SFL - Larry Baer

SPRING 2013

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M A G A Z I N E

Visionary Extraordinaire Larry Baer

President & CEO San Francisco Giants

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LARRY BAER

PRESIDENT & CEO SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

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t’s A Wonderful Life, circa 2013. Imagine San Francisco without our beloved Giants and where everything south of Market would be nothing but old warehouses. Far fetched? Not at all. The Tampa/St. Pete Giants? It may not sound right, but it was so close to happening.

As I drove to meet with Larry Baer, the President & CEO of the San Francisco Giants, in what has become beautiful SOMA, it felt like a dream come true. Had it not been for Larry Baer, who back in 1992 partnered with Peter Magowan and a group of civic-minded investors, none of the San Francisco Giants, AT&T Park and two World Series Championships would be here today. Instead, we would have struck out and Larry Baer enjoying the San Francisco Giants 2012 World our City by the Bay would Series Championship Parade together with his family and have been the baseball another million very happy fans. equivalent of Mudville! diligently at creating a local ownership group Larry could not have to save the Giants. That was 1992 and, been more gracious. For all the Giants’ fortunately for San Francisco, they succeeded success, it’s always about everyone else. He – and the future since has been so very bright. genuinely prefers it that way, truly a Team With the sale behind them, the question effort. became “what were they were going to do?”

Larry is a native San Franciscan. He They poured money into Candlestick Park to attended Lowell High School and graduated improve the stadium for the fans. They lost Phi Beta Kappa from UC Berkeley with a money doing that, but felt it was the right degree in Business. He then in 1980 went thing to do. to work for the Giants as the Director of The Giants desperately needed a new Marketing before leaving to attend Harvard ballpark.

There was fear that a ballpark where he got his MBA. in SOMA would create a traffic nightmare.

Following graduation, he worked as a Larry again worked diligently to ease the special assistant to Lawrence Tisch, the neighborhood concerns in defense of this Chairman of Westinghouse Broadcasting valiant cause. He felt it was essential to have (CBS). In the early 1990’s, Larry was in New York, when he learned about the Giants being open communications and good relationships with all the potential neighbors. close to being sold and moving to Tampa/St. Under the previous ownership, public Pete. Larry promptly called Peter Magowan, financing for a ballpark was voted down his CEO friend at Safeway, and they worked

four times. What to do? In 1995, the Giants unveiled plans for the first privately-financed Major League ballpark. From 1992-on, this was the beginning of what Larry refers to as: “A Dream Sequence”. Larry and the ownership group had a vision of a special ballpark. With this in mind, Larry went to visit some of the newer ballparks. When in Denver, visiting Coors Field, he read an ad in the paper: “Beautiful condominiums just a block and a half from the ballpark.” What? A beautiful and vibrant residential area surrounding the ballpark? Could that be? - Hello SOMA. From his conversations, he envisioned a combination of Camden Yards in Baltimore, Jacobs Field in Cleveland and Coors Field in Denver. All beautiful ballparks. For San Francisco, the team also wanted to utilize what we had here – the Bay and such beautiful scenic views. Thus became what Larry likes to call: “Where Wrigley Field Meets Camden Yards”. Representing the past and present, a beautiful place we all can go, to escape the real world … and appreciate such a ballpark, community oasis … where every day and night, truly a special, fun and exciting experience and place to be.

The vision of AT&T Park (then Pacific Bell Park) became a reality and opened in April, 2000. It has drawn each year more than three million people in baseball attendance, nearly double the average yearly attendance at Candlestick Park. Currently, season tickets are at a maximum, all-time high.

Larry also talked about the joy that’s behind the Giants’ FOUR businesses. First, they are in the Baseball Business. They are the defending World Series Champions. Two times in the last three years. Currently, they are a young team, sprinkled with seasoned veterans. There’s much to be grateful for and to look forward to.

The Giants are also in the Entertainment Business. In addition to baseball, they host another 120 non-baseball events a year. This includes concerts, football games, corporate events, etc. A third business is that they own

one-third of Comcast Sportsnet. The Giants are extremely happy with this very popular network.

They’re also tremendously pleased with the Giants announcers — “they’re the best!”

The fourth business is another vision they are also very excited about. It’s called:

Larry Baer living a life-long dream. It’s about team, community and joy - coming together. We are in the Happy business, Larry would say. Indeed, we are truly very happy, proud and grateful.

Mission Rock. This soon will be a beautiful development – a 27 acre, $1.6 billion and sixyear project in the making. Just south of AT&T Park, this creation will be: (1) A spectacular Waterfront Park that can accommodate 5,000 people for outdoor movie nights or community festivals. (2) An energetic and inviting environment with wonderful shops,

cafes and galleries. meaning, literally (3) Anchor Brewing and figuratively. will expand its None of this would operations in a have been, had it restored historic not been for Larry Pier 48. (4) An Baer’s vision and exciting place to leadership. As work with some Larry, however, 1.7 million square would be the feet of office first to say, it’s all space for nearly about everyone 7,200 employees. … the players, (5) A dramatic organization and waterfront living fans alike …it’s a experience with total Team effort. new homes for up Lastly, we to 2,000 people. talked further Larry Baer, with Peter Magowan, Barry Zito and This will about the 2012 Lou Seal, enjoying the moment and creating generate 7,000 Playoffs and something special, including many special jobs, hundreds of World Series. The moments, that we’d be celebrating together for millions of dollars Giants had SIX many years to come. each year in tax elimination games revenue for the in the playoffs City and for the businesses located at Mission vs. Cincinnati and St. Louis. Lose any one of Rock. As Larry said: “We want this to become those six games and, it would be over, we’d be another beautiful hub for the City.” out. Larry said: “It’s a good metaphor for what Larry then talked about the meaning of we are as an organization. We never gave baseball and what in particular the Giants up. We purchased the team … then we built mean to the community. He loves how he AT&T Park…… now we are two-time World sees people everywhere wearing their Giants Series Champions! We have worked hard, yes, jersey or shirt or cap with pride. Larry, in fact, and will continue to do so. We look forward has his own Giants jersey. I saw it hanging on to more successes for our faithful and adoring the inside of his office door. fans.”

Special moments? There are many. In Like in the Field of Dreams: “Build it and particular, he expressed how heartfelt it was to they will come” - they have. Millions each experience the two World Series Parades. He year. For Larry, it certainly has been, and is, thought of how special it must have been back a dream come true. He lives it and loves it … in 1958 when The City welcomed the Giants every day. He has always loved his City and to San Francisco. And, now, how great it was his Giants and you can certainly sense that to experience the nearly one million fans special spirit that’s centered around 24 Willie who came out to cheer them on – twice. He Mays Plaza. It’s such a wonderful vision that rode in both parades with his family and how has become an ongoing tradition … it’s a lot happy and proud he was, and is, for everyone. more than just a game … “we’re in the Happy “We are indeed so very grateful.” business” … so glad the Giants are here to stay Together We Are Giant … Together We … for all of us to enjoy … and for generations Are Champions… has taken on a special to come.