Excite Ballpark

• Name: Excite Ballpark
• GPS-able Address: 588 E. Alma Ave., San Jose, CA 95112
• Ballpark Owner: City of San Jose
• Architects: Works Progress Administration
• Groundbreaking: 4/1/1941
• Minor League Baseball/Professional Development League Teams: San Jose Giants (A) 2021-present; San Jose Giants (A+) 1990-2020; San Jose Giants (A) 1988-1989; San Jose Bees (A) 1983-1987; San Jose Expos (A) 1982; San Jose Missions (A) 1979-1981; San Jose Missions (AAA) 1977-1978; San Jose Bees (A) 1963-1976; San Jose Bees (C) 1962; San Jose Pirates (C) 1958; San Jose JoSox (C) 1956-1957; San Jose Red Sox (C) 1947-1955
• Pro Baseball Class/League History: A/California League 2022-present; A/Low-A West 2021; A+/California League 1990-2020; A/California League 1979-1989; AAA/Pacific Coast League 1977-1978; A/California League 1963-1976; C/California League 1962; C/California League 1958; C/California League 1947-1955; California League 1942
• First Pro Baseball Game: 3/8/1942; stadium debut of Class A Owls
• Others Playing or Operating Here: San Jose State University Spartans
• Previous Ballpark Names: San Jose Municipal Stadium 1942-2019
• LF: 320 CF: 390 RF: 320
• Seats: 2,600
• Stated Capacity: 3,500
• House Baseball/Softball Record Attendance: 5,219, 5/9/2008

Excite Ballpark in San Jose, CA, is the home of the San Jose Giants, the San Francisco Giants' Single-A California League farm team. It was also, despite that, the Oakland Athletics' 2020 Coronavirus pandemic alternate training site.

Opened as San Jose Municipal Stadium in 1942, the Works Progress Administration project cost just $90,000 and seated only 2,900. Today, what is still colloquially known as "The Muni" seats nearly half-again that figure. It has hosted professional baseball continually, including two 1970s seasons when the Triple-A Pacific Coast League gave it an unsuccessful try.

What a difference a few decades make: San Jose now wants MLB, and at least one MLB club believes that is viable.

The A's decided to move to San Jose in 2011, but the Giants blocked them - first with their territorial rights, then with a decision from then-Commissioner Bud Selig rejecting the Athletics' challenge to those rights, and finally when courts rejected resulting lawsuits from the A's and the city of San Jose[1].

The effort dragged out for 10 years and skated close enough to success that the SJ-Giants identified a new location to go to if Oakland bumped them - Fremont, CA, an earlier A's option. The A's announced their intention to move there in 2006, but that city declined to build a stadium and the A's abandoned that effort in 2009[2].

The Giants' rights to the San Jose area are unusual in that most MLB two-team markets have a single zone that protects the teams jointly, but the Bay Area is divided up between the two.

As the Athletics' fifth move attempt in 25 years[3] - fourth to a city other than Oakland, in this case Las Vegas, NV - appears to be succeeding, San Jose is reviving its fight. Its incumbent mayor and several of his predecessors wrote current MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred on June 15, 2023 - the very day Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo signed legislation funding a stadium for the A's - saying the Giants' rights should be rescinded and San Jose should be a candidate for a team. Manfred quickly rejected the request, but on the grounds that MLB is focused on the A's move - which could leave the door open for a change after that.

Excite Credit Union bought naming rights just before the 2019 season and just after changing its own name from Alliance Credit Union.