Tag Archives: Baseball

Loving the View at Oracle Park

03 Monday Aug 2020

Posted by in Baseball, Oracle Park, San Francisco Giants, SF Giants

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I can hardly wait until next season to photograph the new configuration of the Oracle Park outfield. Hopefully, we will be able to attend live SF Giants games next season. Unfortunately, it is hard to anticipate how things will be for the next baseball season.

I shot these photos of Oracle Park last season. I climbed up to the top of the stadium and captured the view from up on high. I never dreamed that none of us would be prevented from going to watch baseball this 2020 baseball season. We all miss actually sitting at Oracle Park.

We all assumed baseball would start as normal.

Instead, we learned normal can be static. I keep listening to the news everyday hoping to hear good news about this virus. Instead, we keep hearing how our incidents are increasing.

We visited for about 20 minutes with relatives (social distancing and wearing our masks) who had traveled from afar. This couple moved to Scotland just before the pandemic started. They reported how businesses are open again and incidents are quite small. We spoke to relatives in Canada. Their numbers are small compared to what we are seeing in California.

It is disappointing why we cannot keep away from each other to reduce the incidents of this virus.

I do love looking at my old photographs of Oracle Park to remember our old normal. I’ve learned we need to take photos to remember whatever is our circumstances – happy or sad. We’ve assumed we could return to Oracle Park to watch our choice of baseball game. But we’ll be fortunate if we can return to the stadium for next season.

Enjoy the view where ever you are. Take time to appreciate where you are today. Be grateful for our current circumstances.

What views did you see today? 

Love the view!

Photos remember our views!

Getting Ready for the SF Giants at Oracle Park?

02 Thursday Jul 2020

Posted by in Baseball, Oracle Park, San Francisco Giants, SF Giants

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It is really interesting and fun to watch the meticulous work the grounds crew performs before, during, and after games. These photos were shot last year. Unfortunately, I cannot observe any current preparations at Oracle Park if the SF Giants are actually going to play 2020 season baseball with our current stay at home orders. We all hope we can see baseball soon at Oracle Park.

Observing how meticulously the white lines are marked on the field to define the boundaries reminds me of their necessity. These days we are practicing social distancing. People are tense if someone gets in their space, to the point of coughing, screaming and other wrong behaviors.  As in baseball, the boundaries define if the ball hit is fair or foul. The marks around home plate defines the batter’s box for left and right handed hitters as well as the where the catcher is suppose to field their position when a pitcher pitches.  Boundaries can define our success or failures.

Watching the spraying of the field is cool too. It is nice to see the dirt on the field wet to provide better play-ability. The dirt’s saturation of water can determine if a batted ball bounces more or not. It also has a factor when the players are running or sliding into a base. The moisture weighs down the dirt, so there is less dust flying.

Interesting article about a groundskeeper’s experiences on watering dirt

Keeping the dirt wet is not just on the surface but also through the surface as mentioned in the article link above.

Baseball is played in accordance to the boundaries, moist dirt ground, and well groomed field makes for an enjoyable game experience. The players can enjoy playing the game they love. The fans can enjoy any ground balls speeding out into the field or as the runners advance around the bases.

Kudos to the ground keepers who orchestrate the maintenance of the baseball fields, so we can enjoy baseball.

We need to respect our physical boundaries in our COVID-19 environment. The demonstration of selfish or self-righteous behavior in relation to social distancing or not wearing a facial mask is disturbing. Our current pandemic situation is alarming, but is there a way each of us can play a part to make our circumstances better for everyone?

Can we be “ground keepers” to allow for a winning game in our pandemic dilemma?

Photos make us ponder our circumstances!

Imagine Social Distancing at Oracle Park in 2020?

01 Wednesday Jul 2020

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Sorry, there is no current announcement about any San Francisco Giants fans being physically present at Oracle Park. 

Instead, fans who hold season tickets can send their image which will be placed on a cutout to display is the stands. Fans who do not have season tickets can pay $99 to display their cutout image in the stands.

ESPN Article about Plans to display SF Giants Fans pictures in the stands

This photo is not a current year picture at Oracle Park with individuals exercising social distancing. I shot this photo last year before a game, so there are fewer people in the stadium. But this photo is an eerie prediction of what it could look like if we have to social distance to watch the SF Giants play.

I do not plan to pay $99 to display a cardboard version of myself in the stands, even with the waterproof protection.

I do not need to feel as if my presence is in Oracle Park. 

I do need to experience the fun and the agony of watching the SF Giants play.

It will be interesting to see how many cardboard images will be propped up at Oracle Park. It will be a strange display of die hard fans who are mourning their loss of being at a live game.

But of course 2020 will be known as a strange and difficult year as we wait for the demise of COVID-19.

This picture is helping me to prepare for our future if we will be practicing social distancing while watching the SF Giants.

We never know how a photo could depict a future scenario and scene.

Photos predict possibilities.

Imagining the SF Giants at an Empty Oracle Park

26 Friday Jun 2020

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I enjoy shooting photographs of empty baseball stadiums. Here’s Oracle Park in San Francisco before a game. Too bad we cannot go into the Oracle Park now to wander around an empty stadium.

Oracle Park is ideally situated in front of the San Francisco Bay to provide a wonderful view.

An empty stadium has always been a refuge for me to wander around in. My goal is to find unique vantage spots to see the stadium in different angles. I quickly seek to walk all over the stadium and shoot as much as I can before the fans arrive.

A photographer needs to study the object he seeking to capture.

When I was in school, I was not good at doing my homework nor studying. No matter how hard I tried, it was always a struggle for me in school. I kept trying to figure out what I would be my expertise in school and later in college. The subjects I loved did not really translate to my school curriculum.

I discovered my love for photography during trips to China. These trips occurred before digital cameras. I took many pictures with a lot of rolls of film. I’m thankful for these trips since it led me to complete my college education at the Academy of Art in San Francisco where I earned a degree in Fine Art Photography.

I learned that it pays to keep seeking out your passions. I am still learning that studying the subjects which I love to shoot photos should not stop. Rather, a good photographer needs to keep shooting to capture that unusual and interesting shot to make the audience go “Ahhh”!

As I look at this empty Oracle Park, it is preparing me to hopefully be able to watch the SF Giants playing on the fields with these empty seats.

It will definitely not be the same without hearing the cheers, and instead just hearing the plays.

Photos Prepare our Expectations.

 

When will there be Baseball in 2020

24 Wednesday Jun 2020

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O'Doul Gate near McCovey Cove

I shot this photograph of Oracle Park about a year ago as I was going to watch a SF Giants game. Little did I realize that this baseball stadium would be closed for these past months of the 2020 Baseball season.

Latest info from CBS Sports on Opening Day for 2020 Baseball

Major League Baseball announced a 60-game season to begin July 23 or 24 with spring (really summer) training to begin on July 1.

Even with this new announcement, I am not convinced about the actual date for Opening Day.

In California, the news indicates cases of the Coronvirus are still rising. We have not reached a clear plateau or even a consistent decline in the cases. So I do not feel confident about exactly how the baseball season will play out.

I do not feel confident about much these days. I do not know if I should socialize physically with friends with social distancing. My family has not gathered for Mother’s or Father’s Day. We are just meeting via video chats.

Gazing at this old photograph of Oracle Park does calm me down to remember how things were a year ago compared to now. It reminds me to have faith that one day we will be able to go to a baseball game without wearing a mask. We will be able to yell and scream “Go Giants” without worrying that we will infect anyone with this virus.

We know there will be a resolution of this virus. These times are teaching us to be patient in prayer.

That’s all we really can do in addition to staying away from people, wearing our masks and gloves.

Photos Comfort!

 

Only Way to Watch Baseball in 2020

29 Friday May 2020

Posted by in Baseball, Oracle Park, San Francisco Giants, SF Giants

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Welcome to the upper deck in the right field corner where the splash cam is located. Whenever a home run or foul ball is hit into McCovey Cove, this is the TV camera that follows the flight of the ball.

It is still unknown when the SF Giants will return to Oracle Park to play any baseball. With our ever changing COVD-19 environment, we can only guess when we will see baseball again.

We will be fortunate if we can even watch a new game on TV, since it will be highly unlikely we will be attending a game at Oracle Park.

I was roaming around Oracle Park before an SF Giants game and climbed up to the View Box level to photograph this tv camera.

I’m glad I took advantage of my freedom to enjoy the empty Oracle Park and shoot these pictures. I never would imagine that all of us would be banned from going to a SF Giants game for who knows how long.

My Stay At Home experience has taught me to be grateful for our past freedoms. Our assumptions about our enjoyment opportunities today can be changed in the future depending on our circumstances. It is possible our former way of life will be quite different in the future.

I imagine whenever we are able to return to watch the SF Giants at Oracle Park will be a different experience compared to our past trips to the ballpark.

Make the most of our daily moments.

Having a grateful attitude will allow us to embrace difficulties and future changes in our future.

Photos are good teachers.

SF Giants vs D-Backs on 5/24/19 at Oracle Park

13 Wednesday May 2020

Posted by in Baseball, COVID-19, Oracle Park, San Francisco Giants, SF Giants

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I was at the very top of the upper deck seats at Oracle Park almost a year ago. This was the second game I attended for the season. As is my custom, I went early to the game to shoot Oracle Park. This is an interesting shot from the left field corner. Unfortunately, the SF Giants did not have a good season last year. The SF Giants lost this game to the D-backs. The D-backs won 18-2. So this was the last game I attended. I was too discouraged to attend any other games.

Little did I realize that I would not be able to attend any SF Giants game this 2020 baseball season. No one would ever guess that we would not have any type of sports competition to entertain us.

This picture almost depicts a prediction of our current situation of an empty Oracle Park stadium.

I typically enjoy the solitude of taking pictures of a baseball stadium before all the fans arrive.

Now when I look at an empty baseball stadium, it makes me sad how our life has changed so dramatically. We cannot freely go out any place at any time. We need to shelter in place to protect ourselves from the virus and also not bring home COVD-19 to infect our family members. I am helping to take care of my 99 year old mother-in-law. It seems like our new normal is constantly evolving as our society learns more about this virus.

Nevertheless, I am thankful so far, all my family is healthy. I am thankful that we do not have any financial needs. I am grateful for the many video chats with family and friends to feel connected and not isolated.

Lastly, I am looking forward to the day when I can shoot Oracle Park with a full stadium of SF Giants fans, and we can cheer on this team I am currently missing.

Photos allow us to contemplate!

From the Upper Deck to Being on the Field during Fuji Photo Day at Candlestick Park

05 Thursday Dec 2019

Posted by in Baseball, Candlestick Park, Former Home of the San Francisco Giants, Lost Ballpark, Remembering Candlestick Park, San Francisco Giants, SF Giants

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Fuji Photo Day was one of my favorite promotions the SF Giants had at Candlestick Park. These pictures were taken back on Saturday, May 14, 1988, when the Giants played the Mets. This was back in the days when there were no digital cameras, and I shot with 35mm color film.

These pictures provide 3 levels of perspective of the field at Candlestick Park – looking from the top, overview behind home plate, and directly looking at the grass.

One of the things I loved about the Fuji Photo Days was being allowed to walk on the field. When we are allowed to be on the field at Oracle Park, I love to walk on a well groomed baseball field. I get really excited to be on the SF Giants playing field. Whenever I had an opportunity to walk on the field at Candlestick or Oracle Park, I touched the grass with my hands. It was also nice to sit on the grass to feel the softness of world class natural turf.

We can learn how to approach personal problems from the 3 levels as seen in these photos.

  1. View a problem from a broader perspective. Analyze the total effect of a problem.
  2. Narrow down to see various effects of a problem.
  3. Get up close to see one part of the problem

Let me translate this approach.

When I was mugged while shooting the demolition of Candlestick Park, I experienced anger, frustration, and bitterness.

  1. So I examined my past to see where my problem originated to get the broader perspective. These feelings originated from childhood bullying experiences.
  2. The effects of the problem continue to haunt me when I feel I am treated unjustly.
  3. Getting up close to find a solution revolves on my desire to replace the anger with peace via prayer and surrender.

Candlestick Park is not just a baseball stadium. It continues to show me life solutions are possible when we examine ourselves at all levels.

Find photos to inspire!

What was on the Southside of Candlestick Park?

26 Thursday Sep 2019

Posted by in Baseball, Candlestick Park, Football, Former home of the San Francisco 49'ers, Former Home of the San Francisco Giants, niners, San Francisco 49'ers, San Francisco Giants, sf 49'ers, SF Giants

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Do you remember the southern part of Candlestick Park. I took this shot in 1988.

I love looking at the design of the red pattern of the support beams circling the outside of the stadium.

The vintage cars in the parking lot remind us of this eta in the 80’s.

Notice the ramp which leads to other parking lot areas. It provided a safe ok walkway away from the moving cars.

Candlestick Park was a welcoming stadium. Tickets were affordable. I did not have to plan ahead to go to a game. I could spontaneously go to a game and just buy tickets to attend a SF Giants game.

Can we also learn to welcome people into our life? Are we accessible to people? Do we have walls preventing people into our lives? Do we share our experiences with others to encourage or help someone?

We can all learn from the legacy of Candlestick Park.

Fenway Park Living Museum

29 Wednesday Nov 2017

Posted by in Baseball, Boston, Fenway Park, Red Sox

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As a baseball fan, I was very impressed by the Fenway Park Living Museum. I could have spent hours in there but unfortunately only had 10 minutes.  We had to rush through the museum as we had another scheduled tour to go to across town in Somerville that started in 30 minutes. This is another good reason for me to go back to Fenway Park for a Red Sox game in the future.