The Standard Staff

Wild weather didn&#8217;t deter thousands of St. Nick lookalikes — and a few Grinches — from descending on downtown San Francisco for the city&#8217;s booziest holiday street party.

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Wild weather didn't deter thousands of St. Nick lookalikes — and a few Grinches — from descending on downtown San Francisco for the city's booziest holiday street party.

Wild weather didn&#8217;t deter thousands of St. Nick lookalikes — and a few Grinches — from descending on downtown San Francisco for the city&#8217;s booziest holiday street party.

SantaCon capped off a Saturday in the city that began with a tornado warning and ended with revelers knocking back drinks for the yearly Santa-themed bar crawl.

SantaCon capped off a Saturday in the city that began with a tornado warning and ended with revelers knocking back drinks for the yearly Santa-themed bar crawl.

While the chill may have prompted more people to bundle up and duck inside, 24-year-old Los Angeles native Aly Vitticks jumped at the chance to ring in the holidays with friends.

While the chill may have prompted more people to bundle up and duck inside, 24-year-old Los Angeles native Aly Vitticks jumped at the chance to ring in the holidays with friends.

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&#8220;I hate that it&#8217;s been raining and cold, because you can&#8217;t wear your cute outfits and stuff,&#8221; she said.

"I hate that it's been raining and cold, because you can't wear your cute outfits and stuff," she said.

&#8220;I hate that it&#8217;s been raining and cold, because you can&#8217;t wear your cute outfits and stuff,&#8221; she said.

&#8220;So far, I love that it starts so early,&#8221; she said. &#8220;You just wake up and you get dressed in your Santa outfit and start drinking.&#8221;

"So far, I love that it starts so early," she said. "You just wake up and you get dressed in your Santa outfit and start drinking."

&#8220;So far, I love that it starts so early,&#8221; she said. &#8220;You just wake up and you get dressed in your Santa outfit and start drinking.&#8221;

For Brenda Cavalero, a native of Lima, Peru, who joined her family for the festivities, a highlight was taking public transit to the event along with a host of other people in red, white, and green.

For Brenda Cavalero, a native of Lima, Peru, who joined her family for the festivities, a highlight was taking public transit to the event along with a host of other people in red, white, and green.

&#8220;It&#8217;s a good experience for my family to take the Muni and all that,&#8221; the 34-year-old said. &#8220;I love that.&#8221;

"It's a good experience for my family to take the Muni and all that," the 34-year-old said. "I love that."

&#8220;It&#8217;s a good experience for my family to take the Muni and all that,&#8221; the 34-year-old said. &#8220;I love that.&#8221;

Longtime SantaConners and longer-time friends Mike Mueller, 65, and Tomm Heath, 68 (&#8220;the only Tomm you&#8217;ll meet with two M&#8217;s&#8221;), have fond memories of being part of the spectacle over the years.

Longtime SantaConners and longer-time friends Mike Mueller, 65, and Tomm Heath, 68 ("the only Tomm you'll meet with two M's"), have fond memories of being part of the spectacle over the years.

Longtime SantaConners and longer-time friends Mike Mueller, 65, and Tomm Heath, 68 (&#8220;the only Tomm you&#8217;ll meet with two M&#8217;s&#8221;), have fond memories of being part of the spectacle over the years.

&#8220;We generally go down to North Beach, and we used to go to a place called Calzone&#8217;s, and watch the tour buses come by, and they would all get excited on the top of the tour bus,&#8221; Heath recounted. &#8220;So that was a lot of fun.&#8221;

"We generally go down to North Beach, and we used to go to a place called Calzone's, and watch the tour buses come by, and they would all get excited on the top of the tour bus," Heath recounted. "So that was a lot of fun."

&#8220;We generally go down to North Beach, and we used to go to a place called Calzone&#8217;s, and watch the tour buses come by, and they would all get excited on the top of the tour bus,&#8221; Heath recounted. &#8220;So that was a lot of fun.&#8221;

&#8220;There is urination in the alley and all that,&#8221; Heath acknowledged.

"There is urination in the alley and all that," Heath acknowledged.

&#8220;There is urination in the alley and all that,&#8221; Heath acknowledged.

&#8220;But this,&#8221; he said of the tamer daytime portion of the event, &#8220;this is the purest part.&#8221;

"But this," he said of the tamer daytime portion of the event, "this is the purest part."

&#8220;But this,&#8221; he said of the tamer daytime portion of the event, &#8220;this is the purest part.&#8221;

People greet friends in Santa Claus suits at Golden Gate Tap Room during Santa Con in San Francisco on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2023.

SantaCon SF, is an annual pub crawl where people dressed in Santa Claus costumes or as other Christmas characters and walk around San Francisco together as a collective event of fun and holiday
cheer. The event, which is global, can sometime involving drunken behavior by the participants creating some concern from locals and neighbors close to the public event.

<figure class="wp-block-image alignfull size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20241214-santaconsf-5239_36a97b-edited.jpg" alt="People in Santa hats and festive attire are joyfully gathered around a table with drinks and condiments, smiling and interacting in a lively atmosphere." class="wp-image-344262"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The winter chill brought larger-than-usual crowds into downtown bars.</figcaption></figure>

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<figure class="wp-block-image alignfull size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20241214-santaconsf-5239_36a97b-edited.jpg" alt="People in Santa hats and festive attire are joyfully gathered around a table with drinks and condiments, smiling and interacting in a lively atmosphere." class="wp-image-344262"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The winter chill brought larger-than-usual crowds into downtown bars.</figcaption></figure>

The Grinch attends Santa Con at Union Square in San Francisco on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2023.SantaCon SF, is an annual pub crawl where people dressed in Santa Claus costumes or as other Christmas characters and walk around San Francisco together as a collective event of fun and holidaycheer. The event, which is global, can sometime involving drunken behavior by the participants creating some concern from locals and neighbors close to the public event.

<figure class="wp-block-image alignfull size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20241214-santaconsf-4717-edited.jpeg" alt="A person is dressed as the Grinch, wearing a green mask and a red Santa suit with white trim, standing on a city street." class="wp-image-344273"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Grinch gets ID&#8217;d at the Golden Gate Tap Room.</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image alignfull size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20241214-santaconsf-4717-edited.jpeg" alt="A person is dressed as the Grinch, wearing a green mask and a red Santa suit with white trim, standing on a city street." class="wp-image-344273"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Grinch gets ID'd at the Golden Gate Tap Room.</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image alignfull size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20241214-santaconsf-4717-edited.jpeg" alt="A person is dressed as the Grinch, wearing a green mask and a red Santa suit with white trim, standing on a city street." class="wp-image-344273"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Grinch gets ID&#8217;d at the Golden Gate Tap Room.</figcaption></figure>

A man dressed in Santa Claus suit is frisked before entering the Golden Gate Tap Room during Santa Con in San Francisco on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2023.

SantaCon SF, is an annual pub crawl where people dressed in Santa Claus costumes or as other Christmas characters and walk around San Francisco together as a collective event of fun and holiday
cheer. The event, which is global, can sometime involving drunken behavior by the participants creating some concern from locals and neighbors close to the public event.

<figure class="wp-block-image alignfull size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20241214-santaconsf-5280_4844da-edited-1.jpg" alt="A security guard is frisking a person dressed as Santa Claus, while another person in a red outfit stands nearby. They're outside a building, with onlookers around." class="wp-image-344260"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">St. Nick gets frisked on his way into a pub. </figcaption></figure>

People attending Santa Con at Union Square in San Francisco on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2023.

SantaCon SF, is an annual pub crawl where people dressed in Santa Claus costumes or as other Christmas characters and walk around San Francisco together as a collective event of fun and holiday
cheer. The event, which is global, can sometime involving drunken behavior by the participants creating some concern from locals and neighbors close to the public event.

<figure class="wp-block-image alignfull size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20241214-santaconsf-4450_7637fa-edited.jpg" alt="A person in a colorful, patterned Santa suit holds a vibrant rainbow umbrella and carries a tie-dye bag, walking on a wet, downtown city sidewalk." class="wp-image-344269"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Psychedelic St. Nick takes a stroll through the city&#8217;s famed holiday shopping district.</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image alignfull size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20241214-santaconsf-4450_7637fa-edited.jpg" alt="A person in a colorful, patterned Santa suit holds a vibrant rainbow umbrella and carries a tie-dye bag, walking on a wet, downtown city sidewalk." class="wp-image-344269"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Psychedelic St. Nick takes a stroll through the city's famed holiday shopping district.</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image alignfull size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20241214-santaconsf-4450_7637fa-edited.jpg" alt="A person in a colorful, patterned Santa suit holds a vibrant rainbow umbrella and carries a tie-dye bag, walking on a wet, downtown city sidewalk." class="wp-image-344269"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Psychedelic St. Nick takes a stroll through the city&#8217;s famed holiday shopping district.</figcaption></figure>

Shae Bryant and Mike Perdomo at Golden Gate Tap Room during Santa Con in San Francisco on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2023.

SantaCon SF, is an annual pub crawl where people dressed in Santa Claus costumes or as other Christmas characters and walk around San Francisco together as a collective event of fun and holiday
cheer. The event, which is global, can sometime involving drunken behavior by the participants creating some concern from locals and neighbors close to the public event.

<figure class="wp-block-image alignfull size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20241214-santaconsf-5210_b4ca82-edited-1.jpg" alt="A festive scene shows people in a lively, crowded room. A woman in a Christmas outfit and a man dressed as an elf are smiling and leaning towards each other." class="wp-image-344259"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Shae Bryant and Mike Perdomo share a laugh.</figcaption></figure>

A man dressed in a Santa Claus suit rides a unicycle during Santa Con at Union Square in San Francisco on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2023.

SantaCon SF, is an annual pub crawl where people dressed in Santa Claus costumes or as other Christmas characters and walk around San Francisco together as a collective event of fun and holiday
cheer. The event, which is global, can sometime involving drunken behavior by the participants creating some concern from locals and neighbors close to the public event.

<figure class="wp-block-image alignfull size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20241214-santaconsf-5398_f58f4b-edited.jpg" alt="A person dressed as Santa rides a unicycle on a city street, smiling and waving. There are cars, pedestrians, and tall buildings in the background." class="wp-image-344265"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A sleigh-less Santa lets the good times roll. </figcaption></figure>

Laurie Li poses at Santa Con at Union Square in San Francisco on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2023.

SantaCon SF, is an annual pub crawl where people dressed in Santa Claus costumes or as other Christmas characters and walk around San Francisco together as a collective event of fun and holiday
cheer. The event, which is global, can sometime involving drunken behavior by the participants creating some concern from locals and neighbors close to the public event.

<figure class="wp-block-image alignfull size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20241214-santaconsf-6128-edited.jpg" alt="A person dressed as a Christmas tree with a star on top poses playfully, surrounded by greenery and buildings, with two people in the background." class="wp-image-344266"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Laurie Li switched things up by dressing as a Christmas tree in a sea of Santas.</figcaption></figure>

Ryan Morrow and Lauren Roberts of the Burlesque Band of San Francisco leaps while playing trombones at Union Square in San Francisco on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2023.

SantaCon SF, is an annual pub crawl where people dressed in Santa Claus costumes or as other Christmas characters and walk around San Francisco together as a collective event of fun and holiday
cheer. The event, which is global, can sometime involving drunken behavior by the participants creating some concern from locals and neighbors close to the public event.

<figure class="wp-block-image alignfull size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20241214-santaconsf-6022-edited.jpg" alt="People in festive outfits, including Santa hats, play instruments near a large Christmas tree. One person jumps energetically, while others watch and smile." class="wp-image-344267"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Ryan Morrow and Lauren Roberts, of the Burlesque Band of San Francisco, leap with their trombones while performing in Union Square. </figcaption></figure>

Photos: The SantaCon mob gets jolly — and a little bit naughty

John Shea

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CC Sabathia’s journey from a challenging section of Vallejo to baseball Hall of Famer will culminate Sunday, when he’s inducted in Cooperstown, N.Y.

CC Sabathia’s journey from a challenging section of Vallejo to baseball Hall of Famer will culminate Sunday, when he’s inducted in Cooperstown, N.Y.

“I can&#8217;t wait to celebrate,” Sabathia said, “and a lot of my speech is about the village that raised me from Vallejo.”

“I can't wait to celebrate,” Sabathia said, “and a lot of my speech is about the village that raised me from Vallejo.”

“I can&#8217;t wait to celebrate,” Sabathia said, “and a lot of my speech is about the village that raised me from Vallejo.”

The 45-year-old lefty continues to embrace the time he spent playing in Cleveland and the Bronx, sandwiched around a quick stop in Milwaukee. He said he might not have been Hall-bound without the training and tutelage he received early in his career in Cleveland, where he won the 2007 Cy Young Award. Upon joining the Yankees, he found a permanent home for his family in Alpine, N.J., then won a 2009 World Series ring with New York.

The 45-year-old lefty continues to embrace the time he spent playing in Cleveland and the Bronx, sandwiched around a quick stop in Milwaukee. He said he might not have been Hall-bound without the training and tutelage he received early in his career in Cleveland, where he won the 2007 Cy Young Award. Upon joining the Yankees, he found a permanent home for his family in Alpine, N.J., then won a 2009 World Series ring with New York.

Raised an A’s fan, Sabathia envisioned being a big-leaguer in the Bay Area and had a feeling he’d be drafted by the Giants when they had two first-round picks in 1998, but they used the first on Tony Torcato of Woodland. Before their next pick, Cleveland nabbed Sabathia.

Raised an A’s fan, Sabathia envisioned being a big-leaguer in the Bay Area and had a feeling he’d be drafted by the Giants when they had two first-round picks in 1998, but they used the first on Tony Torcato of Woodland. Before their next pick, Cleveland nabbed Sabathia.

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The Giants had another opportunity in free agency before the 2009 season and made a strong pitch — imagine a rotation of Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner … and Sabathia — but Yankees GM Brian Cashman was prompted to add a seventh year to his offer and secure the deal.

The Giants had another opportunity in free agency before the 2009 season and made a strong pitch — imagine a rotation of Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner … and Sabathia — but Yankees GM Brian Cashman was prompted to add a seventh year to his offer and secure the deal.

I asked Sabathia last week about his 19-year career and whether he ever thought about how his life would be different had he pitched so close to Vallejo, reminding him that the Giants went on to win three World Series titles while the Yankees won one.

I asked Sabathia last week about his 19-year career and whether he ever thought about how his life would be different had he pitched so close to Vallejo, reminding him that the Giants went on to win three World Series titles while the Yankees won one.

“Me being so connected to that city, it’s good that I played on the East Coast. It&#8217;s good that I was a six-hour flight away,” he said. “I think had I been that close, my career probably would’ve turned out a little different. So, yeah, I mean, obviously, you watch what the Giants did, and I grew up a big A&#8217;s fan and went to a lot of Giants games too. But no, I think it played out the way it should have.

“Me being so connected to that city, it’s good that I played on the East Coast. It's good that I was a six-hour flight away,” he said. “I think had I been that close, my career probably would’ve turned out a little different. So, yeah, I mean, obviously, you watch what the Giants did, and I grew up a big A's fan and went to a lot of Giants games too. But no, I think it played out the way it should have.

“Me being so connected to that city, it’s good that I played on the East Coast. It&#8217;s good that I was a six-hour flight away,” he said. “I think had I been that close, my career probably would’ve turned out a little different. So, yeah, I mean, obviously, you watch what the Giants did, and I grew up a big A&#8217;s fan and went to a lot of Giants games too. But no, I think it played out the way it should have.

“This was the best decision I could have made, and I still live here and am part of this community. I think my career ends up different if I get drafted by the Giants and I&#8217;m around Vallejo all the time.”

“This was the best decision I could have made, and I still live here and am part of this community. I think my career ends up different if I get drafted by the Giants and I'm around Vallejo all the time.”

“This was the best decision I could have made, and I still live here and am part of this community. I think my career ends up different if I get drafted by the Giants and I&#8217;m around Vallejo all the time.”

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 08: Former professional baseball player CC Sabathia (2nd L) distributes pantry boxes to Boys And Girls Club families at the Belmont Community Day Care Center on April 08, 2020 in The Bronx Borough of New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img height="1667" width="2500" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/gettyimages-1217657642.jpg?w=2500" alt="A man hands a box to another person at a table stacked with &quot;FreshDirect&quot; boxes. They're outside a brick building with a &quot;Belmont Community&quot; sign." class="wp-image-422412"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Sabathia hands out pantry boxes to Boys and Girls Club families in April 2020 in New York City.</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/gettyimages-1217657642.jpg?w=2500" alt="A man hands a box to another person at a table stacked with &quot;FreshDirect&quot; boxes. They're outside a brick building with a &quot;Belmont Community&quot; sign." class="wp-image-422412"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Sabathia hands out pantry boxes to Boys and Girls Club families in April 2020 in New York City.</figcaption></figure>

For many big-leaguers, playing for a hometown team can be a challenge, with the pressures of constantly catering to friends and family. Sabathia would have faced additional pressures, having grown up in the Vallejo neighborhood of Country Club Crest — aka the Crest — where drugs, crime, and other dangers were commonplace.

For many big-leaguers, playing for a hometown team can be a challenge, with the pressures of constantly catering to friends and family. Sabathia would have faced additional pressures, having grown up in the Vallejo neighborhood of Country Club Crest — aka the Crest — where drugs, crime, and other dangers were commonplace.

Through it all, Sabathia never forgot his roots and continues to give back to Vallejo through his PitCCh In Foundation. In <a href="https://www.hbomax.com/movies/under-the-grapefruit-tree-the-cc-sabathia-story/6ab5323c-8092-4b27-abee-fd70e5fa952b">his fabulous 2020 documentary</a>, he speaks of learning to pitch by throwing grapefruits in his grandmother’s backyard and details his parents’ separation, his father’s absence and struggles with HIV until his death in 2003, and his own bout with alcoholism.

Through it all, Sabathia never forgot his roots and continues to give back to Vallejo through his PitCCh In Foundation. In <a href="https://www.hbomax.com/movies/under-the-grapefruit-tree-the-cc-sabathia-story/6ab5323c-8092-4b27-abee-fd70e5fa952b">his fabulous 2020 documentary</a>, he speaks of learning to pitch by throwing grapefruits in his grandmother’s backyard and details his parents’ separation, his father’s absence and struggles with HIV until his death in 2003, and his own bout with alcoholism.

If there were a young CC in Vallejo nowadays, facing similar hardships, would it be easier or tougher to follow a similar path to the big leagues?

If there were a young CC in Vallejo nowadays, facing similar hardships, would it be easier or tougher to follow a similar path to the big leagues?

“I think it&#8217;d be way tougher,” he said. “I think just the situation that I was in, with me and my mom and after my dad left, and then my grandmother. Obviously me playing three sports would have hurt me in this day and age. And not having the money to be able to get to LakePoint in Atlanta [where kids get opportunities to play in front of pro scouts and college coaches] and all these different showcases.

“I think it'd be way tougher,” he said. “I think just the situation that I was in, with me and my mom and after my dad left, and then my grandmother. Obviously me playing three sports would have hurt me in this day and age. And not having the money to be able to get to LakePoint in Atlanta [where kids get opportunities to play in front of pro scouts and college coaches] and all these different showcases.

“I think it&#8217;d be way tougher,” he said. “I think just the situation that I was in, with me and my mom and after my dad left, and then my grandmother. Obviously me playing three sports would have hurt me in this day and age. And not having the money to be able to get to LakePoint in Atlanta [where kids get opportunities to play in front of pro scouts and college coaches] and all these different showcases.

“Somebody would have had to come out and scouted me in Vallejo, or I would have had to&nbsp;find a way to get on one of these teams, somebody paying for me to get to one of these tournaments. So it would have been incredibly hard in this day and age for somebody like me, the way I came up, to make it. For sure.”

“Somebody would have had to come out and scouted me in Vallejo, or I would have had to&nbsp;find a way to get on one of these teams, somebody paying for me to get to one of these tournaments. So it would have been incredibly hard in this day and age for somebody like me, the way I came up, to make it. For sure.”

It’s no wonder that Black players occupied just 6.2% of opening-day roster spots, a drastic drop from decades past. MLB has several initiatives in place to bring Black kids, including those from the inner cities, into the game; for example, the MLB Develops program.

It’s no wonder that Black players occupied just 6.2% of opening-day roster spots, a drastic drop from decades past. MLB has several initiatives in place to bring Black kids, including those from the inner cities, into the game; for example, the MLB Develops program.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 17: CC Sabathia #52 of the New York Yankees delivers a pitch in the eighth inning of game four of the American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros at Yankee Stadium on October 17, 2019 in the Bronx borough of New York City.  (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img height="1650" width="2500" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/gettyimages-1181761087.jpg?w=2500" alt="A baseball pitcher in a pinstriped uniform and cap is on the mound, mid-throw, with one foot up. The field is green, and he holds a glove in his left hand." class="wp-image-422413"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The left-hander signed a long-term contract with the Yankees when Giants general manager Brian Sabean pursued him before the 2009 season. </figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/gettyimages-1181761087.jpg?w=2500" alt="A baseball pitcher in a pinstriped uniform and cap is on the mound, mid-throw, with one foot up. The field is green, and he holds a glove in his left hand." class="wp-image-422413"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The left-hander signed a long-term contract with the Yankees when Giants general manager Brian Sabean pursued him before the 2009 season. </figcaption></figure>

There’s also the Players Alliance, a nonprofit organization created by Sabathia and other former players to make the game more equitable and accessible. So the next CC could have a chance.

There’s also the Players Alliance, a nonprofit organization created by Sabathia and other former players to make the game more equitable and accessible. So the next CC could have a chance.

“That&#8217;s why we started the Players Alliance, and that&#8217;s why we&#8217;re doing the things that we can and trying to ID these kids in these focus cities, to get that kid that&#8217;s been lost,” said Sabathia, who works in the commissioner’s office. &#8220;Kids are playing at a high clip, and they&#8217;re really, really good. We just need to find a way to get them seen and get them on teams where they can get scouted.”

“That's why we started the Players Alliance, and that's why we're doing the things that we can and trying to ID these kids in these focus cities, to get that kid that's been lost,” said Sabathia, who works in the commissioner’s office. "Kids are playing at a high clip, and they're really, really good. We just need to find a way to get them seen and get them on teams where they can get scouted.”

“That&#8217;s why we started the Players Alliance, and that&#8217;s why we&#8217;re doing the things that we can and trying to ID these kids in these focus cities, to get that kid that&#8217;s been lost,” said Sabathia, who works in the commissioner’s office. &#8220;Kids are playing at a high clip, and they&#8217;re really, really good. We just need to find a way to get them seen and get them on teams where they can get scouted.”

A first-ballot Hall of Famer, Sabathia struck out 3,093 batters and won 251 games, and his 21-win season in 2010 earned him membership to the Black Aces, the group of Black players with 20-win seasons. Mudcat Grant, who finished his career with the 1971 A’s, coined the term in his 2007 book, and Sabathia is proud to be in the company of one of his idols, four-time 20-game winner Dave Stewart.

A first-ballot Hall of Famer, Sabathia struck out 3,093 batters and won 251 games, and his 21-win season in 2010 earned him membership to the Black Aces, the group of Black players with 20-win seasons. Mudcat Grant, who finished his career with the 1971 A’s, coined the term in his 2007 book, and Sabathia is proud to be in the company of one of his idols, four-time 20-game winner Dave Stewart.

He’s the third member of the Black Aces to reach the Hall of Fame, following Bob Gibson and Ferguson Jenkins. Sabathia has become close with Jenkins, who called the incoming Hall of Famer to welcome him to Cooperstown.

He’s the third member of the Black Aces to reach the Hall of Fame, following Bob Gibson and Ferguson Jenkins. Sabathia has become close with Jenkins, who called the incoming Hall of Famer to welcome him to Cooperstown.

CLEVELAND, OHIO - JUNE 07: CC Sabathia #52 of the New York Yankees meets with members of the local Boys and Girls Club prior to the game against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field on June 07, 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio. Sabathia started his carrier in Cleveland and will likely go for his 250th win tomorrow. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img height="1667" width="2500" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/gettyimages-1154471871.jpg?w=2500" alt="A man in a &quot;3000&quot; shirt stands with four smiling kids in baseball gear. They're posing for a photo near a baseball field, while a cameraman films nearby." class="wp-image-422414"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Sabathia with members of the local Boys and Girls Club in Cleveland prior to pitching against his former team with the Yankees in 2019.</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/gettyimages-1154471871.jpg?w=2500" alt="A man in a &quot;3000&quot; shirt stands with four smiling kids in baseball gear. They're posing for a photo near a baseball field, while a cameraman films nearby." class="wp-image-422414"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Sabathia with members of the local Boys and Girls Club in Cleveland prior to pitching against his former team with the Yankees in 2019.</figcaption></figure>

“The one thing that keeps crossing my mind is who&#8217;s next?” Sabathia said. “Through the Players Alliance and some of the efforts that we&#8217;re putting together for this next generation, I almost feel even more responsible now to be on guys about being that next Black Ace, whether it&#8217;s Taj Bradley or now Chase Burns or Hunter Greene, or whoever else.

“The one thing that keeps crossing my mind is who's next?” Sabathia said. “Through the Players Alliance and some of the efforts that we're putting together for this next generation, I almost feel even more responsible now to be on guys about being that next Black Ace, whether it's Taj Bradley or now Chase Burns or Hunter Greene, or whoever else.

“The one thing that keeps crossing my mind is who&#8217;s next?” Sabathia said. “Through the Players Alliance and some of the efforts that we&#8217;re putting together for this next generation, I almost feel even more responsible now to be on guys about being that next Black Ace, whether it&#8217;s Taj Bradley or now Chase Burns or Hunter Greene, or whoever else.

“I don&#8217;t want to be the last Black pitcher to win 20 games and be in the Hall of Fame and all these things. I&#8217;m excited and incredibly honored and humbled that I am, but now it&#8217;s got me on the search of who&#8217;s next and what can I do to get that person or that kid on the mound and in the right direction as a starting pitcher.”

“I don't want to be the last Black pitcher to win 20 games and be in the Hall of Fame and all these things. I'm excited and incredibly honored and humbled that I am, but now it's got me on the search of who's next and what can I do to get that person or that kid on the mound and in the right direction as a starting pitcher.”

“I don&#8217;t want to be the last Black pitcher to win 20 games and be in the Hall of Fame and all these things. I&#8217;m excited and incredibly honored and humbled that I am, but now it&#8217;s got me on the search of who&#8217;s next and what can I do to get that person or that kid on the mound and in the right direction as a starting pitcher.”

At Sunday’s induction, Sabathia will join Ichiro Suzuki — who beat him out for the Rookie of the Year Award in 2001 — and Billy Wagner. Dave Parker and Dick Allen will be inducted posthumously. Sabathia grew up with the late 1980s A’s and loved Parker’s game, especially because Parker was a dominant presence at 6-foot-5. (Sabathia grew to 6-foot-6.) “One of my favorite players,” he said.

At Sunday’s induction, Sabathia will join Ichiro Suzuki — who beat him out for the Rookie of the Year Award in 2001 — and Billy Wagner. Dave Parker and Dick Allen will be inducted posthumously. Sabathia grew up with the late 1980s A’s and loved Parker’s game, especially because Parker was a dominant presence at 6-foot-5. (Sabathia grew to 6-foot-6.) “One of my favorite players,” he said.

In the final days before the induction, Sabathia is preparing for his big moment and fine-tuning his speech, which will touch on his inspirations in Vallejo, including family, friends, and a laundry list of athletes he admires.

In the final days before the induction, Sabathia is preparing for his big moment and fine-tuning his speech, which will touch on his inspirations in Vallejo, including family, friends, and a laundry list of athletes he admires.

“I think about my father every single day and the relationship that he would have with my boys and how excited he would be living here in New York and going to Yankee games. He was such a huge Yankee fan too,” Sabathia said. “So many different people from Vallejo are coming out. That city is super special. I always tell people that I didn&#8217;t have to look much farther outside of that city for inspiration. There was so much talent in that town that I didn&#8217;t have to look very far.”

“I think about my father every single day and the relationship that he would have with my boys and how excited he would be living here in New York and going to Yankee games. He was such a huge Yankee fan too,” Sabathia said. “So many different people from Vallejo are coming out. That city is super special. I always tell people that I didn't have to look much farther outside of that city for inspiration. There was so much talent in that town that I didn't have to look very far.”

“I think about my father every single day and the relationship that he would have with my boys and how excited he would be living here in New York and going to Yankee games. He was such a huge Yankee fan too,” Sabathia said. “So many different people from Vallejo are coming out. That city is super special. I always tell people that I didn&#8217;t have to look much farther outside of that city for inspiration. There was so much talent in that town that I didn&#8217;t have to look very far.”

From Vallejo to Cooperstown: The winding road CC Sabathia took to baseball immortality

Alex Mullaney

Karla Hernandez Oviedo, Yorman Roa, and their school-age girls finally have a place of their own.

Karla Hernandez Oviedo, Yorman Roa, and their school-age girls finally have a place of their own.

Late Monday, after eight months of living in a recreational vehicle on San Francisco streets, <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/08/14/zoo-road-vehicle-encampment-housing-vouchers/">the Venezuelan asylum seekers</a> signed a lease for a third-floor apartment in one of the Parkmerced neighborhood’s pastel-colored towers. The couple, both 30, used a city-provided housing subsidy voucher that covers the first two months of rent, then requires them to pay 40% of the $2,500 lease.

&#8216;I’m tired of living like this&#8217;: Residents of RV encampment pray for an off-ramp

Late Monday, after eight months of living in a recreational vehicle on San Francisco streets, <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/08/14/zoo-road-vehicle-encampment-housing-vouchers/">the Venezuelan asylum seekers</a> signed a lease for a third-floor apartment in one of the Parkmerced neighborhood’s pastel-colored towers. The couple, both 30, used a city-provided housing subsidy voucher that covers the first two months of rent, then requires them to pay 40% of the $2,500 lease.

“Yarmon’s anxiety has calmed down because he knows the girls will be safe,” Hernandez Oviedo said. “He’s glad to know they will have a home to go to after school.

“Yarmon’s anxiety has calmed down because he knows the girls will be safe,” Hernandez Oviedo said. “He’s glad to know they will have a home to go to after school.

“It gives me peace and calm too. I’m grateful,” she added.

“It gives me peace and calm too. I’m grateful,” she added.

Karla Hernandez sees this new opportunity as a motivation for her family to start a new, less stressful chapter in their life in San Francisco. Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. After a mayor's office effort to remove an RV community that relocated from a street near Stonestown Mall to one beside a Recreation Center, at least 22 housing vouchers were handed out for housing at Parkmerced, following an overturned local injunction that allowed the city to be more aggressive in its sweeps of encampments as a result of the Supreme Court's ruling in June.

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img height="1667" width="2500" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/20240819rvfamilyfolo-part2-10_7f2daa.jpg?w=2500" alt="A woman in a white sweater and black pants stands in a kitchen doorway. The kitchen has white cabinets, a stove with pans, and a countertop with a watermelon." class="wp-image-303728"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Hernandez Oviedo sees this opportunity as a motivation for her family to start a less stressful chapter in their lives in San Francisco.</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/20240819rvfamilyfolo-part2-10_7f2daa.jpg?w=2500" alt="A woman in a white sweater and black pants stands in a kitchen doorway. The kitchen has white cabinets, a stove with pans, and a countertop with a watermelon." class="wp-image-303728"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Hernandez Oviedo sees this opportunity as a motivation for her family to start a less stressful chapter in their lives in San Francisco.</figcaption></figure>

With the paperwork signed, they can unpack their belongings, furnish the one-bedroom apartment, and begin their new lives. Victoria, 14, can invite classmates over after school. Samantha, 8, is happy to be able to take hot showers.

With the paperwork signed, they can unpack their belongings, furnish the one-bedroom apartment, and begin their new lives. Victoria, 14, can invite classmates over after school. Samantha, 8, is happy to be able to take hot showers.

According to the San Francisco Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, the family is one of about 21 that had moved into Parkmerced as of Tuesday. The road to bringing them indoors was&nbsp;long and winding — and a demonstration of the city’s power to marshal resources when political pressure is applied.

According to the San Francisco Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, the family is one of about 21 that had moved into Parkmerced as of Tuesday. The road to bringing them indoors was&nbsp;long and winding — and a demonstration of the city’s power to marshal resources when political pressure is applied.

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“I appeared at public meetings to provide information about how complicated it is to raise children without a place,” Hernandez Oviedo said. “If we hadn’t done that, they wouldn’t have paid attention to us.”

“I appeared at public meetings to provide information about how complicated it is to raise children without a place,” Hernandez Oviedo said. “If we hadn’t done that, they wouldn’t have paid attention to us.”

Hernandez Oviedo joined others in advocating for their needs: housing or, barring that, a safe parking site for people living in vehicles. The city has for years allocated millions of dollars for setting up such sites but has failed to do so.

Hernandez Oviedo joined others in advocating for their needs: housing or, barring that, a safe parking site for people living in vehicles. The city has for years allocated millions of dollars for setting up such sites but has failed to do so.

All the voucher recipients had lived in vehicles on Winston Drive — a leafy street between Stonestown Galleria and Lake Merced with loose parking restrictions — as part of a longstanding group of about 50 families, most from South and Central America. City departments and nonprofit service providers offered assistance as though the encampment were a de facto shelter.

All the voucher recipients had lived in vehicles on Winston Drive — a leafy street between Stonestown Galleria and Lake Merced with loose parking restrictions — as part of a longstanding group of about 50 families, most from South and Central America. City departments and nonprofit service providers offered assistance as though the encampment were a de facto shelter.

Karla Hernandez interacts with Wendy Zuniga and her daughter Wendy, who she met while living in an RV, at the Parkmerced resident offices on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. After a mayor's office effort to remove an RV community that relocated from a street near Stonestown Mall to one beside a Recreation Center, at least 22 housing vouchers were handed out for housing at Parkmerced, following an overturned local injunction that allowed the city to be more aggressive in its sweeps of encampments as a result of the Supreme Court's ruling in June.

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img height="1667" width="2500" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/20240819rvfamilyfolo-part2-22_0f8baa.jpg?w=2500" alt="Three people are in a waiting room. A woman stands near a window, while a child in a red dress and a woman with purple hair sit in chairs. A table with a plant and pamphlet is nearby." class="wp-image-303732"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Hernandez Oviedo talks with Wendy Zuniga and her daughter Wendy at the Parkmerced resident offices. They all met while living in a vehicle community.</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/20240819rvfamilyfolo-part2-22_0f8baa.jpg?w=2500" alt="Three people are in a waiting room. A woman stands near a window, while a child in a red dress and a woman with purple hair sit in chairs. A table with a plant and pamphlet is nearby." class="wp-image-303732"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Hernandez Oviedo talks with Wendy Zuniga and her daughter Wendy at the Parkmerced resident offices. They all met while living in a vehicle community.</figcaption></figure>

Hernandez Oviedo was spurred to political action with the help of the Coalition on Homelessness, which has worked with the Winston Drive RV community over the years to ask City Hall for a safe parking site and protest parking restrictions that would have forced them out. Lukas Illa, the coalition’s spokesperson, described the housing of 21 families as a partial victory.

Hernandez Oviedo was spurred to political action with the help of the Coalition on Homelessness, which has worked with the Winston Drive RV community over the years to ask City Hall for a safe parking site and protest parking restrictions that would have forced them out. Lukas Illa, the coalition’s spokesperson, described the housing of 21 families as a partial victory.

“This is a win. These subsidies did not exist a month ago,” Illa said. “We&#8217;ve been lobbying for these, and we&#8217;re continuously told by the city that they don&#8217;t have the ability to create them.”

“This is a win. These subsidies did not exist a month ago,” Illa said. “We've been lobbying for these, and we're continuously told by the city that they don't have the ability to create them.”

“This is a win. These subsidies did not exist a month ago,” Illa said. “We&#8217;ve been lobbying for these, and we&#8217;re continuously told by the city that they don&#8217;t have the ability to create them.”

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-housing-conundrum">Housing conundrum</h2>

core/heading

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-housing-conundrum">Housing conundrum</h2>

This summer, the members of the RV community made themselves heard. Aside from attending public meetings to give testimony, a group from the community <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/06/11/rv-protest-stonestown-mall/">blocked Winston Drive</a> when newly instated four-hour parking restrictions would have displaced them.

Stonestown mall: RV dwellers&#8217; protest blocks traffic into shopping center for hours

This summer, the members of the RV community made themselves heard. Aside from attending public meetings to give testimony, a group from the community <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/06/11/rv-protest-stonestown-mall/">blocked Winston Drive</a> when newly instated four-hour parking restrictions would have displaced them.

When the city set a deadline this month for clearing the encampment, Hernandez Oviedo and Roa joined a caravan of about 30 RVs that broke into a San Francisco Zoo parking lot — a location once under consideration for a safe parking site. Police and park rangers quickly dispersed them; <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/08/06/pomeroy-center-vehicle-encampment/">most ended up parked on Zoo Road</a>, the L-shaped street around the Pomeroy Recreation &amp; Rehabilitation Center.

When the city set a deadline this month for clearing the encampment, Hernandez Oviedo and Roa joined a caravan of about 30 RVs that broke into a San Francisco Zoo parking lot — a location once under consideration for a safe parking site. Police and park rangers quickly dispersed them; <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/08/06/pomeroy-center-vehicle-encampment/">most ended up parked on Zoo Road</a>, the L-shaped street around the Pomeroy Recreation &amp; Rehabilitation Center.

The rec center had encountered vehicle and tent encampments before. Its leadership immediately called on Mayor London Breed and Supervisor Myrna Melgar, who represents the city’s southwest side, to find a solution.

The rec center had encountered vehicle and tent encampments before. Its leadership immediately called on Mayor London Breed and Supervisor Myrna Melgar, who represents the city’s southwest side, to find a solution.

That solution was to reevaluate the families on Zoo Road for housing. All but two accepted offers. Two families are awaiting placement in permanent supportive housing. A number of voucher recipients told The Standard they had never been offered housing before, only shelter.

That solution was to reevaluate the families on Zoo Road for housing. All but two accepted offers. Two families are awaiting placement in permanent supportive housing. A number of voucher recipients told The Standard they had never been offered housing before, only shelter.

The Roa family’s view from the kitchen of their new apartment in Parkmerced on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. After a mayor's office effort to remove an RV community that relocated from a street near Stonestown Mall to one beside a Recreation Center, at least 22 housing vouchers were handed out for housing at Parkmerced, following an overturned local injunction that allowed the city to be more aggressive in its sweeps of encampments as a result of the Supreme Court's ruling in June.

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img height="1667" width="2500" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/20240819rvfamilyfolo-part2-9.jpg?w=2500" alt="The image shows a view through a high window of a sunlit building, with a large tree, a small green utility box, and a parking lot with several cars below." class="wp-image-303738"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The view from the kitchen of Hernandez Oviedo&#8217;s new apartment in Parkmerced.</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/20240819rvfamilyfolo-part2-9.jpg?w=2500" alt="The image shows a view through a high window of a sunlit building, with a large tree, a small green utility box, and a parking lot with several cars below." class="wp-image-303738"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The view from the kitchen of Hernandez Oviedo's new apartment in Parkmerced.</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/20240819rvfamilyfolo-part2-9.jpg?w=2500" alt="The image shows a view through a high window of a sunlit building, with a large tree, a small green utility box, and a parking lot with several cars below." class="wp-image-303738"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The view from the kitchen of Hernandez Oviedo&#8217;s new apartment in Parkmerced.</figcaption></figure>

Illa notes that fewer than half of the families from the Winston Drive community have received housing subsidy referrals. The others remain on the streets.

Illa notes that fewer than half of the families from the Winston Drive community have received housing subsidy referrals. The others remain on the streets.

“We should build as a city the diverse infrastructure to support all different types of folks who are exiting homelessness, transitioning into permanent, supportive housing or longer term, self-sufficient housing — and that does include safe parking sites,” Illa said.

“We should build as a city the diverse infrastructure to support all different types of folks who are exiting homelessness, transitioning into permanent, supportive housing or longer term, self-sufficient housing — and that does include safe parking sites,” Illa said.

About 1,400 San Franciscans live in 700 vehicles, city data show, and the numbers have grown over the last two years. Most are located in the industrial section of the Bayview, the outskirts of Showplace Square, and around Lake Merced.

About 1,400 San Franciscans live in 700 vehicles, city data show, and the numbers have grown over the last two years. Most are located in the industrial section of the Bayview, the outskirts of Showplace Square, and around Lake Merced.

One long-promised solution to where to put RVs has been the city-sponsored Bayview Vehicle Triage Center, which is on state park land. Right now, it serves people living in a few dozen vehicles. Due to issues with connecting power to the center, it has never met its capacity of hosting about 150 RVs.

One long-promised solution to where to put RVs has been the city-sponsored Bayview Vehicle Triage Center, which is on state park land. Right now, it serves people living in a few dozen vehicles. Due to issues with connecting power to the center, it has never met its capacity of hosting about 150 RVs.

Melgar said she plans to introduce legislation in a few months to set up a city-run safe parking site.

Melgar said she plans to introduce legislation in a few months to set up a city-run safe parking site.

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Photos: The SantaCon mob gets jolly — and a little bit naughty

From Vallejo to Cooperstown: The winding road CC Sabathia took to baseball immortality

‘This is a win’: Families are moving from RVs to apartments at last

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