June 6th, 2012
A Look Back – Opening Day at Candlestick Park in 1960
First Pitch at Candlestick Park
Are they going to play baseball here? Felipe Alou asked himself. Alou braced himself for his new ballpark and quietly knew that his teammates would not be happy with what Vice President Richard Nixon, on Opening Day 1960, called “the finest ballpark in America.” Nixon’s evaluation would not be treated kindly by history. “The wind blew right in your face,” Alou said. “Candlestick Park, to this day, was the single most difficult park to play baseball I ever saw, anywhere, at any level. Which is why, he added, Willie Mays was the greatest ballplayer he ever encountered. – San Francisco Giants: 50 Years
Quick Hits for Wednesday, June 6, 2012 (Game 57)
TODAY’S GAME…The San Francisco Giants visit the San Diego Padres in the middle game of this 3-game series…Giants’ left-hander Madison Bumgarner (6-4, 3.04) will face Padres’ left-hander Clayton Richard (2-6, 4.44).
DAN RUNZLER… Has started season on DL with strain to his left latissimus dorsi muscle, which he aggravated in spring training…has been in Arizona playing in extended spring games.
Check out today’s complete game notes, which contain more stats than stars in a spangled banner.
SHANE LOUX… Has retired 75% of the first batters he has faced since being called up from triple-A Fresno on May 11.
SHANE LOUX… Was having outstanding season for Grizzlies as he was 3-1 with 0.43 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 13 games of relief.
SANTIAGO CASILLA… Opponents are 2-for-14 (.143) off him this season with RISP.
SANTIAGO CASILLA… His 1.54 ERA is the 7th-lowest among NL relievers.
Happy Birthday – Jeremy Affeldt
Here are some Giants Gems for Jeremy Affeldt’s birthday from the 2012 Giants Media Guide – Happy Birthday Jeremy!
- Jeremy’s father was a bombardier in the Air Force and flew B-52s. Was stationed in Guam so Jeremy spent 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades there.
- He and his wife, Larisa, are avid supporters of the work of David Batstone, an ethics professor at USF and founder/director of “Not For Sale,” a SF-based group that fights human trafficking.
- There isn’t a batter alive who scares Affeldt, but don’t get him anywhere near the ocean. Has a deep-seated fear of sharks. When he was 8 years old, a lifeguard rushed into the ocean in Guam to save him from a shark. Three months later, he was caught in an undertow and had to be saved again. On his honeymoon in Bora Bora, his wife finally was able to cajole him into the water – only to watch him take two steps into the ocean and come face to face with a reef shark. He hasn’t been in the water since.
