Best Western Grosvenor Hotel at San Francisco International Airport
3Com Park
"The Field of Dreams", better known as "Candlestick Park or Monster Park." One of the all-time, legendary baseball parks in America has a long and colorful history. On a beautiful morning in 1957, San Francisco Mayor Christopher showed New York Giants owner Horace Stoneham around Monster Park, the projected site for a Giants ballpark and the eventual site of 3Com Park. What the Mayor knew and, presumably, Stoneham didn't know was that although Monster Park can be lovely on a summer morning, it is usually one of the coldest, windiest and foggiest places in the country on a summer night. Fog rolls in over parts of San Francisco on most summer evenings and Candlestick Park was built in one of those parts.
During the 1961 All Star game, Giants pitcher Stu Miller was blown off the mound and, in 1963, New York Mets Manager Casey Stengel took his squad out for batting practice, only to watch a gust of wind pick up the entire batting cage and drop it 60 feet away on the pitcher’s mound.
Although Candlestick Park was built for the Giants, the Beatles played their last concert ever there on August 29, 1966, and the NFL’s 49ers have won so many Super Bowls since they moved to the 'stick' in 1971 that the sign in the parking lot said, "Home of the Super Bowl Champions," with almost no mention of the primary tenants. Richard Nixon threw out the first ball at the first game ever at the 'Stick, on April 12, 1960, then proclaimed it "the finest ballpark in America."
One of Americas great "fields of dreams," Candlestick Park, Monster Park, 3Com Park, or whatever you like to call it will stand forever as one of baseball's great parks. To be spoken of in the same breath as Mays, Robinson, Gehrig, Rose and Ripken, though most never even set foot inside, Candlestick Park stands as a baseball icon. The NFL (not to be outdone) also has a strong past in this illustrious arena with many Super Bowl appearances and wins by the world famous San Francisco 49ers!
© Ballparks
Contact Info
380 South Airport Blvd.·South San Francisco, CA 94080·Phone: (800) 722-7141·(650) 873-3200·Fax: (650) 589-3495
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