★ In Celebration of Our San Francisco Giants

SF Giants Vs Phillies - Game 2 (2010 Season)

I attended my first SF Giants game in 2008. It was the first time I was in attendance of a pro baseball game since winning a contest through D.A.R.E. to attend a Braves game in 1996 with my school which was also the year the Atlanta Braves made it to the World Series. My first Giants game, I was stuck in bleacher seats after paying $14 each for tickets so Laura and I could go. That was a great game.

AT&T Park - SF Giants

There are close friends of mine in San Francisco that still refer to AT&T Park as Pac-Bell Park. These are friends that were watching live during the ’89 game against Oakland when an earthquake hit and shook the stadium. I have friends who were season ticket holders when the Giants made it to the playoffs in 2002. I’m not a long-time fan but I watched every 7 o’clock home game of the past two seasons and loved every minute of SF Giants’ Baseball

SF Giants Vs Phillies - Game 2 (2010 Season)

I only saw half of the playoffs and not a single game of the world series due to travel. When the Giants squashed the braves, I was on a flight from Las Vegas to Boston and when the Braves won 4 out of 5 games against the Texas Rangers, I was staying up late in my hotel room in Amsterdam refreshing Google on my iPhone to find out the current score and watching highlights the next day on MBL.com.

SF Giants Vs Phillies - Game 2 (2010 Season)

Half way around the world and I am still a die-hard fan even though my only Giants garment was a pair of orange and black boxer shorts purchased at SFO before I flew from SF to New Hampshire for my move in August. I’ve worn them proudly during every game.

SF Giants Vs Phillies - Game 2 (2010 Season)

I was holding back tears watching the Giants’ home games from my cabin in New Hampshire and even more so when they won the playoff series. Fox and TBS showed aerial shots of San Francisco with Coit Tower lit up orange and views of the Bay Bridge as fogged rolled in and it was hard to stomach. It made me homesick but I’d try tirelessly to spot friends who were in the stadium via my TV after I saw them check in to AT&T Park on Foursquare or I’d get a text from a friend, “I’m at the game! Try to spot me!”

AT&T Park - SF Giants

Giants Baseball was a hometown past-time. Everyone has been to at least one game in their lifetime and, even if our boys didn’t win, we’d still leave the park drunk and happy hoping for 12 Ks on the scoreboard and those steam horns to explode every time a homer was shot out of the park. The kayakers in the cove behind AT&T were hoping for a homer too so they could swim out and catch the ball.

San Francisco Giants Game

Here’s to the garlic fries, anchor steam beer on tap and panda hats. Here’s to orange & black and the park that all of the locals think is “too commercial for SF”. Here’s to beers at Public House and walking to Market street after the 4th Muni Metro flies by packed with Giants’ fans. Here’s to the occasional fireworks show and the excitement of home-team advantage. Here’s to stoner Lincecum and fear the beard wilson. Here’s to Huff and the ass pats in the dugout.

SF Giants Vs Phillies - Game 2 (2010 Season)

Congrats to our San Francisco Giants. I loved every minute of this season and it’s an event that I can enjoy even now that I’m not a San Francisco resident.

World Champion San Francisco Giants
Photo Credit: Troy Holden

To those who chose to riot and destroy property tonight, you’re not a Giant. You’re ruining the love and community that has formed around this team and it’s a disgrace. Troy Holden captured a few photos last night after the game and before the riots broke out. He captured a family that were out celebrating their home town baseball team’s first win of the World Series since the fifties. Hand in hand the kids are happy and excited for our boys. Let’s remember this night for what it meant to San Francisco and not the assholes destroying our muni buses and property.

“Let’s Go Giants!” *clap clap clap clap clap*

Photos of the rioting after celebrations ended

SF RIOTS
Photo Credit: Holy Mountain Photography

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