Meet Lou

Within the baseball industry, players frequently come and go from teams. Losing your favorite player can be heart breaking but luckily for Giants fans, we have a valuable member of our team who isn’t going anywhere. Luigi Francisco Seal (Lou Seal) is the mascot of the San Francisco Giants and a member we can count on to stick around. Lou Seal has become an asset to our team and a main source of entertainment on game day. However, there is someone else aside from Lou that we can thank for these attributes.

The man under the mask for the past 1,500 games is Joel Zimei. While Lou Seal is just about to be 21 year sold, Zemei is 38. Although the job seems like a fun and games, running around with a 25 mask on isn’t always easy. Zimei said that he goes through 2 costumes a night and loses about 7 pounds of water weight a game. Now, that is worth those World Series rings if you ask me!

 

On game day, you can catch Lou Seal dancing on top of the dugouts, riding around the field on mini cars or walking around the park interacting with fans. While in costume, Zemei says he likes to mess with the men fans, flirt with the women and approach the children slower while reaching out a hand, letting them make their own reaction. However, when Zemei is out of character he has a normal life of his own.

Zemei actually met his wife, Sierra Lesjack, at AT&T Park. She worked in the Club Level Bar at the same time he was the mascot. Zemei used to tease her while in costume during the games and during the Pittsburg All-Star game he asked her to be his wife. Of course, it was not that simple. Zemei went all out in true Lou Seal fashion, and proposed to her with a 16-foot-banner in front of thousands of fans. It looks like Lou Seal has maybe impacted his life a more than he could have ever imagined!

Luigi Francisco Seal has changed the way Giants’ fans love our team, players and being at games and we have Joel Zemei to thank for all of these memories.

 

Sources:

http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/sf/fan_forum/louseal.jsp

http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Inside-the-25-pound-face-of-Giants-mascot-Lou-Seal-2334457.php

 

Spring Forward into Scottsdale

As another season comes to an end, we can feel our off-season blues catching back up with us. All Winter long we find ourselves waiting for that time of year to come back around, but there isn’t any better way to anticipate the season than by filling a seat at Scottsdale Stadium.Each year 15 of the MLB teams head down to Scottsdale to prove and show-off what they have in store for the upcoming season. Scottsdale Stadium is the pre-season home of the San Francisco Giants. While we know you’ll love to call this park home almost as much as AT&T, we’re going to give you a look at some of the things we love to in in the area that contribute to making Scottsdale our home away from home.

Shopping

All over Scottsdale you will find shopping centers, boutiques and malls- but one shopping district blows those all out of the water. Fashion Square is located just out of downtown Scottsdale and is recognized as one of the biggest tourist spots in the area. This mall is 3 stories tall and has over 240 stores to offer. Everything from Nordstrom, Forever 21, Gucci and GameStop can be found in this mall, and if you keep an eye out you may even spot one of your favorite MLB players!

Fashion Square is fully equipt with valet services, up-scale dining and concierge services to give you information on the area, hotels and shuttle services. The Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau is also located inside- answering any additional questions you have about the area.

Dining

The Culinary Dropout is a must-dine while in the Scottsdale area. Conveniently located just right by Fashion Square, Culinary Dropout has become one of Scottsdale’s favorite dining experiences. Culinary Dropout embraces the “no-rules” concept and provides you with food and an environment you won’t forget. They specialize in American and pub type foods and are known for their specialty drinks and unique atmosphere. Although this establishment is one of the nicer attractions in Scottsdale, the happy hour and appetizer menus are geared towards diners of all ages.

 

Our other favorite place to indulge would have to be EVO. EVO is a timeless Italian restaurant, that focuses on the Italian classics with a modern twist. They  rely on fresh ingredients to keep their customers full, happy, healthy and most importantly satisfied. EVO creates loyal customers by providing everyone with excellent service, extensive food and beverage menus and a finer dining atmosphere.

Being a Fan And a Foodie

When you are not just a fan but a foodie, what you’re going to be munching on at the game might be just as exciting as the game itself. Although the tradition of baseball is something we all value, sometimes it is hard to just settle for a hot dog and garlic fries at a ball game. With all the new tasty treats that have learned to call AT&T park home, it can be difficult to make a choice on what you want to indulge in- that’s where I come in. I have spent many games making my way around the stadium to make your decision easier. To help me navigate my way, I used this map. Whether your seats are in club level, out by the bleachers or in view reserve, I have narrowed down the best and most delicious options for your ballpark experience!

Centerfield

Centerfield is filled with the some of parks best foods. The first and possibly most decedent in this area is Crazy Crab’z. At this ballpark favorite, you can get the best lobster sandwich between two perfectly toasted and buttered pieces of sourdough bread. This place will undoubtedly leave you mouth watering until the ninth inning. Another center field stop I find myself always wanting to go back to is Orlando’s Caribbean BBQ. Cha-Cha bowls are packed full of beans, rice, meat and their famous (and mildly addicting) pineapple-zucchini salsa. My third centerfield go-to is the mojitos. You can also get these at Orlando’s. Some other options you can find behind the bleachers are Pier 44 Chowder House, Outta Here Cheesesteaks and Anchor Grill. However you need to be careful with some of these centerfield stops, it will be hard to go back to your more basic options after trying some of these treats.

Promenade Level, Lower Box and View Reserve

These regions of the park are the areas around majority of the seating. Here you find all the baseball classics we talk about before, plus another few AT&T Park specialties. If you can work up the will power to walk beyond the garlic fries, you will stumble upon Murph’s Pub. This Irish inspired stop will provide you with their well-known Irish fries, corned beef sandwiches and fish and chips. Even with these being the more simple foodie options, they have always been far from disappointing.

Club Level

Club level is the area with the most premium seating along with the most premium food. You are getting your money’s worth in food on this level. In Club Level, you can indulge in everything from sushi to baked potatoes. The full bar and wine bar has people constantly roaming the common areas. In this exclusive region of the park you are excluded from the public and the fine dining in this level adds to the enhanced experience.

 

Sources

http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/ballparks/stadium_maps.jsp?c_id=sf