Gigantes in the Mission

 Posted by on August 3, 2012
Aug 032012
 
The Mission District
San Carlos and 19th
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All of us are equal
Some of us grow up to be Giants…
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This mural is by Precita Eyes.  This is the description of the mural from their website:
The “Gigantes” mural project can be read in three concepts; History, Community, and the Future. It features Hispanic players, two of whom are Hall of Famers. Historically, the Giants have been a significant landmark for San Francisco, the Bay Area, and the community of fans who surround them. For this reason the mural includes all four stadiums to represent the four stages of Giants history in placement of the bases on a baseball diamond that stretches from one end of the mural to the other.

Beginning from the left in New York’s Polo Grounds, the mural shows a line of pitchers as follows: Juan Marchal, Gaylord Perry, and a pitcher from the Women’s League who’s been converted to a Giants player.

At the far right, framing the mural on the opposite side of “the pitch” is Giant hitter Orlando Cepeda. Will Clark hits the home run blast to the left of Cepeda in an earthquake shaken Candlestick Park at the” Battle of the Bay” in 1989.

Other Hall of Famers included in the mural from left to right are: Willie Mays, “The Catch” (in New York), JT Snow (showing some fan appreciation), Barry Bonds (hitting the 756), Willie McCovey and the Alou brothers. The team mascot is Lucille the Seal representing the days when the Giants played in Seal Stadium. Lucille is dressed in a serape and sombrero, holding a maraca to celebrate the Hispanic flavor of the mural.

The Giants community is scattered throughout the mural from the fans to the different stadiums throughout history. Because the mural is being created in the Mission District and home to many Giants fans, the mural also features the Mission Reds, the minor league team from the Mission who played at the Seals Stadium in the 1920’s and 30’s. To the right, between Candlestick and Pac Bell Parks, the skyline of San Francisco embraces a few of the Mission District landmarks such as Mission Dolores, the New Mission Theater marquee and palm trees.

“Vamos Gigantes” (Go Giants) hovers above Seals Stadium and into the Mission, representing the saying, which Hispanic fans have come to use throughout the years.

The future of the Giants is celebrated by the fans, some of which are families and friends. A coach and Jr. Giants’ teammates congratulate their team player with cheers as she hits a winning ball.

The “blast” home run ball hit by Clark is representative of baseball as the fabric of America which weaves into our culture. The ball begins at the hit and moves across the entire mural in a pattern unifying players, fans, the 756 ball, stadiums, and future Giants, morphing into the world and ending with Mays’ famous catch.

  2 Responses to “Gigantes in the Mission”

  1. Hispanic players, hence the ‘Gigantes’ (actually the word in Portuguese is the same). Well done mural!

  2. Beautiful, colorful style! Nice homage to baseball.

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