Why are the Giants #1 in the Bay Area ?
After all these years since they
have been playing in San Francisco
(1958)without a World Championship
compared to four (4) for the Oakland
Athletics, who got here 10 years
later, why are the San Francisco
Giants the Bay Area’s favorite
baseball team ?
By Amaury Pi-GonzálezMany ‘recently moved here’ fans
have asked me that. And I think
I have some of the answers.
The obvious one is #25 that
plays left field for the Giants,
Barry Bonds, the A’S do not
have anybody close to a player
of that stature. Even if you
are a real baseball nut, what
do you prefer to see, Tim Hudson
pitching a great game or
Barry Bonds winning a game
with a 500 foot blast in the
water ?
Then comes the Park. For a fan
point of view, Pac Bell is one
of the very best baseball parks
in the country. The A’S play
in a place that “used to be”
a nice park but was ruined
by that Mount Davis cement
mounstrousity in center field.
The Cities. With all respect to
the City of Oakland. Never could
compare to San Francisco.
The Port of Oakland is the
only thing “world class” that
Oakland has over San Francisco.
Many of the American League
teams that visit Oakland stay
at San Francisco Hotels.
A famous comedian
once said: “the best thing
about Okland is that is 10
miles from San Francisco”.
Then comes the media. Giants
will always have more media
attention than the A’S, because,
…it is San Francisco! Even when
the Giants are doing poorly they
get more coverage than the
Athletics.
The Giants are on a 50,000 watts
radio station(KNBR) for 25 years.
The A’S seem to change flagship
stations almost as often as they
change players. The Athletics have
great baseball shows like the
Marty Lurie Show prior to each
game,then after each game
a one hour or so A’S talk.
On the Giants station they
talk Giants for almost the
whole year !
(And for the record my favorite
station in the Bay Area is
KFRC my wife and I love the
oldies music)
When I leave SAFECO Field in
Seattle after each night game
I am driving out of the Media
Parking Lot at SAFECO and
can tune in the Giants
station in San Francisco which
comes in very clear in my car
in Seattle. And usually there
is Giants talk for hours and I
hear people calling from
Britisch Columbia, Canada
or from Phoenix Arizona to
that Giants flagship station
at 11:15 PM.
Fox Sports Bay Area carries
games for both the A’S
and Giants, but when it comes
to local TV stations the Giants
are once again above the A’S.
Giants are on KTVU CH 2, the
A’S on KICU CH 36, you come
to your own conclusion unless
you like to wath “The Dukes of
Hazzard”.
Tradition. So the Athletics are
going to retire Reggie Jackson’s
number 9. For starters R.J is in
Cooperstown with the Yankee
uniform. The Giants seem to
have “players reunion”just about
every month at Pac Bell while
the Athletics have to advertise
months in advance that they
are going to retire a number.
When you visit Pac Bell Park
you are likely to see Orlando
Cepeda, Willie Mays, Juan
Marichal,Willie McCovey,
walking among the fans. When
you visit the Net in Oakland
what Hall of Famers do you
see walking around that
played for the Athletics ?
The Giants started play
in San Francisco in 1958,
in 1968 the Athletics
moved to Oakland from
Kansas City, so even in
seniority the Giants are
10 years ahead.
Above are just some of
the reasons why I think
the Giants are still the
#1 baseball team in the
Bay Area. This is from
a guy that worked Athletics
games in Spanish for 17
seasons and have 3 of their
championship rings.
Both of my kids were born
and raised in the East Bay
and are two of the biggest
Athletics fans you are going
to encounter.
There is also a passion for
the Giants that have never
existed for the Athletics here
in the Bay Area, maybe is the
“loveable looser”syndrome,
like Cubs and Red Soxs that
have the most loyal fans to
the A’S that even when they
won 3 straight World Series
in 1972-73-74 could not even
fill the Oakland Coliseum for
Post season games.
Maybe above explains why
the South Bay is “Giants
territory”and the A’S could
never build a ballpark there,
or maybe why the Bay Area is
a Giants area. As simple
as that. And yours truly
has lived and payed taxes
for years here in Southern
Alameda County.
————————————————————
0 comments
Why do you feel a need to compete with the A’s and compare the giants to them. They play in different leagues and only play 6 times a year in which they split the season series. This is poor taste on your part to denigrate a franchise like the Athletics that have actually 9 world series victories ranked 2nd behind the Yankees with 26. The SF giants have no WS rings. How about the long legacy of Philadelphia, Kansas City and Oakland Athletics Hall of Famers. Bonds will one day leave the Giants and perhaps go to the Anaheim Angels and who will you brag about then. His attitude is a disgrace and by disrespecting Babe Ruth, he only seems to make it worse. PLease do yourself a favor and keep your comparisons to yourself.
The main factor is really simple. It’s called corporate sponsorship and funding. Ever notice what kind of fans Pac Bell is filled with? Mostly yuppies in collared shirts and dockers. Think longtime, working class Giants fans are as happy about the new park? I doubt it. And the media is going to go where the money is. I’ll take the A’s, the Coliseum and Oakland fans any day.
Why must we compare the teams? Are the Giants afraid of the A’s? Isn’t the Bay Area big enough for 2 teams? I think a friendly rivalry is a lot of fun.
I liken the two teams to two differnet types of businesses. The Giants are corporate America, very establishment and proper. They have the beautiful -and best as they will tell you- ballpark. Their park is often filled with people who are there to tell people that they went to PacBell. On the other hand, the A’s are the little guy who is trying to compete with the big guys. And can do some things better, but will never be the best. Kind of like GM and Hyndai. The A’s do things a little differently than the Giants. Does this threaten the Giants? I hope not because I think teams like the A’s (and Toronto and the Expos and KC ) make the game more interesting. The fans who go to A’s games go because they love the team or just love baseball.
How can you criticize a team because of their radio station? I wish the local sports talk guys would talk more about the A’s. Rod Brooks and Rick Barry do occasionally. Gary Radnich has nothing but distain for the A’s. (Does someone tell him not to mention them or only talk about their terrible park?)
How can you criticize a team because of a city where they are located? Do only the most beautiful cities in America or Canada deserve a team? So, guess that means no more Tigers or Indians. Wrigley field is in a lousy neighborhood so there go the Cubs, too. The Bronx is pretty awful. Bet the visiting teams don’t stay in hotels in the Bronx either. Poor Yankees.
We don’t need to compare teams as fans are fans for many and varied reasons. Your comments only show how insecure Giants fans are. Too bad because they have a good team and a winning season. Why is it necessary to knock the team across the Bay which is also a good team and having a winning season? I am glad that we all have a chance to watch Bonds and Hudson, 2 premier players in baseball right now. I think the Bay area is very very lucky.
I always love it when Giants “fans” try to remind me how the A’s can’t sell out (in the post season) and how cruddy our ballpark is.
It makes no difference whether there are 50,000 in the stands or 10,000. They can’t deny the fact that the A’s have 4 rings, to the Giants 0. They hate that. I know it bothers them, which is why knocking the “bad A’s fans” is the only thing they can do.
I can’t afford season tickets. As a full time student, and part-time worker, I take pride in attending 15-20 games a year, including the post season. I do what I can do. There is nothing I enjoy more than attending A’s games. There’s something about the crowd and the level of intensity during a late inning rally that gives me chills just thinking about it.
Can Giants fans truly tell you to your face that they have loyal fans? What Amaury failed to mention in the article is that since Pac Bell opened, the Giants fans have been “loyal.” Take my girlfriends parents, for instance. They split season tickets with 8 other people (since 2000). They rarely stay to the end of a game, unless the game is during the day (it’s too cold at night). Yet, they call themselves fans. Pathetic!
I heard not too long ago that if the attendance doesn’t stay up at where it’s at now (at Pac Bell) for the next 5 or 6 seasons, the Giants may have to file for bankruptcy. We’ll see how “loyal” the fans are when Magowan realizes how a privately financed park was not the brightest idea, and asks the S.F. tax payers for money. Remember, Barry can’t play forever, so what will be the reason for coming out to the park? Garlic Fries?
4 Comments to Amaury’s article that missed the point…
…that is too bad.
The point being:
Through-out the bay area the Giant fans seem to outnumber the A’s fans.
The reasons for this defy logic!
The Giants have been here a bit longer and enjoy the nicer digs in a city that is more thought of…
The A’s have the rings and continue to amaze us with excellent play with a ludicrous payroll…
A couple of things that Amaury didn’t mention that I find factor in:
National League verses American League: I find many whom don’t care for the DH.
Team colors: Many Giants fans I know have less than positive comments about the A’s colors.
#24: In addition to #25 there was #24…
Mays did a lot to get the fans attached to the team in the beginning… since then one generation of fan has passed the love of the team on to the next.
Amaury- Good job of not criticizing either team nor comparing them in a negative way. You are right-on that the unballanced love of the Giants does not bear rational explanation.
-C. Pyle
I am convinced you have some axe to grind with the A’s. Something must have happened during your many years with the A’s that didn’t sit right with you. You sound ridiculous with your A’s-Giants comparisons. Don’t worry, one of these years the Giants will win but in the meantime quit taking it out on the A’s and their fans. You are lucky Marty lets you post your column on his webpage. I know he respects and defends you. Maybe you just want to get a reaction to your column which is something you don’t normally get. How about a column about what happened between you and the A’s to make you so obviously bitter. Try being honest.
THE A’S VS GIANTS: FROM AMAURY:
For all the good people that read this
great site.
The ONLY reason I left the Athletics
to work for the Giants to do the
Spanish broadcast is very simple.
It was an advancement for me and
my family, the A’S do not do any
games in Spanish. I left for the
Giants in 1997 then did 4 years
all the games in Spanish home
and away traveling with the
team. Presently I am doing
weekend home games for
Giants. Also, this season
I was lucky enough
to land the Spanish Play by Play
job in Seattle with the NEW
Seattle Mariners Spanish Radio
Network for all (81)home games
covering Washington and Oregon,
please go to http://www.spanishmariners.net
I live in Oakland, my wife and both
of my boys are ravid Athletics fans
and I have nothing personal againts
the A’S. But when It comes to my
pocket, I could not make a living
with the Athletics. Is as simple as that,
I would have loved to stay with the
A’S. I live 20 minutes from the
Coliseum ! And over 1 hour from
Pac Bell.
Thanks for your great response,
no dobut we have very intelligent
readers here.
Remember when Tejada leaves
he is also doing it because he
wants the American dream, to
be well paid and appreciated it.
Not because he hat ethe A’S or
has any issues with the A’S.
Saludos,
Amaury Pi-González
team colors? that’s ridiculous. if you want to base your fanship (uhh..is that word?) on team colors well, stay the hell away from the coliseum. besides, orange and black are halloween colors. And that’s attractive? Puh-lease.
Hi Amaury, Thank you for responding to the comments. Let me try to explain this if I can. When you are a true fan of a team, many things don’t matter concerning that team. To be honest, because the A’s are my team I would prefer watching Tim Hudson pitch a great game as opposed to watching Bonds win a game with a 500 ft. blast into the water. But why compare? Why not watch both as we can here in the Bay Area. As far as parks go, I’ve been to Pac Bell and I prefer being at the Coliseum watching my team play rather than being in a beautiful park watching a team I’m not emotionally attached to. Did it matter that Giant’s fans had to endure Candlestick Park as long as they were watching their team? (Maybe). Bringing up media coverage, radio and tv stations has nothing to do with the teams. Those things won’t influence your tie to a team. You are entitled to your opinion but I guess being an A’s fan I’m offended by the tone of your piece. We are lucky to have two great teams in the Bay Area. Thanks again for your response. Susan
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