OT: BAY AREA TIES!!1

Born at Alta Bates in Berkeley, grew up in El Cerrito, my parents were at Game 3 in ’89, left the Bay Area for college at Oregon but will be returning in June, dating a member of the Cal Dance Team.

Somehow I think the first fun fact about me will be that I have the same last name as a Dodgers legend.

Let’s see:

I was born at Alta Bates Hospital and lived in Albany until I was four. We lived in a couple of other places in town when I was a baby, but the first place I remember living was Albany Village (for those not familiar, that’s UC Berkeley’s housing area for married students – it’s on the border of Albany and West Berkeley).

We left for New Jersey for a few years, and then came back to Albany Village for the second and third grades. I attended Cornell School and played in the Albany Little League. The 9 in my username comes from this period – in my first year of Little League, I was #9 on the Blue Jays, and we won the Albany Junior Minors Championship, defeating the nefarious Mariners.

Then we moved back to New Jersey and I was there until the 10th grade. But we came back to visit every summer – I haven’t gone a season without seeing a Giants game in San Francisco since 1986.

When I came back, it was 1996 and I was in the tenth grade. At this point I lived with my grandmother in Orinda and attended Miramonte High School. I didn’t actually graduate from there (it’s a long, boring story, mainly involving the troubles of transferring credits and just getting a damned GED instead). After high school, I lived in Hayward from 1998-2000. During this time I worked in downtown Oakland and attended Diablo Valley College out in Pleasant Hill. I spent way too much time on BART.

Then I moved away again – to New York for college (New School), western Massachusetts for my then-fiancee’s work, and Chicago for grad school (University of Illinois at Chicago). I had planned to come home after graduating from college in 2003, but that didn’t happen because my wife’s whole family was on the east coast and she didn’t want to be so far away from them. Finally made it back in 2007. I’ve been living in the Temescal section of Oakland with the wife and kids since then. Although I’d read Grant for a while, it was at that point that I started regularly participating in the comments on MCC.

Now, we’re about to leave again. The move back to the Bay Area was supposed to be permanent, but my wife’s out of work and I’m only working part time. Needless to say, that’s not enough to survive here. So we’re moving to (sigh) Tallahassee, Florida, where we’re both planning on going back to school.

Unlike Natto, I’ve lived in many other places. Like Natto, though, I still find it hard to imagine being somewhere else. When I’ve been gone, I’ve always wanted to be back. The only other place that ever felt like home was New York, and even then I planned to eventually come back.

Born at CPMC in The City, raised in Mill Valley, went to Boston (and London) for college and now I’m back in Mill Valley for the time being. That said, I’m currently getting ready to apply to grad school programs, so this time next year, I’ll probably be either living at Stanford (hopefully!) or Davis.

I visit SF every once in a while. It’s a neat city. I guess.

I was born at Kaiser Permanente in SF. I lived in an apartment with my grandparents in SOMA for the first 5 years of my life. My parents moved us to Daly City when I was 5 and I spent the next 12 years being educated in and around Daly City, Pacifica, Colma, and Brisbane.

I moved to South San San Francisco when during my senior year of high school at Terra Nova. I was there the same time as 2006 #2 pick Greg Reynolds. I moved to NYC for college and lived there for 5 years but I moved back after graduation and I’m now working for an architecture firm in South San Francisco.

Washington Hospital in Fremont in the Hizzy!

I’ll do the rest later. My work is laughing my face right now.

I know all the words to “San Francisco,” from the 1936 film of the same name. And I find sourdough bread delightful.

That’s…about it, but maybe not for long. I hope to get out there for the very first time next February.

Eden Hospital in Castro Valley. Although I attended more A’s games growing up, I have always been a Giants fan through and through, defending SF over the years.

Born at Community Hospital in Santa Rosa. Lived in Santa Rosa for about 1year. Moved to outside Cotati (midway between SR and Petaluma) off the road heading to Sebastopol. Lived in that house until I moved out for college. Was a local 4-H’er and FFA’er showing both Market and Breeding sheep and Dairy cows until i was 19. (Have you ever got 21 dollars a pound, on the hoof, for one of your lambs?) Attended 1 and 1/2 years at Santa Rosa Junior College before flying the coop and attending the University of New Hampshire. Currently, I am hoping to move to either Seattle or SF Bay Area. All i know is where ever I move to, the local team will win the WS within two years. (I moved to NH 2 months after the WS win and moved out 2 months before the second win then I moved to Philly 2 years prior to their 1st WS

When I was 24 I moved to El Cerrito on a whim. I disliked it, so I moved to China.

My wife got into Berkeley this year (she’s a smart lady), so I recently moved to Albany.

For some reason, I’ve never really had any great affection for the actual city of San Francisco. I love the Giants, the MOMA, the Asian art museum. I like some of the bars and restaurants there. But I’m really more of a foothills/central valley sort of guy.

Born at Stanford. Lived in Foster City, Menlo Park, Palo Alto, Tacoma, Belmont, Santa Clara, Pleasanton, San Jose

Born in Hanford – San Juaquin Valley. Moved to San Luis Obispo for school (hence the username), moved to Mountain View for work, been here ever since.

My first trip to the city (that I can remember) was in ’89. My dad took the family to see a three game series at the stick vs. the Reds. We caught the first two games, both Giants victories, but had to leave early on Sunday (my dad had to get back to work). That was the game where the Giants were down 8-0 in the sixth and came back to win 9-8. We listened to the game on the radio in the car on the way home. My first major league games, all Giants victories, and Will Clark hit a home run over our heads in right field.

Born at the Kaiser in Santa Clara, grew up in San Jose. My mother also grew up in SJ – I live about 3 miles from where her family briefly had a ranch in the east foothills, and show my kids where their grandma used to rollerskate around the shopping center at Camden and Union. About the high school time period, my family moved to Morgan Hill so that I could be an Acorn. After college/law school I returned to San Jose, and I’ve been here ever since. Started going to Giants games with my dad when I was about 8-ish. I’ve rarely missed going to at least one game a season since (although it’s harder to go with two little kids who aren’t interested in watching the game).

I think they’d say about me that my grandmother saw City Hall fall during the 1906 earthquake! (for years after that whenever she saw “San Francisco” starring Gable and Tracy she’d be astonished by the scene where City Hall falls at the end — “how’d they DO that? That’s exactly how it looked!!”

Sadly, I myself was born and raised in Lindsay, CA down in the valley. But I did live in the City at 3 different points in my adult life, last time being 1995-1998.

I was born in Pennsylvania and first moved to the Bay Area in 1969 when my mom married my step-dad, who was in the military. We lived in Alameda, near the base. I lived a very military brat existence: moving back and forth, mostly from east coast to west coast (with the exception of a 3 year stint in beautiful Yuma, AZ) up until about 1976 when we came back to the bay area.

I graduated from Tennyson High, and did my Bachelors and Masters at CSU-Hayward.
When the tech market was going crazy, in the early to mid 90’s, my single lady teacher’s salary priced me right out of the Bay Area rental scene, so I moved to Sacramento; where the rent was less and the salaries higher (go figger).

We’d dearly love to move back to the Bay Area, every time we visit Mr. Merope has to basically drag me back to Sac kicking and screaming the entire way, right now though we can’t afford to move back.

Was born at Good Sam Hospital (named after it — guess which part) in San Jose. Pretty much lived there my whole life until moving to NYC about five years ago. My dad was a Giants fan since the Mays days, so I was indoctrinated before I knew what hit me.

Born in Las Vegas Nevada (my dad was/is a scientist working at Yucca mountain), but moved to NorCal when I was like 3 and lived in the same house since I was like 5.

My older sister loved the A’s, therefore, I was a Giants fan.

Born and raised in SF (also went to Lowell, woohoo!). I’m in Davis now and will graduate in the spring…not sure where I’ll be after that. Hopefully not homeless.

Born at Good Samaritan Hospital inSan Jose. Lived in Santa Clara for many years. Played Juco ball in SJ. Went to college in Long Beach. Lived in LB for 4 years. Now reside in Anaheim for the past ~3 years. I do miss Santa Clara sometimes, but my wife and I are pretty happy living in Anaheim. It’s a nice town, though I would like to be living in LB but it is too expensive for a comparable apartment to the one we currently live in.

Born in Los Gatos, have lived in the San Jose/Campbell area my whole life. Still living in the area, attending college. My family is split between Giants/A’s fans. My allegiance went to the Giants due to my father, but I think I have become a bigger fan than him. I would love to live in The City someday, but for now it’s reduced to attending Giants games.

Born and spent my formative years in a small town in WV. Went to college in the panhandle of WV. Now living in VA and hating the Giants.

A Denverite transplanted to San Francisco for love. Now a homesteader in San Bruno. Giants fan since twothousandmumble.

There are a lot of people born at Alta Bates in Berkeley here and I’m no different. I lived in East Oakland for a bit and then moved to Hayward when I was 3 or so. Spent my entire childhood there and loved the Giants even though my entire family is full of A’s fans. Always managed to go to at least one bay bridge series game in Oakland. After high school, I went to UC Davis for undergrad and for the first time am living outside California as of two months ago. Currently getting my masters at MWU in Arizona.

Born at Stanford Hospital, lived in San Jose/Campbell/Los Gatos border my whole school life. Moved away for about two years but came back and still a fan. My dad was a Giants fan so that’s how I got into it. I think he basically got into it because of my Aunt and she got into it for some random reason.

Born in Inglewood (up to no good), moved to SF (my Dad’s home town-Galileo HS) when I was 4, lived in Bernal Heights about 8 blocks from the Farmers Market, went to Lowell then CCSF before studying Viticulture at Fresno State. Now living in Sonoma County. Giants fan since Mccovey’s MVP year.

Born at the CPMC in the city. My mother was born in Berkeley, my dad is from the East Coast. Giants fan as long as I can remember. I lived in SF until I graduated high school (lowell) and am now a freshman at Northwestern preparing for my first real winter.

My aunt and her husband emigrated to the US in the early 70s and in my early childhood she was the aunt in the States, the source of Baby Ruth, See’s, Red Delicious apples, and SPAM. (This was before export dumping, I mean globalization.) I finally got to visit her in 1990 a year after they moved to Castro Valley. After high school I went to Europe and then to the Bay and enrolled at USF, bachelor’s and a bit of postgrad. I fell in love with one of the world’s biggest Giants fans in college, and since I was already drawn to baseball via movies like Eight Men Out, Major League and Field of Dreams, it was an easy ticket in the early days of the Dusty-Sabes era. After leaving in 2001 coming back at least a month a year for Giants games has been my basic MO and the reason I put down in my visa applications. This year my mom immigrated here and I am hopefully going to come along for the ride. Currently in Castro Valley. Ironically of all my relatives here I’m the only one who ever really lived in the City—had a room on 10th Avenue from 97-01.

Born at Alta Bates in Berkeley
Went to Berkeley High

Born at Stanford a little more than a year after my mom moved here from Bangladesh. Spent the first year of my life in El Cerrito; living in the South Bay since then. Go to Lynbrook High School now.

Alta Bates as well (good marketing for maternity during the eighties, I suspect). Grew up in Cole Valley and Sunnyside. Rooftop for grade school, Saint Ignatius for high school. Went to Chicago (University of) to experience winter. Year in DC, year in Irish medical school in Dublin, and now back in SF going to Cal for Public Health.

I was born at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek, and lived in Danville my whole life before leaving for college in Washington D.C.

I may never understand why I chose to go to college on the east coast (I missed the sunshine and hills of CA) in a big city (I tend to prefer a peaceful, laid back suburban or rural setting). Live and learn, I guess.

Dad was Bechtel’s Procurement man at 50 Beale St from 1970 to 1973.
We lived first in Lafayette and later Concord.

Great memories – fog, rain, newts, a serious poison ivy allergy (discovered while chasing newts) , three World Championships and one playoff loss to the Pirates. Oh , and Ron Bryant won 24 games.

One day in ’71 Dad brought me into his office (The only time this ever happened), gave me $5 and told me to “run along.”
Loose on the town with a fistful of fiver!
He also took me on a salmon charter boat out of the Bay one morning…that totally rocked.

I discovered baseball – and the Giants – and the A’s – when I was 10. I couldn’t understand it at first (not much different 39 yrs later)…I wondered how a batter could hit a ball and then immediately be described digging around third...“Huh? Baserunners?” ( Not much different 39 years later.)

As an 11 year old in Little League (which featured a team coached by some famous A’s broadcaster of the day whose name escapes me…wait , Monte Moore!) I got to shake the hands of Catfish Hunter , Dick Green and Vida Blue on “Oakland A’s Day” in Lafayette. Don’t remember much about Green , but those other guys were sort of special.

Oh , yeah…in Concord I once struck out 20 batters in a Whiffleball game , every one of them named Tim Byrd. They were all swingthroughs except the 16th , which hit the garage door handle (automatic strike).

the closest i’ve gotten to the giants was seeing zito get lit up at Dodger stadium, i was 3 rows back from the Giants dugout. roberto kelly totally tried to throw me a ball though.

 Born at Stanford Hospital. Became a Giants Fan for Life. Lived in San Jose until I was 12, then in Palo Alto through HS. Went to UCSC, and then worked in the Monterey Bay area for 2 years. Then Went South to to go school, got hired by the govm’t, and got shipped out here to Colorado. I miss CA, and I really miss the Bay Area. Hope to be back soon. Still working on selling enough of my soul to be able to do that…..
PS. Despite the insistence of everyone one here in CO, I will never betray my Giants. EVER.

Born on the dark side of the moon. You know, Oakland. We bounced around California a lot. Haven’t lived near the Bay since I was 12ish. But I try to make an annual trip for a Giants game. I’ve disguised that trip as a lot of different things. Attending a wedding, romantic weekend with GF, romantic weekend with wife, visiting family, and one business trip. Whatever it takes.

moms side of the family owned pear orchards in finley ca (clear lake basically) and i used to drive tractor during harvest in my formative years. spending midday relaxing with lemonade, eskimo pies and the giants on the radio with the single prop plane buzzing overhead and my grandfather and cousin sitting with me was all i needed to be a giants fan. i was hooked then and i always will be…
oh, and sf has the best house music clubs anywhere, imho

I think I’m a special case: I was born in the mouth of madness (Orange County, California) to San Francisco-born parents, and began my life as an Angels/Giants fan. My parents took me to games at the Big A as an infant. The family moved up here a few months after I was born. Bay Area sports are family institutions, so it made sense that I inherited the rooting interest from my parents. My dad especially, as we were very close and we watched Giants games together.

Now I’m in the South Bay, attending school at San Jose State (Kevin Frandsen’s alma mater) and bringing the masses minor league baseball news. I grew out of my local/Giants bias to snag an assignment covering the New York-Penn League this summer. One day I’ll rule the world, but the Bay Area will always be my home base.

Born in Newark NJ in the same hospital as rapper/actor Tracy Morrow (Ice-T). Grew up a Mets fan in Kearny, and misspent much of my youth across the river in lower Manhattan.

Beat it on down the line to CA immediately after HS to attend CA’s then-free (nearly) college system. Ended up in Hayward (off Tennyson road in an apt where Catfish Hunter used to live according to the mgr). A few semesters at Chabot, then up the hill to Hayward State, before relocating to SJ to complete a BFA degree at SJSU.

I became a Giants fan after a friend in SJ also an ex-NJ Met fans dragged me to the Stick to see Doc Gooden in 85. I realized I could only root for the home side, and attended a few games at the near-empty Stick in late 85.

We got a 20 game plan in 86, and were hooked. I tought my wife to keep score, bought here a full season ticket for the 87 season (in which she recorded perfect attendance, including a trip to StL for NLCS games 6 and 7 which cost me a job), and havent looked back.

We just celebrated our 24th wedding annivesary and 22nd as G’s STH.

We never left SJ technically, we still own a home there, but spend most of our time here in our Mission condo we bought so we didnt need to drive to SJ after all the G’s games (DUI avoidance)

We’re planning to ditch the SJ property and score some acerage in Grass Valley/Nevada City.

Lived in SF for the first 18 years of my life… leftfield bleachers semi-regular. My first year away from home :(, love it up in MI but I haven’t missed opening day in a while.

I was born and raised in San Luis Obispo, but my dad was born in SF, with his house in HP “somewhere in left field” where Candlestick stands today. He moved to Oakland at a young age, and Hollywood a few years later, but enough time was spent in the Bay to know Good from Evil. I live in Santa Cruz now after going to UCSC, I must say its amazing to be able to watch Giants (and Warriors) games with some form of regularity. I grew up listening to Giants games on the radio in the Summer while mowing the lawn or pulling weeds. I have plans to move up to the City sometime in the next year, depending upon job situations.

Born Daly City, moved to Canoga Park at 6 months, back up to Concord, then West Pittsburg (which is now Bay Point) then Poulsbo, WA, to Ellensburg, WA for school, now in Seattle.

I approve of interleague play every couple of years.

I’ve been to a ton more bay area games of every kind than my college roommate who grew up next to Mt. Davidson in SF. His dad grew up there too and neither have ever been to a Giants game in their life! Crazy! I guess you don’t appreciate things as much when they are so readily available. Oh and one last note. If anyone recalls, there was one broadcast in which during Ask Kruk and Kuip, the guy asked if it was ok to date Kruk’s daughter because she was looking good. Having grown up with Tessa, I can confirm, she is pretty good looking.

Born in OH and grew up in AL where my parents were with the University. Dad took a job with the 49ers in 1968 and I graduated from San Carlos HS. Fell in love with the City as a 16 year old and never looked back…. 2 degrees from USF and have lived off-n-on in the City since the ’70s.

Many of you don’t remember when there was no MLB south of St Louis, but that’s how I grew up. The KNBR-equivalent came in clearly and Tuscaloosa was full of Cardinals fans… so I decided to pick another team and adopted the Giants because my dad said Willie Mays was the best player in baseball. (I also adopted the Warriors because his favorite NBA player was Nate the Great Thurmond.)

I saw my first MLB game when I was 9-or-10 on a visit to see family in OH. The Indians got crushed by the Yankees and memories of that Yankee swagger have never left me. The Yanks were my first true “hate” in sports… today I hate them second only to the Dodgers.

I saw my first Giants game (against the Reds) shortly after moving to the Bay Area. Bench hit a monster HR that bounced off the facing of the upper deck and Rose went something like 4-for-5. We battled back, but fell short with men on base (sounds familiar). Last year I went to 6 games and watched (or listened to) all or part of at least 100 more.

BTW, I’d love to see a poll on all-time favorite announcers… we’ve been blessed with some great ones. Greenwald’s my all-time favorite for radio… I’m lukewarm on the current duo primarily because of Dave B. For TV, Kruk & Kuip are the best team I’ve ever heard.

Son of Byford, brother of Al. Bannah’s my mama, and Run’s my pal. It’s McDaniels, not McDonald’s, These rhymes are Darryl’s, those burgers are RONALD’S.

I been maxin in da hood my entire life. I never moved, born in da Yay and still here, ya feel?

Born in Traverse City, MI. Lived in MI, IN, IL, WI, and IA before I was 5.

Grew up in East Central Illinois, but hated all the Chicago and St. Louis teams so I became a Reds fan, and a Niners fan (because of “The Catch”). Watched a lot of baseball at old Comisky Park and Wrigley Field. Being a Reds fan I was pre-disposed to hating The Dodgers when I moved out here.

First visited SF with the navy in ’88 on the USS New Jersey, and came to Mare Is. for school in ’89 and was here for the earthquake. Returned in ’92 as an instructor, got out of the navy in ’95 and have been in Vallejo/Benicia ever since.

Kruk and Kuip turned me into a Giants fan around ’96 or ’97, and have been around here since ’07 or so.

I’ve been to SF a few times. It’s a decent town.

born in india, moved to LA when i was 1 (note: i was 1), then moved to new jersey for a couple years, eventually came to the bay in 2000, been on th epeninsula ever since. attneding mills high school

This is fun! My dad was born at Alta Bates in 1946, and he grew up in Concord. Went to Clayton Valley and then DVC. He and my mom met at UCSB, but got married in Los Gatos, and lived in Walnut Creek, Hayward and Fremont. I was born in San Leandro, though we lived in Fremont. I lived away from the bay from between 2 yrs and 22 yrs. when I moved to Walnut Creek. Moved away to Davis for law school and then lived in Sac for 4 years. But, now I’m back in Walnut Creek – again! – and working in SF, right across the street from the ball park.

Have been a Giants fan my whole life.

grew up in El Cerrito but went to private elementary school in Berkeley, private middle school in EC, and then El Cerrito high. Off to Virginia for college, back for a year, then to Seattle (UW) for grad school, and now I live in Berkeley and work in Albany.