How much did it cost to build Candlestick Park, and how long did it take to build it?
Monday, April 25, 2011
Sons of Johnnie LeMaster tee
I think it's time to give away another Sons of Johnnie LeMaster tee ... this time we'll give away one of our ladies tees. So here we go ...
How much did it cost to build Candlestick Park, and how long did it take to build it?
How much did it cost to build Candlestick Park, and how long did it take to build it?
2012 San Francisco Giants
So while we were watching the Braves sweep the Giants yesterday, we here at the Sons of Johnnie LeMaster couldn't help but think how many players currently on the roster will not be on the team next year.
Based on Cots Baseball Contracts spreadsheet on the Giants, and assuming the direction the Giants are headed, we're going to say the following players will not be wearing the black & orange in 2012.
Miguel Tejada ($6.5 M) 2011 salary in parenthesis
Cody Ross ($6.3 M)
Mark DeRosa ($6 M)
Ramon Ramirez ($1.65 M)
Santiago Casilla ($1.3 M)
Mike Fontenot ($1.05 M)
Pat Burrell ($1 M)
Guillermo Mota ($945 K)
Based on Cots Baseball Contracts spreadsheet on the Giants, and assuming the direction the Giants are headed, we're going to say the following players will not be wearing the black & orange in 2012.
Miguel Tejada ($6.5 M) 2011 salary in parenthesis
Cody Ross ($6.3 M)
Mark DeRosa ($6 M)
Ramon Ramirez ($1.65 M)
Santiago Casilla ($1.3 M)
Mike Fontenot ($1.05 M)
Pat Burrell ($1 M)
Guillermo Mota ($945 K)
Thursday, April 21, 2011
San Francisco jerseys, not named the Giants
If you're like us, you probably appreciate the history of the Giants franchise, but also of the baseball history in the city of San Francisco. Most fans are aware of the San Francisco Seals, the Pacific Coast League (PCL) team, that ruled the city for decades and boasted one of the greatest players in the history of the game as one of their alumni, Joe DiMaggio.
But most are probably unaware of a second club that was in the city called, San Francisco Missions. The history of the Missions is some what short-winded, and they eventually moved to Southern California to become the Hollywood Stars of the PCL.
In any event, both of these clubs had colorful jerseys that would be worthy even in today's standards. In fact, a boutique company up in Seattle called Ebbets Field Flannels has included the San Francisco teams to their line of throwback jerseys and caps. We here at the Sons of Johnnie LeMaster even own a few of Ebbets' products, and they're top notch in our book. So while you're out looking to add another Posey, Lincecum jersey to your collection, why not take a nod and acknowledge the rich history of San Francisco baseball and wear a DiMaggio #10 throwback? Trust us, you'll receive more positive comments and compliments than any other jersey.
But most are probably unaware of a second club that was in the city called, San Francisco Missions. The history of the Missions is some what short-winded, and they eventually moved to Southern California to become the Hollywood Stars of the PCL.
In any event, both of these clubs had colorful jerseys that would be worthy even in today's standards. In fact, a boutique company up in Seattle called Ebbets Field Flannels has included the San Francisco teams to their line of throwback jerseys and caps. We here at the Sons of Johnnie LeMaster even own a few of Ebbets' products, and they're top notch in our book. So while you're out looking to add another Posey, Lincecum jersey to your collection, why not take a nod and acknowledge the rich history of San Francisco baseball and wear a DiMaggio #10 throwback? Trust us, you'll receive more positive comments and compliments than any other jersey.
SF Seals - 1933 home jersey
SF Missions - 1930 home jersey
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Tim Lincecum sportin' Mizuno cleats for 2011
In a previous blog post, we mentioned that Tim Lincecum had changed his cleat supplier from Reebok to Nike for the 2011 season. It appears it was only a test run. During spring training, Timmy was actually wearing cleats from numerous manufacturer's to see how they felt and performed. In one televised game, Timmy was wearing cleats made by Nike, but when opening day rolled around he was wearing cleats from Mizuno. So go figure! The pictures below show him wearing Mizuno, Nike, and in one picture he's wearing a New Balance cleat on the left, and a Nike cleat on the right.
It should be noted that Matt Cain and Barry Zito also wear Mizuno cleats so maybe they had an influence on him. We also checked the mizunousa.com baseball site, and Timmy wasn't listed as of one their players on the Mizuno roster. In addition, based on the April 18 photo, Timmy is wearing a Nike undershirt underneath his jersey. In seasons past, Timmy has typically "cut out" the Nike swoosh logo since he was under contract with Reebok. So our guess is that he hasn't signed a full endorsement deal with Mizuno - not yet anyways.
It should be noted that Matt Cain and Barry Zito also wear Mizuno cleats so maybe they had an influence on him. We also checked the mizunousa.com baseball site, and Timmy wasn't listed as of one their players on the Mizuno roster. In addition, based on the April 18 photo, Timmy is wearing a Nike undershirt underneath his jersey. In seasons past, Timmy has typically "cut out" the Nike swoosh logo since he was under contract with Reebok. So our guess is that he hasn't signed a full endorsement deal with Mizuno - not yet anyways.
Timmy from April 18, 2011 - Mizuno cleats, Nike undershirt
Timmy with Mizuno
Timmy with Nike
Timmy with New Balance and Nike
Monday, April 18, 2011
Sons of Johnnie LeMaster is on Twitter too!
For those of you that don't know, we're also on Twitter @sonsofjohnniele, so follow us! For those of you asking for an official Sons of Johnnie LeMaster tee, we'll post a contest on our Twitter account shortly. Stay tuned!
Business news involving the SF Giants
Not earth-shattering news here, but something to note nevertheless. The Giants have reached an agreement with United Airlines for UA to serve as the official charter airlines for the club. The team previously used Delta Airlines. The arrangement will also give United Airlines some additional signage within AT&T Park, and on the schedule page of the sfgiants.com website. Financial terms were not disclosed, but when you're the World Champs, I guess everyone wants a piece of you.
United Airlines - the official airline of the SF Giants
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Did the Giants win the World Series because of Bochy's strategic dipping habits?
Could "Giants Baseball ... Torture!" be tied hand-in-hand with Bruce Bochy's dipping habits? There's a great article on ABC News/ESPN that was written last year about Bochy's dipping habit, and he even details some of superstitions he had with dipping. Last I checked, Bochy was still dipping, as was some of the other players that I listed in a previous blog post.
Bruce Bochy with two tins of Young's Chew
Celebrity pics with the Johnnie LeMaster shirts
Thanks to Peter Hartlaub of the San Francisco Chronicle for posting pictures of his new Sons of Johnnie LeMaster shirt. We're stoked that he likes it!
Follow him on Twitter @peterhartlaub and read his articles on sfgate.com.
Follow him on Twitter @peterhartlaub and read his articles on sfgate.com.
Photos courtesy of Peter Hartlaub
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Pics and videos from Opening Day weekend
National Anthem and Fly Over
Championship Flag Ceremony
Banner at the Willie Mays gates
Opening Day from the LF Bleachers
Opening Day National Anthem
Championship Flag from the Portwalk
From the Field for the Flag Ceremony Practice
On the Field During the Ring Ceremony
Standing next to 365
World Champs!
Friday, April 08, 2011
Tuesday, April 05, 2011
Former SF Giants coaching & managing in the Bigs
So, I was watching today's game and noticed that Dave Roberts was the first base coach for the Padres, and then it donned on me, that I've seen a lot of former Giants on the coaching staff for various Major League clubs. After some quick research, I was able to create a list of current coaches and managers that PLAYED for the Giants during their respective careers.
Managers:
Dusty Baker, Cincinnati Reds
Bud Black, San Diego Padres
Coaches:
Joe Pettini, bench coach, St. Louis Cardinals
Dave Righetti, pitching coach, San Francisco Giants
Mark Gardner, bullpen coach, San Francisco Giants
Dave Roberts, first base coach, San Diego Padres
Ken Oberkfell, bench coach, New York Mets
Glenallen Hill, first base coach, Colorado Rockies
Chris Speier, bench coach, Cincinnati Reds
Matt Williams, third base coach, Arizona Diamondbacks
Eric Young, first base coach, Arizona Diamondbacks
Dave Anderson, third base coach, Texas Rangers
Dave Martinez, bench coach, Tampa Bay Rays
Robby Thompson, bench coach, Seattle Mariners
Rick Rodriguez, bullpen coach, Oakland A's
Managers:
Dusty Baker, Cincinnati Reds
Bud Black, San Diego Padres
Coaches:
Joe Pettini, bench coach, St. Louis Cardinals
Dave Righetti, pitching coach, San Francisco Giants
Mark Gardner, bullpen coach, San Francisco Giants
Dave Roberts, first base coach, San Diego Padres
Ken Oberkfell, bench coach, New York Mets
Glenallen Hill, first base coach, Colorado Rockies
Chris Speier, bench coach, Cincinnati Reds
Matt Williams, third base coach, Arizona Diamondbacks
Eric Young, first base coach, Arizona Diamondbacks
Dave Anderson, third base coach, Texas Rangers
Dave Martinez, bench coach, Tampa Bay Rays
Robby Thompson, bench coach, Seattle Mariners
Rick Rodriguez, bullpen coach, Oakland A's
Monday, April 04, 2011
AT&T Park concessions - 10th cleanest in the Big Leagues
Based on a recent Business Insider article, the concessions at AT&T Park ranked as having the 10th cleanest operation in the Bigs. AT&T was listed as having 8 critical violations, and 117 minor violations.
Violations included the following:
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/mlb-stadium-food-safety-violations-2011-3#att-park-8-critical-violations-11#ixzz1Ia06NbuR
Business Insider article
Violations included the following:
- Hot dogs kept below the required legal holding temperatures.
- Food contact surfaces were not cleaned.
- Evidence of either roaches, rodents, or flies (unclear as to which).
- Hands of at least one employee not washed or gloved when handling food.
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/mlb-stadium-food-safety-violations-2011-3#att-park-8-critical-violations-11#ixzz1Ia06NbuR
Business Insider article
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Pics, video, and articles of the SF Giants plane/banner
UPDATED: INCLUDING ARTICLES
The outcome of the game was lackluster, but Giants fans in attendance probably enjoyed the banner from @hankola before the game. In case you missed it, here are some photos and a video of the banner:
The outcome of the game was lackluster, but Giants fans in attendance probably enjoyed the banner from @hankola before the game. In case you missed it, here are some photos and a video of the banner:
Courtesy of the Los Angeles Times
Courtesy of CSN Bay Area
EXCLUSIVE: @Hankola's Opening Day plane/banner message
The Sons of Johnnie LeMaster is pleased to have the exclusive right to announce @hankola's plane/banner message that will be flying around Dodger Stadium today starting at 3 p.m., and concluding at 4 p.m.
The goal of the message as stated by @hankola was two-fold. "First, I wanted to stick it to the Dodgers, so merely just saying World Champs and/or Beat LA didn't see enough. Second, I wanted them (Dodger fans) to know the message was coming from the San Francisco Giants fan base. (Regarding the message) It was tough to do when you're limited to 40 characters (including spaces)."
So, without further ado here's the message that will be on the banner ...
"DODGERS STILL SUCK~FROM SF CHAMPS FANS"
So, if you're at the ballpark today, take pictures and submit them to us and we'll post them.
The goal of the message as stated by @hankola was two-fold. "First, I wanted to stick it to the Dodgers, so merely just saying World Champs and/or Beat LA didn't see enough. Second, I wanted them (Dodger fans) to know the message was coming from the San Francisco Giants fan base. (Regarding the message) It was tough to do when you're limited to 40 characters (including spaces)."
So, without further ado here's the message that will be on the banner ...
"DODGERS STILL SUCK~FROM SF CHAMPS FANS"
So, if you're at the ballpark today, take pictures and submit them to us and we'll post them.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Opening Day in LA
The beginning is near! Yes, Opening Day 2011 is less than two days away. For those of you making the trip down to LA ... here are some tips.
- Get there early, traffic and entrance to the parking lot are a major pain.
- Parking gates will open at 1 p.m. on Thursday, typically they open two hours before first pitch.
- Take a close look at your tickets, you have to enter at designated entrances.
- If you're in the Pavilion section, you're stuck there all day. Folks in the Pavilion do not have access to the rest of the park.
- Do not, do not eat a Dodger Dog, it's one of the worst things ever made!
- Tailgating is not allowed in the Dodgers parking lot, another reason why they suck. Boo to them!
- Stop by Philipe's for their world famous French Dip sandwiches. It's within driving distance of the ballpark and the food is excellent and much cheaper than the ballpark stuff.
- Once the ballgame is over hangout at the park for awhile, the traffic leaving the parking lots is insane.
- The team buses are just outside of centerfield, and Giants often sign autographs before boarding the buses. In addition, a lot of guys will get rides from friends so you can meet them when they walk out. So bring a pen and ball!
- Most importantly, look up to the skies at 3 p.m. @Hankola's plane/banner will be flying around the ballpark for an hour on Opening Day!
Friday, March 25, 2011
Seagulls at AT&T Park, an ongoing problem.
You've probably seen it first hand, if not, then you have certainly seen it on a televised Giants game - the invasion of seagulls. We're going on our eighth year of being a season ticket holders, and the problem has existed since day one. At around the 7th inning, you can see a few of the "scouts" hovering by the scoreboard and left field foul pole. Soon thereafter the rest of the flock soon arrives and flies around the ballpark waiting for the game to end to feast on leftover garlic fries, burgers, hot dogs, cha-cha bowls, et al.
While it may look cute to see some of the seagulls flying around, it has become a huge distraction and safety issue for fans paying good money to enjoy a game. The problem has not been addressed with the Giants, and for whatever reason they have continued on ignoring the issue.
Now, if we had our druthers, we would invite every card member of the NRA to come to the yard and take out those seagulls. But this is San Francisco, so we're sure a "Save the Seagulls" group exists and would have a tizzy-fit if such an extreme plan was put into place. So how do we solve the problem in a safe and humane way? Easy ... implement the sport of Kings into the equation - falconry. Falconry is a medieval sport where predators - usually Peregrine falcons or other raptors - are trained to go after live game, or in this case other birds. In the modern version of falconry, raptors don't kill other birds, but merely chases them away. Think of them as a bouncer of nightclub or bar - they dictate crowd control. The reason this works is because trained raptors is one of the most feared predators in the avian world. They are effective against all bird species except other raptors and turkey vultures.
Today, falconry is commonly used at a number of airports and military bases around the world to chase off birds from colliding with airplanes during takeoff and landings. Why can't the Giants hire a falconer to chase off the seagulls from AT&T Park? They could simply hire a falconer and have him and his raptor hangout outside of the ballpark and chase the seagulls away without anyone in the park seeing it.
This is probably the simplest and easiest solution to this problem ... do you think the Giants are listening? Probably not, but if they wanted to address the problem, we have the answer for them.
While it may look cute to see some of the seagulls flying around, it has become a huge distraction and safety issue for fans paying good money to enjoy a game. The problem has not been addressed with the Giants, and for whatever reason they have continued on ignoring the issue.
Now, if we had our druthers, we would invite every card member of the NRA to come to the yard and take out those seagulls. But this is San Francisco, so we're sure a "Save the Seagulls" group exists and would have a tizzy-fit if such an extreme plan was put into place. So how do we solve the problem in a safe and humane way? Easy ... implement the sport of Kings into the equation - falconry. Falconry is a medieval sport where predators - usually Peregrine falcons or other raptors - are trained to go after live game, or in this case other birds. In the modern version of falconry, raptors don't kill other birds, but merely chases them away. Think of them as a bouncer of nightclub or bar - they dictate crowd control. The reason this works is because trained raptors is one of the most feared predators in the avian world. They are effective against all bird species except other raptors and turkey vultures.
Today, falconry is commonly used at a number of airports and military bases around the world to chase off birds from colliding with airplanes during takeoff and landings. Why can't the Giants hire a falconer to chase off the seagulls from AT&T Park? They could simply hire a falconer and have him and his raptor hangout outside of the ballpark and chase the seagulls away without anyone in the park seeing it.
This is probably the simplest and easiest solution to this problem ... do you think the Giants are listening? Probably not, but if they wanted to address the problem, we have the answer for them.
Seagull scouting the bleachers for some grub
All you can eat at AT&T Park - for the seagulls
Falconry at Toronto Airport
Falconry at JFK
Are you worthy?
The official Sons of Johnnie LeMaster tees have been ordered. Shirts are not for sale, but will be given to true die-hard Giants fans. Will you get one, are you worthy?
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Lincecum and Posey rank among the Top 20
By now, I'm sure most of you have heard that Major League Baseball released figures on the most popular player jerseys sold. On the list, our very own Tim Lincecum and Buster Posey ranked #10 and #19 respectively. Check out the full listed noted below ... does any name surprise you?
MLB Most Popular Jerseys
Based on Majestic 2010 sales figures
1. Derek Jeter, New York Yankees
2. Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins
3. Roy Halladay, Philadelphia Phillies
4. Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies
5. *Cliff Lee, Philadelphia Phillies
6. Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals
7. Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers
8. Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox
9. Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees
10. Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants
11. Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees
12. Jason Heyward, Atlanta Braves
13. Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals
14. Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers
15. Justin Morneau, Minnesota Twins
16. Jacoby Ellsbury, Boston Red Sox
17. Ian Kinsler, Texas Rangers
18. Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies
19. Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants
20. Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Breaking News: Exclusive
The Sons of Johnnie LeMaster is proud to announce that we have joined forces with @hankola to support his effort for hiring a plane/banner with a custom SF Giants message to fly over Dodger Stadium on March 31. The plane is scheduled to fly from 3-4 p.m. and will soar above the skies of Dodger Stadium.
As part of our arrangement, we also have the exclusive rights to announce the banner message on March 31. Stay tuned!
As part of our arrangement, we also have the exclusive rights to announce the banner message on March 31. Stay tuned!
Monday, March 21, 2011
Special Opening Day caps to be worn
Apparently the Giants will be wearing a special Opening Day cap for the home opener on April 8. The plan is for the Giants to wear a black New Era fitted with a gold "SF" on their opening day to commemorate their 2010 World Championship. I was able to get a press photo of the cap (see below), and from what I understand the cap will only be worn that one time, then the club will go back to wearing the caps with the orange "SF".
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