A first-round pick of the Giants in 2007, Francis Parker High grad Nick Noonan had picked up six at-bats off the bench as a visitor at Petco Park. He’d witnessed considerably more games as a fan here, had tickets to the World Series at Qualcomm Stadium in 1998 and grew up rooting for the likes of Tony Gwynn and Steve Finley.
Now for a new baseball memory in San Diego: His first big league start in front of the hometown crowd.
“I’ll probably have some nerves at first, to be honest,” Noon said Thursday afternoon. “I'm just anxious.