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Rafael\u00a0Devers and Matt Chapman, seen in the 2025 season finale, aim to lead the Giants out of their four-season run of mediocrity.<\/p>\n
Scott Strazzante\/S.F. Chronicle<\/p>\n
The Oracle Park video boards welcome new Giants manager Tony\u00a0Vitello before his introductory news conference on Oct. 30.<\/p>\n
Scott Strazzante\/S.F. Chronicle<\/p>\n
The San Francisco Giants<\/a> are opening a new chapter in their history. It\u2019s such a big deal that they\u2019re opening it twice: first with \u201cOpening Night\u201d on Wednesday evening, when they host the New York Yankees in the first stand-alone game of the season and then, two days later, a more traditional daytime Opening Day, with all the expected pomp and festivities taking place in the Friday sunshine.<\/p>\n That was one of the talking points at the team\u2019s annual open house, when the Giants showed off what\u2019s new with the team, the ballpark, the menu and the real estate development across the cove.<\/p>\n March is a time for baseball optimism, and the Giants have plenty of it. They have a new manager in Tony Vitello<\/a>, who they believe will bring new energy. They have new food items, like a loaded grilled cheese sandwich. And they have hopes that they will get back to the 3 million mark in attendance, something they haven\u2019t seen since before the pandemic.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Last season they experienced a significant increase in attendance, from 2.6 million to 2.9 million. Giants CEO Larry\u00a0Baer attributes that in part to a \u201cBuster bump,\u201d thanks to excitement over Buster Posey<\/a> assuming the role of president of baseball operations, and also to a strategic change, getting away from platoons and relying more on everyday players.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it was style of play and also the personalities,\u201d said Baer.<\/p>\n The Giants saw an attendance boost last season, from 2.6 million to 2.9 million, and in 2026 they\u00a0hope to surpass the 3 million mark\u00a0\u2014 a figure they haven\u2019t seen since before the pandemic.<\/p>\n Scott Strazzante\/S.F. Chronicle<\/p>\n So what\u2019s new? Well, Opening Night will air on Netflix, the first time the streaming platform will present a baseball game. So please help your parents or grandparents \u2014 or anyone else who will be flummoxed by where to find the game \u2014 plan accordingly.<\/p>\n Also new: Airwallex will be the sponsored uniform patch. The team has to hope the online payment platform will be a more innocuous sponsor than their last tech patch sponsor,\u00a0robotaxi company Cruise. That sponsorship was announced in August 2023; two months later a Cruise car killed a pedestrian, the company eventually lost its funding, and the uniform patch was replaced by Chevrolet.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n San Francisco Chronicle Logo<\/p>\n Make us a Preferred Source to get more of our news when you search.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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