San Francisco - Alison Bing [166]
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BASEBALL
OAKLAND A’S
510-568-5600; http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com; Oakland-Alameda Coliseum, Oakland; tickets $9-55; Coliseum
When the Giants are away, the A’s are usually home, which expands the possibilities for those desperate for a summer baseball fix. BART stops just outside the ballpark. The A’s most recent championship came at the Giants’ expense in the quake-addled 1989 series, and they remain fierce contenders. If you want to catch them in an interleague-play game, get your tickets early.
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
415-972-2000; http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com; AT&T Park; tickets $5-135; N;
April to October, you can catch one of the 81 home games of SF’s National League baseball team in this intimate ballpark, which changes its name with every telecom merger. The Giants pack in huge crowds and often make the playoffs, but haven’t won the baseball big tomato, the World Series, since 1954 (the team called New York home in those days). Games are frequently sold out, but season-ticket holders often sell unwanted tickets through the team’s Double Play Ticket Window on the website; it’s also worth checking internet auctions like eBay.com and craigslist.org.
A behind-the-scenes tour ( 415-972-2400; tickets $12.50; nongame days at 10:30am & 2:30pm) includes visits to the clubhouse, dugout and field. There’s also a kids’ play structure in a giant Coca-Cola bottle, a mini-replica of the field and the world’s largest baseball glove. Bonus: on the east side of the park, you can stand at the archways along the waterfront promenade and watch a few innings for free.
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BASKETBALL
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
510-986-2200, 888-GSW-HOOP; www.warriors.com; Oakland Arena; tickets $15-450; Coliseum
If it’s hoops you must have, then it’s the Warriors for you. This team has a long history, starting in Philadelphia in 1947. In 1962 it moved to San Francisco and played in the Cow Palace as the San Francisco Warriors. In 1971 the team moved across the bay and has played at the Oakland Arena (next to the Coliseum) ever since, as the Golden State Warriors. After a decade-plus slump, the Warriors advanced to the playoffs in 2007 and caused quite a commotion when they beat the top-ranking Dallas Mavericks. Alas, still no trophy.
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FOOTBALL
OAKLAND RAIDERS
510-762-2277, 888-447-2433; www.raiders.com; Oakland-Alameda Coliseum, Oakland; tickets $30-100 at www.ticketmaster.com; Coliseum
With three Super Bowl championship wins, the notorious bad boys of the NFL have had their ups and downs over the years, but they have the staunchest, rowdiest fans in the western US. The team ungratefully moved to Los Angeles for 12 years, but returned in 1995, the prodigal football club, to Oakland’s open arms. It’s been football bliss in Oakland ever since, unlike in SF, where in 2009 the 49ers were in final negotiations with Santa Clara County to build a new stadium and leave SF behind. Given the choice between a 20-minute BART ride to Oakland and a 40-mile drive to Santa Clara…well, we wish the 49ers luck.
San Francisco 49ers
415-656-4900; www.sf49ers.com; Monster Park; tickets $25-100 at www.ticketmaster.com; T; shuttle buses
The 49ers were the dream team of the National Football League (NFL) during the 1980s and early ’90s, but the team has been in a sorry state of late, finishing at the very bottom of the heap in the 2004 season and not making the playoffs since. Clearly, these five-time Super Bowl champs will be rebuilding for some years to come, but fan loyalty has not flagged – although that may change: as of this writing the team was in serious negotiations with nearby Santa Clara County to leave San Francisco.
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