Alumnus scores SF Giants hosting job with NBC Sports Bay Area

Photo provided by Anthony Garcia '05

Riordan alumnus Anthony Garcia ’05 is an in-game host for the Giants at Oracle Park and co-host for NBC Sports Bay Area’s Summer Sunday.

From sitting at the cafeteria tables of Riordan High School, to standing on the field at Oracle Park, Riordan alumnus Anthony Garcia ’05 has made a name for himself around the Cove. 

On March 16, Garcia announced via Twitter that he would be joining Therese Viñal as in-game host for the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. He also co-hosts Summer Sunday for NBC Sports Bay Area.

Following in his father’s footsteps, Anthony was destined to go to Riordan. Living right behind the football field and growing up in the neighborhood, the school was always a part of his life. 

“It was always kind of inevitable that I went to Riordan,” he said. Garcia had only applied to one high school, and he believes that it was “absolutely the right choice.”

At Riordan, Garcia spent his time on the baseball diamond, in the theater, and as a leader in the student government. He also was a member of the LIFE team in Campus Ministry. 

One of his favorite aspects about Riordan is the brotherhood. He believes that the feeling of brotherhood and togetherness is part of what makes Riordan so great, going on to say “The brotherhood is real.”

Garcia went to Riordan all four years of high school and one of his main takeaways was how much teachers care. 

“One of my favorite things about Riordan is that our teachers care about us and I think when you’re a kid that helps to know that people are invested in you. And that’s really, really important.” 

Some of the teachers he really cared for were English teachers Kim Loder and Michael Vezzali-Pascual ’88.

Garcia believes that his experience at Riordan shaped who he became today stating, “Riordan absolutely 100 percent made me the person I am today.”

Garcia has been a fan of the Giants his whole life, going back to his earliest memories  of his childhood sitting on his dad’s lap in the bleachers of the cold and windy ‘Stick. “Being a Giants fan has just always been a part of my life.”

Garcia grew up in a sports household, going to sporting events, being at AT&T Park for Barry Bonds’ 756th home run, having parties for 49ers games, there was always a game on the tv, and for Garcia and his family, “It wasn’t just sports, it was community.” 

He grew up obsessed with sports, watching Sportscenter, ESPN, reading sports magazines any chance he got. He even wanted to be a professional athlete, idolizing players like Bonds. He quickly realized that it may not be in his cards to play sports, but instead, he could write about it. 

Garcia wanted to be a storyteller, and it seemed to be a perfect fit. 

“The journalism part and the sports part are two of my passions, and it just seemed like the perfect marriage of the two.” 

The stars aligned with Garcia and his path to becoming a sports journalist; he’s spent about 12 years behind the scenes at NBC and has recently been in front of the camera with shows at NBC like Triples Alley and Summer Sunday. 

He didn’t do this by sitting around. He took advantage of the opportunities he was given and kept pushing for what he wanted. 

“Every now and then they would throw me a bone, every now and then I would get a new opportunity and try to make the most of it,” he said. 

His career in front of the camera started with NBC’s Triples Alley in which he had to ask his boss to audition because he wasn’t on the list, but still got the part anyway and that boosted him another show called Summer Sunday, which is a show on NBCSBA that takes place every Sunday of the summer like the name implies.

NBC hosts Cole Kuiper, Carmen Kiew, Viñal, and Garcia give fans an insightful perspective on the Giants’ games that audiences wouldn’t get on any other day. This led to Garcia landing his gig as in-game host with Viñal.

Garcia has a warm attitude and inviting smile, and represents everything that the Riordan brotherhood is about; hard working, kind, and welcoming. 

Alumnus Steven Rissotto ’20 agrees. “He’s the standard for the Riordan brotherhood because of the way he carries himself — he just has fun and there’s a clear passion for his craft. Just by talking with people who know him, it seems like he’s always been outgoing.”

From his time at the R, to his days at the ‘Stick, and now at the Cove, Garcia has gone a long way in his sports journalism career, and hopes to reach more goals as his journey continues.