EMBED >More News Videos Meteorologist Lisa Argen's forecast shows rain falling during the San Francisco Giants opener at Oracle Park. Oh just chillin in the dugout with the @SFGiants. So much smaller in person...gates will open at 11:05 regardless of rain #OpeningDay2019 @abc7newsbayarea pic.twitter.com/O9viLrKXEr — Jobina Fortson (@JobinaFortson) April 5, 2019 Here’s some of the new merch for this season! The first 40,000 fans will get a free #OraclePark calendar. #OpeningDay2019 @abc7newsbayarea pic.twitter.com/z1jLkzHNWp — Jobina Fortson (@JobinaFortson) April 5, 2019 Happy #OpeningDay2019 @SFGiants fans! Hopefully the rain plays along so the team can play. First pitch at 1:35pm @abc7newsbayarea pic.twitter.com/JVXLoGop1n — Jobina Fortson (@JobinaFortson) April 5, 2019 No Giants ferry today do to lack of boats. @GoldenGateFerry says take a regularly scheduled boat and walk to @Oracle Park. @abc7newsbayarea pic.twitter.com/PXr0XLtKu0 — SueHallTraffic (@SueHallTraffic) April 5, 2019 SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The clay was in place and the cameras were ready to roll bright and early inside Oracle Park.Diehard fans take Opening Day seriously. Many of them arrived outside the ballpark around the same time as the work crews.Dave Chavez came early to get baseball cards signed by Tampa Bay Rays players, but he told ABC7 News he supports the Giants. The cards are for his collection. "I'm pumped," Kourtnie Howerton said about Opening Day. "We live for this day and my family are big diehard Giants fans. "Howerton's mother said she's been a fan since birth. "I was born in '54 when the Giants won the World Series," Billie Rae Forer said. "I'm at the ballpark," Charles Fracchia said. "I'm not coming to work today. "With so much excitement indoors, you'd almost forget that rain delays are a strong possibility come game time. "It's the greatest day," Eric Anderson said. "We don't care rain or shine this is the day. ""The festivities around Opening Day is always something special," Mario Alioto, Executive Vice President of Business Operations for the San Francisco Giants, said. "We will be paying tribute to Willie McCovey today and Peter Magowan before the game. "In addition to its new name, Oracle Park is featuring a new scoreboard, food, and merchandise. "What I'm interested in is what's going on the field," Pamela Dunn said. "The rest of the stuff is just icing on the cake."<doc-sep>The San Francisco Giants may have to wait a couple extra hours to take the field at the renamed Oracle Park Friday afternoon. With a weather system moving through the Bay Area late this week, there’s rain in the forecast for Friday morning, and that may continue throughout the day as the Giants plan to take on the Rays at 1:35 p.m. In a Thursday release acknowledging the possibility of a delay, the team affirmed that gates will open at 11:05 a.m. Friday regardless of what time the first pitch is thrown. The Giants plan to honor retiring manager Bruce Bochy and team greats who passed away during the offseason, including Willie McCovey. The weather could change how those ceremonies unfold. Weather.com says there is a 90 percent chance of rain in San Francisco at points Friday morning, but that chance decreases to 15 percent by 2 p.m. The Giants will update weather conditions and any plans to adjust events Friday on their Twitter account hourly beginning at 6:30 a.m.<doc-sep>The heaviest of the storms expected this week in the Bay Area is expected to make landfall Friday, possibly endangering the San Francisco Giants’ home opener at Oracle Park against the Tampa Bay Rays. Up to an inch of rain could fall that day in the city, forecasters said.<doc-sep>Hits have been few and far between for the San Francisco Giants this season, but the home opener Friday at Oracle Park could get dinged by a storm expected to batter the region. For now, the Giants remain scheduled to host the Tampa Bay Rays with the first pitch at 1:35 p.m. Moderate rain is predicted for the midday hours, and the city could see up to a third of an inch of rain before conditions dry out later in the day, according to the National Weather Service. “We are closely monitoring the weather and intend to get our game in on Friday,” the Giants said in a statement. “We have plans for all weather scenarios and will keep fans regularly updated as information becomes available.” Rain delayed the Giants’ Bay Bridge Series exhibition game against the Oakland A’s for 84 minutes last week. Nearly a year has passed since the Giants were washed out of a game, and 12 years had gone by without a rainout before that cancellation. Friday’s storm is classified as an atmospheric river, and it’s expected to bring tropical moisture up from the Pacific near Hawaii — but not the kind that slammed the Bay Area with torrential downpours during the winter. “It’s a very weak, short-lived version of an atmospheric river,” said Rick Canepa, a National Weather Service meteorologist. The system is expected to make landfall midmorning, and it could persist through the game and into the evening commute, he added. Most locations in the Bay Area will see between a quarter and a third of an inch of rain, and while the bulk of the precipitation will die off by nightfall, a few lingering showers could persist into Saturday morning in the North Bay. Dry, cloudy weather will persist Sunday, before another storm is expected to move into the region Monday, Canepa said. If the game is postponed, fans can reuse their tickets at the rescheduled game, team officials said. Fans can request a refund if the game is canceled. Gwendolyn Wu is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: gwendolyn.wu@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @gwendolynawu<doc-sep>
LOS ANGELES–The Giants have plans to pay tribute to many of the franchise’s beloved figures during Friday’s home opener at Oracle Park. Whether they’ll be able to do so depends on Mother Nature. Rain is in the forecast for Friday in San Francisco and the Giants sent out a press release Wednesday announcing the organization will closely monitor the weather conditions in the hours leading up to first pitch. The Giants are scheduled to play the Tampa Bay Rays at 1:35 p.m. on Friday, but morning showers could push the time back or force the club to postpone the home opener altogether. The Giants announced they’re planning to begin a season-long retirement celebration in honor of Bruce Bochy, who is in the midst of his 25th and final year as a major league manager in 2019. San Francisco will also pay tribute to members of the organization who passed away this offseason. The Giants are planning to honor Hall of Fame first baseman Willie McCovey, former managing general partner Peter Magowan and broadcaster Hank Greenwald during Friday’s game. If weather does not impact the start time of Friday’s game, the Giants are encouraging fans to be in their seats by 12:45 p.m. Gates will open at 11:35 a.m. The Giants have not revealed any contingency plans if Friday’s game is postponed due to rain, but this weekend marks the only time the Tampa Bay Rays are visiting San Francisco this year. The Rays play in Chicago against the White Sox on Monday, which would complicate plans if the Giants wanted to do a day-night doubleheader on Sunday when there’s only a 10 percent chance of rain. According to weather.com, there’s a 90 percent chance of precipitation in San Francisco on Friday with a 50 percent chance of rain on Saturday. In the past, fans who have had tickets to a postponed game have been allowed to use their tickets when a makeup game is played. Only six games have ever been rained out in the history of the team’s home park, with the last coming April 6, 2018 when the Giants were set to host the Dodgers. Prior to that postponement, the Giants had not been rained out at home since April 12, 2006.