San Francisco voters go to the polls tomorrow to vote on
Proposition B, which marks the fifth time the Giants have sought
permission to build a new ballpark. Team owners will pay the
entire cost to the proposed $255M facility. While polls still
show a "comfortable lead," ballpark backers, led by campaign
manager Jack Davis, fear a low voter turnout and "a feeling that
the ballpark is a slam dunk are two elements that could 'spell
disaster.'" But, the S.F. CHRONICLE's Matier & Ross write,
"Considering that the opposition has yet to catch fire, it's hard
to imagine how the ballpark could lose" (SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE,
3/25).
DOMINO EFFECT: Columnist Glenn Dickey writes a yes vote will
affect other area teams, as negotiations to build a new stadium
for the 49ers south of 3Com Park would go "on the fast track." A
new Giants ballpark also would adversely affect the A's, who have
their own stadium dilemma. It is a "realistic possibility" the
A's will move -- possibly "out of the area entirely" (S.F.
CHRONICLE, 3/25). The Giants' vote is also being monitored in
other cities. In New York, Robert Lipsyte writes of "many
reasons to wish for a Giants victory on Tuesday, one of them
provincial." If the vote succeeds, it could be a message to New
York: "Let George Steinbrenner pay for his own sandbox" (N.Y.
TIMES, 3/24). In Boston, David Halbfinger writes the Red Sox
will also be watching the vote, as they are working on a
financing package for a new facility. Giants Exec VP Larry Baer:
"The most comparable city to what we're doing, or who could do
what we're doing, is Boston" (BOSTON GLOBE, 3/24).
