And The Winners Are... The Official Giant Pacific Bell Park Pitch Baseball Receives a Name; 'Stitches' Chosen from More than 2,500 Contest Entries.

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 18, 1999--

There's a new celebrity in town - not a movie star, athlete or even a person. It's Stitches, the newly named Giant Pacific Bell Park Pitch baseball that will be pitched in the ceremonial first pitch on opening day at Pacific Bell Park in April 2000. Pacific Bell and the San Francisco Giants today announced that 14 contestants, out of more than 2,500 entries, came up with the winning name in the "Name the Ball Contest."

Before the historic first pitch in April, Stitches will be pitched, caught and touched by thousands of fans as it travels through the farming communities of the Southern San Joaquin Valley to the northern reaches of the state, and back to San Francisco for Opening Day ceremonies at Pacific Bell Park. After Opening Day, Stitches will be permanently displayed at Pacific Bell Park.

The creative minds behind the name, and the grand prize winners of the Name the Ball Contest, are Davis Armstrong from Fairfield; James Dennis Broedlow from Modesto; Darin Chin from Oakland; Phillip Clarkson from Fairfield; J. Gary Clement Gonzales from Salinas; Lois Cummings from West Boylston, Mass.; Ernest Davis, Jr. from San Mateo; Joseph Gombos from Milpitas; Ricky Lee Howard from Fairfield; Peter Jensen from Belmont; Juan Padilla from San Jose; Matthew Parlow from Los Angeles; Brian Curtis Talarowski from San Jose; and Richard Valls from San Rafael. The winners receive four tickets to a regular 2000 season Giants home game at Pacific Bell Park and two Pitch Relay spots in the city of their choice.

The Giant Pacific Bell Park Pitch allows fans the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to pitch and catch Stitches, the ball that will ultimately cross home plate in the ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day at Pacific Bell Park. The road trip will travel to 16 cities in California and Nevada. Festivities will begin with a Pitch Relay, a relay throw with Stitches the Ball winding through the community, and conclude at a local park for a day-long Pacific Bell Park FanFest where everyone can pitch and catch Stitches for free.

For more information about the Giant Pacific Bell Park Pitch, visit www.sfgiants.com or call toll-free 1-877-TO-PITCH. Tickets for the Pitch Relay, a fundraiser for local Parks and Recreation departments in each of the 16 road-trip cities, will be available on sale beginning Dec. 1 by calling 1-877-TO-PITCH.

SBC Communications Inc. (www.sbc.com) is a global communications leader. Through its trusted brands - Southwestern Bell, Ameritech, Pacific Bell, SBC Telecom, Nevada Bell, SNET and Cellular One - and world-class network, SBC provides local and long-distance phone service, wireless and data communications, paging, high-speed Internet access and messaging, cable and satellite television, security services and telecommunications equipment, as well as directory advertising and publishing. In the United States, the company currently has 87.3 million voice grade equivalent lines, 10.3 million wireless customers and is undertaking a national expansion program that will bring SBC service to an additional 30 markets. Internationally, SBC has telecommunications investments in 22 countries. With more than 200,000 employees, SBC is the 14th largest employer in the U.S., with annual revenues that rank it among the largest Fortune 500 companies.

Major League Baseball came to San Francisco back in 1958 with the arrival of the Giants from New York. Showcasing such legendary names as John McGraw, Willie Mays and Willie McCovey throughout their rich history, the Giants boast the winningest record ever among National League Teams - second only to the New York Yankees in all of baseball. The New York-San Francisco franchise has produced more members of the Baseball Hall of Fame than any other team in the Major Leagues. A new era of Giants baseball began in 1992, when a group of civic-minded San Franciscans headed by Peter A. Magowan purchased the 117-year-old Major League franchise. Since then, the San Francisco Giants have been committed to standing for innovation, professionalism, and excellence on and off the field. The Giants are dedicated to serving their customers, providing the highest quality entertainment experience, and enhancing the Giants value as a community asset. Pacific Bell Park, the first privately-financed Major League ballpark to be built in more than 30 years, is a shining testimonial of the Giants commitment to give their fans the best team and the best ballpark in the 21st Century.

In the event that the original Giant Pacific Bell Park Pitch ball is lost, stolen or damaged beyond use, it will be replaced and the road trip will continue as planned.

SOURCE: SBC Communications Inc.