SF Giants: How are the early-season vibes at Oracle Park?

The SF Giants have played their first five games at Oracle Park this season, two against the Dodgers, their biggest rival, and yet only one game has been in front of a sellout crowd. While it could mean nothing, it’s probably okay to say that it’s not a great sign for the organization’s wallets. But what about for fans?

Well, after attending a pair of the first five home games of the season: the crowd is a mix of time-weathered fans who don’t happen to live online or participate in any of the “Fire Farhan” or “Boycott Baer” discourse, and Bay Area residents just looking to have a nice day out at the yard.

I’m not a fan of gatekeeping. Whoever wants to show up to the ballpark to take in some baseball is fine by me (though candidly, I’d prefer less Dodger blue than we have been graced with recently). And so far, this has meant that generally, getting to the bathroom and a Cha Cha bowl is a lot easier. Not everyone in my immediate vicinity has been all that invested in what’s going on on the field, but that’s nothing new compared to recent years, with the exception of late-season 2021.

That said, the charm isn’t missing from Oracle Park; even without watching every pitch religiously or knowing exactly who was acquired from where, fans can tell a special moment when they see one. On Easter Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Royals, folks were enjoying the sunshine despite what looked like a sure 1-0 loss.

But in the eighth, everyone was out of their seats watching Bryce Johnson steal second in a head first slide before he realized Wilmer Flores had hit a double down the left field line. He was able to recover quickly, popping up and heading home to score, getting the Giants back in the game, and giving the fans something to cheer about with just an inning to spare. Michael Conforto’s home run in the next at-bat only riled everyone up even more.

There’s no denying there are a chunk of folks missing from the ballpark. It’s easy to assume that this is due to the decisions the latest era of management has made with roster construction. Most recently, the Giants have had what can politely be described as a turbulent year. Coming off of their historic 107-win season in 2021, their 2022 was comparatively a let down, especially after a key piece in Buster Posey retired. Plus, Brandon Crawford and the team's broadcast crew are really the only remaining pieces on the team tied to the Giants dynastic run from 2010-2014.

The front office assured fans ahead of 2023 that things would turn around. In fact, they said, this would be the first time under Farhan Zaidi’s tenure that they’d spend big. Except any fans who followed along this winter know how that went: the team struck out on both Aaron Judge and Carlos Correa, though not for lack of trying.

This hasn’t gone over particularly well with the fanbase - those who’ve let the organization know they won’t bother watching a game until the whole place cleans house. They want someone to hire decision makers who will finally bring a big name back to the Bay Area, the likes of which hasn’t happened in free agency since Barry Bonds or in the draft since Buster Posey (although Logan Webb could be on that trajectory).

Still, that's probably not the only reason for fewer “butts in seats,” though. We are, after all, still amidst a global pandemic, and many people are still not comfortable around crowds of people. Not to mention the average cost for a family of four to attend a baseball game has steadily risen in the last decade. As gentrification has led to even more population turnover in and around San Francisco, many fans have moved out of the Bay Area altogether, surely contributing to the lower and lower attendance.

Realistically though, a few thousand fewer fans at the park, while bad for the team’s bottom line, isn’t anything the SF Giants can’t afford. After all, they didn’t sign any nine-figure deals this offseason, and made the second-most money in MLB last year (per Forbes). In the end, it will probably make the biggest impact on the players, many of whom remember what Oracle Park looks like when it's sold out and roaring.