Clinching a winning record for the first time since 2016, the San Francisco Giants currently hold the top spot in the National League. As COVID-19 restrictions in the Bay Area relax, the return of packed stadiums flooded with baseball enthusiasts is finally here, and as a result, Redwood Giants have made Oracle Park a go-to hangout location. 

Junior Carina Campbell was eager to get back to the stadium after a long period of stadium closure to guests.  

 “My family loves Giants games. It’s my mom’s favorite thing to do, and it’s been a family bonding moment for years. I was there when [the ballpark] first started to reopen in a vaccinated section. It’s always nice to see when your home team is doing really well,” Campbell said. 

Both non-baseball players and baseball players alike have been in attendance at games. 

Sophomore Jordan Kimball, a baseball player, attributes the turnout to the Giants’ high ranking and fans’ desire to see their home team victorious. Kimball acknowledges the impact COVID-19 restrictions on other social events has had on game attendance. 

“[The stadium] is one of the only places I know that allows full capacity, so a lot of people are going to have a good time with friends,” Kimball said.  

Seniors Sophia Pero and Greer Diaz are among many others to hop on the Giants game trend. In addition to lighter COVID-19 rules, the convenience and affordability of the Larkspur ferry makes the games appealing to students, Diaz explains. Given that the Giants have had tougher seasons the past few years, Diaz sees this season as an outlier and their success this season as a contributor to the student turnout. She recommends night games due to their cheery atmosphere and cool temperature. 

Both Diaz and Pero also attributed their grades’ love for spending time at Giants games to all of the opportunities they missed due to the pandemic.  

“We just want to take advantage of the time we have before we all go to college because we already missed out on [such a substantial part of] high school,” Diaz said. 

Pero added that hollering at the outfielders, singing in the bleachers and heckling the other team were her favorite parts of Giants games. She also spoke to the real motives behind the increasing teenage attendance: the social scene.

“Since COVID-19 shut down everything, people are more inclined to go to these games because it’s something fun and out of the ordinary that we haven’t done in a while,” Pero said. 

The two concurred that those congregating in the bleachers, which is where the vast majority of students sit, are there for a fun, social experience. This is mainly due to the fact that the seats are less expensive, more community based and easy to access for younger viewers. 

As far as the future of Giants games in the Redwood community, Campbell predicts that the community’s enthusiasm for baseball might fade.

“I think [Giants games] are always going to be somewhat popular, but I think now that it’s reopened, it’s kind of reached its peak popularity,” Campbell said. 

Kimball, however, believes the trend is just getting started.

“I think it could even get more popular because people are [going] a lot now for the social part of it, but I know a lot of people who are still cautious about COVID-19,” Kimball said. “So, when [COVID-19] fully goes away, I think it’s going to be even more popular.”

It is hard to predict whether or not Giants games will continue to attract a large crowd of Redwood students as the pandemic fades and other social trends inevitably come about. However, it is safe to say the Redwood Giants have shown outstanding support to our neighboring Giants in San Francisco and will continue to do so for the time being.