The Chill Wind of Candlestick
Countless debates have raged over which ballpark, past or present is the best -- Yankee Stadium and Wrigley Field have strong support, as does Fenway Park. Among the newer generation, Camden Yards is felt by many to be a classic, with San Francisco's AT&T Park, Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park and Seattle's Safeco Field generating good vibes. But if there were to be a poll of the worst (longterm) home for a major league team, there's an instinctive answer -- Candlestick Park in San Francisco.
It was most appropriate that I captured the fog and haze that tended to surround the park. In a region whose climate varies neighborhood by neighborhood, Candlestick Point, where then-owner Horace Stoneham chose as the location for his club's permanent west coast home, is situated on possibly the dampest and chilliest. Of course, if you caught a game early in the afternoon, you could soak in the warm California sun.
Originally designed with an airy and open outfield area (like Shea Stadium) Candlestick was redesigned in early 1970s welcome football's San Francisco 49ers as a second tenant.
But nightfall, meant temperature-fall, as in free fall. My first (and last) Candlestick Park night game came in August 1988. The east coast was likely in a heat wave, the nearby Napa and Sonoma valleys were turning the power of the sun into wonderful harvests of grapes. However, at Candlestick Park, the temperature just did its own version of "slipping and sliding."
The fans knew nights would be an obstacle -- football garb for a baseball game is out of place. And the players weren't thrilled. It's often said that Willie Mays' chance to catch or pass Babe Ruth's home run record was curtailed by the chilly winds and damp conditions -- in contrast to the warmth he enjoyed during his six summers at the Polo Grounds.
Notice the long sleeves on the players. All the players. And the sparse crowd. I'm sorry I didn't take a picture of my new best friend for the evening -- the vendor selling Hot Chocolate. Happily, he knew he'd found a good customer and kept returning during the evening. I wish I'd captured that image, the way some folks might take a snapshot of a foreign tour guide or London cabdriver.
I recall a 1970s Sports Illustrated article criticizing the decision to expand the ballpark instead of just admitting the place wasn't right for baseball and building something new in a different part of the city. Well over 30 years after they were spoken, I remember San Francisco mayor Joseph Alioto's reaction to enlarging Candlestick as "perpetuating a mediocrity." It took until the end of the 1990s when a new owner Peter Magowan finally made plans to leave "the stick."
It was most appropriate that I captured the fog and haze that tended to surround the park. In a region whose climate varies neighborhood by neighborhood, Candlestick Point, where then-owner Horace Stoneham chose as the location for his club's permanent west coast home, is situated on possibly the dampest and chilliest. Of course, if you caught a game early in the afternoon, you could soak in the warm California sun.
Originally designed with an airy and open outfield area (like Shea Stadium) Candlestick was redesigned in early 1970s welcome football's San Francisco 49ers as a second tenant.
But nightfall, meant temperature-fall, as in free fall. My first (and last) Candlestick Park night game came in August 1988. The east coast was likely in a heat wave, the nearby Napa and Sonoma valleys were turning the power of the sun into wonderful harvests of grapes. However, at Candlestick Park, the temperature just did its own version of "slipping and sliding."
The fans knew nights would be an obstacle -- football garb for a baseball game is out of place. And the players weren't thrilled. It's often said that Willie Mays' chance to catch or pass Babe Ruth's home run record was curtailed by the chilly winds and damp conditions -- in contrast to the warmth he enjoyed during his six summers at the Polo Grounds.
Notice the long sleeves on the players. All the players. And the sparse crowd. I'm sorry I didn't take a picture of my new best friend for the evening -- the vendor selling Hot Chocolate. Happily, he knew he'd found a good customer and kept returning during the evening. I wish I'd captured that image, the way some folks might take a snapshot of a foreign tour guide or London cabdriver.
I recall a 1970s Sports Illustrated article criticizing the decision to expand the ballpark instead of just admitting the place wasn't right for baseball and building something new in a different part of the city. Well over 30 years after they were spoken, I remember San Francisco mayor Joseph Alioto's reaction to enlarging Candlestick as "perpetuating a mediocrity." It took until the end of the 1990s when a new owner Peter Magowan finally made plans to leave "the stick."
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