SG Giants Opening Day 2009

pics show Joe at the Willie Mays Plaza listening to the KNBR broadcast forecasting the possible raining off of the Opening Day ceremony and match against the Milwaukee Brewers - see previous blogs - and Tom and Sherman.

Joe had been up at 4 am in Monterey and spent three hours travelling for the game. But he had arrived without a ticket and was hoping to be able to buy a late one.

If the game was rained off, 'it would be better for me because I don't have a ticket and a lot of people won't be able to come tomorrow, so I'll get a better ticket for a cheaper price,' he said, finishing his breakfast hastily.

'Today, though, scalpers are selling tickets for double, maybe triple,' he said.

Was his early rise and travel worth it?

'Oh yeah, definitely!' he said. 'I've been retired two months now.'

His favourite player?

'It's hard,' he said. Willie Mays is his all-time great and a few seasons ago it would have been Barry Bonds. But today?

'The Giants don't have anyone legendary at the moment, a Hall of Famer right now.'

And how does he think the team will fare?

'We'll be lucky to make the play-offs.' Critical of the team's hitting, he said their pitching was the best.

'But it's a beautiful ballpark!'

Joe counts himself as a member of the 'paparazzi family'. He collects autographs, and has among his collection those of Kevin Costner, two of the Eagles band, and The Doors whom he met backstage at the Monterey Music Festival.

Tom, with Sherman dressed in a smart orange and black collar to match his dad's colours, was horrified at the thought of rain-off.

'I've been waiting for this for about six months now! I just hope it doesn't happen. Everyone's been waiting so long for this game. It just seems so unfair with the weather we've had over the last few days,' he said.

Would he be able to make a game tomorrow?

'Yes,' he said, 'it's really easy for me to make it, but living here in this neighbourhood it's been like a ghost town for the last six months. Now it might not happen!'

His favourite player?

He thought a minute. 'Obviously Tim Lincecum is the popular man. I'll say Pablo Sandoval, go off the beaten track,' he said.

And his hopes for 2009?

'Finish ahead of the (LA) Dodgers!'

All this player talk went over Sherman's head, though at only 16-months-old already in training to be a Giants fan.

He is a placid Dogue de Bordeaux, a member of the French Mastiff family.

'He's just a French guy,' said Tom. 'He eats croissants and drinks lattes!'

His French roots should serve him well with the Giants - plenty of garlic in the fries!