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SBC Park
Home of the San Francisco Giants
SBC Park is the first privately financed Major League Baseball ballpark since 1962 and the opening of Dodger Stadium. SBC Park officially opened in April 2000 as a classic urban ballpark with a traditional feel, but featuring the amenities of any modern facility. The design was inspired by Wrigley Field and Fenway Park, while being modeled after a combination of Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Jacobs Field and Coors Field. A 9ft. commemorative statue of America's greatest living ballplayer, Willie Mays, is just one of the many spectacular sites at San Francisco Giants' SBC Park. Other unique fan attractions include Portuguese water dogs who fetch homeruns as they splash into McCovey Cove, which is named after the legendary Willie McCovey, an 80ft. Coca Cola bottle featuring playground slides and miniature SBC Park located behind left field. One of the more prominent features of SBC Park are two 122ft. towers, known as The King Street clock towers, which feature pyramid-shaped roofs and 45ft. flagpoles.
SBC Park was built to replace Candlestick Park in an effort to prevent the Giants from leaving San Francisco for Florida. With a promising plan in place, the Giants' president and executive vice president joined forces with chief operator officer Larry Baer in an aggressive marketing campaign that brought over 29,000 season ticket holders, including 15,000 charter seat members. This Charter Seat total more than tripled the previous record for any Major League Baseball team.
With a current seating capacity of over 41,000 spectators per game, SBC Ballpark hopes to accommodate every fan who wants a ticket. The playing surface is a combination of Kentucky Bluegrass Blend with crushed volcanic rock infield and rubberized tartan-surface warning track.
Autograph seekers enjoy a Sunday visit to SBC Park, which is recognized as the Giants official autograph day. Players and coaches sign autographs from the Bullpen Boxes in Sections 104/105 and 126/127 following the conclusion of batting practice. Autograph day opportunities are only available for children ages 16 and under. In addition, all children must have a special ticket in order to obtain an autograph. Ballpark ushers provide autograph tickets on a first-come, first-serve basis immediately as the gates open at the top of each designated section. On all other game days, fans may obtain autographs from the time the gates open until the end of batting practice. All guests are welcome to arrive at SBC Park early in order to observe batting practice, which is visible two hours prior to game time.
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