Oracle Park (San Francisco)

San Francisco is known for its stunning views and iconic attractions such as the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, curvy Lombard Street, colorful Victorian homes, the Palace of Fine Arts, and Coit Tower. In 2000, another landmark joined the roster – a ballpark right on San Francisco Bay.

Oracle Park’s address is well-known in the Bay Area: 24 Willie Mays Plaza, San Francisco, California. The “24” refers to the jersey number worn by the most legendary San Francisco Giant, Willie Mays.1

When Oracle Park was designed during the 1990s, a movement was underway that rejected symmetrical, cookie-cutter multi-use stadiums and embraced quirky retro ballparks that honored baseball’s traditions. Other parks constructed during this time include Baltimore’s Oriole Park at Camden Yards and Cleveland’s Jacobs Field. Like Oracle, these parks are firmly rooted in urban neighborhoods and simulate the look and feel of ballparks past while offering a plethora of modern amenities. The retro parks invoke the spirits of Wrigley Field and Fenway Park to an extent where fans can envision Ernie Banks turning a double play, or Ted Williams belting a homer – something hard to imagine in an oval football stadium that has been converted for baseball use.

History

In 1960, two years after leaving New York City for San Francisco, the Giants moved to Candlestick Park, a multi-purpose stadium located on Candlestick Point alongside San Francisco Bay. Candlestick was a tough venue for players and fans alike, especially during the all-too-frequent damp, windy conditions. In 1983, the Giants began rewarding fans who suffered through extra innings during night games with orange pins that included the Latin words “Vinim, vidi, vixi” (I came, I saw, I survived). Strong winds once tipped a piano on its side during a pregame ceremony, and buffeted by powerful gusts, a batting cage moved 30 feet from its original location. Giants player Jack Clark said the best way to improve Candlestick would be with “dynamite.”2

The conditions at Candlestick were hurting attendance and the stadium, which was getting decrepit, had run its course. So, during the 1980s and early 1990s, Giants owner Bob Lurie3 made several attempts to build a new ballpark in the Bay Area. Voter referendums were consistently turned down, so Lurie decided to sell the team to investors who intended to move it to Florida. Before the deal closed, a local group of investors led by Peter Magowan submitted a counteroffer to keep the team in San Francisco. The Magowan bid was $15 million less than the Florida offer, but the locals prevailed when the National League voted 9 to 4 in favor of Magowan.4

The Magowan group purchased the Giants in 19925 and went to work developing an alternative to Candlestick. Public funding for sports facilities had not been popular with Bay Area voters, so Magowan pursued a different strategy: using private funds for the new ballpark. This approach was ultimately successful. Even though public approvals were needed, the private financing provided the “fuel” that propelled the project forward. Oracle Park was the first privately funded big-league ballpark since Dodger Stadium was built in Los Angeles in the early 1960s.6 The total price tag was $357 million.7

Construction of the ballpark began in December 1997. During 1998 and 1999, thousands of cubic yards of concrete was poured, and thousands of tons of structural steel was erected. In January 2000, players began taking batting practice at the site.8 Since San Francisco is prone to earthquakes, the ballpark was built in five separate sections with expansion joints in between each section, enabling the park to withstand a 7.3 Richter Scale quake.9

When the ballpark entered service, the Giants’ chief operating officer, Larry Baer, said: “Over the years, eight sites were seriously considered for a new ballpark, five elections were held, we had four mayors, I had four children and one wife and we had exactly 271 public hearings. Now, I think this is the best ballpark in the country.”10

The Giants have a 66-year lease with the San Francisco Port Commission, the owners of the 12.7-acre ballpark site. The ballclub pays $1.2 million in rent to the Commission every year.11

With the weather-related problems at Candlestick Park, why did the Giants build their new ballpark alongside the Bay, just a few miles up the shoreline from Candlestick? Candlestick Park had nearby hills that made the winds accelerate, and the design of Oracle was thoughtfully done to minimize wind within the ballpark.12 Although the wind situation has been vastly improved, fans should realize, for night games in particular, Oracle can be shockingly cold. It is a good idea to bring an extra layer of clothing or two, even in the middle of summer.

Park Names

From 2000 through 2018, the ballpark naming rights were owned by telecommunications companies. The stadium was called Pacific Bell Park (“Pac Bell”) for the 2000 through 2003 seasons, SBC Park during 2004 and 2005, and AT&T Park from 2006 through 2018. In view of these corporate partnerships, fans nicknamed the park the “Phone Booth.” In January 2019, the Giants entered into an agreement with the Oracle Corporation for naming rights.13, 14

Ballpark Features and Amenities

Exterior Features

Oracle Park occupies a dramatic setting: right on the water, just southeast of downtown San Francisco. Behind right field is a portion of San Francisco Bay known as McCovey Cove, named after Hall of Famer and Giants fan favorite Willie McCovey.15 Between the ballpark and the cove is a wide concrete walkway for the public to enjoy views of the Bay, along with the sounds of the ballpark when a game is underway. The walkway is known as the “Portwalk” or the “Giants History Walk.” Dozens of bronze plaques memorializing noteworthy moments in Oracle Park history are embedded into the walking surface. Examples of these plaques include the first Opening Day in 2000, various pennants and championships, Robb Nen’s 300th save in 2002, and Jason Schmidt’s franchise-tying record of 16 strikeouts during a 2006 game.

On the opposite side of the stadium, the Giants’ Wall of Fame is on the ballpark’s western exterior along the King Street sidewalk. Bronze plaques of well-known Giants players and executives are displayed on the brick wall.16

There are four primary entrances to the ballpark, and each features statues just outside of the park. A nine-foot-high Willie Mays statue is in the plaza in front of the Willie Mays Gate, the main ballpark entrance behind home plate. An inscription on the base of the Mays statue reads: “Given in honor of Willie Mays and his fans, wherever they may be.”17 Statues of Orlando Cepeda and Gaylord Perry are at the 2nd Street Gate. A statue of a seal balancing a baseball on its nose is beyond center field in Seals Plaza outside the Marina Gate, where ferry riders enter the stadium. A Juan Marichal statue is featured in the Lefty O’Doul Plaza outside the O’Doul Gate near the southeast corner of the ballpark.18

Further afield, a 14-foot-high Willie McCovey statue is across McCovey Cove in China Basin Park. Around the statue are plaques with the names of Willie Mac Award winners, Giants players honored for their leadership, hustle, and spirit.19 China Basin Park also features plaques listing the members of each San Francisco Giants team prior to Oracle Park.20

Oracle is a steel and brick structure whose red brick façade fits in with the many brick buildings in the surrounding neighborhood.  In places, the stadium’s brick patterns mimic the seams on a baseball. Two clock towers, each 122 feet tall, are prominent features that enhance the traditional ballpark appearance. On the backside of the park along San Francisco Bay are two shorter clock towers, each 47 feet tall.21 

Interior Features

Seats higher up in the park provide views of San Francisco Bay, the Bay Bridge, Treasure Island, and the East Bay Hills.

As of 2025, seating capacity is 42,300 and the field dimensions are:

• Left field foul line: 339 feet
• Left field power alley: 354 feet
• Left-center field: 399 feet
• Center field: 391 feet
• Right-center field: 415 feet
• Right field power alley: 365 feet
• Right field foul line: 309 feet

The right-field foul line distance of 309 feet is the second shortest in big-league baseball. (Fenway’s right-field line is 302 feet.)

The deepest part of the outfield is known as Triples Alley. This is a nod to the Giants’ history at the Polo Grounds,22 as are the green seats throughout the ballpark. Not only is Triples Alley far from home plate, it features a wall that takes a couple of bends, resulting in unpredictable bounces.

Because the ballpark borders San Francisco Bay on one side, and city streets on other sides, the park’s asymmetry was not contrived. Rather, it was dictated by these constraints, making this retro ballpark feel that much more authentic.

Quotes from baseball legends are inscribed in numerous locations around the ballpark.

“The Fan Lot” area is behind the left-field bleachers. This is a family-friendly23 portion of the park with attractions such as a kids’ wiffleball field within a scaled-down Oracle Park replica,24 an aquarium with live fish, and an 80-foot-long Coca Cola bottle with steel slides inside. The bottle lights up when a Giants player hits a home run.25 Next to the Coke bottle is a 1920s-era four-fingered baseball glove made from sculpted fiberglass resin. The mitt is 26 feet high and 32 feet wide and is over 500 feet from home plate.

“The Garden” plaza is below the center field scoreboard. This uniquely San Franciscan area features over 4,000 square feet of raised-bed gardens growing healthy food served by two bistros. Along with the bistros, this area features tables, benches, and fire pits.26

Oracle’s Suite Level has 61 private luxury suites, each with capacities from 12 to 30 people.27

In 2013, the Gotham Club opened; it is a highly exclusive club for ex-ballplayers and VIPs. This club is behind the right-field out-of-town manual scoreboard28 and has its own entrance from the Portwalk. It is a “speakeasy-style” social club with a restaurant, bar, and pool hall.29

Notable Baseball Events

First Games

The first ballgame at Oracle was a preseason exhibition on April 1, 2000, attended by a sellout crowd. It was a warm evening in The City, about 71 degrees at gametime. The Giants beat the Milwaukee Brewers 8-3. Willie Mays threw the ceremonial first pitch to his godson, Barry Bonds.30

The first regular season game was played on April 11, 2000. Fittingly, the Giants’ home opener was against the rival Los Angeles Dodgers. It was a sunny afternoon for the 40,930 fans in attendance. In a pregame ceremony, soil collected from all other big-league ballparks was parachuted into the field, spread over the infield, and blessed by Catholic priest Floyd Lotito.31 Actor Danny Glover read an excerpt from “Field of Dreams,”32 Bobby McFerrin sang the National Anthem,33 four Navy jets did a flyover, and Magowan and Baer threw the ceremonial first pitches.34 The Dodgers won 6–5.35

Giants radio broadcaster Lon Simmons called the first inning of the game. This gave him a trifecta: Simmons had previously broadcast the home openers for the Giants on April 15, 1958 at Seals Stadium and at Candlestick Park on April 12, 1960.36

As of 2025, Oracle has hosted these other memorable baseball events:

2002 World Series: Despite winning two of the three games played at Oracle, the Giants lost the Series to the Anaheim Angels, dropping Game Six and Game Seven in Anaheim. The Angels’ Troy Glaus, who homered during Game Four at Oracle, was named the Series MVP.

Bonds’ 715th homer: Barry Bonds surpassed Babe Ruth on the all-time home run list on May 28, 2006. With a full-count, the two-run homer was hit to center off the Colorado Rockies’ Byung-Hyun Kim in the fourth inning. Final score: Rockies 6, Giants 3.

2007 All-Star Game: The Seattle Mariners’ Ichiro Suzuki hit the first inside-the-park home run in All-Star Game history. Suzuki was named the Midsummer Classic’s MVP as the American League defeated the National, 5-4. Vladimir Guerrero Sr. of the Los Angeles Angels won the Home Run Derby; his longest homer was 503 feet.

Bonds’ 756th home run: On August 7, 2007, he passed Hank Aaron for the most round-trippers in major-league history. The record-breaking solo home run, hit on a full count, was slammed to deep right-center in the fifth inning off Mike Bacsik of the Washington Nationals. The game was tied when the homer was hit, putting the Giants up 5-4, but the Nats prevailed. Washington had nine batters and four runs in the eighth and ultimately won 8-6.

First no-hitter at Oracle: The first no-no was thrown by the Giants’ Jonathan Sanchez against the San Diego Padres on July 10, 2009. Entering the game with a 2-8 record and a 5.30 ERA, he allowed only one Padres baserunner. Sanchez had 11 strikeouts and issued no walks.

World Baseball Classic: In March 2013, the semifinal and final rounds of the tournament were played at Oracle. The Dominican Republic beat Puerto Rico in the final by a score of 3-0.

2010, 2012, and 2014 World Series: In a five-year span, the Giants won three World Series titles. Although Oracle Park featured some exciting games, all three championships were clinched on the road. The three World Series trophies from the Oracle era are prominently displayed in a large case on the main concourse behind home plate.

In the 2010 World Series, San Francisco prevailed over the Texas Rangers four games to one. The first two games were played at Oracle. The Giants won both of those games decisively. Tim Lincecum was the Game One winner and Matt Cain won Game Two. Edgar Rentería was the Series MVP; he batted .412 with two homers. This was the Giants’ first championship since moving to San Francisco 52 years earlier.

The 2012 Series featured the only World Series sweep of the decade. The Giants beat the Detroit Tigers four games to none. The first two games were at Oracle. In Game One, Pablo Sandoval went 4-for-4 with three home runs, becoming the fourth player to hit three home runs in a World Series game and the first player with a three-homer game at Oracle in over 12 years. Game Two resulted in a 2-0 shutout of the Tigers with seven innings pitched by starter Madison Bumgarner, who gave up two hits while striking out eight. Sandoval was the Series MVP, batting 8-for-16.

In 2014, the Giants won a seven-game series against the Kansas City Royals. Games Three, Four, and Five were played at Oracle. The Royals won Game Three, 3-2; Jeremy Guthrie was the winning pitcher. In Game Four, San Francisco won by seven runs with offensive production from Hunter Pence, Joe Panik, Gregor Blanco, and Sandoval. The Giants shut out the Royals in Game Five with nine strong innings from Bumgarner, who yielded just four hits while striking out eight. On the strength of this performance, his Game One win, and his Game Seven contributions, Bumgarner was named the Series MVP. 

Cain’s perfect game: The 22nd perfect game in major-league history was tossed by Matt Cain on June 13, 2012. It was the first perfecto in New York / San Francisco Giants franchise history.

No-hitter by Lincecum: Tim Lincecum threw a no-hitter against the Padres on June 25, 2014, with six strikeouts and one walk. Lincecum was also productive at the plate with two hits and two runs. This was his second no-hitter; his first was also against the Friars on July 13, 2013, in San Diego.

Ishikawa’s NLCS walk-off: The Giants clinched their third NL pennant in five years when Travis Ishikawa slammed a 2-0 fastball37 into the right-field seats for a three-run homer, defeating the St. Louis Cardinals in Game Five of the National League Championship Series, on October 16, 2014.

Scully calls his final game: On October 2, 2016, Vin Scully capped off his 67 years as the Dodgers’ broadcaster during a game where the Giants treated him to a classy sendoff. The home team clinched a wild-card berth on the last day of the regular season.

Mays Memorial: The most beloved Giant, Willie Mays, passed away on June 18, 2024, in Palo Alto, California. At 93, he was the oldest living Hall of Famer. On July 8, a public Celebration of Life was held at the ballpark (it was not a game day). Numerous dignitaries, baseball players, and everyday fans flooded into Oracle to honor the “Say Hey Kid,” considered by some to be the best baseball player of all time.  

Food

The Bay Area and the nearby Napa-Sonoma Wine Country are well known destinations for foodies. In keeping with the local culture where good food and wine are an important part of life, Oracle Park features a wide variety of fare with numerous ethnic food choices. Oracle fan favorites include Gilroy Garlic Fries, Crazy Crab’z sandwiches, Ghirardelli hot fudge sundaes, Tony’s Pizza, and a wide variety of craft beer offerings.38

Environmental Programs

In keeping with San Francisco’s eco-conscious ethos, the Giants divert 94% of the ballpark’s waste away from landfills with robust recycling and composting efforts.39 Major League Baseball grants the annual Green Glove Award to the franchise with the highest recycling rates. From 2008 through 2024, the Giants won the award 14 out of 17 times.40

In 2007, Oracle became the first major-league ballpark to install a solar system. To provide power for ballpark operations, 590 solar panels were installed, which is enough electricity to power over 5,000 homes.41

Mascot: Lou Seal

San Francisco Bay is known for seals and sea lions, and the minor-league team that preceded the Giants was called the Seals. So, it’s no surprise that the Giants’ mascot is a seal. Lou Seal debuted in 1997 and was inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2024. He wears his Giants hat backwards and sports goggle-like sunglasses. His full name is Luigi Francisco Seal.

Splash Hits

Although it was preceded by Montreal’s Jarry Park and its adjacent swimming pool, Oracle added a fresh spin on a certain type of home run: “splash hits.” These are deep homers to right that splash down in McCovey Cove.

For the first two seasons at Oracle, the Giants had a group of trained Portuguese water dogs that retrieved balls from the water. They were known as BARK (Baseball’s Aquatic Retrieval Korps). Funds were raised for animal shelters by auctioning off the splash-hit balls.42 During each Giants home game, McCovey Cove features fans floating around in kayaks and other boats hoping for a souvenir ball.

Only homers hit into the water by Giants are counted as splash hits, as officially displayed on the right-field wall. Through the end of the 2024 season, Giants batters had racked up 105 such blows. Number 105 was the first ever by a right-handed batter, Heliot Ramos. The first splash hit occurred on May 1, 2000, by Barry Bonds. Bonds is far and away the leader in the category, having launched 35 bombs into the Bay. Through 2024, visiting batters have hit 61 into the drink.43

The Neighborhood & Offsite Attractions

New ballparks usually boost attendance, but sometimes that lasts for only one to three years.44 Oracle has had an exceptionally long stretch of higher attendance. This is rooted not only in the ballpark itself but also the Giants’ on-field success. San Francisco set a National League record by selling out Oracle for 530 consecutive games from 2010 to July 17, 2017. The high, and fairly consistent, attendance at Giants games has created much growth and economic opportunity in the areas surrounding the ballpark. Oracle improved and revitalized the South Beach neighborhood. Prior to ballpark construction, this neighborhood and the ballpark site was a district of old, abandoned warehouses.45 Now, it’s a lively area featuring restaurants, bars, shops, and condominiums. “Cooperstown S.F.” is a scaled-down version of Cooperstown’s Baseball Hall of Fame located directly across King Street from the ballpark. Also on King Street is the “Willie Mays ‘Say Hey’ Experience.” This is an immersive museum about the life of Mays that features artifacts, videos, and photographic displays.

The Mission Rock neighborhood is a very short walk from Oracle, reached by crossing the Lefty O’Doul Bridge that spans the channel feeding McCovey Cove. As of 2025, the redevelopment of this mixed-use neighborhood is well underway with housing, restaurants, shops, and waterfront parks. The primary developer of this 28-acre neighborhood is a subsidiary of the Giants, known as Giants Development Services.46

Baseball fans strolling through Mission Rock may want to visit the corner of Maya Angelou Way and Toni Stone Crossing, where there is a statue of baseball pioneer Marcenia Lyle “Toni” Stone. Stone was the first woman to play professional baseball in the Negro Leagues.47

Non-Baseball Events

Although Oracle was built as a baseball-only facility, it is often used for other events. These have included movie nights, college commencement exercises, 5K runs, stand-up comedy, Cirque du Soleil performances, the San Francisco BBQ Festival, religious revivals, and the San Francisco Bacon and Beer Classic. 

Oracle has hosted numerous international soccer events, rugby, pickleball tournaments, college football’s Redbox Bowls and Foster Farms Bowls, along with pro football games (XFL and UFL).

During baseball offseasons, Oracle hosts the “Ballpark Back 9,” an amateur golf competition that allows entrants to make shots from tee box locations in the stands down to greens set up in the outfield. The 2024 event featured nine holes ranging from 63 yards to 154 yards.48

Many chart-topping music acts have performed at Oracle, including Bay Area bands Journey, Green Day, Huey Lewis and the News, and the Steve Miller Band.49

Public Address and Broadcasters

Bay Area native Ranel Brooks-Moon served as Oracle’s PA announcer from 2000 to 2024. The second full-time female PA announcer in Giants and Major League Baseball history, she went on to voice announcements in the popular video game, MLB The Show 25.50

The PA system often plays Journey’s Lights in the late innings, and Tony Bennett’s I Left My Heart in San Francisco is usually played after home-team victories.

Broadcasters Mike Krukow and Duane Kuiper are NorCal fan favorites.51 Dave Flemming and the award-winning, longtime “Voice of the Giants,” Jon Miller52 also call the action on KNBR.

Spanish broadcasters Tito Fuentes, Erwin Higueros, and Carlos Orellana broadcast Los Gigantes games on KSFN.

More About Oracle Park

Reminiscent of the “knothole gangs” of the old-time ballparks, Oracle offers standing-room viewing, free of charge, behind right field. The free area is behind a chain-link fence under one of the ballpark’s arches along the McCovey Cove Portwalk. In this first-come-first-served area, 75 people at a time can watch up to three innings.53

Seagulls typically fly into Oracle around the ninth inning. Whether it’s a day game or at night, they come like clockwork for any leftover food. It’s theorized that they hear the seventh-inning stretch music and know the time is ripe. When they make their entry, the park even plays music to announce their arrival.54

Oracle has a longstanding “Balldudes and Balldudettes Program.” At each home game, two adults have the opportunity to wear Giants uniforms and gather foul balls that aren’t hit into the stands to give to children in the crowd.55

No cable cars go to Oracle Park, but there are many other transportation options: MUNI buses and streetcars; a Caltrain terminal a block away has rail service to and from San Jose; a BART (subway) station is about a 20-minute walk away on Montgomery Street; and on game days, passenger ferries come direct to McCovey Cove from Marin County (Larkspur), and the East Bay (Oakland and Alameda). Cyclists can take advantage of checking their bicycles with the Bike Valet. Although it is possible to drive to Oracle, parking is expensive in The City, so most fans leave their cars behind.

Oracle has been featured in movies including Fuller House, San Andreas, and Silicon Valley. The park was also featured in the series A Man on the Inside.56

Retired numbers of Giants players are displayed below the upper deck to the left of the left-field foul-pole.57

Oracle is considered a pitcher’s park. During the Oracle era, the Giants have emphasized pitching over offense to take advantage of the park’s pitcher-friendly attributes.

Conclusion

Oracle Park is consistently ranked as one of the top ballparks in North America, and in some rankings, it places higher than Fenway and Wrigley. Oracle is a modern park, but it is already considered hallowed ground by many baseball disciples.

Although Willie Mays never played at Oracle Park, he appeared there frequently as a treasured guest. His presence continues to be felt throughout the ballpark, and not only because of the park’s street address and the Mays statue in front of the main entrance. As an homage to “Number 24,” the main entrance features 24 palm trees, the Portwalk along McCovey Cove is approximately 24 feet wide, the Coke bottle in the left-field stands is tilted at a 24-degree angle,58 and the right-field wall is 24 feet high.59 The spirit of the “Forever Giant” permeates Oracle Park, as new generations of baseball fans enjoy the City by the Bay’s Ballpark by the Bay.

Last revised: October 6, 2025

 

Acknowledgments

This article was fact-checked by Ray Danner and edited by Rory Costello. The author thanks Kurt Blumenau for his assistance during the initial stage of review.

 

Sources and Photo Credits

In addition to the sources cited in the Notes, the author consulted Baseball-Reference.com and SABR.org. Photos were taken by the author in 2024 and 2025.

 

Notes

1 Mays was the center fielder for the New York Giants from 1951 through 1957, and with the San Francisco Giants from 1958 through part of the 1972 season. He also played for the New York Mets for the latter part of the 1972 season, and the 1973 season. Considered a complete “five-tool” player, he was a 24-time All-Star and was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979.

2 “Candlestick Park,” thisgreatgame.com, accessed May 11, 2025, https://thisgreatgame.com/ballparks candlestick park/.

3 Lurie, a local real estate developer and heir to the Levi Strauss fortune, purchased the team in 1976.

4 “Candlestick Park.” Magowan was CEO of the Safeway supermarket chain from 1979 until 1993, when he resigned to devote his time to the Giants organization. Magowan served as the team’s General Manager for over 15 years. He was passionate about baseball and its traditions. As a child in New York City, Magowan became a Giants fan, rooting for the New York Giants. As the driving force behind building Oracle Park — and because of his effective management of the Giants franchise — he was inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame in 2016. In 2019, the Giants honored him with a plaque on the team’s Wall of Fame. Richard Sandomir, “Peter Magowan, Giants Fan Turned Giants’ Owner, Is Dead at 76,” nytimes.com, January 28, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/28/obituaries/peter-magowan-dead.html.

5 In late 1992, Lurie sold the Giants to the Magowan group for $100 million. “Privately Built Pacific Bell Park a Curse to Other Teams,” Lawrence Journal – World (Associated Press), October 22, 2002, https://www2.ljworld.com/news/2002/oct/22/privately_built_pacific/.

6 Prior to Dodger Stadium, the last privately funded major-league ballpark was New York’s Yankee Stadium, which opened in 1923. Curt Smith, “Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles),” SABR.org, accessed July 15, 2025, https://sabr.org/bioproj/park/dodger-stadium-los-angeles/.

7 The financing breakdown included a $170 million bank loan; $172 from naming rights, other sponsorships, concession rights, and the sale of charter seats; along with $15 million in tax increment financing from San Francisco’s Redevelopment Agency. It is worth noting that although the ballpark was largely privately financed, the tax increment financing was essentially a subsidy for redevelopment from the city. Additionally, $80 million in public funds were used for infrastructure improvements in the ballpark area. One example of these improvements is a remodeled Caltrain terminal, a block away from the ballpark, for rail service from San Jose and other South Bay suburbs. Jon Gordon, “In San Francisco, the Giants Went Private For Their Stadium,” Minnesota Public Radio, May 14, 2004, https://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2004/05/14_gordonj_sanfranpark/.

8 Rick Delvecchio, “There Are Lots of Things to Do Even If You Don’t Watch the Game – Goal is to Provide Total Entertainment,” San Francisco Chronicle, April 11, 2000: BB4. The architectural design was done by HOK Sport (later called Populous), the construction was supervised by Alliance Building Partners, and the general contractors were Huber, Hunt, and Nichols, with Kajima Construction Services.

9 “Oracle Park Behind the Scenes Tour,” San Francisco Giants, accessed at the ballpark, March 28, 2025.

10 Edward Epstein and Steve Rubenstein, “A Whole New Ballgame – Giants Bat 1.000 on Opening Day – If You Forget Dodgers Eked Out Win,” San Francisco Chronicle, April 12, 2000: A1. Although many people agree with Baer’s sentiment regarding the quality of the park, some ballpark review websites have been critical of the often-overcrowded concourses, and the dark indoor concourses. Additionally, the Giants had a ballpark feature that was such a huge flop it didn’t last past the first season: Rusty the Mechanical Man. Rusty was a 14-foot-tall robot wearing a baseball uniform that would emerge above right field after big plays by the Giants. A couple of fan reactions from opening day: “Stupidest thing I’ve ever seen,” and “Gotta be the worst gimmick in baseball.” Bruce Jenkins, “Game Almost Backdrop To Ballpark’s Diversions,” San Francisco Chronicle, April 12, 2000: B1.

11 “Privately Built Pacific Bell Park a Curse to Other Teams.”

12 The University of California at Davis did a wind analysis by placing a 1/50th scale model of downtown San Francisco in the University’s wind tunnel. Two ballpark designs were tested. The one preferred by the architects, which provided better views of the city skyline from the stadium, was found to be even windier than Candlestick. The other design was determined to be about half as windy as Candlestick with the ballpark rotated about 90 degrees clockwise from the preferred design. The less-windy design is the one that was built. “Engineering: Taking the Wind Out of Baseball,” UC Davis Magazine, accessed January 23, 2025, https://www.ucdavis.edu/magazine/issues/win00/News_Baseball.html.

13 In 1977, the Oracle Corporation was founded in the Bay Area by Larry Ellison, who, as of July 2025, still holds a major stake in the company. Oracle sells software and cloud computing.

14 For continuity within this article, the ballpark is referred to as “Oracle” during the years prior to 2019.

15 McCovey was known for belting homers to deep right field at Candlestick Park. He played for 22 years in the major leagues (1959 – 1980), including 19 seasons with the Giants. The 6-foot-4-inch first baseman, who was nicknamed “Stretch,” was a six-time All-Star. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1986.

16 The Wall of Fame was unveiled in 2008 as part of the celebration of the Giants’ 50th year in San Francisco.

17 “Willie Mays,” From Pitch to Plith: The Sporting Statues Project, accessed July 15, 2025, https://offbeat.group.shef.ac.uk/statues/STUS_Mays_Willie_1.htm.

18 The Mays, Cepeda, Perry, McCovey, and Marichal statues were completed by sculptor, William Behrends. The Seal sculpture was created by Alfredo Osorio. Inside the ballpark, on the View Level concourse, there are LEGO statues of batterymates Buster Posey and Madison Bumgarner. Over 50,000 LEGO bricks were used to create likenesses of the two players. “LEGO Statues,” Oracle Park Information Guide, mlb.com, accessed January 18, 2025, https://www.mlb.com/giants/ballpark/information/guide.

19 The Willie Mac Award has been granted annually since 1980. It is given to the Giants player who best represents the spirit of Willie McCovey, based on a vote by teammates. Past winners include Jack Clark, Joe Morgan, Mike Krukow, J.T. Snow, Bengie Molina, Buster Posey, Matt Chapman, and many others. Prior to his death in 2018, McCovey presented the awards personally at pregame ceremonies. “Willie Mac Award,” baseball-almanac.com, accessed July 14, 2025, https://www.baseball-almanac.com/awards/willie_mac_award.shtml.

20 “Artwork in the Park,” Oracle Park Information Guide, mlb.com, accessed January 18, 2025, https://www.mlb.com/giants/ballpark/information/guide. Outside of the ballpark, there are rows of commemorative bricks purchased by fans when the park first opened. Among them is the family of Brandon Crawford. Crawford was 13 years old when the brick was acquired. A Bay Area native, Crawford went on to play shortstop for the Giants from 2011 through 2023. The three-time All-Star is the only Giants player that has a commemorative brick featuring his name. Brock Keeling, “Oracle Park: The Ultimate Guide to San Francisco’s Ballpark,” sf.curbed.com, July 23, 2019, https://sf.curbed.com/2018/3/20/17030006/att-park-oracle-giants-map-seating-food-transportation.

21 “Clock Towers,” Oracle Park Information Guide.

22 Douglas Zimmerman, “Report: SF Giants Considering Removing Triples Alley,” sfgate.com, April 16, 2019, https://www.sfgate.com/giants/article/report-moving-giants-fences-triples-alley-13771707.php.

23 After most Sunday day games, children age 14 and under can run the bases. “Kids Run the Bases,” Oracle Park Information Guide.

24 The wiffleball field is 50-feet by 50-feet and features a video board that replays the kids’ hits.

25 Additionally, a foghorn sounds and water jets on top of the right-field wall spray water streams upward after each Giants home run.

26 Cole Shoemaker, “Ballpark Revisit: San Francisco’s Oracle Park,” ballparkratings.com, August 26, 2023, https://ballparkratings.com/ballpark-revisit-san-franciscos-oracle-park/.

27 “Oracle Suite Level,” Oracle Park Information Guide.

28 Oracle is one of a handful of major-league parks that features a traditional manual operated scoreboard, requiring two or three employees per shift.

29 “Gotham Club,” Oracle Park Information Guide.

30 The fanbase had been waiting decades for a better ballpark and they were in a celebratory mood in the spring of 2000. “It [was] as if this was the real New Year’s,” said Giants fan Dave Cordon. “Like this night is really the beginning of the 21st century.” Carl Nolte, “Ballpark by the Bay – It’s Awesome! – Fans Delirious with Joy on Opening Night at Pac Bell Park,” San Francisco Chronicle, April 1, 2000: A17.

31 Mark Camps, Ron Kroichick, Henry Schulman, and David Steele, “Notebook – A Special Collection of Dirt,” San Francisco Chronicle, April 12, 2000: B6.

32 Epstein and Rubenstein, “A Whole New Ballgame – Giants Bat 1.000 on Opening Day – If You Forget Dodgers Eked Out Win.”

33 Ron Kroichick, “Pacific Bell Park – Opening Day Firsts,” San Francisco Chronicle, April 12, 2000: B6.

34 Ron Kroichick, “Pacific Bell Park – It All Started With a Single to Right,” San Francisco Chronicle, April 12, 2000: B6.

35 Oracle Park’s first home run was hit by 35-year-old Dodger Kevin Elster in the third inning. Elster had a three-homer game, launching dingers in the fifth and eighth innings as well. The first home run for the Giants came from Barry Bonds, who over the next several years would make the ballpark his personal playground, belting 160 homers at Oracle. “2025 San Francisco Giants Media Guide,” San Francisco Giants, page 461, accessed July 12, 2025, https://archive.org/details/san-francisco-giants-2025-media-guide-c/page/n459/mode/2up. San Francisco’s Kirk Rueter threw the first official pitch at Oracle (he also threw the first offering at the April 1 exhibition game).

Other Oracle Park firsts from the first regular-season game include:

• First hit: a single by L.A.’s Devon White. (White also had the first stolen base.)
• First double: by Bonds (with this double, Bonds also had the first RBI, batting in Bill Mueller).
• First triple: by the Giants’ Doug Mirabelli (a stand-up triple).
• First run: Mueller. (Mueller also had the Giants’ first hit at Oracle.)
• First win: Chan Ho Park.
• First loss: Rueter.
• First save: Jeff Shaw.

36 Steve Kroner, “TV Caught Scenery, Special Moments,” San Francisco Chronicle, April 12, 2000: B9. A fan-favorite sportscaster in the Bay Area, Simmons was a part-time Giants broadcaster during 1996 through 2002. He had a long history of doing play-by-play for the Giants, Oakland A’s and San Francisco 49ers. His well-known home run call was “Tell It Goodbye!” In 2004, he received the Baseball Hall of Fame’s Ford C. Frick Award.

37 Maria Guardado, “The 8 Best Moments in Oracle Park History,” mlb.com, December 1, 2021, https://www.mlb.com/news/oracle-park-best-moments.

38 In the 2024 season, Oracle food concessionaires served 523,204 hot dogs, 151,489 servings of garlic fries, and 134,476 crab sandwiches. “2024 Stats Are Here,” San Francisco Giants, February 8, 2025. https://giantswrapped.turnstyle.fan/single?partnerId=it-20250208-12550093-sf-1-A&utm

39 “Green Initiatives – Recycling,” Oracle Park Information Guide.

40 “Green Glove Award,” baseball-almanac.com, accessed June 10, 2025, https://www.baseball-almanac.com/awards/Green_Glove_Award.shtml.

41 “Green Initiatives – Solar Power,” Oracle Park Information Guide. In 2010, Oracle became the first major-league ballpark to receive LEED Silver Certification for Existing Buildings, Operations, and Maintenance; in 2019, the ballpark was awarded Platinum status. Oracle has also implemented several water conservation programs. One example: By using an infield mix of 50% sand, 25% silt, and 25% clay (instead of the previously-used mix of 66% sand, 20% silt, and 14% clay), a 33% water-use reduction was realized, due to the increased clay.

42 “Oracle Park,” Baseball-Reference Bullpen, accessed January 5, 2025, https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Oracle_Park.

43 “Oracle Park Behind the Scenes Tour.”

44 Shoemaker, “Ballpark Revisit: San Francisco’s Oracle Park.”

45 There was no displacement of residents to build the ballpark. “Oracle Park Behind the Scenes Tour.”

46 Susan Slusser and Laura Waxmann, “Giants Building More Than a Roster,” San Francisco Chronicle, March 19, 2025: A1. The Giants are part of a growing trend of professional sports teams investing in real estate, especially adjacent to their stadiums. This allows the franchise to better control the areas around their sports venues, and it provides additional revenue opportunities.

47 Infielder Toni Stone (1921-1996) joined the semi-pro Twin Cities Colored Giants as a 16-year-old. Later, she played professionally with the San Francisco Sea Lions. While with the Sea Lions, she held her own with the men, batting .280. She also played with other professional Negro League teams including the Kansas City Monarchs.

48 “The Ballpark Back 9,” San Francisco Giants, mlb.com, accessed January 5, 2025, https://www.mlb.com/giants/ballpark/events/golf.

49 “Oracle Park Concerts – Updated for 2025,” concertarchives.org, accessed January 18, 2025, https://www.concertarchives.org/venues/oracle-park. Also taking the stage: Shakira, Lady Gaga, Fleetwood Mac, Carrie Underwood, Ed Sheeran, Snoop Dogg, Gwen Stefani, Foreigner, Alicia Keys, Bruno Mars, Beyonce, Bruce Springsteen, the Beach Boys, Rod Stewart, Justin Bieber, Elton John, Billy Joel, Brooks & Dunn, Mary J. Blige, George Strait, the Rolling Stones, the Eagles, Tim McGraw, and many others. 

50 Alex Simon, “Beloved SF Giants and Bay Area Voice Finds New Baseball Home,’ sfgate.com, March 23, 2025, https://www.sfgate.com/giants/article/sf-giants-renel-brooks-moon-back-in-baseball-20185692.php. Carolyn McArdle was hired as Oracle’s new PA announcer in July 2024. “2025 San Francisco Giants Media Guide,” San Francisco Giants, page 452, accessed July 12, 2025, https://archive.org/details/san-francisco-giants-2025-media-guide-c/page/n451/mode/2up.

51 Keeling, “Oracle Park: The Ultimate Guide to San Francisco’s Ballpark.”

52 Miller’s numerous awards include winning the Baseball Hall of Fame’s Ford C. Frick Award in 2010.

53 Keeling, “Oracle Park: The Ultimate Guide to San Francisco’s Ballpark.”

54 Keeling, “Oracle Park: The Ultimate Guide to San Francisco’s Ballpark.”

55 “Balldudes and Balldudettes,” Oracle Park Information Guide. Prior to assuming their on-field duties, Balldudes and Balldudettes go through an application process and attend Balldude Camp.

56 “Northern California Movie Locations,” California.com, accessed January 18, 2025, https://www.california.com/location-scouting-northern-california-film-locations-to-add-to-your-todo-list/.

57 As of 2025, the following numbers have been retired by the New York and San Francisco Giants: 3 – Bill Terry, 4 – Mel Ott, 11 – Carl Hubbell, 20 – Monte Irvin, 22 – Will Clark, 24 – Willie Mays, 25 – Barry Bonds, 27 – Juan Marichal, 30 – Orlando Cepeda, 36 – Gaylord Perry, and 44 – Willie McCovey. Additionally, Jackie Robinson’s number 42 has been retired throughout baseball. The Giants’ display of retired uniforms includes two “NY” signs in honor of Christy Mathewson and John McGraw; these two New York Giants played in an era prior to uniform numbers. “2025 San Francisco Giants Media Guide,” San Francisco Giants, page 390, accessed July 12, 2025, https://archive.org/details/san-francisco-giants-2025-media-guide-c/page/n389/mode/2up.

58 “Oracle Park Behind the Scenes Tour.”

59 Timothy Malcolm, Baseball Road Trips, (Berkeley, California: Avalon Travel – Hachette Book Group, 2021), 637. (ISBN: 139781640498044)