AT&T Park
From SoSH
| Location: | San Francisco, California |
| Opened: | March 31, 2000 |
| Owner: | China Basin Ballpark Corp. (Subsidiary of the Giants) |
| Surface: | Sports Turf (blend of 5 hybrid turf grasses) |
| Architect: | HOK Sport |
| Current Capacity: | 41,503 |
| Build Cost: | $357 Million |
| Tenants: | San Francisco Giants (2000 - Present) |
Contents |
Stadium History
The ballpark is the first privately funded ballpark built for Major League Baseball since Dodger Stadium opened in 1962. No new taxes and no money from San Francisco's general fund were used to build the ballpark. The Giants lease the land on which the ballpark sits from the Port of San Francisco at a fair market value.
A unique public promenade has been developed along the waterfront from right field to center field where fans of all ages can watch the game through a fence at no charge and where San Franciscans can enjoy new access to the bay 365 days a year. Ferries dock directly adjacent to the ballpark beyond the right field wall.
Pacific Telesis Group paid $53 million in 1996 to name the ballpark Pacific Bell Park during the years 2000 through 2019. SBC Communications Inc., then known as Southwestern Bell Corp., bought Pacific Telesis Corp. in 1997 and changed the name of the ballpark to SBC Park on January 1, 2004. SBC Communications, Inc. merged with AT&T Corp. in 2005. The new company, known as AT&T, Inc., announced on February 3, 2006 that the name of the ballpark would be changed to AT&T Park on March 1, 2006.
Trivia
- Formerly SBC Park and Pacific Bell Park
- Site of the 2007 All-Star game.
- The Giants' Kirk Rueter threw the first official pitch. It was a ball to Devon White of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
- The Dodgers' Kevin Elster hit the first official home run on Opening Day, April 11, 2000. He went on to hit three home runs that day.
- Barry Bonds hit the first official Giants home run on Opening Day, April 11, 2000 and the first official home run into China Basin (McCovey's Cove) over the right field fence on May 1, 2000.
- The Giants lost their first six games at AT&T Park (then called Pacific Bell Park). Their first home victory did not come until April 29, 2000 against the Montreal Expos.
- Huge glove in left field is clearly marked with a "501" sign (the distance from home plate to the pocket of the glove is 518 feet) making it the most distant current outfield measurement sign in baseball.
- Barry Bonds hit his 500th (04/17/01), 600th (08/09/02), 700th (09/17/04) and 715th (05/28/06) home runs here
Ground Rules
In addition to adhering to the Universal Ground Rules, AT&T Park employs the following ground rules:
BACKSTOP AREA
- Ball going into camera window in back of home plate: Out of Play.
BULLPEN AREA
- Ball lodging on, under or in the bullpen seating area: Out of Play.
- Ball enters the bullpen seating area and rebounds out of the seating area: In Play.
OUTFIELD AREA
- Batted ball rolls on right field fence (foul territory): In Play.
- Batted ball stays on wall too long in umpire's judgment: Out of Play.
- Batted ball stays on top of right field bullpen awning: Two Bases.
- Batted ball bounding off of wire fence above right field bullpen awning: In Play.
- Batted ball landing on green metal on top of right field wall: Home Run.
- Fair ball strikes rail in center field and rebounds onto playing field: Home Run.
- Batted ball in flight strikes to the left of vertical line on center field wall: Home Run.
- Batted ball in flight strikes center field wall right of yellow line and caroms left into stands: Home Run.
Field Dimensions
| Left Field | Left Center | Center Field | Right Center | Right Field |
| 339' | 364' | 399' | 421' | 309' |
Wall Height
| Left Field | Left Center Field | Center Field | Right Field |
| 8’ | 11’ | 8’ | 25’ |
External Links
- Update
