Monster Park

Monster Park (colloquially, The 'Stick or Candlestick, after its original name of Candlestick Park) is an outdoor sports and entertainment stadium located in the San Francisco Bay Area in California.

Park history

Ground was broken in 1958 as the new home of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants, which was moving west from New York. The Giants officially named their new stadium Candlestick Park on March 3, 1959. In 1971, the NFL's San Francisco 49ers became tenants as well. Richard Nixon threw out the first ever baseball on the opening day of Candlestick Park on April 12, 1960. The Oakland Raiders played their 1961 American Football League season at the stadium.

Related Topics:
1958 - Major League Baseball - San Francisco Giants - March 3 - 1959 - NFL - San Francisco 49ers - Richard Nixon - April 12 - 1960 - Oakland Raiders - 1961 - American Football League

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As a baseball field, the stadium was best known for the windy conditions that often made life difficult for outfielders trying to catch fly balls. During the 1961 All Star game, Giants pitcher Stu Miller forced into a balk by a gust of wind. Two years later, wind picked up the entire batting cage and dropped it 60 feet away on the pitcher?s mound while the New York Mets were taking batting practice.

Related Topics:
Baseball - 1961 - All Star - Stu Miller - Balk - New York Mets

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The Beatles performed their last live concert at Candlestick Park on August 29, 1966.

Related Topics:
The Beatles - August 29 - 1966

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The stadium was enclosed during the winter of 1971-1972 for the 49ers, with stands built around the outfield. The result was that the wind speed dropped marginally, but often swirled around throughout the stadium. Candlestick Park has the distinction of being the sole remaining NFL stadium that started life as a baseball only facility that later had a football field added. Previous baseball parks that had been converted to house football included parks such as Fenway Park, Yankee Stadium, and Milwaukee County Stadium. This accounts for the stadium's odd oblong design that leaves many seats on what was the right field side of the stadium behind the eastern grandstand of the stadium during football games. Candlestick also has the dubious distinction of being the last NFL football where upper deck supports obstruct the sightlines from the prime first deck seating.

Related Topics:
1971 - 1972 - Fenway Park - Yankee Stadium - Milwaukee County Stadium

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On October 17, 1989, the Loma Prieta earthquake (measuring 7.1 on the Richter Scale) struck San Francisco, minutes before Game 3 of the World Series was to begin. Amazingly, no one within the stadium was injured, but minor structural damage did occur to the stadium. The World Series between the Giants and Oakland Athletics was delayed for ten days as a result as the overall structural soundness of the stadium (and of Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum as well) was checked by engineers and the area was allowed some time to recover.

Related Topics:
October 17 - 1989 - Loma Prieta earthquake - Richter Scale - World Series - Oakland Athletics - Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum

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In 1999, the Giants moved to a new downtown ballpark, Pacific Bell Park, leaving the 49ers as the lone professional sports team to use the stadium. The final baseball game pitted the Giants against their arch-rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and occurred on an unseasonably hot day.

Related Topics:
1999 - Pacific Bell Park - Los Angeles Dodgers

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