by Rochelle Metcalfe
THIRD STREET, starting from Mariposa north, IS BUSY! Reigning World Series Champion San Francisco GIANTS are home for another season at AT&T Park – 3rd and King Streets. Crowds gather at The Yard, Third and Terry Francois, and within two blocks of AT&T, the NEW Mission Bay POLICE HEADQUARTERS (beautiful building) and Public Fire Safety Building, exemplified by the LARGE FIRE BELL out front.
WHY a station so close to the Park? GIANT GAME NIGHTS TRAFFIC WILL BE A PROBLEM! HEY, wait until the WARRIORS NEW stadium open in 2018 (16th and 3rd) – MADNESS! Speaking of madness – GO WARRIORS! WIN THE NBA CHAMPIONSHIP!
AH, BASEBALL! As stated in the April column, would attend GIANTS Opening Day. They lost to Arizona Diamondbacks, BUT a joyful, sportin’ feeling to once again enjoy baseball until October.
A must stop is the VIP pre-game luncheon (prime rib was delicious!) under the tent, on the side of the players entrance gate on Third. KPOO’S HARRISON CHASTANG, always on the go (left after the game to fly to Las Vegas for the Broadcasters Convention), snapped photos of the movers and shakers on the scene.
Legendary GIANT WILLIE McCOVEY, whose Hall of Fame playing career with the San Francisco Giants spanned four decades, enters his 15th season as SENIOR ADVISOR to the team. LOVE IT that Giants’ CEO, LARRY BAER, and owners have embraced McCovey, WILLIE MAYS, as one of the legends to be honored as family, and their history alive for younger generations who knew nothing of their playing days with the team. KEEP THEIR HISTORY ALIVE! Both received championship RINGS!
VIPs included former San Francisco Mayor FRANK JORDAN, LONDON BREED, president, San Francisco Board of Supervisors, S.F. Port Commissioner KIMBERLY BRANDON and TIMOTHY SIMON; former S.F. Supervisor ANNE MARIE CONROY; MOHAMMED NURU, director of SF Public Works.
CHECK IT OUT – GIANTS have an AFRICAN AMERICAN PLAYER in the lineup! 31-year-old RH outfielder JUSTIN MAXWELL (No. 43) has caught my attention in his defensive play on the field and at bat, playing HUNTER PENCE’S position during his REHAB from injury suffered during spring training. STAY HOT, MAXWELL!
A NON-ROSTER INVITEE, Maxwell signed with the GIANTS as a minor league FREE AGENT, Nov. 24, 2014. At the time of this writing, swinging a HOT bat, he showed out last month during the LA DODGERS 3-day series game at AT&T – TERRIFIC ACTION BY THE BROTHER who played an instrumental part in the team’s sweep! Dodgers back in town May 19.
Maxwell’s game play has been the TALK of the town; especially among SENIOR men, LIKE RICHARD MABREY, president, Senior Council, and MR. ALBERT OTIS. Both reside at Armstrong Place Apartments, upper Third, near Candlestick Park. They remember game days at Candlestick Park, cheered THE SAY HEY KID WILLIE MAYS’ dramatic plays in center field, bleachers packed with OUR FOLKS – a time when there were many Black players on the team, and BLACK fans were well in attendance! This writer and my young son attended many games, and the start of my love affair with the team!
TIMES have changed, so it was RECALL just to see Maxwell DO his thing! Hopefully he will keep it up and win a permanent spot on the team’s 25-man roster.
MOVING SOUTH, up Third, to CONGRATULATE San Francisco HOUSING DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (SFHDC) celebrating 26 years of building homes and HOPE! The agency CELEBRATED in a GALA AWARDS evening (April 23) at St. MARY’S Cathedral, San Francisco. Honoring ARTS and Culture ICON AWARD, Jazz vocalist MARY STALLINGS; OTIS WATSON, assistant vice president Western Market, Corporate Philanthropy Achievement Award; UNSUNG HERO Award, RICK HARPER, housing and community development consultant CRA Market Manager Northern California; and LOCAL BUSINESS AND PIONEER AWARDS TO SAM JORDAN’S BAR AND GRILL and San Francisco FOLIAGE.
Invited, regret I had to miss the event. San Francisco ICONIC HALFNOTE bartender, DAVID GUNTHER, shared the evening was elegant – food delicious, and Stallings performed in song! My, my!
SFHDC is a community-based nonprofit organization founded in 1988 by civic and community leaders in Western Addition and Bayview Hunters Point. It was established in response to gentrification and escalating housing costs that resulted in the steady DISPLACEMENT of African Americans from these areas during the latter part of the 1960s.
Development of affordable housing and the facilitation of home ownership and involved in the revitalization of the Third Street corridor in Bayview Hunters Point and other neighborhoods in Southeast San Francisco.
SUNDAY STREETS in Bayview (extended down to DOG PATCH) was a BEAUTIFUL DAY! AUNTIE APRIL was doing a brisk business selling fried chicken and fish sold in front of the restaurant under a small tent. Block lively with music – Jazz and R&B sounds – dancers CARLTON DANIELS and his lady BARBARA STEWART swung out, doing their thing … good to see LONNIE AND SHIRLEY HUNTER; MR. TIBBS took advantage of the closed street to walk for blocks.
MAY 10TH – HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY TO ALL YOU BEAUTIFUL, GOOD MOTHERS – often hearts are heavy from the woes of today – killings in the streets, sad tears fall during troubled times, but your strength will carry on. EVERY DAY IS MOTHER’S DAY!
HEY, IT’S NICE TO BE NICE AND TO ALL OF YOU OUT THERE … LOOK FOR ME … I’LL BE THERE …
Email Rochelle at iheard@earthlink.net.