If the San Francisco Giants have a chance to clinch the World Series Sunday or Monday, people will be able to watch the game on a large video screen at Civic Center Plaza, a spokesman for Mayor Gavin Newsom said today.
The Giants hosted the Texas Rangers in the first two games of the best-of-7 series this week and won both games. The teams will now play in Arlington, Texas for Games 3 and 4 on Saturday and Sunday, and if necessary, Game 5 on Monday.
Mayoral spokesman Tony Winnicker said city officials sought to show Saturday’s Game 3 on a jumbo screen at Civic Center Plaza, similar to how more than a dozen World Cup soccer games were shown there over the summer.
Fox, which controls the broadcast rights to the World Series, would not let the city show Game 3, but the network will allow the city to show a clinching game if it happens Sunday and/or Monday while the Giants are still on the road, Winnicker said.
He encouraged people not watching Saturday’s Game 3 at home to go to a bar or restaurant in the city to watch the game “and support their local small businesses.”
Winnicker was extremely careful not to jinx the Giants by discussing the viewing of a potential clinching game at Civic Center Plaza before the team reaches that point.
The viewing will happen “if we’re lucky enough to be in a situation where the Giants could clinch,” he said. “I can’t stress enough how much we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves here.”
If the Giants cannot clinch the series by Monday, they would return to San Francisco for Game 6 on Wednesday, and if necessary, a Game 7 on Thursday. Neither of those games would be shown at Civic Center Plaza.
Game 3 is scheduled for 3:57 p.m. on Saturday, and Game 4 is scheduled for 5:20 p.m. Sunday.
Dan McMenamin, Bay City News
