L.A. crashed party, but hosts kept cool
With Giants’ home opener on hold, recalling their China Basin debut
The Giants, who are experts at using history to tug at the fans’ heartstrings, were planning something special at Oracle Park for their home opener against the Dodgers, which was to be Friday.
They were going to celebrate the 20th anniversary of what originally was called Pacific Bell Park by inviting alumni to mark memorable moments — J.T. Snow snagging little Darren Baker at home plate during the 2002 World Series, for one example. Kirk Rueter,
Brian Wilson and others were approached.
A tribute video that also would have celebrated three World Series titles would have morphed into a look ahead, “the next 20 years at
Oracle Park,” introducing manager Gabe Kapler, his staff and a rebuilding team the Giants hope will create more more good memories down the road.
Now, the Giants might not play much of a 20th anniversary season, if they have one at all.
If baseball returns to Oracle, the players will wear “20 at 24” patches. Twenty years at 24 Willie Mays Plaza.
But a birthday party on Opening Day? Maybe not.
“We’ve always called the ballpark a ‘gathering point’ where we can celebrate being together when you get through a big event,” said Mario Alioto, the Giants’ executive vice president for business operations.
“We think it’s going to happen again. What the tone is going to be, we’ll have to see how the story plays out.”
After a miserable first homestand that starred a Dodgers infielder named Kevin Elster, the 2000 season was worthy of celebrating — not merely because the team and fans got to enjoy a jewel downtown ballpark after 40 sometimes hellish seasons at Candlestick Park.
The Giants finished with the majors’ best record, 9765, and reached the postseason for the first time in three years.
It was not all roses. In fact, the first homestand was a failure on the field. The Giants lost the five games they played. The sixth was to be ESPN’s national Sunday night game. President Bill Clinton was there.
The game was rained out, which the team did not feel was a bad thing.
“We were hoping it was going to get rained out,” said Rueter, who was to start that game. He already had the honor of starting the first game at Pac Bell, an exhibition against the Brewers, and the regularseason home opener against the Dodgers.
“You would think, ‘Oh, you want to play,’ but I think some of the guys were like, ‘Let’s just get out of here. Let’s get on the road and get back to winning. Then we can come back.’ ”
They did, and they did.
The Giants won six of eight on a trip in Cincinnati, Arizona and Florida. They lost to Montreal in their homecoming game, leaving them 06 at Pac Bell, then rode a strong start by Rueter the next day for their first Pac Bell win. After another loss to the Expos, the Giants ripped off seven wins in a row on the homestand — against the Mets, Rockies and Cardinals — and ended the year sharing the majors’ best home record at 5526.
The Giants’ 65 loss to the Dodgers in their April 11 home opener would have been a faded memory by now if not for a 35yearold shortstop who had come out of retirement to join the Dodgers in 2000 and had the day of his life.
Elster christened Pac Bell with three homers, two off Rueter, the other against Felix Rodriguez. Elster reretired after the season with 88 homers in 2,844 atbats over 13 bigleague seasons.
“That’s when it was hard to hit home runs,” Elster said over the phone with a chuckle.
As the Dodgers flew to San Francisco from New York, the players talked about their desire to thwart Barry Bonds and hit the first home run at Pac Bell. They wagered a few dollars on who would hit it.
On a team featuring Shawn Green, Gary Sheffield and a young Adrian Beltre, Elster would not have been a good bet.
“I remember joking that I was going to hit the first home run knowing Barry was going to hit two before I got my first atbat,” said Elster, who hit eighth. When he returned to the dugout after his trot, Elster told his teammates, “I’m collecting the money, boys.”
Elster’s day was so memorable, people might forget that Bonds did hit his first Pac Bell homer that afternoon, but Elster remembers. They had become pals after Bonds was assigned to guide Elster during an Arizona State recruiting trip.
At least in a joking way, Bonds seemed unhappy that he didn’t hit the first.
“When I was rounding second, he gave me a snarky look and shook his head,” Elster said.
Even Doug Mirabelli upstaged Bonds that day. Mirabelli not only homered, but the big catcher hit the first of 461 regularseason triples the Giants have recorded at the ballpark, driving the ball into what officially is called Triples Alley, but which some fans still call Mirabelli Alley or Mirabelli Cove.
“We’ve always called the ballpark a ‘gathering point.’ ”
Mario Alioto, Giants executive vice president for business operations.