Jim Harrington, The Mercury News (gift link):

The San Francisco Giants have just made an important acquisition.

But, no, it’s not a power-hitting second baseman so the team can better compete with the World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers in 2026.

It’s actually the Curran Theatre.

This news came out of left field. It’s being covered by Around the Foghorn and the SFGate sports section, and by Playbill and Deadline—quite the double-play.

Larry Baer, president and CEO of the Giants:

Acquiring the Curran expands our commitment to San Francisco and reinforces our core belief that sports, arts and culture are essential to San Francisco’s identity, economy and resurgence.

The Giants also are 50% owners of the Mission Rock neighborhood across from their ballpark; buying the Curran reinforces that they’re as much a real estate business as they are a baseball team.

This shouldn’t have shocked me; back in March, after the Giants sold a 10% stake in the team to a private equity firm, Baer was quoted in The New York Times:

“This is not about a stockpile for the next Aaron Judge,” he said, referring to the New York Yankees star. “This is about improvements to the ballpark, making big bets on San Francisco and the community around us, and having the firepower to take us into the next generation.”

Buying an historic, 103—year old theatre is an undeniably “big bet,” and certainly a commitment to the City, yet despite my love of both baseball and broadway, I’d much rather the Giants spend their windfall improving on-field performance.

Though perhaps they could commission a new play: Damn Dodgers.

(Via Cathy Hammer.)