Tom,
You are right about the lack of history, it isn't there. I suppose being a die-hard Oakland A's fan and watching all those games in the unfriendly confines of the Coliseum, which has to be one of the worst 5 ballparks in the league, taking in a game at AT&T was a revelation. Its like playing Skywest one day and Olympic the next...no comparison.
As for Candlestick, I too can vouch that it was at times a brutal place to take in a game. I recall 1 game where my seats were in the sun for the first 4 innings and then in the shadows for the last 5. I went from Tee shirt to Coat and Beanie cap as the shadow was cast...just crazy stuff.