WORTH THE WAIT: San Francisco Giants official book

Posted on January 30, 2011

This is a temporary cover for WORTH THE WAIT. The final cover will be very similar with a few of the smaller images swapped out for others. The book is 128 pages and hard cover. It is on sale now for $25 and will be available on Opening Day. Buy it now at www.sfgiantsbook.com.

 

Ever since I graduated from San Jose State University with a degree in photojournalism back in 1988 I have had the amazing opportunity to witness so many historical sporting events because of my cameras. I have taken millions of pictures at so many big events, including Super Bowls, the NBA Finals, the Olympics, and the World Series. Since I am a baseball guy the World Series has always been my favorite event to cover, and I have photographed 14 of them- that last 11 in a row. Most people know that I am a huge San Francisco Giants fan, so having the chance to photograph my team winning their first World Series Championship since they moved here from New York in 1958 was an unbelievable experience back in November of 2010. Did that really happen?

When I flew home from Dallas the morning after the Giants defeated the Texas Rangers in Game 5 to clinch the title I was exhausted, both mentally and physically. It had been a crazy and emotional roller coaster watching the Giants on television some of the time and photographing their games in person most of the time. It wasn’t too many days after I got home that I started texting my good friend and amazing writer Brian Murphy. Murph had been in Texas covering the Series for his morning radio show on the Giants flagship station KNBR and we had talked excitedly about the history we were witnessing many times during that glorious weekend in Arlington. Murph and I are both local Bay Area kids who grew up rooting for the orange and black. We were Giants season ticket partners with a large group of friends. We both covered the team as members of the media. “We need to do a book,” I texted Murph. I told them that as Giants fans with unique jobs that could paint an amazing picture in both words and pictures it was our duty to share our experiences with Giants fans everywhere. There would never be a better time to collaborate on a book about the Giants.

We began serious discussions, and once I called my friend and amazing agent Amy Rennert things began to move at a rapid pace. Amy had worked with the Giants on a large book project in the past that I was a small part of called Splash Hit. Amy was familiar with my work and with Murph so she was on board to help us find a publisher. On Saturday, November 13, 2010 Murph and I sat down at his dining room table and cranked out a book proposal. Within weeks we had several publishers interested in the project and it looked like this thing might really happen.

I have the unique perspective of having photographed about 50 Giants games in 2010 from spring training in Scottsdale through the final out of the World Series in Arlington. In between I have witnessed many highs and many lows. All of these moments help document a long season of baseball, and when you put all of my photographs together with the writing of Brian Murphy we can tell a pretty good story.

We started having discussions with our friends at the Giants, including Senior Vice President, Corporate Marketing Mario Alioto. Besides being a Giants bat boy during the Jack Clark era Mario is a cool guy who thought it would be a good idea for all of us to work together to create the official Giants book of the magical 2010 season. This would be an amazing opportunity. We joined forces with book editor Scott Gummer and his friends over at Luxury Custom Publishing and have been working extremely hard ever since to get this book to the printer and ready for all the fans to enjoy by Opening Day in two short months. The name of the book is “Worth The Wait.” I like the title- especially since I came up with it (who says photographers can’t help out on the word side every once in awhile?).

Joining Murph and I in the book will be Giants ace closer Brian Wilson. Wilson will be writing the Forward for the book, and Mike Krukow and Duane Kuiper will be doing the Introduction for us.

We are very fortunate to have a terrifically talented designer putting this book together named Nate Beale. I have seen the designs he has created for the interior of the book and they are amazing. This book is going to have a very special look to it, and I am so proud that my pictures from the 2010 season will be presented in such a beautiful way.

The Giants officially put the book up for sale online yesterday morning. You can find the book on the Giants website sfgiants.com or over at mlb.com. However, the coolest way to order the book is to simply go to sfgiantsbook.com. We will all be working very hard over the next few weeks to finish putting the book together, writing captions, and making it as cool as it can be.

I have learned so much during the process of putting this book together. I have never had a book that featured so many of my photographs. I have never had my name on the cover of the book as the photographer (most of the pictures in the book, about 95% will be mine). Having to go back-and-forth so many times on contract language has been an eye opening experience. None of this would have ever happened without the tireless work of our agent Amy Rennert. She has guided Murph and I through this entire process so gracefully. She is tenacious. She will not take no for an answer. I owe so much to her. I will never forget what she has done to make all of this possible.

If you would like to meet some of the people behind the book, like Murph, Scott and myself be sure to look for us next weekend at the 18th Annual KNBR 680 Giants Fan Fest at AT&T Park on Saturday, February 5, 2011 from 11am till 3pm. We will have a special booth set up to promote the book and take orders. See you there!