San Francisco Giants History: Team Sued Because Seat Too Cold
By David Hill
Candlestick Park was known for its cold breezes off the San Francisco Bay. Needless to say, one San Francisco Giants fan was not pleased, and took matters to court.
As anyone who went to a San Francisco Giants game when Candlestick Park was open could attest to, it was not the ideal location for those who enjoy warmth. The cold breeze off the San Francisco Bay was a constant irritant, especially during those games at the beginning of the year. Both the players and the fans shared the same misery, unable to escape the continual zephyr.
Naturally, the Giants, knowing this, looked for a way to entice fans to purchase season tickets. As such, they advertised radiant heating in the box seats, which was supposed to warm the fans sitting there. Alas, it failed to do the job properly.
That lack of heat, and the continual cold winds, led lawyer Melvin Belli to sue the Giants for breech of contract. He sued for the price of his season tickets, which were approximately $1500 at the time. During his court case, Belli appeared in a giant Alaskan parka to illustrate exactly how cold it was in his seats during the games.
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On this day in 1962, Belli won his case, as the Giants were made to pay him back $1597. Presumably, the parka was unnecessary, as any number of fans that had to sit in Candlestick could have corroborated his claims that the ballpark was slightly warmer than the Alaskan tundra.
It was truly a shame that the ballpark was not as fan friendly as one would have hoped. The Giants teams in those days had some legitimate star power, with five players eventually making it to the Hall of Fame. With legends like Willie Mays and Juan Marichal, it was worth the price of admission to see them play. However, one was better off seeing them play on the road.
Sadly, this could have even been avoided. Candlestick Park’s design, with an open horseshoe overlooking the bay, was not the original plan. Instead, architect John Bolles designed a roof that was supposed to extend out 150 feet into left field, which is where the majority of the wind came from. However, the city shortened the roof to save some money, leading to the frigid conditions.
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Candlestick Park may not be fondly remembered by those that had to sit through games there, but most San Francisco Giants fans bore their misery in silence. That is, fans except for Melvin Belli.