Fans come by schooner, kayak, raft to World Series by the bay

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. -- These Giants fans wear life preservers.

They come by schooner, kayak and raft. Some come to party, others hoping to catch a ball. And though they won't see a single pitch, they're a big part of the World Series scene at Pacific Bell Park.

They are the boaters and floaters who spend cold, damp nights in the murky gray-green water of McCovey Cove, where Barry Bonds homers occasionally go splash.

Mike West arrived in his whitewater raft six hours before Tuesday's Game 3 between the Giants and the Angels. He came with a pair of oars, three layers of heavy clothing and a cooler with sandwiches, peanuts and what he insisted was nothing stronger than fruit juice to keep him warm.

West, 38, took a day off from his job as a glazier in San Jose to row around the cove, hoping a ball would come flying in his direction. He had a fishing net ready, as well as his junior high mitt.

Even though his only way of following the game was on a Walkman, he could see fans who had gathered early along the right-field arcade for batting practice and heard the cheers from the stadium.

"It's fun, because you still feel the energy of the crowd," he said. "The excitement will kick in, and I'll stay warm."

The inlet off San Francisco Bay, named for former Giants slugger Willie McCovey, is a popular spot for baseball fans and curious boaters on summer afternoon games. Special events, such as the playoffs and games in which Bonds is on the verge of homer milestones, also draw a crowd at night.

The cove was expected to be packed Tuesday night, even though temperatures in the 50s and strong winds promised a bone-chilling experience for all but the 115 fans tailgating in comfort on the McCovey Cove Patrol, a 70-foot-long charter boat.

McCovey Cove has earned a reputation for creative occupants.

"There's weird stuff happening out there all the time. You'll see people in inflatable wading pools, people with dogs waiting to chase home run balls," said Alfonso Felder, transportation manager for the Giants.

"We've seen a putting green floating out there, barbecues towed by vessels. We've had weddings out there."

And on this night, 29-year-old salesman David Brandenburger was out there on a jet ski, hoping to snare a ball.

"The odds of getting a ball out here are a lot better than the 40,000 fans paying $500 apiece," he said.

And then there's Joseph Figone, a former Candlestick Park groundskeeper. He snagged the first regular-season ball hit into the bay, as well as Bonds' 500th career homer.

There are few rules in the cove, except that no motors are allowed within 75 feet of shore. The San Francisco Port Commission imposed such restrictions after Figone's motorized inflatable boat nearly collided with a surfer going after No. 500.

The biggest problem often comes from fans in the right-field stands who throw "dork" balls into the water. Cove denizens listening on radios hear a roar and think a ball is coming their way, when in fact it may be heading to left field.

"The fans stand up on the top of the arcade," West said. "They throw a ball and everyone scrambles for it."

Wearing a scuba suit and bobbing around on a 12-foot, one-man teal kayak, 67-year-old Bill Seib had other concerns.

"I do wish one thing -- that they'd put facilities out here."