When most baseball fans in the Bay Area hear “Giants,” they think of the San Francisco 2010 World Series Champions. However, there is another team of Giants in the Bay Area – the San Jose Giants – and, as the 2010 California League Champions, they are also at the top of their game.
Founded in 1988, the San Jose Giants play in the Single-A California League and are a minor league affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. They’ve helped develop more than 115 players who went on to have careers in the majors, including San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey, pitchers Tim Lincecum, Jonathan Sanchez and Matt Cain and third baseman Pablo Sandoval.
At San Jose’s Municipal Stadium, built in 1942, fans sit close to the field, general admission seating is almost always available and players sign autographs before every game. Many locals are drawn to a cheaper, more up-close alternative to the Bay Area’s two major league teams.
This video follows the California League Champions on their opening day of the 2011 season interviewing players and fans, and showing all that a day at the San Jose ballpark has to offer.
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Nice piece. It plays more like an promotional ad though, rather than journalism. (this is journalism class, not marketing, right?) Would like to have seen more footage of the players in action, and the kids area too (they make a big thing about it being a family outing), and some statistics on the players as far as how many get to the majors, what are their famous alumni…