HR Derby In McCovey Cove

Wow! I spent over 6 hours in McCovey Cove yesterday for All-Star batting practice and the Home Run Derby and all I can say is "Wow."

I have been hoping to watch a game in McCovey Cove ever since the park opened. In my opinion it is the best stadium feature in baseball. The Green Monster, the ivy at Wrigley, the monuments at Yankee Stadium, the where house at Camden - I've seen them all, but this is the cream of the crop.

And the Home Run Derby at McCovey Cove has got to be the best time to be there in it's short history. I realize that Barry Bonds has hit some important home runs out there, but the sheer magnitude and anticipation among the floaters could not be topped.

We weren't out there to catch a $1,000,000 ball, we were just out there to have a good time and celebrate baseball.

The lack of splash hits didn't dampen anyone's spirits. Everybody I talked to agreed that it was a great experience and a good time. Even as we paddled in at 7:00pm when all the left handed hitters were out of the Home Run Derby, it was nothing but smiles.

Jim Caple of ESPN wrote a great article (link) about being out here for the Home Run Derby and it's easier for me to just refer to him rather than spew forth in an unorganized manner.

I would like to commend the event planners in McCovey Cove. Everything was extremely well organized. We had a specific spot to launch our kayak and our own parking lot. The volunteers I encountered were all helpful and friendly. Props to all involved.

I recommend spending a game in the cove to anyone who is a baseball fan. City Kayak in San Francisco is the nearest place to rent a kayak in the bay. My friend used a Coleman inflatable kayak and it performed like a champion. You can order them online through Walmart for $88 (They're $100 at Amazon).

I spent the day in a raft wearing an old Astros jersey. See if you can spot "Where's Waldo" by clicking on the above photo to get a larger size image.