About Seals Stadium
Seals Stadium was originally built in 1931 for the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League, one of the most storied minor-league franchises in American baseball history. A young Joe DiMaggio played here before heading to New York, and the park became beloved by Bay Area fans as a neighborhood ballpark with character, intimacy, and — crucially — protection from the city's famous winds.
When the New York Giants relocated to San Francisco in 1958, Seals Stadium became their temporary home while Candlestick Park was under construction. The two-season experiment was a revelation: Bay Area fans were starved for big-league baseball, and the Giants sold out every single game in 1958 — the first MLB team on the West Coast, drawing fans who had never seen a major-league game in person. Willie Mays, in his first San Francisco season, hit .347 and captivated the city.
Orlando Cepeda won the 1958 Rookie of the Year award playing at Seals Stadium, and the park's intimate atmosphere — so different from the cavernous Candlestick that replaced it — was mourned when the Giants moved after the 1959 season. The stadium was demolished almost immediately, replaced by a shopping center. Its two seasons of MLB baseball, while brief, established the Giants as a permanent Bay Area institution.
Fun facts
- Every single home game in 1958 sold out — Bay Area fans had never seen big-league baseball before.
- Willie Mays hit .347 in his first San Francisco season, immediately becoming the city's biggest star.
- Orlando Cepeda won the 1958 NL Rookie of the Year playing here — "The Baby Bull" was born at Seals Stadium.
- The park was remarkably wind-free compared to Candlestick, which fans mourned when the Giants moved.
- Demolished in 1959 for a shopping center — one of the fastest demolitions of a recently-used MLB park.
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