1957 New York Giants (MLB) season
Encyclopedia
The New York Giants
season involved the team finishing in sixth place in the National League
with a 69-85 record, 26 games behind the NL and World Champion Milwaukee Braves
. It was the team's 75th and final season in New York City
before its relocation to San Francisco, California
for the following season.
in Minneapolis-St. Paul, which was home to their top farm team, the Minneapolis Millers
. Under the rules of the time, the Giants' ownership of the Millers gave them priority rights to a major league team in the area.
At this time, the Giants were approached by San Francisco mayor George Christopher. Despite objections from shareholders such as Joan Whitney Payson
, majority owner Horace Stoneham
entered into negotiations with San Francisco officials around the same time that Dodgers' owner Walter O'Malley
was courting the city of Los Angeles
. O'Malley had been told that the Dodgers would not be allowed to move to Los Angeles unless a second team moved to California as well. He pushed Stoneham toward relocation. In the summer of 1957, both the New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers announced their moves to California, and the golden age of baseball in the New York area ended.
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
season involved the team finishing in sixth place in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
with a 69-85 record, 26 games behind the NL and World Champion Milwaukee Braves
1957 Milwaukee Braves season
The Milwaukee Braves season was the year that the team won its first and only World Series championship while based in Milwaukee. The Braves won 95 games and lost 59 to win the National League pennant by eight games over the second-place St. Louis Cardinals....
. It was the team's 75th and final season in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
before its relocation to San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
for the following season.
Offseason
- October 26, 1956: Hank SauerHank SauerHenry John "Hank" Sauer was a left fielder in Major League Baseball. From 1941 through 1959, Sauer played for the Cincinnati Reds , Chicago Cubs , St. Louis Cardinals , New York Giants and San Francisco Giants...
was signed as a free agent by the Giants. - February 21, 1957: Manny MotaManny MotaManuel Rafael Mota Geronimo, more commonly known as Manny Mota was a Major League Baseball Outfielder for the San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, Montreal Expos and most notably the Los Angeles Dodgers, best known for his pinch hitting abilities...
was signed as an amateur free agent by the Giants. - February 26, 1957: Hoyt WilhelmHoyt WilhelmJames Hoyt Wilhelm was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985....
was traded by the Giants to the St. Louis CardinalsSt. Louis CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
for Whitey LockmanWhitey LockmanCarroll Walter "Whitey" Lockman was a player, coach, manager and front office executive in American Major League Baseball.-Role in miraculous 1951 comeback:...
. - March 27, 1957: Bill SarniBill SarniWilliam Florine Sarni was an American professional baseball player who played as a catcher in the Major Leagues. A native of Los Angeles, California, he played for the St...
was released by the Giants. - Prior to 1957 season: John OrsinoJohn OrsinoJohn Joseph Orsino is a former Major League Baseball catcher. He was signed by the New York Giants as an amateur free agent before the 1957 season, and played for the San Francisco Giants , Baltimore Orioles , and Washington Senators .Orsino made his major league debut on July 14, 1961 against the...
was signed as an amateur free agent by the Giants.
Relocation to San Francisco
While seeking a new stadium to replace the crumbling Polo Grounds, the Giants began to contemplate a move from New York, initially considering Metropolitan StadiumMetropolitan Stadium
Metropolitan Stadium was a sports stadium that once stood in Bloomington, Minnesota, just outside Minneapolis. The area where the stadium once stood is now the site of the Mall of America...
in Minneapolis-St. Paul, which was home to their top farm team, the Minneapolis Millers
Minneapolis Millers
The Minneapolis Millers were an American professional minor league baseball team that played in Minneapolis, Minnesota, until 1960. In the 19th century a different Minneapolis Millers were part of the Western League.The team played first in Athletic Park and later Nicollet Park.The name Minneapolis...
. Under the rules of the time, the Giants' ownership of the Millers gave them priority rights to a major league team in the area.
At this time, the Giants were approached by San Francisco mayor George Christopher. Despite objections from shareholders such as Joan Whitney Payson
Joan Whitney Payson
Joan Whitney Payson was an American heiress, businesswoman, philanthropist, patron of the arts and art collector, and a member of the prominent Whitney family...
, majority owner Horace Stoneham
Horace Stoneham
Horace C. Stoneham was the principal owner of Major League Baseball's New York/San Francisco Giants from the death of his father, Charles Stoneham, in 1936 until 1976. During his ownership, the team won National League pennants in 1936, 1937, 1951, 1954 and 1962, a division title in 1971, and a...
entered into negotiations with San Francisco officials around the same time that Dodgers' owner Walter O'Malley
Walter O'Malley
Walter Francis O'Malley was an American sports executive who owned the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers team in Major League Baseball from to . He served as Brooklyn Dodgers chief legal counsel when Jackie Robinson broke the racial color barrier in...
was courting the city of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. O'Malley had been told that the Dodgers would not be allowed to move to Los Angeles unless a second team moved to California as well. He pushed Stoneham toward relocation. In the summer of 1957, both the New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers announced their moves to California, and the golden age of baseball in the New York area ended.
Notable transactions
- April 16, 1957: Dick LittlefieldDick LittlefieldRichard Bernard "Dick" Littlefield was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for nine teams between 1950 and 1958.Born in Detroit, Michigan, he died there at age 71....
and Bob LennonBob LennonRobert Albert Lennon , nicknamed "Archie," was an American professional baseball player. Although Lennon struggled at the Major League level in three different trials during the mid-1950s, he was a prolific home run hitter in minor league baseball, hitting 278 homers in a 16-year career and setting...
were traded by the Giants to the Chicago CubsChicago CubsThe Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
for Ray KattRay KattRaymond Frederick Katt was an American catcher and coach in Major League Baseball during the 1950s, and later the longtime and highly successful head baseball coach of Texas Lutheran University. A lifelong resident of New Braunfels, Texas, Katt stood 6'2" tall, weighed 200 pounds , and threw and...
and Ray JablonskiRay JablonskiRaymond Leo Jablonski was an American third baseman in Major League Baseball with an 8-year career from 1953 to 1960. Born in Chicago, Illinois, he played for the St...
. - June 15, 1957: Red SchoendienstRed SchoendienstAlbert Fred "Red" Schoendienst is an American Major League Baseball coach, former player and manager, and 10-time All-star. After a 19-year playing career with the St...
was traded by the Giants to the Milwaukee BravesAtlanta BravesThe Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
for Danny O'ConnellDanny O'ConnellDaniel Francis O'Connell was an American infielder in Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates , Milwaukee Braves , New York/San Francisco Giants andWashington Senators...
, Ray CroneRay CroneRaymond Hayes Crone was a right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Milwaukee Braves from 1954 to 1957 and the New York/San Francisco Giants from 1957 to 1958.-Early life and career:...
, and Bobby ThomsonBobby ThomsonRobert Brown "Bobby" Thomson was a Scottish-born American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "The Staten Island Scot", he was an outfielder and right-handed batter for the New York Giants , Milwaukee Braves , Chicago Cubs , Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles .His season-ending three-run...
.
Roster
| 1957 New York Giants | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers | Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders Other batters |
Manager Coaches |
||||||
Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 133 | 456 | 113 | .248 | 7 | 30 | |
| 3B | 107 | 305 | 88 | .289 | 9 | 57 | |
| LF | 127 | 378 | 98 | .259 | 26 | 76 | |
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 57 | 254 | 78 | .307 | 9 | 33 | |
| 92 | 190 | 39 | .205 | 4 | 19 | |
| 72 | 165 | 38 | .230 | 2 | 17 | |
| 14 | 37 | 6 | .162 | 1 | 1 | |
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 212.1 | 12 | 18 | 3.77 | 144 | |
| 37 | 183 | 9 | 9 | 3.44 | 67 | |
| 10 | 31.2 | 1 | 4 | 8.80 | 18 |
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2.86 | 13 | |