk man uses one and now I see McDonald has one on. Every time I see a Wilson A2000 it gives me pleasure. It was my glove of choice. I know they have made umpteen models and changes, but that glove was the best. I still have one of mine.
I have owned Wilson gloves, but never an A2000. You do see a lot of ML players wearing them, so they must be good gloves. My Wilson glove that I had for 30+ years was in the Tour Pack on my Harley when the Tour Pack was stolen. Got insurance money for the glove (and I padded the figures), but you just cannot replace an old glove like that.
I now have a Nakona glove now (American made and very high quality leather). A friend had a Nakona and after feeling the leather and putting it on, I was sold. Cost-wise they are right there with Rawlings or Wilson (A2000). You can easily pay $200-$300 for a Pro Line series which is in line for a top Wilson or Rawlings glove.
I have one thing to say about Belt.
hero worship sucks
Pro AB there by Theriot to get the hit up the middle and RBI. He’s not making me miss Freddie too much recently. Getting the job done…
This one has pretty much followed form on paper. Gmen have looked totally listless against a very good pitcher. Chances of a 9th inning comeback look like chances of an ice cream not melting in that heat. On paper, tomorrow looks like another SF loss. Timmy in the high heat just does not promote optimism. Good thing we got the one last night…
With the four-day break coming up, at least they can go to the ‘pen early if Timmy wilts in the heat.
I would tend to agree…but at least the G-men have the top of the order coming up. Hopefully they can make some noise, score a few and steal a win.
Hanahan in to pitch…he’s been tough.
I don’t have a lot of confidence for tomorrow, but maybe Timmy will surprise us.
Got the lead-off on…sounded like a damned nice play on Theriot. Damn!
SF really needs to suck it up and find a damn way to win tomorrow. 1-5 on the roadie is just poor, whatever the temps have been. 2-4 sounds a lot better.
Good pitching beats good hitting every time
Damn
let’s get ’em tomorrow!
Three good defensive plays, not a damn thing to do about it and no reason to start the panic again. No way I concede tomorrow..
Agree…no need to panic…go get ’em tomorrow!
There ya go!
And never say you’re sorry.
I’m sure not blaming it all the temps, they’ve just a rough trip against two good teams. It happens- to everybody. As soon as people started freaking about the DBacks, they lost like 6 or 7 in a row. Everything is mahverlous..
Yeah, the road trip was rough, but understandable. Washington has the best record in the National League and couple that with the heat, they did well to get through this trip without major injury, including heat stress, exhaustion or stroke. In short, yeah – no biggie . . . They get a break to R & R and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Go Giants!
Rockies lost to the Washington. Hottest game (101 degrees, with the obligatory humidity) in the Nationals history.
Kuiper said on radio that they were in contact with the Nats broadcast engineer and he said that it had hit 105 during the game. I looked, and the humidity in DC was reportedly 43%. That combo would turn up the misery index to hellish levels. No way would I even sit in the stands. That is dangerous heat…
I put those two variables in an online “heat index” calculator and it came out at 125 degrees. Sheezus! The Weather Service today issued an “excessive heat” warning for all of DC metro area, which essentially means stay inside and cool, don’t go outside…
Yes, it’s been years since I was certified as an EMT in the Air Force, but there are approx. 4-5 types of heat stress that individuals are subject too. Giants trainers know this, so I would imagine they briefed everyone on hydrating, even when the players aren’t thirsty and knowing the symptoms. Like I said earlier this week, NORMAL people need a minimum of 2 weeks to acclimate to any climate and/or altitude . . . MLB of course, plays regardless and we need to understand that the players are doing the best they can under extreme conditions.
“hellish levels”
While tailgating for the early day game (7/4) following the rain delayed night game (7/3) a woman just went down in the parking lot. We got her ice, called in the EMTs (her pals didn’t want us to call), Was told she only had one drink. Was also told that after she cooled down and the EMTs brought her back from being out – she went to the game. I guess she lived. Besides the game itself, it was a brutal day. I even drank some water.
Maybe someone mentioned this: Giancarlo Stanton out 4-6 weeks.
Bryce Harper has replaced Giancarlo Stanton on the All-Star team.
You gotta like that kid.
No, you don’t…
Did anyone else mention that Casilla (blister) was unavailable today? Bochy wants to avoid using Casilla, if possible, heading into the All-Star break. Also, per CBS, the Giants have come out and said that Sergio Romo is not becoming the closer. The job remains in the hands of Casilla. The team is just playing it safe with him and he’s likely just day to day at this point.
They said he has a “blister” problem on a finger. Uh, OK…
It does happen and it could cause him problems.
Snarkk ready to bite into the problem?
I have seen quite a bit of the Nats the last couple of weeks and I am absolutely impressed with Ryan Zimmerman’s fielding at 3rd. I think he is 3rd or 4th in errors at the hot corner, but I’ll tell ya, he has an impressive glove. Three plays (one this evening) stand out as out of this world . . . up there with anything that Brooks did back in the day (and I rate him numero uno). I like Polanco and Pablo, but haven’t seen anyone sufficient enough to make a judgement on who is better. Just saying that I like Zimmerman – he plays the game right and has amazing athleticism.
And, he’s starting to hit.
Bozo, did you go to the game this evening? He made an unbelievable play on a grounder and then an even better throw for a force out at 2nd. Everyone thought he wouldn’t have time to make that play at 2nd, thinking he would go to first instead or just hold onto to the ball.
Blade, I came back from DC yesterday (to my own private hell in a simmering stump). If you’re talking about the Nats game and Zimmerman, no I didn’t see it. My buddy down the street is a Nat fan and he told me due to Zimm’s slump, Johnson was going to sit him earlier on. When Tracy went down, they changed their mind. From the four games I’ve seen this year, the Nats are strong and getting healthy at the right time and Zimmerman can kick some serious tail, both on offense and defense.
By the way, on my way home from DC yesterday I called my wife. When she asked me where we were I told her we were headed to Pittsburgh. I told her I wasn’t coming home until I saw a Giants win. She said with my record that she probably wouldn’t see me until the end of summer. Just a brutal series all the way around dude.
Your wife sounds like a very understanding woman. 🙂
There’s a link to the right for “What’s for dinner?” So- tell us! From what I’ve seen in the posts, this seems like a group that enjoys good food and I’d guess most of you are pretty good home chefs. Or maybe you bring one in?
Nice dish!
I’ve been to 17 MLB parks. Candlestick is my fav as I was in awe of the place as a kid and that feeling has never left me. Of course I love ATT as well. Living in SoCal now, I don’t get to ATT as often as I used to go the Stick, but its getting to the point now where I have many fond memories of ATT and I feel like I know my way around the place well and it is “home.” I also like Coors a lot and the D-Backs field. I’m kind of in the minority as I enjoy going to a game indoors. The first time I went to the Metrodome in the 80’s I thought the place was awesome—bright colors, clear music, calm conditions.
I went to Old Comiskey once. From the outside it looked like a second rate minor league park, but we dug it once we got in there. Kent Hrbek hit a homer off Richard Dotson, but the game was eventually rained out. How I remember this shit I have no idea. I’ve been to Wrigley and Fenway 2-3 times each and they are great. Caught my only foul ball at Wrigley on the way to the bathroom and got high-fives from all sorts of people as I walked/floated down the aisle. Keith Moreland fouled off a Doc Gooden pitch straight back over the screen—it had something on it and it was gonna hit me right in the chest if I didn’t catch it. I go to Petco often. Plain-looking in my opinion, but great location and a great place to take small kids to the game and let them move around a bit. I haven’t been to Oakland since they changed it and that is probably just as well as I have some fond memories of being out in the bleachers there and I think it would bum me out to see it all sealed up.
Those were cool bleacher seats. I sat there a few times. But that has all been radically changed now, for the worse.
I remember Conseco playing outfield out there. He was not a great outfielder, but he wasn’t as horrible as that play in Texas will forever make him seem. When the ball bounces off the top of your head for a homerun, it’s hard to live that down.
Please tell me you got down on MMM, Dennis…
D-Backs trying to get it done against the Dodgers again. D-Backs have crawled back into contention.
Sort of. They won last night but lost 6 in a row before that.
They’re like some kind of returning zombies in a horror film- “It Came Back From the Desert.”
Loo mentioned guys on the HR list a week or so….I’m watching the second Yanks-Boston game, Andruw Jones hits another one (third today I think) and now has 426 lifetime. Thought this guy was washed years ago.