Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog, page 169

Top 10 boys’ tennis rankings

Top 10 boys’ tennis rankings

1. Stevenson:

2. Soquel:

3. Aptos:

4. Carmel:

5. Pacific Grove:

6. Monterey:

7. Santa Cruz:

8. Hollister:

9. Monte Vista:

10. Salinas:

On the bubble: York, Oakwood, Alisal, Rancho San Juan, Harbor.

Lisa Wooninck, Finding Sanctuary:| Whalefest celebrates our ocean economy

For the 15th consecutive year, Whalefest Monterey helps boost our local economy while shining a spotlight upon our thriving whale watch and ocean conservation communities — all with the stunning backdrop of our incredible Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

From April 12-13, the annual festival will be held at Old Fisherman’s Wharf and Custom House Plaza in Monterey, becoming the epicenter for marine enthusiasts, families and tourists to celebrate the sanctuary’s vibrant marine life, rich maritime history, and abundance of recreation opportunities.

According to Mary Alice Fettis, long-time co-chair of the Whalefest planning team, “our committee works hard to fulfill our goals, which are to educate everyone of all ages, to inspire them, to encourage them to explore and especially to empower them with knowledge.”

Whalefest brings together Monterey Bay’s world-renowned network of marine science institutions and organizations to share cutting-edge research and conservation efforts. The showcase of a science symposium and more than 40 marine exhibitors aims to educate visitors on how to protect our special ocean places.

The free event will also feature kids’ activities, local history walks, marine vessel tours, musical performances, calamari cooking demonstrations and more.

“For the 15th anniversary, we’ve added landscape painters, who will be providing demonstrations on how to create marine artwork,” says Fettis.

Organizers expect a crowd of 15,000 in attendance, including local residents and many visitors from outside of Monterey. Past visitor surveys revealed that about 70% spend two or more days exploring the area, investing in hotels, restaurants and tour operators.

“When people come to the wharf for these events, they enjoy themselves and it resonates as a fun place they want to revisit and bring their families,” says Kevin Phillips, owner of Abalonetti Bar and Grill, located on Old Fisherman’s Wharf.

As a signature annual festival, Whalefest is not only a celebration of whale migrations in the bay, it also educates the public about important conservation issues we care about, such as ocean pollution and whale entanglement, to empower action. Whalefest serves as a shining example of how a community can unite to help protect essential sanctuary resources and promote the vitality of coastal businesses.

“Monterey has a real connection to a healthy ocean, due to our long history as a fishing community, so there is an investment to conserve it. Especially with young people, that is important for the future,” says Phillips.

Monterey Bay is the heart of recreation and tourism in the sanctuary — offering whale watching, scuba diving, kayaking, fishing, sailing, and more. In 2023, Monterey County saw a strong rebound in tourism dollars, with visitors spending $3 billion. That same year, travel spending in Santa Cruz County was $1.4 billion.

A key indicator of economic growth is reflected in the creation of jobs that support the livelihoods of individuals. In California, the recreation and tourism sector employs 67% of the state’s marine-related workforce, intertwined with a dependence on healthy ocean ecosystems. National marine sanctuaries across the country safeguard marine life and habitats, protect our cultural heritage, and support research that provides significant value to local economies.

Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is committed to strengthening sanctuary resilience to ocean stressors through habitat restoration, species protection, research and education. To conserve the whale species that visit our sanctuary to feed, we protect the feeding grounds and implement innovative voluntary slow speed zones to reduce mortality from large ship strikes. In working with industry and our partners, we are dedicated to ensuring long-term ecological health that supports sustainable economic growth for our community that depends on it.

Visit www.whalefest.org  for more information on Whalefest Monterey, including schedules for music, activities and the Symposium.

Superintendent Lisa Wooninck and her staff at NOAA’s Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary conduct research, education and resource protection in one of most biodiverse marine protected areas in the world. Learn about new and exciting stories by the sanctuary within these articles. Wooninck can be reached at lisa.wooninck@noaa.gov. To learn more about the sanctuary, visit montereybay.noaa.gov.

Whalefest offers something for everyone, including calamari cooking demonstrations. (Photo courtesy Jen Petrovich)

Horoscopes April 5, 2025: Pharrell Williams, go after whatever makes you happy

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Pharrell Williams, 52; Mike McCready, 59; Mitch Pileggi, 73; Agnetha Faltskog, 75.

Happy Birthday: Go about your business, and let progress be your calling card. What you accomplish will draw positive attention and encourage you to up your game and throw in exceptional little extras. A professional change or position that helps you raise your income or offers more clout is apparent. The transition is up to you. Go after whatever makes you happy, and fulfillment will be yours. Your numbers are 7, 13, 24, 27, 33, 35, 41.

ARIES (March 21- April 19): Put more credence into what you do and how you present yourself and your attributes. Take the high road, and don’t look back. Letting go of the past is half the battle, but once you learn to recognize and run toward positive transformation, you’ll ease stress and enjoy what life offers. 2 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Tidy up; take a stab at minimalizing your life and decluttering your space. The freedom you can get by lowering your overhead or having less to deal with will lead to better health and happiness. Put your energy into altering your lifestyle to encourage peace of mind and more time for purposeful pastimes. 4 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Bide your time. Refuse to let anyone talk you into something you don’t want or need. You may have plenty to offer, but protect yourself from those exploiting you for their benefit. Reach out to obscure connections, get the lowdown and make choices based on what is easiest for you. 3 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Get your facts straight before you share information. Put more time and thought into how you use your energy and skills to get things done and raise your profile. Changing how you use and handle your finances and protecting your physical well-being will pay off. Romance is in the stars. 3 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Keep your mind motivated and moving in an innovative direction. Learn all you can and adapt your findings to service your skills. It’s up to you to find ways to stand out in a competitive world. Positive change happens when you address issues that are standing in your way. 3 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Introduce yourself to people and pastimes that excite you. Participate in community events and be receptive to adopting changes that can benefit you personally. Who you associate with will impact your feelings about yourself and the changes you incorporate into your routine. Make romance and love a priority. 4 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Take in the atmosphere and indulge in events that draw your undivided attention. The inspiration you receive from interacting with people who are unique, creative or knowledgeable about subjects that spark your curiosity will empower you to dig deeper and utilize the information and connections you encounter. 2 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Don’t hide when you should be out and about. Interacting with other people and discovering and learning something new and exciting will lead to friendships with people who share commonalities. Social events will change your perspective regarding someone of interest. Participation is your segue to better options, new beginnings and positive lifestyle changes. 5 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Think big, but don’t go over budget. Someone will interfere or try to persuade you to take on responsibilities you don’t need or want. Focus on what’s possible and make self and home improvements that boost your confidence and enhance your lifestyle. Protect your money, possessions and reputation. 3 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You are sitting in a better position than someone would have you believe. Listen to criticism, but decide for yourself what’s best for you. You know what you can do, so implement the changes necessary to help you reach your destination. Be passionate about the process, journey and overall outcome. 3 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): A financial opportunity is apparent. Buying, selling or investing more time or money in yourself or your future is encouraged and will send you down a rewarding path. Trust your instincts and make every moment, choice and move you make strategic. It’s OK to do things differently. Uniqueness is your strength. 3 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Live life your way. Follow your heart, live in the moment and participate in events and activities that pump you up and make you feel good about yourself and what you can do. Say no to temptation, excessive behavior and overspending or paying for others’ mistakes. Choose wisdom over ego. 5 stars

Birthday Baby: You are sensitive, compassionate and reflective. You are open-minded and efficient.

1 star: Avoid conflicts; work behind the scenes. 2 stars: You can accomplish, but don’t rely on others. 3 stars: Focus and you’ll reach your goals. 4 stars: Aim high; start new projects. 5 stars: Nothing can stop you; go for gold.

Visit Eugenialast.com, or join Eugenia on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn.

Want a link to your daily horoscope delivered directly to your inbox each weekday morning? Sign up for our free Coffee Break newsletter at mercurynews.com/newsletters or eastbaytimes.com/newsletters.

Commercial Dungeness crab season closing in Monterey Bay

Due to the dangers presented to humpback whales, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced it will end commercial and recreational Dungeness crab fishing south of Pigeon Point, including Monterey Bay and Morro Bay, on April 15.

Vertical lines will be allowed to continue in other parts of Northern California, including Zones 1-3 in Half Moon Bay, San Francisco and Bodega Bay, where whales are now returning to their feeding grounds.

This crab season had first opened on Jan. 5.

Officials explained that the whale entanglements off the West Coast reached a six-year high in 2024. There are confirmed reports of a humpback whale currently entangled in multiple sets of Dungeness crab gear of Monterey Bay. The same whale has been reported entangled three different times since October.

Whale entanglement is fatal in 75% of cases, according to the National Marine Fisheries Service. The whales have a difficult time diving and feeding while dragging heavy fishing gear for months, which can cause severe damage and drowning.

“Based on the department’s own data, in the last three seasons, 33 humpback whales out of a total of 38 were first sighted entangled after the central California crab season closed,” Geoff Shester, Oceana’s California campaign director and senior scientist, said in a prepared statement. “This repeated pattern of waiting too long to close the fishery is harming endangered whale populations and is a disservice to local fishing communities.”

Scientists estimate that the reported entanglements are only 10% of the actual entanglements, according to Oceana.

“California’s plan for reducing whale entanglements is not working,” Shester said. “Keeping the Bay Area and Northern California crab season open right now presents an extreme risk to endangered whales — with very low reward — that will ultimately hurt California fishing communities in the long-term.”

After a season ends in a fishing zone, fishermen may continue seeking crab while using pop-up fishing gear under experimental fishing permits. This gear stores the rope and buoy with a trap on the seafloor until an acoustic release mechanism sends the buoy to the surface.

Pop-up gear was tested by 19 fishermen last spring, while waters were closed to conventional crab gear to prevent whale entanglements. These fishermen saw a 98% success rate and yielded $1.5 million worth of crab, according to Oceana.

Warriors look happy to be back home, beat Nuggets in possible playoff preview

SAN FRANCISCO – Before Friday’s game against the Nuggets, with playoff positioning still unsettled, Warriors coach Steve Kerr said every night feels like the postseason. 

If that is the case, then Golden State made the case that it was ready for a possible playoff series with Denver when it romped over the Nuggets 118-104 at Chase Center. 

Fresh off a six-game road trip that took them from Atlanta to Los Angeles over a two-week span, the Warriors looked thrilled to be playing in their first home game since March 20. 

Steph Curry scored 36 points, Nikola Jokic had 33 points, nine assists and 12 rebounds, Jimmy Butler put in 19 and Brandin Podziemski scored 26. The Warriors improved to 13-0 with the starting lineup of Curry, Butler, Draymond Green, Moses Moody and Podziemski. 

The hosts also snapped a nine-game losing streak to Denver.

“We knew about the streak for sure, and it’s just kind of a little extra motivation,” Curry said, before adding that the team also had plenty of motivation from wanting to remain a high seed in the playoff standings.

The Warriors (46-31) stayed the fifth seed in the Western Conference, a game in front of sixth-seeded Minnesota (45-32) and the No. 7 seed Clippers (45-32) in the standings. Denver (47-30) fell to the fourth seed.

Coming off a nationally televised showdown with the No. 3 seeded Lakers on Thursday night, Golden State’s defense looked sluggish to start. 

Denver’s offense was unstoppable in the first quarter, piling up 44 points and making 17 of 24 shots. Whether it be Draymond Green, Quinteen Post or Gui Santos, three-time MVP Nikola Jokic turned them into defensive traffic cones on his way to 15 points and three assists while Denver took a 44-34 lead. 

He showed great chemistry with Archbishop Mitty legend Aaron Gordon, who scored eight in the period and 15 in the game, mostly on cuts behind a Golden State defense focused on Jokic.

The game turned in the second quarter, when Golden State began the period with a 9-0 run with Jokic on the bench. 

Later in the second quarter, Curry went on a tear. He split a double team with a pump fake before knocked down a shot that left him shimmying in front of the Nuggets defense.

The Warriors were just getting started.  

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A minute later, Jonathan Kuminga sliced baseline on a sharp cut that left the Nuggets in his wake and with a 53-51 Warriors lead on the Chase Center scoreboard. 

Curry continued to keep the pressure on Denver in the closing minutes of the half, making another deep triple and floating in a short shot to help give him a 19-point first half. 

After going scoreless in the second quarter, Jokic turned it up in the third, pumping in 16 more points. But the Warriors offense continued to hum along. 

Podziemski, coming off a 28-point night in Los Angeles, made a number of midrange jumpers on Friday night while also making four 3-pointers. 

“Brandin is just playing with the confidence that comes with a second year, starting, 30-plus minutes every night,” Kerr said. “Shot’s not always going to be there, but its’ going to be consistent over time. The way he’s playing, the way he feels, he’s a big-time player.”

Leading 96-84 entering the fourth quarter, Butler scored the first five points of the period to give Golden State a 104-91 lead. The Warriors led by double-digits for the entire fourth quarter to close out the win. 

The Warriors have a day off before playing host to second-seeded Houston (50-27) on Sunday.

Kurtenbach: SF Giants baseball is torture again. Bring it on

SAN FRANCISCO — You can’t say Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski doesn’t know his squad.

Before the Giants’ home opener on Friday, I asked him to define what 2025 Giants baseball is.

“Hard-nosed baseball,” Yaztremski said. “We play until the very end. You can see it in this clubhouse where every guy cares about winning more than they care about themselves.”

And so long as we do that, the results will speak for themselves.”

It was the kind of comment that challenged me not to roll my eyes. I read it as early-season ballpark bloviation — the empty platitudes that every team spews in March and April, when anything could theoretically happen in a season.

But Yaz is a soothsayer.

The first six games of the Giants’ campaign certainly fit his description.

But clearly the Giants were saving the really good stuff for Friday’s debut at Oracle Park — a 243-minute extra-innings affair that featured four ties, six lead changes, a near-game-losing wild pitch, and a walk-off two-run single.

Yes, it’s early, but Giants baseball is truly torturous again.

And while we all catch our breath and pour ourselves a drink to get over whatever that 11-inning contest was, let’s all admit that exhausting, laborious, and downright nervy is a significant upgrade over boring — a characteristic recent Giants teams have boasted in spades.

For a not-quite-sold-out crowd, enjoying the first game of Oracle Park’s 25th season, Friday’s game was one to both lament and remember.

It certainly wasn’t an afternoon to forget.

San Francisco Giants’ Willy Adames (2) is congratulated by teammates after hitting the two-run walk-off against the Seattle Mariners in the eleventh of their Opening Day game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, April 4, 2024. The San Francisco Giants won 10-9. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)San Francisco Giants’ Tyler Fitzgerald (49) scores the wiining run against Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) on a two-run walk-off hit by San Francisco Giants’ Willy Adames (2) in the eleventh of their Opening Day game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, April 4, 2024. The San Francisco Giants won 10-9. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)San Francisco Giants’ Lou Trivino (56) delivers against the Seattle Mariners in the fifth inning of their Opening Day game against the Seattle Mariners at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, April 4, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)San Francisco Giants’ Willy Adames (2) connects an RBI double against the Seattle Mariners in the fifth inning of their Opening Day at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, April 4, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)San Francisco Giants’ Willy Adames (2) slides safely at home on a single by San Francisco Giants’ Jung Hoo Lee (51) in the fourth inning of their Opening Day game against the Seattle Mariners at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, April 4, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)San Francisco Giants’ Jung Hoo Lee (51) loses his helmet on a base hit against the Seattle Mariners in the second inning of their Opening Day at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, April 4, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)Show Caption1 of 6San Francisco Giants’ Willy Adames (2) is congratulated by teammates after hitting the two-run walk-off against the Seattle Mariners in the eleventh of their Opening Day game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, April 4, 2024. The San Francisco Giants won 10-9. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)Expand

The Giants celebrated a quarter-century at the corner of King and Third Friday, bringing some of the 2000 National League West winners onto the field (2000 NL MVP Jeff Kent was conspicuously absent — maybe he was cleaning his truck), for good measure.

“I still call it the new ballpark,” manager Bob Melvin said of Oracle Park. “It still feels like a new ballpark. This place, Baltimore — they’re special places.”

He’s not wrong. Is there a better place to watch a baseball game on the planet, particularly on a sunny, 65-degree day like Friday in the city?

No sir. And you can’t convince otherwise, even if a four-hour baseball game might violate protocols in the Geneva Conventions.

But while the day was Chamber-of-Commerce perfect, and the outcome was, too, the Giants’ play on the diamond was anything but.

Justin Verlander mustered only seven outs in his first Oracle Park start as a Giant. The 42-year-old’s four-seam fastball — his 2024 bugaboo on which opponents hit .299 against — was ineffective against a Seattle team that sat on it. It left the Giants to use seven relievers, two of whom (Lou Trivino and Camilo Doval) were hit with blown saves in the box score.

Yes, two blown saves. As I said, it was a wild game.

And the Giants were 5-for-27 with runners in scoring position before Willy Adames — playing his first home game as a Giant — drove home two in the bottom of the 11th inning, with second baseman Tyler Fitzgerald blowing through third-base coach Matt Williams’ stop sign to score the winning run.

Fitzgerald’s baserunning truculence will be remembered and appreciated for years to come.

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The fans went home happy, exhausted, and probably sunburned. (Take it from someone whose kids are half-Scottish — you need to reapply every two hours, folks.)

And likely much to the chagrin of commissioner of baseball Rob Manfred (who, given what’s happening with the A’s in West Sacramento, is clearly on vacation in a place without access to MLB.TV — wait, that’s most places these days), it was a full, fulfilling day at the ballpark.

Was it torture — a brand of Machiavellian baseball only the Giants seem to play? Absolutely.

But a win is a win. That’s five in a row for the Giants, in fact.

More importantly, it’s the first true memory of the 2025 season.

And, as you might have heard, making memories is this team’s real business.

Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler to play in Warriors-Nuggets game

SAN FRANCISCO – The Warriors will have their two superstars in the team’s first home game in two weeks. 

Steph Curry (left pelvic contusion) and Jimmy Butler (left forearm strain) were both listed as questionable on the early-afternoon injury report, and coach Steve Kerr declined to say whether they would play on Friday night against visiting Denver. 

“I’m hopeful that they’ll play, but we’ll wait and see,” Kerr said. 

The team later announced Curry and Butler as starters on social media.

Golden State beat the Lakers in Los Angeles on Thursday before making the quick trip back to the Bay Area for the second game of the team’s penultimate back-to-back of the season. 

The Warriors (45-31) are the fifth seed in the Western Conference, a half-game in front of sixth-seeded Memphis (45-32) and the No. 7 seed Minnesota (45-32) in the standings. Denver (47-30) is the third seed. 

Curry has been nursing a bruised tailbone since a hard fall during the Warriors’ victory over Toronto on March 20, the team’s last home game. 

He missed the first two games of the recently completed trip, both losses, before playing in the last four road victories while wearing a piece of protective equipment. 

In Thursday’s 123-116 victory over Los Angeles, Curry hit the floor hard on several drives but finished the game. He scored 37 points. 

Butler left the Warriors bench in the third quarter while dealing with his injury, but he too returned and closed out the Warriors’ victory that kept the team out of the play-in spot. 

Butler told media after the game that he could get testing on his forearm, but Kerr said he did not know if Butler had undergone testing. 

Gary Payton II, who has missed the last four games with a left thumb injury, was also questionable but was upgraded to available. 

The Warriors find themselves in the same situation Denver did when the teams last played at Chase Center on March 17. 

MVP candidate Nikola Jokic and star guard Jamal Murray both sat out that game, but Archbishop Mitty alum Aaron Gordon scored 38 points to lead Denver to a surprising 114-105 victory and snapped Golden State’s seven-game winning streak. 

Kerr has high praise for Jokic

Kerr did not mince words when describing Jokic’s dominance a few hours before the Warriors played the center who is averaging a 29.7-point triple-double on sterling efficiency.

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“It’s unfair to compare eras, but he’s the best center I’ve ever seen,” Kerr said. “I mean again, I played against Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar), so I’m kind of old, maybe one year I played against him, but I watched him, obviously, and Kareem couldn’t do all this stuff.”

Nuggets coach Mike Malone did not refute Kerr’s assessment. 

“Steve Kerr played the game a long time, and he’s been around a lot of winning basketball as a player and as a coach,” Malone said. “So obviously, Steve has great experiences to draw from, and as an older who has seen a lot of things.”

On Oracle Park’s 25th birthday, SF Giants ring in new era in multiple ways

SAN FRANCISCO — It’s officially the post-Mays, post-A’s era at the ballpark by the Bay.

The Giants couldn’t have asked for better weather or better circumstances to ring in Oracle Park’s 25th anniversary, and it was a big one.

“There’s definitely a lot of changes,” outfielder Mike Yastrzmeski, the team’s longest-tenured player, said before taking the field for his seventh Opening Day on the shores of McCovey Cove.

Members of Bourbon Street Brass Band march by the Willie McCovey statue before the San Francisco Giants’ home opener against the Seattle Mariners, Friday, April 4, 2025, in San Francisco, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)San Francisco Giants fans Jim Streeter, second from right, and Ron Blaj, right, watch the home opener against the Seattle Mariners, Friday, April 4, 2025, at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)San Francisco Giants fan Joe Romero, of Fresno, shows his San Francisco Giants themed shirt before the home opener against the Seattle Mariners, Friday, April 4, 2025, in San Francisco, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)San Francisco Giants fans in the stands are seen in a reflection of a glass during the San Francisco Giants home opener against the Seattle Mariners, Friday, April 4, 2025, in San Francisco, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)Show Caption1 of 4Members of Bourbon Street Brass Band march by the Willie McCovey statue before the San Francisco Giants’ home opener against the Seattle Mariners, Friday, April 4, 2025, in San Francisco, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)Expand

It begins with the man in charge, Buster Posey, whose reign as the president of baseball operations is off to about as fast a start as his playing career that produced three World Series championships. His club is 6-1 after a 10-9 win in 11 innings on a sunny Friday afternoon.

The bounty of those teams is prominently displayed now in the entrance to the Giants’ clubhouse, which received a small makeover during the offseason that included the addition of three World Series trophies in the entranceway.

The other new things include a mysterious, gold-plated wrestling belt with the letters “BMF” — take a guess what those stand for — that will be awarded to a player after each win, and more publicly, an LED screen on the iconic renovated Coca Cola bottle in left field.

But some of the biggest differences had to do with what — and who — wasn’t there.

“I think everybody feels Willie’s absence,” manager Bob Melvin said. “Orlando (Cepeda), too.”

For the first time in the Giants’ 67-year history in San Francisco, they opened a baseball season in a world without Willie Mays or Orlando Cepeda. While the old-timers haven’t been part of the festivities for a few years, the Giants used to parade their living Hall of Famers around the warning track at the start of each new season.

Now, the only one left is Juan Marichal, who will turn 88 in October. Giants fans did get a chance Friday to celebrate their recent past, breaking out in chants of “Bar-ry!” when Mays’ godson, Barry Bonds, addressed the crowd as part of a pregame ceremony with then-manager Dusty Baker and other members of the 2000 club honoring the group that opened the ballpark.

San Francisco Giants fans high-five as Giants scores during the home opener against the Seattle Mariners, Friday, April 4, 2025, in San Francisco, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)San Francisco Giants fan Tom Watkins, 69, of Sunnyvale, is attending what would be his 50th Giants home opener on Friday, April 4, 2025, in San Francisco, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)Peanut Martinez, 5, of San Jose, throws a ball while playing with other children in a parking lot before the San Francisco Giants’ home opener against the Seattle Mariners, Friday, April 4, 2025, in San Francisco, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)San Francisco Giants fan Cindy Chimal of San Bruno attends a tailgate party before the home opener against the Seattle Mariners, Friday, April 4, 2025, in San Francisco, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)San Francisco Giants pitcher Spencer Bivens pitches during the San Francisco Giants’ home opener against the Seattle Mariners, Friday, April 4, 2025, in San Francisco, Calif. The Giants won the game 10-9. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)San Francisco Giants fan Jeanna Dinan, center, reacts while watching the home opener against the Seattle Mariners, Friday, April 4, 2025, at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)San Francisco Giants’ Willy Adames celebrates after hitting a game-winning two-run walk-off in the eleventh inning of the San Francisco Giants’ home opener against the Seattle Mariners, Friday, April 4, 2025, in San Francisco, Calif. The Giants won the game 10-9. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)San Francisco Giants fans react as they watch the home opener against the Seattle Mariners, Friday, April 4, 2025, at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)Show Caption1 of 8San Francisco Giants fans high-five as Giants scores during the home opener against the Seattle Mariners, Friday, April 4, 2025, in San Francisco, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)Expand

“It’s harder for us (older fans),” said Kevin Parker of Los Altos, who became a Giants fan when Mays tossed him a ball at Candlestick Park. “Our heroes are disappearing. It’s a right of passage in a sense with those guys gone.”

Mays and Cepeda died last summer within 10 days of each other and received headline billing during the pregame “In Memorium” ceremony. Mays’ family and personal caretaker were on hand in a suite to witness the warm reception, and Melvin said the pair of Giants legends are “going to have a big presence here. They’re going to be like angels here for us now.”

Twenty-five years ago, the Giants celebrated the opening of their new waterfront ballpark by unveiling a statue of Mays outside the home plate entrance. In a surprise, even to Mays, then-chairman Peter McGowan announced another tribute that would live on in his wake.

“From that day forward the official address of the ballpark would be 24 Willie Mays Plaza,” broadcaster Jon Miller remembered. “I’m sitting right next to Willie, and Willie just couldn’t believe it. He almost burst out into tears, it was such an incredible honor. He did not take it for granted. He just seemed to be overcome.”

The Giants have had no trouble filling the place in the quarter century since, and that was with another team operating on the other side of the Bay Bridge.

For the first time since 1967, the Bay Area is a one-team market again.

“I know it’s not the Bay Area, but they’re still here in Northern California. They’re still in Sacramento,” starter Logan Webb noted of the A’s, who were swept by the Cubs in three games to start their three-year residency at the home of the Giants’ Triple-A team.

While the Giants’ ace said it was “weird” not to play their former regional rivals in the annual post-spring exhibitions — they hosted the Tigers for two games instead — the Sacramento-area native who grew up rooting for the A’s was skeptical of the Giants’ ability to siphon off any fans.

“If they want to hop on board, they can,” said Webb, who also maintained his Raiders allegiances when they skipped town for Las Vegas. “I know when I was younger and you asked me to do that I probably would have said no, even if they left.”

That said, the Giants couldn’t have done much better through the first week of the season at appealing to the woebegone Bay Area baseball fan.

Webb and Yastrzemski, two key figures of the previous administration under Farhan Zaidi, pushed back on the idea that it was an entirely new era of Giants baseball with Posey in charge.

“I think by saying that we’re taking away from what has happened and insinuating that before we didn’t care as much, which I don’t think is the case,” Yastrzemski said.

But both players said they noticed a difference in spring training, starting with a focus on the little things, such as situational hitting. Entering Friday’s game, the Giants led the National League with a .308 batting average with runners in scoring position.

“I think there’s a mindset change,” Webb said. “It’s almost like (Posey) demands it a certain way. Not in a bad way. He wants us to play baseball a certain way. I think he pointed us in the right direction early on in spring and we’ve done really well executing that.”

The trophies, Webb said, are an “awesome addition.”

“When you walk in, you see that,” Webb said. “You kind of want to add to that.”

As for the wrestling belt, according to Yastrzemski, the team had something similar in 2019.

“It’s a little ode to the past and a little bringing it to the future, too,” he said.

Returning home from a 5-1 road trip, the Giants were welcomed by weather to match the positive start to the season. The blue skies and 63-degree temperature at first pitch even caused Melvin to pause for a moment in the dugout to take it all in.

“This is quite the place to have a baseball game, let alone Opening Day,” Melvin said. “There’s only one day that gets you feeling like this, and that’s the home opener.”

Hey, skip, Mays’ angel wants to have a word.

“When he spoke about the ballpark,” Miller remembered, “he said, ‘People keep saying it’s a beautiful ballpark. And it is. But they say it has so many great views, have you seen the views?’

“Willie said, ‘Man, it’s not a condominium, what do I care about the views? How does it play? How’s the ball carry? What are the winds going to do to the fly balls? That’s what I’m worried about!’ I’ll never forget that.”

Adames hits walk-off in home debut as SF Giants extend winning streak

SAN FRANCISCO — The pregame scene at Oracle Park on Friday afternoon — originally known as Pacific Bell Park when it opened 25 years ago — was an exercise in nostalgia.

The jumbotron featured a montage of the best moments in the ballpark’s two-and-a-half decades, from Barry Bonds’ milestone homers, to Matt Cain’s perfect game, to the World Series runs. The team recognized members of the 2000 Giants, a list featuring Bonds, J.T. Snow and Dusty Baker. Bonds then took the microphone and rallied the crowd, imploring the fans who supported the team over the last 25 years to rise to their feet.

Buster Posey, upon becoming San Francisco’s president of baseball operations, said the team was in the business of making memories. They created plenty during their first 25 years at this venue. And on Friday, the Giants and Seattle Mariners engaged in arguably the most thrilling home opener in this ballpark’s history, a gritty, grimy barroom brawl of a ballgame that lasted a shade over four hours and ended with Willy Adames, the franchise’s new $182 million dollar man, hitting a walk-off, two-run single in the bottom of the 11th. The Giants stand at 6-1. The vibes, so far, are high.

San Francisco Giants’ Willy Adames (2) hits a two-run walk-off against the Seattle Mariners in the eleventh of their Opening Day game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, April 4, 2024. The San Francisco Giants won 10-9. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)

And in their longest game of the pitch clock era they, indeed, made a whole lot of memories.

“They’re a bunch of dogs,” Adames said. “They’re going to go out there and fight and try to beat the other team. We showed it today. We never give up. We were battling, punching back and that’s what I’ve seen so far from the group of guys that we have in here.”

Added manager Bob Melvin: “A lot of twists and turns. We obviously didn’t do some things right. Kind of went both ways. But for an Opening Day like that with a packed house and nobody left for one second. It seemed like there was drama every single inning. We put on a good show.”

The Giants have put on six good shows to begin Posey’s first season at the helm, and most of those wins have required a different calculus than the last.

On Opening Day, Wilmer Flores hit a go-ahead, three-run home run in the top of the ninth inning that stunned the crowd at Great American Ball Park. In Houston, Jordan Hicks and Logan Webb turned in masterful outings in the first and second games of that series before the Giants completed their sweep of the Astros by outslugging them in the series finale. Through it all, they relied on excellent pitching (2.72 ERA), spotless defense (zero errors) and timely hitting (.308 batting average with runners in scoring position). The home opener, by contrast, was neither crisp nor clean, and what they did well on the road didn’t transfer home.

Justin Verlander, making his first start in this ballpark since Game 1 of the 2012 World Series, recorded seven outs and allowed three earned runs. The 42-year-old needed 30 pitches to finish his first two innings but threw 35 pitches in the third inning, many of them coming in a 13-pitch battle with Seattle’s Cal Raleigh that ended in a walk. With Verlander turning in the Giants’ shortest outing of the year, Melvin relied on seven pitchers — Randy Rodríguez, Lou Trivino, Camilo Doval, Erik Miller, Tyler Rogers, Ryan Walker and Spencer Bivens — to eat innings.

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Justin Verlander (35) delivers against the Seattle Mariners in the third inning of their Opening Day at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, April 4, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)

Along with Verlander’s short outing, San Francisco’s defense and situational hitting weren’t as proficient compared to the road trip.

Adames did make a leaping catch to rob Julio Rodríguez, his friend, of a base hit and joked that he’ll have to pay for Rodríguez’s lunch, but second baseman Tyler Fitzgerald committed the Giants’ first error of the year, leading Doval to give three unearned runs. Doval, though, didn’t do himself any favors by allowing three steals — one to Raleigh, a catcher — in one inning. As far as timely hitting, the Giants went 6-for-28 with runners in scoring position on the afternoon and squandered opportunities to win the game in the ninth or 10th.

The win-loss column, though, does not feature adjectives. For what it’s worth, the fans at Oracle Park certainly didn’t seem to mind watching their new shortstop deliver a win.

“Good teams find different ways to win ballgames. You can’t just win one way and sustain that over the course of a season,” Verlander said. “Today was a slugfest, and we were able to pull it out that way. It’s like I said in spring: This team has something special and I think we were kind of overlooked. It’s early, but I think you can see that this team is pretty good.”

San Francisco Giants’ Tyler Fitzgerald (49) scores the wiining run against Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) on a two-run walk-off hit by San Francisco Giants’ Willy Adames (2) in the eleventh of their Opening Day game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, April 4, 2024. The San Francisco Giants won 10-9. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)

True to Verlander’s description, the home opener was a true see-saw affair that featured numerous lead changes, 17 pitchers, 18 runs and 32 hits over 11 arduous innings, one in which neither team could maintain control for more than half an inning.

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Both teams scored a run in the first. San Francisco scored two in the second; Seattle responded with two in the third. 3-3. The Giants scored two more in the fourth; the Mariners countered with two more in the fifth. 5-5.

San Francisco, once again, took the lead with a run in the fifth, but coughed it up as Seattle scored three runs thanks in large part to Fitzgerald’s error. The deficit, appropriately, didn’t last long. Matt Chapman hit a solo homer, then Patrick Bailey legged out a potential inning-ending double play to score a run. 8-8.

Then, for four innings, silence.

The scoring ceased in the seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th, both teams failing to capitalize. During the ninth, in particular, San Francisco had a runner on third with no outs but couldn’t push him home. In the 11th, the damn finally broke.

With Rodríguez up and the bases loaded, Bivens threw a wild pitch to the backstop that allowed Luke Raley to score from third, giving the Mariners a 9-8 lead. The Giants needed, at the minimum, an equalizer. Adames, instead, called game.

“It was kind of apropos that the new big signing for us ended up coming up with a huge hit to win a game,” Melvin said. “There was a lot going on out there, but it was pretty cool that he ended it.”

San Francisco Giants’ Willy Adames (2) is congratulated by teammates after hitting the two-run walk-off against the Seattle Mariners in the eleventh of their Opening Day game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, April 4, 2024. The San Francisco Giants won 10-9. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)

Guitars Not Guns to donate 250 guitars to local school programs

The Monterey County chapter of Guitars Not Guns is giving out 250 electric guitars for school programs.

In conjunction with the Monterey County Office of Education, 250 Gibson Les Paul Epiphone electric guitars plus 250 Peavey guitar amps will be distributed to 19 school districts across the county at 2 p.m. April 18 at the Monterey County Office of Education conference room, 901 Blanco Circle, Salinas. There will be a brief presentation, followed by the distribution.

The National organization Guitars Not Guns aims to provide children, schools and organizations ways to offer lessons to at-risk youth in a classroom setting.

“Seeing kids getting to benefit from this program is really rewarding,” said Steve Vagnini, founder of the Monterey County chapter of Guitars Not Guns.

In addition to the Gibson Gives Guitar Giveaway, the organization continues to hold free guitar classes and donate guitars to students at multiple locations throughout Monterey County.  Guitars Not Guns currently holds free guitar classes at the Monterey County Probation Department’s Youth Center, The Boys & Girls Club in Seaside, The Marina Teen Center, Learning for Life in Marina, CHISPA programs in South County and the organization’s annual Upward Program at Cal State Monterey Bay.

Vagnini said he became interested in the program 15 years ago when he saw another chapter fundraising at the West End Celebration in Sand City. Vagnini was the long-time coordinator of the event before stepping down this year.

“We contacted the national organization and they came down and told us about the program. We just felt the need was there, to provide alternatives to gang violence and just creating inspiration,” Vagnini said.

As the program continues to grow thanks to fundraising and donations, Vagnini said his favorite part has been seeing the children grow up and continue to have a love for the instrument.

“The most rewarding part of has been seeing young adults that started off in the program many years ago now playing in bands and around town, just really turning into good people,” Vagnini said. “It’s more than just teaching kids how to play guitar, it’s mentoring them and showing them that people care about them.”