Barry Bonds appreciation day (8/24, Justin Herman Plaza)

by achiappanza on Aug 24, 2007 2:06 PM PDT Comment 10 comments

I just got back from the celebration down at Justin Herman. Very nice day, and a good party.

First: Opening band - Whitebread 5 or something like that. Did decent cover tunes ("Don't Stop Believin', Disco Inferno") to get the crowd warmed up.

Second: Replay of all the video tributes from sports notables to Barry. Not sure if they all aired before... Joe Montana, Wayne Gretzky, Lou Brock, Ernie Banks, Willie Mays, someone I didn't recognize, and Hank, of course.

Third: Introductions by hostess Renel... Kruk and Flem, Barbieri, Willie Brown, Gavin Newsom, Bochy, Magowan and Baer, Omar and Richie, a whole passel of other politicians, Mays and McCovey, Barry and his family including his mom.

Fourth: Speakers

Kruk - "I might be nervous because I played at Candlestick and we're not used to big crowds."

Ralph Barbieri - "Barry's good with kids. When he first met my boy, he grabbed him from my arms and said, 'Give him to me, I know how to handle kids.'"

Flem - Glad to witness all the history.

Magowan - Pander pander pander, pat self on back.
Baer/Bochy/Sabean - Present Barry with home plate from 8/7.

Omar - "He's fun to talk to in the dugout about cartoons and whatever. He's just a regular guy. How many guys can say he took a shower with Barry Bonds?"

Richie - Usual "great to be on the field for 73 and 756."

Gavin - As always, the best speaker of the lot. "I can't get that image of Omar and Barry in the shower out of my head. Omar, if you want to say anything, now's the time. Hey, it's San Francisco. It's all good." "Barry, here's the key to the city."

Barry - "All San Franciscans have always had the key." Thanked everybody in sight.

Yowza yowza yowza! Well it was fun to be rallied. I took some cell phone pictures but I can't get 'em off the phone.

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Photo

I got this photo off my phone after all:

by achiappanza on Aug 24, 2007 2:07 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

That's nice and everything...

But is there video of this posted anywhere? For those of us letting the man keep us down from 9-5 daily, it's kind of hard to make a day trip away from cow-town to see the festivities.

Omar says, "Dammit gaffer! Bring in a few defenders, a mid-fielder or two, and nice pull w/Alan Smith."

by PacBellBoozer on Aug 24, 2007 2:09 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I only got what I got

Check YouTube or the Giants site in a few days.

by achiappanza on Aug 24, 2007 2:20 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Re: Barry Bonds appreciation day (8/

Mrs. Goofus and I stopped by, but it was really crowded and difficult to see much, so we continued on toward the water. In passing on our way back, we heard Omar's shower line...classic.

With his slightly broken English, it sounded like, "Hey, how many guys can said he took a shower with Barry Bonds?" which made it all the funnier.

Omar is easily the coolest current Giant.

Bold Prediction: Klesko will finish the 2007 season with at least 20 HRs. (OPS+ is 129 as of 7/1/07)

by Goofus on Aug 24, 2007 2:23 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Re: Barry Bonds appreciation day (8/

lol Omar.

Strikeouts are boring. Besides that, they're fascist. Not boring: Emmanuel Burriss. Not facist: THE RETURN OF SF Dugout

by BaronVonCurrentEvents on Aug 24, 2007 3:01 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

One more about Omar

Omar was sitting backstage where we could see him while the opening band played, snapping little digital pix like the rest of us. Some folks in the crowd shouted to the band that Omar could play drums, so the band offered to let him sit in.

He smiled and declined, but it was still cool.

by achiappanza on Aug 24, 2007 3:39 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: One more about Omar

My buddy saw him kicking back on a stretch of grass by himself before things started...just being his cool self.

Bold Prediction: Klesko will finish the 2007 season with at least 20 HRs. (OPS+ is 129 as of 7/1/07)

by Goofus on Aug 24, 2007 4:25 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Barry Bonds appreciation

I was there and it was alot of fun. Glad I picked this week to make my annual trip to San Francisco. I can see why your Mayor is so popular, he's got alot of charisma. The fans were chanting "one more year" for Barry, and he said he wants to, but there were no comments on the matter from the owners. There was one jackoff there with a "Barry is an asshole" t shirt, but at least he kept quiet during the festivities. I thought it was also curious that they played the Lou Brock video because Brock made some kind of comment like, "I know if you could do it all over, you would do it differently." We know all the negative shit, this was a day for celebration. Cammie wasn't there, so it was a fun time for all.

Randy Messenger says,"We're in Florida this weekend?? Maybe I should have just punched Scott Olsen again!"

by rxmeister on Aug 24, 2007 4:25 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs