San Francisco Giants: 5 Reasons AT&T Park Is MLB's Best Home-Field Advantage
The San Francisco Giants have been struggling on their current road trip, losing the series against the Milwaukee Brewers as well as the second game against the St. Louis Cardinals. After they finish up the four-game series with the Cardinals, San Francisco will head home to face the Colorado Rockies, Washington Nationals and Cincinnati Reds.
If the Giants wish to take back the division lead from the Arizona Diamondbacks, they will have to play well at home.The Giants currently own a record of 13-8 at AT&T Park, which is one of the best home-field advantages in baseball.
There are plenty of other good ballparks around the country that provide their teams with a strong home-field advantage, but it's hard to argue, after many years of outstanding play, that AT&T Park is not the best one of all.
No. 5. Bay Area Weather
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Understanding the weather is crucial to a home-field advantage at any stadium.
While the Bay Area stays around 65 degrees all throughout the year, it also makes AT&T Park one of the windiest stadiums in all MLB.
Giants players are used to doing the pop-up dance on plays that would be considered routine anywhere else in the country. Opposing players who aren't aware of how much the wind carries the ball may be in for a huge surprise when they come to San Francisco.
No. 4. Constant Sell-Outs
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Unlike many teams, the Giants are blessed with great fans who show up to every single game, even during stretches of bad play or bad weather.
There is rarely a day where the house isn't packed full to its capacity. Fans of all ages come from all parts of the Bay Area to support their team and Giants players can count on receiving a ton of love after returning home from a long road trip.
It makes a huge difference when players can play in front of a full house every day, as opposed to showing up to the ballpark, only to find that the fans barely outnumber the team itself.
No. 3. Tremendous Fan Energy
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Giants fans are known across the country for the massive support they bring to each game, and for the tremendous amount of energy that comes along with it. Every game is taken as seriously as the last.
With each batter that comes to the plate, a new cheer echoes through the stadium. Fans in the Bay Area live and die with each play of each game. The stadium is filled an hour before the game even begins, and nobody dares to leave before the final out.
Signs are flashed from all parts of the stadium, which looks like a sea of orange and black every night.
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No. 2. Triples Alley
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Triples Alley is the affectionate name given to the area located in deep right-center field, just beyond the out-of-town scoreboard.
A ball hit out to that area, which reaches 421 feet at its maximum, is almost a guaranteed triple, unless Bengie Molina or Juan Uribe were the ones who hit it.
What makes Triples Alley such a good advantage is that it's extremely hard to play on defense. Outfielders who don't take fly balls there every game have been known to have a lot of trouble whenever the ball is hit to that part of the park.
Defensive studs like Andres Torres and Nate Schierholtz can track down balls unlike anyone else and give the Giants an advantage every time they take the field.
No. 1. Hostile Environment for Opponents
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Besides the obvious rivalry and hatred that arises whenever the Dodgers play in San Francisco, Giants fans always provide a hostile environment for any team that comes to town.
In the left-field bleachers, fans constantly chant throughout the game, "Whats the matter with (outfielders name)? He's a BUM!"
Most veteran players won't get shaken by fan commentary, but when the stadium shakes with noise and excitement, there isn't an opposing player in the world who won't be affected.
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