Only One Survivor of 1906 Great Earthquake and Fire to Attend 104th Anniversary

pictured, Bill Del Monte and Rose Cliver at 2009 anniversary 

At 104-years-old, Bill Del Monte is both one of the greatest survivors and greatest losers along the West Coast.

He survived San Francisco's 1906 Great Earthquake and Fire, and as a young man lost the equivalent in today's money of about $24 million in the 1929 Wall Street crash.

This weekend, he will be feted in the city as the lone earthquake survivor who is able to attend the 104th anniversary events - and he is still day-trading!

'He was one of the biggest losers in the West Coast,' said Lee Houskeeper, press agent of San Francisco Stories who is the organizer of the anniversary commemoration. As a young man, Bill didn't go to college but began to dabble in stocks and shares, said Lee.

It was fortunate dabbling, for by his early twenties Bill had amassed a fortune of $1 million. He lost everything in the 1929 Wall Street crash and, to boot, had to spend the next few years paying taxes on non-existent earnings because he had invested in what is called 'selling short and buying futures,' Lee said.

Bill is undoubtedly an icon of disasters and survival, with the Wall Street crash still considered the greatest stock market disaster because of its far-reaching effects, the Great Quake, which remained the biggest natural disaster in America until Hurricane Katrina, and the fact that he is one of probably no more than 10 centenarians from the quake to still be alive.

And the only one that can cope with getting up at the crack of dawn to travel in the back of an open-topped vintage car for a ceremony at 5.12 am, the approximate time that the quake struck.

Lee has spent the last year scanning the nation and obituary columns to find out about survivors. He has been in direct contact with about six or seven, and said there are about ten in total whom he knows of. Given that the oldest person in America, a woman, died recently at the age of 114 years, he wouldn't be surprised if there were a few more that are simply not coming forward.

Last year, Bill was making his debut appearance at the San Franciscan ceremonies, although he had attended others in the Bay Area, together with survivor Rose Cliver, then 106-years-old. Rose, who will be 108 years in October, is still alive and living in Santa Rosa with her son and his wife. Last year, her niece, Gloria, described how Rose loved to gamble on slot machines, and despite hearing difficulties, had  a mind ' as sharp as a tack.'

After the quake, Rose, her parents and 11 brothers and sisters took refuge in the hills at Bernal Heights and then lived in a tent in their backyard.

Bill was born in January 1904 in the back of the Fior D'Italia restaurant founded by his father, Angelo Del Monte. Today, the Fior D'Italia is America's oldest Italian restaurant. At three-months old and the youngest of six children - one sister sadly died as a toddler - Bill couldn't possibly remember the quake and fire. But his older brothers did. Bill was bundled by his grandmother onto the back of a buckboard with the rest of his family, and his brothers could recall it being driven down to the Ferry Building through streets alight on both sides.

Once at the Ferry Building, they escaped to a house they owned across the Bay and stayed there until they could return.

To read more of Bill & Rose's stories: http://lizinsanfrancisco.blogspot.com/2009/04/1906-san-francisco-earthquake_18.html

Among other Bay Area survivors that Lee has been able to catch up with is Nancy Stoner Sage*, who was 105-years-old in February. Nancy's family lost everything. Her mother died soon after the quake and her impoverished, jobless father gave up Nancy and her older sister, Margaret, for adoption by their grandparents.

In those days, said Lee, it was not uncommon for orphaned children to be given up for adoption. Financial straits were so dire, babies born in hospital were kept there by the hospital until medical fees had been paid.

Nancy ended up living in a miners' camp in Idaho and became a librarian until she retired in the late '70s. Lee discovered her living in Littleleton, Colorado, still as bright as a button.

'She plays cribbage every Sunday with her son, Darrell, and beats him!' he said.

Another survivor is 108-year-old Ruth Newman, living in Pebble Beach, 120 miles south of San Francisco. She was raised on a ranch on a fault line in Healdsburg, Santa Cruz. She's 'sharp as a tack, they say,' said Lee. 'She remembers the earthquake and living on a ranch on a hill at a dry creek road.'

Jeanette Scarpa Trapani died in the New Year at the age of 107 years. Herbert Heimie Hamrol, who for many years was thought to be the last known survivor, died at the age of 106 in February last year. Herbert was a local personality, attending every anniversary gathering and continuing to work in Andronico's Market in the Inner Sunset until shortly before his death.

The wreath laying and commemoration ceremony is at Lotta's Fountain on Market Street at 5.12 am on Sunday, followed by repainting of a gold fire hydrant in the Mission District, a Bloody Mary breakfast at Lefty O'Douls on Geary near Union Square for a $20 donation, and a showing of the film '1906' at the Westin St. Francis Hotel.

There is also a free tour of the city's water supplies on Saturday and, for a $60 donation, a survivor dinner at 4 pm at John's Grill on Ellis Street, just off Market Street. All of which are open to the public.

This year's anniversary may turn out to be both poignant and historic. 'It maybe the last we can have with a survivor that's willing to get up that early,' said Lee.

'We have been planning for some time for what we will do when there are no survivors because there are a huge group of people who want this to continue and because, in the end, San Francisco is the survivor,' he said.

In the meantime, he intends to make the most of the opportunity of honouring the survivors.

'These are the people we know who rebuilt the city from ashes.'

*Nancy Stoner Sage died yesterday

San Francisco Prepares to Commemorate 104th Anniversary of 1906 Great Earthquake and Fire

 pic of Lotta's Fountain on Market Street

As San Francisco is preparing to commemorate the 104th anniversary of the 1906 Great Earthquake and Fire, the Mayor and emergency services are focussing on readying the city for the next big quake.

A programme of commemorative events has been rolled out along with city plans for seismic retrofitting, with an emphasis on the need for every San Franciscan to be able to cope personally with a major emergency.

At the heart of the weekend events will be a wreath-laying ceremony at Lotta's Fountain on Market Street at 5.12 am on Sunday morning. There will also be an annual repainting in gold of a fire hydrant in the Mission District that helped save the Mission from fire, a survivor dinner and breakfast, a film-showing of the disaster, and a tour of the city's emergency water supplies.

The 7.8 quake struck with devastating force at 5.12 am on April 18, killing 3,000 people, leaving at least a quarter of a million homeless and causing, in today's currency, $8 billion in damage.

'Recent earthquakes in Haiti, Chile and Southern California are all too clear reminders that we must continue to prepare for the next major earthquake in our region,' said Mayor Gavin Newsom. 'We’ve made great progress in recent years, but we can never let up on our work to seismically reinforce our key facilities and infrastructure to withstand a major earthquake.'

In April 2008, scientists and engineers from various earthquake agencies including the USGS released a new report warning of a 99.7 per cent chance of a 6.7-plus quake in the next 30 years in the Greater Bay Area.

One of the top priorities is the upgrading of a high pressurize fire fighting water supply system, also known as the Auxiliary Water Supply System, which was built after the 1906 quake.

More than 40 repair and improvement projects are underway, part of plans that are expected to create 190,000 new construction-related jobs, said the Mayor and the President of the Board of Supervisors, David Chiu, in a press release. These include health centers and hospitals, libraries, culture centers, museums, including the new Academy of Sciences in the Golden Gate Park, terminals at San Francisco airport, and the drinking water system from the Hetch Hetchy reservoir in Yosemite.

In the past 20 years, 180 seismic projects have also been completed.

'We need to look ahead and ensure that our aging infrastructure, the backbone of our great City, is protected for our future generations,' said Supervisor Chiu. Despite the work that has already been done, 'we still have a long way to go in terms of seismic improvements and repair. Being able to respond quickly after an earthquake is critical to our survival and recovery as a city,' he said.

The Mayor and Supervisor Chiu had gathered earlier this week with Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White, Police Chief George Gascon, Executive Director of the Department of Emergency Management Vicki Hennessy and others to highlight emergency preparation.

'Emergency preparedness and planning should be a part of our everyday lives,' said Vicki Hennessy. 'This can be as easy as buying a few extra canned goods and batteries the next time you’re at the market or making a family emergency plan over dinner.'

They are asking people to check out the website www.72hours.org to learn more about individual preparation.

The programme of events, which they hope will attract many members of the public, are as follows:


Public Tour of Auxiliary Water Supply System
April 17
Twin Peaks Reservoir@ Marview Way at Farview Ct FROM 9-11 am
Pump Station #2 @ Van Ness and McDowell Road from 1-3 pm


John’s Grill Annual Survivor Dinner
April 17, 2010 @ 4 pm John’s Grill
63 Ellis St.
Reservations suggested; call (415) 986-0069 for more information


104th Annual Wreath Laying and Commemoration
April 18, 2010 @ 5:11 am
Lotta’s Fountain, Market St. at the intersection of Kearny, Third and Geary


Golden Fire Hydrant Painting Ceremony
April 18, 2010 @ 5:40 – 6:00 am
20th and Church Streets


Lefty O’Douls Annual Survivor Breakfast
April 18, 2010 @ 6:00 am
333 Geary St. (at Powell)


Screening of the film “1906”
April 18, 2010 @ 10 am
Westin St. Francis Hotel
335 Powell St.
RSVP Required; call (333) 377-4453 for more information

Steak Restaurants versus San Francisco's 'Monday Vegetarian Day'

'I think what people eat is none of the business of the Board of Supervisors, whether it's potato chips or raw carrots,'  said Al Petri, owner of Alfred's Steakhouse, the city's oldest, traditional steak restaurant.

'First of all, I and a lot of other businessmen in the city are not happy with a lot of decisions that have come out of city hall, and I think trying to legislate our lifestyle is none of their business,' said Al.  Their role is to 'efficiently and competently manage the business of the city,' he added.

He strongly opposes the city's decision last week to name every Monday 'Vegetarian Day' in a bid to encourage people to eat more vegetables and less meat. The resolution, brought to city hall by Supervisor Sophie Maxwell, was prepared by members of the organizations In Defense of Animals, and the San Francisco Vegetarian Society.

Another steak restaurant manager, though, said, 'I'm encouraged that politicians are becoming more concerned about the dietary decisions their constituents make.'

Pete Osborne is manager of his family business, Momo's, with its trademark sunflower-yellow umbrellas opposite the San Francisco Giants' ballpark. During baseball season, he feeds thousands of fans.

Diet, he said, has become a national issue with the Obama administration and Michelle Obama's vegetable garden.

Moderation in meat-eating, however, is something both restaurateurs agreed on.

Like other restaurateurs, Al had known nothing beforehand about the resolution until his wife had called him that day and told him, "you want to see what there is in the news."'

However, if a Vegetarian Day had to go ahead, it would have made more sense to put it on a Friday, thought Al. 'If they made it on a Friday it could kick in with the Catholics....and have a larger base,' he said, referring to a tradition of not eating meat on Fridays, an association with Good Friday.

Although Al is a purveyor of fine cuts of aged beef from cattle fed only on grass and corn, he hasn't always been sinking his teeth into juicy steaks. He has lived on the other side of the dietary fence, and from his experience questions the benefits of a vegetarian lifestyle.

'I don't know if vegetarianism is much more healthy,' he said. 'I was a vegan for about one-and-a-half years, 25 years ago, and I don't think I was any healthier than I am now. I think a lot of it is psychological.'

'And I think individually our responsibility is to control our own excesses. A glass of wine is good, maybe a bottle of wine is bad.'

Behind part of the vegetarian philosophy, he said, is a belief system akin to Eastern beliefs where, he cited examples, one is 'not supposed to walk on flowers or swat flies.'

He considers meat-eating to be in our nature. 'If I want to be a vegetarian, a Protestant, an Islamist, I don't think that's in our DNA. But we have a need to eat meat, it's a protein source that goes back a long time to the hunter-tribal gatherers.

'I'm not advocating you slaughter your pet cat and make some sort of cat fricassee...' he said quickly, which led onto the issue of what meats are acceptable psychologically and in different cultures. 'A lot of people have this ethical thing about what animals you can kill. It's alright to kill a chicken but it's not okay to kill a steer. I think that's what this whole game is about,' he said.

He questions, too, the accuracy of scientific 'experts' in their claims over not only dietary benefits but the impact of animal husbandry on the environment. As an example, Hope Bohanec, Grassroots Campaigns Director of IDA, told city Supervisors that if San Franciscans dropped meat from their diets one day a week, that would equate to removing 123,000 cars from city streets.

'Is it proven or guess science?' Al asked. 'I don't think it's a position of the government to try and make these decisions for us without scientific fact.'

Alfred's maybe a steak restaurant, but it does cater for the non-carnivore. 'We get a number of vegetarians in here, and that has different variations, some will eat fish, some are vegans, and we accommodate them as a restaurant, whatever their needs are,' he said, adding, 'This doesn't necessarily mean we have a vegetarian emphasis on our menu.'

Thinking of the thousands of hotdog-loving Giants fans, I asked Pete Osborne, in reality what effect would the resolution have?

'From a business perspective, I'm not sure how it's going to affect us. We're known for doing a steak dinner,' he said. 'We do sell more hamburgers on a day of a ballgame than we would on a day of comparable business.'

Typically, he said, of 300 lunches on a game day, there would be 100 burgers, but on a non-baseball day, no more than 50.  'It has less to do with the clientele and more with the traditional eating habits associated with the ballpark,' he said.

So what does he think of an Orange and Black Culinary Attack, of nicely steamed carrots and black beans tucked inside hotdog and burger rolls?

'I'm not sure! But it's funny to think about it!!' he laughed, and suddenly remembered, 'We do sweet potato fries. They're orange! That would go!'

Pete has been to culinary school and is well researched and read about dietary issues, but has been working in the family business for 12 years, ever since he was 14-years-old. 'My training is from here, for sure!' he said.

How does he view Hope Bohanec's statement that eating meat is as harmful as smoking cigarettes?

'I think that refers specifically to the American diet because we have a tendency to eat too much meat. So I think it heightens awareness. It's a step in the right direction,' he said.

And as much as he enjoys meat, 'meat and only meat is a bad thing,' he asserted. ' It leads to heart disease and other illnesses. There needs to be a balanced diet.'

'Everything in moderation - and it couldn't be truer when it comes to the diet,' he said.

Ten Per Cent Reduction Offer on Vegan Pizzas on San Francisco's Monday Vegetarian Day

A San Francisco pizza restaurant is offering customers a ten per cent reduction on vegan pizzas on Mondays.

Amici's pizza chain, which has two restaurants in the city, is putting their offer on the table following the passing of a resolution by the city's Board of Supervisors last week that from now on every Monday is to be known as Vegetarian Day.

While the manager of one of the busiest restaurants in the city, The Cheesecake Factory, says that they have many vegetarian items on their menu and can easily accommodate customers should there be a rush for vegetarian food.

Of the resolution passed last week, Richard Allum, Director of Marketing for Amici's East Coast Pizzeria, said, 'I think San Francisco is the perfect city for something like that. People in San Francisco tend to be very progressive and forward-thinking.'

First reaction of Alex Ross, manager of the Cheesecake Factory - pictured  at back of the terrace overlooking Union Square - was, 'That's news to me. I wasn't aware of it, but this is great.'

However, he went on, 'We definitely have vegetarian items on the menu, eggplant sandwiches, pasta and many of our salads,' he said, listing just a few.

The Cheesecake Factory caters for many dietary restrictions and options, including seasonal religious festivals like Passover and Lent, he said, and showed an extensive menu with over 200 items spread over 21 pages. There were another 12 items on the 'specials.'

'So what's one more day, one day a week, 52 times a year. It wouldn't be too difficult to pull it off,' he said.

Amici's had been researching vegan cheeses. 'I'm not a vegetarian myself,' Richard Allum said, but had often found himself annoyed at the token offerings of vegetarian and vegan food on different restaurant menus. About 18 months ago they found a new product called Daiya.

'It's proven to be very popular,' he said, and so when the resolution came along, 'we thought it would be a great opportunity to showcase it - the Daiya.' Other vegan cheeses, he said, have either not melted or been oily, but this was of a perfect stretch and melt consistency, and bubbled on top of the pizza.

Not made of soy, but from the South American plant, cassava, Daiya seems to have set the vegan community alight with its cheese-like properties - judging from vegan reviews online. I sampled it from their restaurant opposite the Giants' ballpark and, presented with a good sprinkling of pepper and vegetables, couldn't tell the difference.

Last month Amici's entered their Asanté pizza into a competition at the annual Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. It was the first-ever vegan entry. 'It didn't win but it got some good recognition from that,' Richard said.

What he thought was important about the city's resolution was that it made clear that vegetarianism and vegan life-styles were equally valid.

The concept of choice was also what attracted Alex to the resolution. 'I think it's a very interesting idea. As a non-vegetarian, I think it would be difficult for me, but it's important for people to have choice.'

Hopefully, he said magnanimously, it will increase sales for restaurants that are vegetarian or vegan. But many restaurants like the Cheesecake Factory offer vegetarian options, he said, adding a plea to his regulars 'so please don't forget us!'

The Cheesecake Factory in San Francisco is the busiest in the chain on the continent of America, beaten only by Honolulu - 'we don't count them!' said Alex.

It is crowded throughout the day and evening, and doesn't take table reservations. It's location is a boon. Eight floors up on top of Macy's, it overlooks Union Square and has an outside terrace. And tourism in the city is booming.

Top Vegetarian Chef Concerned about San Francisco's 'Monday Vegetarian Days'

One of the city's top vegetarian and vegan chefs has expressed concern about the political approach of enshrining a Vegetarian Day in an official resolution.

For today is the first-ever Vegetarian Day in San Francisco. No longer Monday but renamed last week by the Board of Supervisors. Their goal, to encourage San Franciscans to have one meatless day per week and eat more vegetables.

'It's kind of odd. I'm not opposed to it, not at all, in that it calls attention to people's diets,' said Chris Tucker, Executive Chef of the city's fine-dining vegan restaurant, Millenium.

But he has qualms about the effect the resolution will have on people and what it will do for the image of the city. He thinks people will see it as ''just more of that nanny government as before. And,' he said, 'just another thing that people will look at San Francisco and say "Oh, that's San Francisco! An island of craziness!"'

He went on in lampooning vein, 'I hear the naysayers. Monday is Vegetarian Day, Tuesday should be Foie Gras Day, Wednesday.....!!!'  ...'San Francisco is a bunch of crunchy sprout-eating people...it's just funny!' he said. He had taken time out of his working day for the interview and was sitting in the empty restaurant inside the Hotel California on Geary, a few blocks from Union Square.

The resolution, passed unanimously last Tuesday, is designed to encourage restaurants and schools to serve vegetarian food on Mondays, for grocery stores to promote the sale of vegetables, and for the population to eat vegetables in a bid to improve people's health and have an environmental impact on the planet.

How, he queried, was it going to be enacted? Were they going to send round the vegetarian police?! Or spend city money promoting it?

'To me, politically, I think the Board of Supervisors spending time on this is a little strange,' he said,  concerned also about the financial health of the city and its predicted budget shortfall of $483 million.

'To be quite honest, I hope they don't spend a dime on this. If you want to go down half a block away, I'll show you what they should be focussing on.' He pointed towards the Tenderloin area, noted for its jobless and homeless community.

San Francisco was elitist, he said, and also made it very difficult for small businesses and restaurants to survive, being one of the most expensive cities in America to work in.

The resolution would be a good thing if it changed people's eating habits and made them aware of where food came from, he said. But, 'Monday, Vegetarian Day. Great!' Just a name would achieve nothing. He wanted to see the 'trickle down' effect.

'There should be some curriculum in schools about diet, and the impact foods have on yourself and the environment, and that's where we should be targeting things, on education.'

Surprisingly, perhaps, while he and his staff obviously have a lot of positive things to say about vegetables, they are occasional meat-eaters.
 
'A lot of people in this restaurant are not vegetarians or vegan, we just like this food and eat it most of the time,' he said. 'I'm not vegetarian.' He eats 'sea food once in a while and a little bit of meat, but I eat this way most of the time because I like it.'

As a restaurateur, Chris loves working with local farmers. He grew up in farm country in New Jersey at a time when 'there was a real disconnect' with what farmers grew and restaurants served. But the 'local cuisine' movement has changed all of that.

How will the resolution affect restaurants?

It might attract new clients to vegetarian restaurants, he said, but although most chefs in San Francisco produce meat-based cuisine, there were so many talented chefs and many already producing regional Italian cuisine which is fairly vegetable-based, he said, that he thought it wouldn't make much difference.

'Everyone in this town can cook great vegetables.'

Millenium, who provided the food for the private party in Supervisor Sophie Maxwell's office after the resolution was passed, combine a sophisticated, fine-dining cuisine with a casual atmosphere.

'The depth and scope of what we can do with vegetable-based products is endless,' Chris said. 'When I step away from it, I hope it will be the best-ever in the history of restaurants because of what we have done.'

When he opened up, people didn't give him one year to survive. He is thriving after 16 years.

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