Fans ride the wild orange and black ride called the Giants

By Kathryn Reed

SAN FRANCISCO — Torture never felt so good.

It’s stressful being a Giants fan.

For a game with two stellar pitchers – Tim Lincecum and Cliff Lee – it was touted to be a low scoring pitchers duel. Not exactly. The Giants rocked the Texas Rangers 11-7 Wednesday in the opening game of the World Series.

It's an emotional experience being a Giants fan. Photos/Kathryn Reed

Life as a Giants fan was a wild roller coaster of emotions for most of the 162 regular season games. It’s continued through the postseason. It doesn’t look like the World Series is going to provide any relief to fans.

Looking around the orange and black mass of more than 43,000 people gathered at AT&T Park on Oct. 27 the expressions throughout those nine innings ranged from pure ecstatic glee (think three-run homer) to hands over the eyes (runs are scoring in the top of the ninth off closer Brian Wilson).

I really didn’t think I was going to be back at the ballpark this season. Thank you Padres for imploding. Thank you Bruce Bochy for making pitching changes that manager Dusty Baker never seemed to be able to make. Thank you Buster Posey for becoming a catcher in college. Thank the beards.

Starting the season at the ballpark on opening day and being there for the first game of the World Series has made this a special season for this fractional owner of season tickets. A buzz is in the air for both events that just isn’t replicated, at least any time during the regular season.

Fans are decked out in the favorite Giants garb. (One section of the third deck on the right field side was a sea of Texas red.) Military flyovers, the unfolding of a massive U.S. flag that covers most of the outfield – it’s all a reminder this is America’s pastime.

And with Tony Bennett with the mic, clearly this was San Francisco. At 84, what a voice he still has.

The crowd roared when on the Jumbotron a shot of Steve Perry from Journey appeared with him cupping his ear in one of the luxury boxes to better hear the crowd singing his former group’s hit “Lights”.

The City by the Bay was electric.

All those food vendors selling things usually not brought into the stands proved the powers that be knew people wanted to stay in their seats for this game. Good move.

Families were taking it all in. The same older couple that has been in the next row for all these many years is there again. And even though it’s the World Series, they still leave early to beat the crowd. Men are in ties – it was a workday after all for some people. Some people dyed their hair, others are wearing fake beards to fit in with the bullpen.

In the Public House, a group without tickets drove down from Sacramento to be surrounded by their brethren while watching the game next to the park. The streets surrounding the park are full of boisterous fans – before and after the game. It’s one big party.

Inside it’s much the same – only more so. The energy is intoxicating. This is it. It’s what the players dream of as little boys. It’s what the fans dream of each spring.

One down, three to go.

Go Giants!

ngg_shortcode_0_placeholder (Click on photos to enlarge.)