Tim Lincecum Two Time Winner of Cy Young Award Presented with Trophy at AT & T Park

Tonight was Tim Lincecum's night.

The San Francisco Giants pitcher, one of the top pitchers in baseball,  was presented with the Cy Young Award for the second consecutive year before tonight's game against the Atlanta Braves at the AT & T Park.

Tim had had a 'spectacular season' said Mike Krukow, veteran Giants broadcaster and MC for the occasion. Holding the Cy Young trophy in his hands, Tim appeared overcome with emotion.

'Ummmm!' he said, and hesitated, flanked by the Giants and his proud father, Chris. A  nearly-full stadium of fans erupted in cheers and applause.

However, Tim found his voice after a minute and it was to his fans that he first gave credit. First of all, he said, he wanted to thank his fans 'who have given me so much support.'

'Also my team mates. Bengie's the biggest part of that,' he said, of catcher Bengie Molina. 

Winning the NL Cy Young Award back-to-back gives Tim an illustrious list of achievements: one of only four baseball players ever to win it back-to-back; the first player to win it twice in his first two full seasons in Major League Baseball; and the only Giant to win it twice.

Only one other Giant has ever won the award, and that was Mike McCormick in 1967. Tim, from Washington State, will be 26-years-old in June, and was the youngest-ever winner of the award when he first won it in 2008.

In February, a new contract was signed giving him $23 million over two years.

Before the presentation, a video of Tim receiving the award formally in New York in January was shown on the jumbotron.

Afterwards there were messages from Greg Maddux, Cy Young Award winner for four consecutive years in '92-'95; ex-Giants who won the award with other teams, Vida Blue in '71, and Gaylord Perry in '72 and '78 and, at 40 years, the oldest player to receive it; and Ken Griffey Jr. a record achiever of home runs and player from Tim's home team, the Seattle Mariners.

Pics shows Tim with his father and below Greg Maddux

The game then opened, the second of the series against the Atlanta Braves, whom the Giants beat in a historical home opener yesterday. After the game there will be fireworks with a musical tribute to Tim.

Tim is scheduled to play tomorrow on the day that
 will see celebrations of the 10th anniversary of the first game played at the AT &T Park, originally called Pacific Bell Park, with a reunion with the 2000 team including Barry Bonds, Ellis Burks and Jeff Kent.

SF Giants Fans Celebrate Opening Day 2010 in Style!

The SF Giants fans know how to celebrate their Opening Day in style. And with a breathtaking win over the Atlanta Braves, giving them an unbroken run so far, there was plenty to celebrate.....see previous blogs

Six-month-old Arielly, though, in baby-pink Giants' outfit, was not concerned with numbers as she

dangled happily in front of her father, Julio. She was making her debut appearance.

'She's happy to be here for her first game. She has five more games to go this year,' said Julio. Julio, there also with his brother-in-law, Marcos, has been a fan 'since I was her age.'

His favourite memory?

Will Clark's base hit in the play-offs against the Chicago Cubs in 1989.

In more exuberant manner, Bob, Jim and Billy from the Bay Area were having a blast! 'I just bought this shirt today,' said Jim. All three are confident that the Giants' will get to the play-offs.

And Stephen brightened up the Arcade area with his Pablo 'Panda' Sandoval costume. Does he often go out dressed like that?

'Yeah!' he said. With the Giants trailing 4-2 at the time and the end of the ninth inning approaching, he shrugged off the game as 'been okay!' Just before Benjie Molina gave a good hit and made a run to first base that put the fans hearts in mouths and raised the tension.


 Behind the Arcade was McCovey Cove where boaters celebrated in their own style on the water.

But it wasn't just fireworks, streamers, fighter jets and excitement in the air at the ballpark that afternoon. It was good old-fashioned love! Three guys proposed to their girlfriends via jumbotron messages.

As 42,940 fans poured exultantly out of the ballpark,
they savoured a 5-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves in a record-breaking near four-and-a-quarter-hour Opening Day game.

It is the longest home opener in San Francisco history, the Giants later announced on their website.

'The thing we like,' said Ted, speaking on behalf of his friend and himself, 'is that there's no clock in baseball.'

Unless, of course, he added, it got to midnight and then someone might call it a night!

'Everything in America is fast, fast, fast. But this game is 160 years old,' he said, and so not designed around clocks.

His tee-shirt summed up the feelings of the fans.

Had he played hooky to watch the game, and how many people did he think had?

'I'm self-employed,' he replied, 'and many around here are.' But out of the crowd in the ballpark, 'probably a third to a half,' he reckoned.

Tonight pitcher Tim Lincecum will be presented with the Cy Young Award trophy, his second consecutive year of winning it. The presentation takes place at 6.30 pm followed by the second game against the Atlantia Braves. At the end of which, there will be fireworks at McCovey Cove featuring a musical tribute to Lincecum

SF Giants 2010 Opening Day!

The Opening Day for the Giants in San Francisco is as much about fashion and food as baseball. In orange and black outfits, and panda costumes aka Pablo 'Panda' Sandoval, it's a day for fans to dress as sporting glitterati.

And while the city have just named every Monday 'Vegetarian Day,' they might just as well call this 'Giants' Sick Day!' Alongside the ballpark, with just under two hours to go to the Opening Pitch, fans crowded onto outside tables at the newly-opened Mejita restaurant. There, the first request for a pic set the scene, being met with concerned and hasty denial.

'No! 'I'm playing hooky and I don't want anyone to see me!' said a lady, as she tucked into a plate of Mexican food with three friends.

Around the corner, people were streaming onto the Willie Mays Plaza, and staff were doing a great job in ushering what would be almost 43,000 fans through the massive, dark-green gates, including carrying out bag searches. Free calendars were being handed out, too, at the entrances.

Inside the teeming ballpark, Sara, though, had no such qualms of 'sick day!' as she sported a panda hat and number 48 shirt of Pablo Sandoval.

'I'm partial to his number. We sit just past third base so we get to see him close up,' she said. But she's also a huge fan of him apart from his number. 'He's a great guy! We've spoken to him and he's signed autographs for us,' she said.

A born and bred San Franciscan, she's a third generation Giants' fan.

On John's head was a shiny history of the Giants encapsulated in the badges pinned to his cap. Covering the years from 1988, they are mostly of opening days, but two specials are Barry Bonds' 500th home run and the 2002 World Series.

'I love it, this is my 24th consecutive opening day,' he said. A fan since 1951, and living 70 miles south of the city, he has high hopes.

'I think we may see a play-off for this year,' he said.

Such was Michelle's enthusiasm to be there, she had    flown in overnight from Indiana, leaving at 3.30 am ET and half-an-hour past midnight, San Francisco time.

'I had heard about the 10th Anniversary and I'm going to all three games in the series,' she said.

Strings of orange beads matched her carefully-teamed outfit. 'I'm a huge fan, ever since this ballpark opened up,' she said.

Ken has been a fan for much longer, with memories going back to Candlestick Park from where the Giants moved ten years ago.

'I remember when I was younger and in school and summer school, and we would go on trips to the ballpark,' he said.

The difference between the AT & T Park and Candlestick?

'Less windy!' he said.

The official celebrations for the 10th Anniversary of the opening of the AT & T Park take place on Sunday with a reunion with some of the 2000 National League West Division Championship team, including Barry Bonds - pic of team displayed on jumbotron

Bobby, from San Francisco, was orange and black from head to toe.  On his seventh Opening Day extravaganza, he had brought his four-year-old son with him for his first!

Confident about the Giants making the play-offs, he was hopeful of a place in the World Series and his favourite player is Tim Lincecum.

Will he be buying a newly-designed Lincecum wig with its trademark long black hair?

He will. His orange and black wig is soon to be consigned to history.
'This one is three years old and I'm going to update it!' he said.

SF Giants Opening Day in San Francisco!

It's been the sickest - discreet cough! - and one of the happiest days in San Francisco. 'High fives' were finally raised in jubilation as the Giants won their opening home game against the Atlanta Braves after an epic 13 innings in a record-breaking near four-and-a-quarter hours.

It was a tier-hanger of a game in front of a sell-out 42,940 crowd, with the winning score achieved by Aaron Rowand's batting and a sprawling dive-for-life onto first base, and a home-run by Juan Uribe. It gave the Giants a 5-4 victory, played out in glorious sunshine and temperatures in the 70s.

The ceremonial opening pitch, a well-kept secret, was thrown by 49er and Hall of Famer Jerry Rice to his former team mate and fellow Hall of Famer, Steve Young.

But the game hung perilously in the balance several times over. With the clock ticking to 4.45 pm, the Braves had the bases loaded. On their feet, Giants fans noisily willed on their pitchers, first Brian Wilson - 'shut this guy down Wilson!' - and then Sergio Romo. The danger passed with John Bowker catching out a Braves player.

Then it was the Giants' turn to be so near yet so far! Pablo Sandoval made it to third base but not beyond.

At 5.25 pm the Braves manager Bobby Cox, came out onto the pitch to argue with an umpire. 'Get him out!' booed the fans as the manager was ejected. Again the Braves made it to to third base, but pitcher Jeremy Affeldt saved the day.

Good pitching from Affeldt?

'Of course! No runs, it's beautiful!' said fan, Troy.

By mid-afternoon the Giants had been trailing 4-0. At around 3.30 pm, Jason - pic left - commented of their play, 'I'm a little disappointed for the home team but there's still plenty of time for us to win. Hope springs eternal on Opening Day!'

His words couldn't have been truer. Minutes later Rowand and Edgar Renteria made the first home runs of the 2010 season at the AT & T ballpark.

In the ninth inning, Renteria made a home-run and Velez also scored which caused the stadium to erupt and opened up opportunity with extra innings. The time was 4.20 pm.

For David - on right -  Man of the Match was 'the whole team of the Giants,' while Troy singled out Rowand.

Sitting next to me was Sharon - she didn't want her pic taken - whose favourite player is Rowand. He hadn't let her down, catching a player out  as well as his home-run.

'He was great!' she said. Sitting high up in the Arcade with our backs to McCovey Cove, we had bought the very last two tickets for the entire stadium late yesterday afternoon - not counting ticket 'scalpers'.

She works in LA - 'I've a co-worker who's a huge Braves fan!' - and was in town visiting family. Once a year she sees the the Giants, and this is her first opening game. She'd picked the ideal game.

Preparing the SF Giants' Pitch for 2010 Season

Greg Elliott is the Unseen Pitcher for the San Francisco Giants. A man charged with producing a perfect pitch before the baseball season has even begun and without ever throwing a ball.

The skills and ambitions of players and the hopes of thousands of fans depend on his pitching skills, though his name will never appear on the jumbotron scoreboard.

For Greg is the Head Groundskeeper. A few weeks ago, he stood in time at the end of the winter season with its roller coaster of other sporting and community events that have ravaged the pitch, and the heraldic call of spring and the 2010 baseball season.

He has until April 1 to produce that perfect pitch for the first of the home Spring Training games, and just a few more days beyond that, while the Giants pit their skills in their opening game of the season away to the Houston Astros, to tweak it. Then on April 9, the gates of the AT&T ballpark will be flung open wide for the fans and the team will parade out for six days of home games, first against the Atlanta Braves and next, the Pittsburgh Pirates.

But in February, Greg gazed at bare soil and sand, a freshly-minted sprawling green lawn, and unblemished, skilfully constructed pitcher's mound, homeplate and infield yet a vision in his mind's eye.

A former elementary school teacher who retrained with a degree in Sports and Commercial Turfgrass Management, he is an award-winning groundskeeper and soil scientist looking for the best and utilizing the latest technologies. There are changes underfoot.

By mid-morning that day, with a tractor tilling the soil and skid steers flattening it, he was confidently proclaiming they were 'ahead of schedule.'

'There's a tight deadline to get the field in, but we have enough time to appropriately grow it,' he said.  'A 'tight deadline' - to be ready for a game - would be "we have a game next week!"' he said, as he supervised the team of workers in the stadium.

With or without baseball, Greg is a pitcher for all seasons. His winter season begins in October with disassembling part of the old pitch.

'At the end of the baseball season we remove the infield material - a clay loam soil -and remove the portable mounds and store these in the 'players' lot' under the Coke sign,' he said. The Coca-Cola sign being an iconic 80-foot wooden bottle high up on the far end of the stadium with viewing platforms and four slides, and which flashes with celebratory lights on a home run.

Then the stadium is prepared for community use and football games. This winter they hosted two games of the California Redwoods plus the college football Emerald Bowl. A massive 350 tons of sand was spread over the pitch. Not just any sand but a USGA (US Golf Association) 'spec' sand, and grass was rolled on top of it.

By the end of January, the pitch was gone in readiness for a stadium-shaking event when Greg and his team truly felt the earth move under their feet. Approximately 6,000 cubic yards of it.

The annual Supercross event, a stadium version of motocross, is a mud-fest. Plastic sheeting goes down over the entire field and for two days soil is trucked in to form a six-inch 'road base'.


Supercross chose the original soil ten years ago and it is stored in nearby Mission Bay every year and reused - pics of soil at Terry Francois Boulevard, Mission Bay

The set involves jumps and a different track design each time, and takes Supercross over a week to build.

Once the last vestiges of one of the most popular events on the social calendar have finally gone, the old sod layer of last season's pitch is removed and recycled. A company truck it away, put it through a grinder and sell it as premium top soil. Fans wishing to grow their flowers or seed a lawn with a souvenir bag of dirt trodden on by their heroes, need only buy!

Which leaves Greg to face a bare field and the prospect of FanFest, a pre-season opportunity for fans to roam freely around their beloved stadium, go where usually only the elite go, and collect player autographs.

A light covering of sand remains, and Greg stands in a stadium that resembles more of a military practice ground for Iraq and Afghanistan, and watches as thousands of pairs of fans' feet trample joyously over his denuded pitch.

Now winter has passed, the fun is over and it is time for the soil scientist to apply his knowledge with seriousness to help the team do what they and everyone wants them to do - win games.

'Playability and consistency' are his twin themes. 

Firstly he replaces the field, bringing in fresh soil and mixing it with the sand after FanFest. The soil needs to be tilled, and this year Greg is using 'farm discs', two rows of rotating metal discs that till down to a new depth of ten inches.

'That's why we're trying to go deeper with the tilling. Playability and consistency, that's what we want,' he said. He has to balance two aspects: compaction of the soil that will give a firm, stable foundation, and  enough space within the soil for the roots of the grass to flourish.

'It's one thing that makes my job hard,'  he said, referring to compaction. 'I need to relieve it. When you compact, air and water space is limited. You need a free-flowing soil, you need to let oxygen in.'

Once the field has been tilled, then laser technology is employed to level it to a degree of NASA-like accuracy. A rotating laser pole is held aloft that communicates to a receiver that in turn sends down information to a box plate. The box controls a blade that pushes and pulls the soil, and by the time it is finished the field is level to a staggering 0.2 inches per 100 ft.

Next, irrigation heads are replaced on the sprinklers - there are over 60 in the outfield and about 20 in the infield, and finding them is not always easy! - and then ground levelling is fine-tuned to an even more staggering accuracy of 0.1 inches for every 100 ft.

Now the field sits waiting for a spring coat of over 107,000 square feet of freshly-growing grass. And it's out with the old style, and in with the new. Abandoned, is a mix of Kentucky Blue Grass and Perennial Ryegrass.

'This season we're changing to an overseeded Bermuda Grass Tifway II with Perennial Ryegrass. This will handle wear a lot better. We hope it will make a large difference for us,' said Greg. The Bermuda will form a protective mesh over the ryegrass, which is a tough grass popular for sports fields in southern states, and should recuperate more quickly. And when the Bermuda goes dormant in cold temperatures, the ryegrass will complement it by remaining green all year.

Greg is hoping the Giants will flourish along with the grass!

With the field attended to, he will turn his attention to the pivotal points of a baseball pitch, the pitcher's mound, infield and bases, and the bullpens. For the next stage in the preparation of the Giants' pitch, see next blog.