1972 San Francisco Giants season
Encyclopedia
The San Francisco Giants
season was the 90th season in franchise history. The Giants finished with a record of 69-86. It was their first losing season in San Francisco and the franchise's first losing season since 1957
, which was the franchise's final year in New York.
was traded to the New York Mets
for Charlie Williams and $
50,000. At the time, the Giants franchise was losing money. Owner Horace Stoneham
could not guarantee Mays an income after retirement.
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 was the 90th season in franchise history. The Giants finished with a record of 69-86. It was their first losing season in San Francisco and the franchise's first losing season since 1957
1957 New York Giants season
The 1957 New York Giants season was the 33rd season for the club in the National Football League.-Schedule:-Standings:-References:...
, which was the franchise's final year in New York.
Offseason
- November 29, 1971: Gaylord PerryGaylord PerryGaylord Jackson Perry is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1962-1983 for eight different teams in his career. During a 22-year baseball career, Perry compiled 314 wins, 3,534 strikeouts, and a 3.11 earned run average...
and Frank Duffy were traded by the Giants to the Cleveland IndiansCleveland IndiansThe Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
for Sam McDowellSam McDowellSamuel Edward Thomas McDowell , is a former professional baseball pitcher. He played fifteen seasons in Major League Baseball, with the first 11 coming for the Cleveland Indians before a 1971 trade to the San Francisco Giants, followed by stints with the New York Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates...
. - February 2, 1972: Hal LanierHal LanierHarold Clifton Lanier is a former infielder, coach and manager in Major League Baseball. From through , Lanier played for the San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees...
was purchased from the Giants by the New York YankeesNew York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. - March 27, 1972: Rich RobertsonRich Robertson (right-handed pitcher)Richard Paul Robertson is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched six seasons in the major leagues, from until , all for the San Francisco Giants. In , he led the National League in wild pitches with 18.-Sources:...
was released by the Giants.
Regular season
Franchise legend Willie MaysWillie Mays
Willie Howard Mays, Jr. is a retired American professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his...
was traded to the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
for Charlie Williams and $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
50,000. At the time, the Giants franchise was losing money. 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...
could not guarantee Mays an income after retirement.
Notable transactions
- May 11, 1972: Willie MaysWillie MaysWillie Howard Mays, Jr. is a retired American professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his...
was traded by the Giants to the New York MetsNew York MetsThe New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
for Charlie Williams and $50,000. - June 6, 1972: Brian AsselstineBrian AsselstineBrian Hanly Asselstine is a former professional baseball player. He played all or part of six seasons in Major League Baseball, from 1976 until 1981, for the Atlanta Braves, primarily as an outfielder.-Sources:...
was drafted by the Giants in the 7th round of the 1972 Major League Baseball Draft1972 Major League Baseball Draft-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1972 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :The Montreal Expos had perhaps their best draft in franchise history. The Expos grabbed outfielder Ellis Valentine in round two of the June regular phase and then...
, but did not sign. - June 6, 1972: Lenn SakataLenn SakataLenn Haruki Sakata is a former professional baseball player who played in the Major Leagues primarily as a utility player from 1977–1987 and was a member of the Baltimore Orioles 1983 World Series Championship team. He was the second Asian American to play Major League Baseball. He is Yonsei...
was drafted by the Giants in the 14th round of the 1972 Major League Baseball Draft1972 Major League Baseball Draft-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1972 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :The Montreal Expos had perhaps their best draft in franchise history. The Expos grabbed outfielder Ellis Valentine in round two of the June regular phase and then...
, but did not sign.
Roster
| 1972 San Francisco Giants | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers | Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 133 | 459 | 119 | .259 | 6 | 41 | |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 74 | 119 | 28 | .235 | 1 | 7 | |
| 45 | 99 | 15 | .152 | 1 | 8 | |
| 51 | 84 | 19 | .226 | 1 | 4 | |
| 46 | 68 | 13 | .191 | 3 | 9 | |
| 19 | 49 | 9 | .184 | 0 | 3 | |
| 39 | 20 | 7 | .350 | 0 | 2 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | 214 | 14 | 7 | 2.90 | 107 | |
| 25 | 165 | 6 | 16 | 3.71 | 72 | |
| 28 | 164.1 | 10 | 8 | 4.33 | 122 | |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44 | 179 | 8 | 10 | 2.87 | 86 | |
| 25 | 90 | 4 | 8 | 5.80 | 42 | |
| 9 | 25 | 0 | 4 | 8.64 | 8 | |
| 3 | 9.1 | 0 | 2 | 8.68 | 3 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 4.42 | 57 | |
| 44 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3.71 | 45 | |
| 40 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 3.69 | 37 | |
| 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.26 | 5 |