In mid-September, I started to panic. I had yet to make my final pilgrimage to the 'Stick to say a proper goodbye to the old gal. The place where I had seen Mays, McCovey, and Perry as a kid (while I was still a Dodgers fan and had no clue what the hell the "Dodgers-Giants rivalry" was), the place that shook in October, 1989, the place where I saw a few classic Dodgers-Giants games in the 80s and early 90s, the place that had become kinda comfy to me, in spite of the hellish cold.
I decided I'd attend a Marlins game in mid September and use that as my personal FINAL Candlestick game. I figured I'd take a look around one last time, take pictures, wax nostalgic and go home. So I did. Then Wednesday morning (Sept. 29) I called and found out tickets to the last home night game were still available.
"Oh cool!" I thought. "I FINALLY get a Croix de Candlestick pin!" And yes I felt bad about not earning it the right way by suffering through a cold and miserable extra inning game. So I got there, bought a ticket and noticed when I went through the gate that the ones they were giving out were different than the usual ones. So I didn't feel so bad about getting it. And hey the Giants won that last night game. Once again, I took a longgg look around the stadium, memorizing in my mind what the place looked like with the lights on. I thought about all the players I had watched over the years, all the games I remembered watching.
I especially loved the chance to boo Tommy Lasorda, the old Dodgers manager one more time. All true Giants fans LOVED to boo him of course when he managed the "Bums." I thought it was very cool of the Giants to have him address the crowd. And boo him they did and he loved every minute of it!! And at the end of Wednesday night's game, I again said my goodbyes to the place, telling a few fans there that was it for me and hey, have fun tomorrow.
What I hadn't planned on was getting a chance to go to the final game. I ran into a couple acquaintances at the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit, the elevated train system here in the Bay Area) station very late that night after the game. I had seen them a few times on BART in the past and I figured I would see them at some point that evening and sure enough I did. We chatted and I told them, "Enjoy the last game tomorrow because I won't be there." One of them (my friend Annabella) said to me, "Say, we have an extra ticket for tomorrow. Do you want to go?" My jar must have dropped when she said that. I turned around and said "You DO?? OMIGOSH!" She said "Yeah..meet us here at 9:30 in the morning if you want to go. Otherwise, we'll leave without you." She showed me the ticket and said I had to be there the next morning to get it. I said not a problem and rushed home and TRIED to sleep a few hours.
The thought that I would be among the 61,000 plus at the last game blew my mind! I didn't sleep well that night and sure enough I got to the BART station at around 9:15 the next morning. I had stopped at a market on the way to grab some film. I wanted to take some pictures of the game so I could have a lasting record of the day. Annabella and her friend Dave arrived at 9:30 and we went off to San Francisco. Man was I psyched!! For the third (and this time FINAL) time, I would get to say goodbye to the 'Stick.
We rode BART into the city and as I loaded my camera, Annabella explained her plan. She said I had to give her my "Tell it Goodbye" pin. I was a bit upset, but I figured that I couldn't complain. I was getting a free ticket to the last game ever, a historical event for sure! She felt bad about asking, but had promised several people pins. I told her no problem.
We hopped on a bus and made our way to the 'Stick. As we arrived, I noticed what a beautiful early autumn crystal clear day it was. Candlestick almost gleamed in the light. The old lady might be going out, but she was going out on a damn good note.
It seemed somehow too bright a day to pick such a sad occasion. There seemed to be a carnival atmosphere at the park. What I was so happy about was that I was going to get to say goodbye along with everyone else. I would get the chance to scream "Beat LA!" at the top of my lungs one last time at Candlestick. I would get one last chance to clap along with the automated organ, I would get one last chance to scream CHARGE at a Candlestick game.
As it turned out, Annabella did take my pin, but managed to get me another. Bless you Annabella!!! I will never forget your generosity!
Game time approached, and I said a temporary goodbye to Annabella and took my bleacher seat (the only time I've ever sat there). I tried hard to remember the significance of this moment. It's not often I get opportunities to savor an important event like this and I wanted to make sure I remembered it. I thought again (and I'm sure 61,339 others did the same) about what the park had meant to the fans and the players over the last 39 years.
And yes on a 85 degree day, you forget about the Arctic nights, or the wind, or the various other things that made the 'Stick so miserable. And the bunting on the first and third base sides made the 'Stick seem so decorative!
Members of the Grateful Dead sang the national anthem. And as they were finishing it, four fighter jets in formation flew over the stadium!! You knew it was going to be a special day!!
When they had the lineup card exchange at home plate, the Giants had four former managers: Herman Franks, Roger Craig, Bill Rigney and Charlie Fox, along with Dusty. Juan Marichal threw out the first pitch. That gave me a chance to applaud him, which meant a lot. When you had grown up as a Dodger fan, it took a LOT to applaud for Juan Marichal! (G)
Marvin Benard led off the Giants first inning with a home run. We all cheered, thinking it was going to be a great day. Unfortunately Shawn Estes (the Giants' starter) faltered early, and by the third inning, the Giants were behind. In the second inning, a man came into the bleachers and sat in back of me. He had been a food vendor in the late 1960s and early 1970s. I realized later he probably worked a couple games I'd gone to back then! We traded stories about that era.
Between half innings, the JumboTron would flash old pictures of Giants' players and events, like they had done all season. And yes they did one final "Cable Car race" and "cap dance." They also played the climactic scene from a movie filmed at Candlestick in 1960 called "Experiment in Terror." It starts among others Glenn Ford, Ross Martin, and a young Lee Remick. Apparently it's a good movie and one I'll have to rent soon!
As the game moved into the middle innings, I'd occasionally look around the stadium and thank the baseball gods or fate or whatever that I was there and realize again what a special day it really was. I again thought of all the players and memories in that park. The Giants got further behind and as they tried to mount some kind of rally, the crowd came to its feet a couple different times, yelling and making noise. It was quite a spectacle. Everyone wanted to see the Giants win their last game at their old home.
As the last couple innings came and went, you realized that something you had grown familiar with was ending. No matter how you felt about the place, you had a sense of sadness. Sadness in that something familiar was vanishing forever. Then again, I bet it won't take many games at Pac Bell Park before people forget Candlestick.
The game ended with Marvin Benard (who had hit what will be the last Giant home run in the 'Stick) making the last out, a ground out to first. As all 61,339 of us stood there, I think we realized an era had ended. After a few minutes had passed, I snuck out of the bleachers and down to the lower box seat where Annabella was. I wanted to view the ceremonies up close and personal.
I had been taking pictures off and on throughout the game. But I wanted to save some for the post game ceremonies. Lon Simmons and Jon Miller, the Giants announcers began the festivities by announcing a number of past Giants players..some notables..some not so famous. They ran out on to the field one by one. The biggest applause though was for Dave Dravecky and Willie Mays. I wish Big Mac (my all-time favorite player Willie McCovey) could have been there, but alas he wasn't.
I took several pictures of the old players. I also took a picture of Willie Mays throwing the last pitch ever in Candlestick to his godson Barry Bonds. I watched as home plate was dug up and transported by helicopter to Pac Bell Park. I hope I get to see at least a couple games there next season.
The players (past along with the current Giants team which joined them later) took one final "lap" around the park, waving to the crowd. I took a couple more pictures. I realized I had one picture left in my camera. I saw the JumboTron screen flash "GOODBYE CANDLESTICK" with a candle going and then blown out. I managed to take a picture of it just before it faded. As the screen faded to black, I heard my camera whirr as the film rewound. I had picked the perfect shot to end with.
Farewell Candlestick..and Godspeed.
