Friday marks the first home game of the SF Giants’ 2013 season, and the area around AT&T Park is already buzzing with excitement, we’re told.
The SF Giants will face off against the St. Louis Cardinals at 1:35 PM Friday. According to the Chron, the official Opening Day ceremonies will be fairly compact compared to years past.
Giants spokesperson Staci Slaughter told the Chron that “We’re going to do some different things as far as introducing players, but I think it will be a little more traditional with the timing and such. We won’t have Train doing a concert. It’s a different format. I don’t anticipate it being that long.”
Opening Weekend
Friday: 1:35 PM (On TV on CSN Bay Area)
Saturday 1:05 PM (On TV on FOX)
Sunday: 1:35 PM (on TV on CSN Bay Area)
Even if you’re not going to the game, you can still join the crowds of people who will head down to the AT&T Park area to watch the game, in what one area business person called “one of the top days” for bars and restaurants in the area.
If you’re not up for a packed bar, you can always take a stroll around AT&T Park with an elaborately costumed nun. As Leah Garchik reports, some Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence will meet near the marina entrance of the park on Friday, Saturday and Sunday for a “Prayer for Giant Success.” Fans are invited to join the Sisters as they walk around the ballpark “spreading their good wishes at every corner and passing out ‘dimebags’ containing orange and black glitter and a dime each.”
In terms of getting there, the SFMTA encourages fans to walk, bike, or take Muni, BART, Caltrain, a ferry, or a taxi to this and every other home game.
The T Third, N Judah, 10 Townsend (Service until 7:40 PM, weekdays and 7:45 PM, weekends), 30 Stockton, 45 Union and 47 Van Ness are all supposed to get you there and back in one or so pieces.
The transit agency says they plan on scheduling additional Metro “baseball shuttles” to supplement the existing N Judah and T Third service to the ballpark. The additional service begins two hours prior to the game and continues until approximately 20 minutes after the start of the game.
Baseball fans transferring from BART may purchase pre-paid fare (one way or round trip) at the Embarcadero Station three hours prior to the start time of the game. One-way transfers can be purchased at the AT&T Park ticket windows two hours prior to the game start time and until 30 minutes after the game ends.
The SFMTA has three taxi zones serving AT&T Park in effect on event days: 3rd Street (west side) just north of King Street, 2nd Street (west side) between Brannan and Townsend streets (postevent only), and 2nd Street (west side) between Townsend and King streets (event days only—not available post-event).
The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition operates a secure bike parking facility at AT&T Park. Bicycle parking is located on the south side of the ballpark, along the Port Walk, and opens two hours before every game and closes 30 minutes after each game.
If you drive, remember that you’ll be paying more to park: The special event rate of $5 or $7 per hour applies when events take place at AT&T Park. Parking meters within walking distance from AT&T Park are in operation until 10 PM, Monday through Saturday and from noon to 6 PM, Sundays, so if you go to Sunday’s game, which begins at 1:35 PM, don’t forget to feed the meter.
