Beloved Double Play Bar in San Francisco severely damaged by fire
SAN FRANCISCO -- The historic Double Play Bar and Grill, a popular sports bar in San Francisco's Mission District, was heavily damaged in a fire Saturday.
The establishment, at the corner of 16th Street and Bryant Street, had been serving drinks since 1909. Some people consider it a baseball shrine because it was the go-to spot when the old Seals Stadium was across the street.
Firefighters said they received 911 calls around 5 a.m. and arrived to find the establishment already engulfed in flames. They believe the fire started in the front bar area and spread. The dining room suffered heavy water and smoke damage.
"I come to work. I see firefighters. I come and see, everything is done," said Rafael Hernandez, who owns the Double Play.
Hernandez said he came to work 6 o'clock in the morning to find his business to be a charred mess.
"I still don't believe it. I see it but I cannot believe it," he said.
Hernandez said he couldn't put his pain into words because Double Play was his life. He spent 34 years there, He started as a dishwasher and a cook in 1988 then bought it from the previous owner 14 years ago.
The San Francisco Firefighters Local 798 Twitter account posted about the fire shortly before 9 a.m. and noted that many firefighters had frequented the bar.
The bar, which was established over a century ago would often host thirsty baseball fans who attended San Francisco Giants games at Seals Stadium, where the team made its home in 1958 and 1959.
"(Players) would come over here and get a shot, have a shot of whiskey while they were playing baseball," said Gigi Fiorucci, former owner of Double Play.
The stadium, which sat on the block where the Potrero Center is now located, was also reported home to the the Pacific Coast League San Francisco Seals from 1931 to 1957. The Double Play had Seals Stadium memorabilia and original signs from the ballpark on display were damaged in the fire.
"There are some pictures left but not much," said Katie Hernandez, the owner's daughter, in a Facebook message.
Hillary Ronen, who represents the Mission District on the city's board of supervisors, thanked firefighters for stopping the fire before it spread to the building's upstairs neighbors.
Ronen said she will be "reaching out to Double Play to find out how we can help this legacy business."
Firefighters salvaged an old bat and handed it to Hernandez who said he said he would like to rebuild, if possible.
There are two stories of apartments above Double Play. They were being renovated and were unoccupied at the time of the fire.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.