I don’t think I’ve left a game early, yet. I’ve been to some blow outs when a team was down by 10 runs and it’s kinda fun because most people clear out and you can walk on down to better seats.

I remember in the early 90’s we stayed and watch a Phliies and Giants game (@ Philly) until the 16th inning. I remember Mike Jackson giving up the winning runs to the Philies. I could have made that up, but I think it was Jackson.

Last night might have tempted me to leave. I dunno.

It was a metaphorical middle finger to the organization for going 1-10 in games I attended this year.

You’re the Barry Zito of Giants fans.

I was at the game last night, and left at the 7th inning stretch. I guess that game overall was my personal trigger. Doesn’t help that the game was absolutely meaningless, besides the historical connotations. First time I’d ever left a baseball game before the end and I’ve seen many awful ones.

I’ve never ever left a game early. I’ve watched some terrible terrible games and i’ve still never left. I don’t know if I even have that trigger.

You are not allowed to go to a Giants game ever again.

EVER AGAIN!

As to your question: If the team is trailing by a bunch and they are still walking people, I will scream curse words at the field from where ever I am sitting and leave.

And I’ve been rewarded once with a ninth-inning comeback (I forget the night… I just remember the other team’s [Nats? Expos? Whoever Brad Wilkerson was with] outfielder tried to stop the winning run at home but threw the ball maybe 20 feet above the catcher; someone help me out here?)

I have left college football games early (I go to Baylor University) back when I was into college football, and most of the time it was out of disgust at the Baylor Football team. Especially bad was when Vince Young came to Baylor during his final season and Texas completely obliterated, no questions destroyed the team…. I stopped on my way out to catch a final glimpse of the game, and they scored another touchdown

Back to last night’s game though…. damn, that was depressing. more depressing than writing a postmodernism literature essay like i tried to do last night

Tuesday was the first time I’ve left with the escalators not turned to descend. I couldn’t understand who would be coming IN after the 6th inning. Who gets TO the game in the 6th inning? I left after they pulled Tim, gave up 2 more of his runners and couldn’t score a single run in the bottom of that inning. I’d had enough.

I don’t remember the last time I left early. If anything it is a lot easier to get out of the parking lot at the end of a blow-out because most people have left early.

I have been rewarded by three comebacks in two games this year. The first was against the Tigers. John Bowker, back when he was our future, hit a three run dinger in the eighth to put us ahead. The second being the first of the back-to-back comeback victories against the Dodgers in August. We came back twice in this game including right after Jeff Kent homered in the 10th. One of the best games I have ever been too. Also helped that I had Dodger fan relatives from down south up to see the game with me.

A Panini? Talk about elitist

Ever since I got to see Robby Thompson’s walkoff vs. the Marlins in ‘93, I’ve been in the mindset to never leave a game early. That being said, last night’s game would’ve left me tempted to do so if I had to get up early the next morning.

Otherwise, I would probably stick around to see how comically awful it could get.

like in little league. Or the Olympics.

I get to go to Giants games like once ever three years, so no, I never leave in the middle.

If the last game I went to is any indication, I leave when I get kicked out.

ProTip: Don’t happen to sit next to old people if you plan on getting drunk and swearing a lot. Apparently, the elderly have some pretty jacked up notions about freedom. The game was on the 4th of July, no less.

I think watching the team flail uselessly at Livan Hernandez’s flat, slow crapball (he only throws the one pitch these days) would be a pretty good trigger.

Other than that, I don’t know. It would have to be something exceptionally disgusting. I’m still young enough to be a ninth inning idealist.

Once left a Dodger blowout of the Giants in LA early. Dodgers were winning by 10 runs or so and my driver looked at me and asked “Ready?”

The only time I’ve left Phone Bill Park early was… earlier this year, at that preseason game against the Mariners.

My brother and I were sitting in section 311, which should tell you who I got the tickets from. It was a cold night, of course – I felt fine but he was decked out in his oh-so-stylish-but-so-not-fit-for-a-night-game black yuppie overcoat, and he was freezing his ass off.

The crowd was sparse, and the G’s played like dogshit. Matt Cain was getting lit up by perennial MVP candidate Yuniesky Betancourt, who tagged him for five RBIs in two ABs. I just shook my head and lamented the truly wretched season we all knew was coming.

So, we got our lamenting and freezing asses out of there after the sixth inning.

I’ve only left one Giants game before it was over, and that was during the crazy game against the D-Backs (2001?) where they lost 1-0 in 18 innings. I had to leave in the bottom of the 14th inning to catch the last BART train. Other than that, I usually stick it out, no matter how much the Giants may be playing like ass.

Also: nice job working an Italo Calvino shout-out into your title, Grant.

Mostly beacause if they’re playing so wretchedly [which they usually do when I attend (I haven’t attended a win in about 5 years at least)], I don’t see any reason to subject myself to it for longer than necessary. I usually won’t leave any earlier than the 8th…

For a general rule, I’d say down by more than 3 in the 9th, depending on how bad they’ve played thus far, I have no qualms about leaving an inning early.

One sort-of-applicable-but-humerous story, I attended Barry’s #755 HR game at Whale’s Vagina, which went into extras. I was visiting a buddy down there and he came with us. He hates baseball and was giving the heavy ::sigh:: around the 4th inning. Once they got through the 10th, he pretty much insisted that we leave. So we did, and the Giants promptly lost it in the next inning or two. Still…it upset me to see a game of that significance and leave early in extras.

Then of course, there was the game at Mays Field this year when we actually scored a few runs off Maddox (while Cain pitched, no less)—the same game as Castle’s triple play. Then they Giants proceded to walk in the winning run in like the 14th inning. It upsets me to put that much time and emotion into a game only to see them lose like that.

I’m a total Real Fans Don’t Leave Early Glare At Folks Leaving In The Eighth Inning kind of guy. I’ve left three games early in my life:

- In the mid-80s, when I was about 5 or 6 and while living in Princeton, NJ, we went to a Yankees game. Ron Guidry was pitching, but I don’t remember who they were playing. The game dragged on…and on. We finally decided to leave, as there was a long drive home. We got all the way back to Princeton and the game was STILL going.

- In the late 80s, there was a Giants-Dodgers doubleheader at the ’Stick. The Dodgers crushed the Giants in both games, and the fans were going nuts. Dozens were ejected for brawling, some fans tried to climb over the outfield fence, and so on. We ended up leaving midway through the second game because we were concerned for our safety. It was after that game that they started placing limits on how many beers you could buy at once, etc.

- In 1996, I got a free ticket from sfgiants.com in exchange for filling out a survey, so I used it to go to a doubleheader against the Pirates. The Pirates crushed the Giants in both games, and Kim Batiste was due up in the bottom of the ninth of the second game. I couldn’t stand to watch.

As I’ve mentioned before, I once stayed through an 18-inning, 1-0 loss against Arizona in 2001 – even though it meant missing the last train of the night back to the East Bay and having a few hours to kill before they started up again. I’m that stubborn.

I never leave early, but then again, I am there with a 4. y.o. so I’m not watching the game anyway. BUT I SALUTE YOU Grant for leaving a blow out early.

If it’s a weeknight game, I have to leave around the seventh inning because it’s an hour ride back on BART and I have work the next day. Stupid work.

I have left early aside from those instances. One Dodger game last year, after watching the Giants get their asses beat for about seven innings and being stuck in a group of Dodger fans in the bleachers, we decided just to bail. If I’d stayed I would have punched somebody in the face there, and I didn’t bring bail money.

that MC Escher-designed ramp that declines at a .001% grade for six miles.

Such a smooth decline that a couple times I’ve thought I took the turn too sharply & walked back up the same way I just came.

Growing up with a Dodger fan for a father, I’ve left a few games early at the Stick & the Latrine. I’m living in Dallas now, so I get to one or two games a year (either in Houston or SF) so I stick it out. I almost missed my flight back last year when Winn hit a GS to take us into extra innings against the Dodgers. Non-Giants games I’ll leave if it’s a blowout.

And before you rip Pops, he has gone on record as saying SF was his favorite city & always talks about moving back. He also always defends Barry. Go figure.

Number of Giants home games since my self-imposed boycott: 77 Games

Boycott constitutes:
NO merchandise purchases (typically $200-300 a year spent on hats, jerseys, rubber chickens, and other kitsch).

NO ticket purchases, parking passes, and ballpark tours (average of 6-10 games and 1 tour per year; approx. $700 on tickets/tours and $160 in parking)

NO polish snassages, Cha Cha Bowls, overpriced mixed drinks, or suitably priced Anchor Steams (average food/booze tab in previous years was in the range of $50-60 per game)

Total savings for ’08 season: Approx. $1,550

Percentage of “savings” spent on hookers, blow, anti-depressants, alcohol rehab program, pornography, and video games: 100%

Boycott will remain in effect until one Brian Sabean is relieved from his GM duties and removed from the organization entirely.