San Francisco Giants
Encyclopedia
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball
(MLB) team based in San Francisco, California
, playing in the National League West Division
.
As one of the oldest baseball
teams, they have won the most games of any team in the history of American baseball, and any North American professional sports team. They have won 21 National League pennants and appeared in 18 World Series competitions – both records in the National League (tied for NL pennants with the Los Angeles Dodgers
and for World Series appearances with the Los Angeles Dodgers
and the St. Louis Cardinals
). The Giants 6 World Series Championships are also tied for second in the National League with the Dodgers (the St. Louis Cardinals
have won 11). The Giants have played in the World Series an NL record 18 times, but boycotted the event in 1904
. With their history, the Giants have the most Hall of Fame players in all of professional baseball.
The Giants played at the Polo Grounds
in Manhattan
, New York
, until the close of the 1957 season, after which they moved west to California to become the San Francisco Giants. As the New York Giants, they won 14 pennants and 5 World Championships
, from the era of John McGraw and Christy Mathewson
to that of Bobby Thomson
and Willie Mays
. The Giants have won four pennants and the 2010 World Series
since arriving in San Francisco.
and veteran amateur baseball player Jim Mutrie
. The Gothams, as the Giants were originally known, entered the National League
in 1883, while their other club, the Metropolitans
(the original Mets
) played in the American Association
. Nearly half of the original Gotham players were members of the disbanded Troy Trojans, whose place in the National League the Gothams inherited. While the Metropolitans
were initially the more successful club, Day and Mutrie began moving star players to the Gothams and the team won its first National League pennant
in 1888, as well as a victory over the St. Louis Browns in an early incarnation of the World Series
. They repeated as champions the next year with a pennant and World Series victory over the Brooklyn Bridegrooms
.
It is said that after one particularly satisfying victory over the Philadelphia Phillies
, Mutrie (who was also the team's manager) stormed into the dressing room and exclaimed, "My big fellows! My giants!" From then on, the club was known as the Giants.
The Giants' original home stadium, the Polo Grounds
, also dates from this early era. The first of the Polo Grounds was located north of Central Park
adjacent to Fifth and Sixth Avenues and 110th and 112th Streets in the New York City
neighborhood of Harlem
. Upon eviction from the Polo Grounds after the 1888 season, the Giants moved uptown and renamed various fields the Polo Grounds which were located between 155th and 159th Streets in the New York City
neighborhoods of Harlem
and Washington Heights
. The Giants played at the Polo Grounds until the end of the 1957 season
, when they moved to San Francisco.
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The Giants remained a powerhouse during the last half of the 1880s, culminating in their first league pennant in and another in . However, in , nearly all of the Giants' stars jumped to the upstart Players' League, whose New York franchise was also named the Giants
. The new team even built its park next door to the National League Giants' Polo Grounds. With a decimated roster, the Giants finished a distant sixth. Attendance took a nosedive, and the financial strain affected Day's tobacco business as well. The Players' League dissolved after the season, and Day sold a minority interest to the PL Giants' principal backer, Edward Talcott. As a condition of the sale, Day had to fire Mutrie as manager. Although the Giants rebounded to third in 1891, Day was forced to sell controlling interest to Talcott at the end of the season.
Four years later, Talcott sold the Giants to Andrew Freedman
, a real estate developer with ties to Tammany Hall
. Freedman was one of the most detested owners in baseball history, getting into heated disputes with other owners, writers and his own players. The most famous one was with star pitcher Amos Rusie
. When Freedman only offered Rusie $2,500 for 1896, Rusie sat out the entire season. Attendance fell off throughout the league due to the loss of Rusie, prompting the other owners to chip in $50,000 to get him to return for 1897. Freedman hired former owner Day as manager for part of 1899.
In 1902, after a series of disastrous moves that left the Giants 53½ games behind, Freedman signed John McGraw as a player-manager, convincing him to jump in mid-season from the Baltimore Orioles
of the American League
and to bring with him several Orioles' players. McGraw would go on and manage the Giants for three decades, one of the longest and most successful tenures in professional sports. McGraw's hiring was one of Freedman's last significant moves as owner of the Giants; after the season he was forced to sell his interest to John T. Brush
. Under McGraw the Giants won ten National League pennants and three World Series
championships.
The Giants already had their share of stars during its brief history at this point, such as Smiling Mickey Welch
, Roger Connor
, Tim Keefe
, Jim O'Rourke
and John Montgomery Ward
, the player-lawyer who formed the renegade Players League
in 1890 to protest unfair player contracts. McGraw would also cultivate his own crop of baseball heroes during his time with the Giants. Names such as Christy Mathewson
, Iron Man Joe McGinnity, Bill Terry
, Jim Thorpe
, Mel Ott
, Casey Stengel
, and Red Ames
are just a sample of the many players who honed their skills under McGraw.
The Giants under McGraw famously snubbed their first modern World Series
chance in 1904
—an encounter with the reigning world champion
Boston Americans
(now known as the "Red Sox")—because McGraw considered the new American League
as little more than a minor league
. His original reluctance was because the intra-city rival New York Highlanders
looked like they would win the AL pennant. The Highlanders lost to Boston on the last day, but the Giants stuck by their refusal. McGraw had also managed the Highlanders in their first two seasons, when they were known as the Baltimore Orioles.
The ensuing criticism resulted in Brush leading an effort to formalize the rules and format of the World Series. The Giants
won the 1905 World Series
over the Philadelphia Athletics
, with Christy Mathewson
nearly winning the series single-handedly.
The Giants then had several frustrating years. In 1908, they finished in a tie with the Chicago Cubs
and had a one-game playoff at the Polo Grounds. The game was a replay of a tied game that resulted from the Merkle Boner
. They lost the rematch to the Cubs, who would go on to win their second World Series. That post-season game was further darkened by a story that someone on the Giants had attempted to bribe umpire Bill Klem
. This could have been a disastrous scandal for baseball, but because Klem was honest and the Giants lost, it faded over time.
The Giants experienced some hard luck in the early 1910s, losing three straight World Series starting in 1911 to the A's, the Red Sox,and the A's again(the Giants and the A's both won pennants in 1913; two seasons later, both teams finished in eighth [last] place). After losing the 1917 Series
to the Chicago White Sox
(the White Sox's last World Series win until 2005), the Giants played in four straight World Series in the early 1920s, winning the first two over their tenants, the Yankees, then losing to the Yankees
in 1923
when Yankee Stadium opened. They also lost in 1924, when the Washington Senators
won their only World Series in their history (prior to their move to Minnesota).
, and Terry played for and managed the Giants for ten years. During this time the Giants won three pennants, defeating the Senators
in the 1933 World Series
and losing to the Yankees in 1936
and 1937
. Aside from Terry himself, the other stars of the era were Mel Ott and Carl Hubbell
. Known as "King Carl" and "The Meal Ticket", Hubbell gained fame during the 1934 All-Star Game
, when he struck out five future Hall of Famers in a row: Babe Ruth
, Lou Gehrig
, Jimmie Foxx
, Al Simmons
, and Joe Cronin
.
Mel Ott succeeded Terry as manager in , but the war years proved to be difficult for the Giants. Midway during the 1948 season
Brooklyn Dodgers
manager Leo Durocher
left the Dodgers to become manager of the Giants. This hire was not without controversy. Not only was the mid-season switch unusual, but Durocher had been accused of gambling in 1947 and subsequently suspended for the entire 1947 season
by Baseball Commissioner Albert "Happy" Chandler
. Durocher remained at the helm of the Giants through the 1955 season
, and those eight years proved to be some of the most memorable for Giants fans, particularly because of the arrival of Willie Mays
and arguably the two most famous plays in Giants' history.
's walk-off home run
that clinched the National League pennant for the Giants over their rivals, the Brooklyn Dodgers. This game was the deciding one of a three-game playoff ending one of baseball's most memorable pennant races. The Giants
had been thirteen and a half games behind the league-leading Dodgers
in August, but under Durocher's guidance and with the aid of a sixteen-game winning streak, caught the Dodgers to tie for the lead on the last day of the season.
at the Polo Grounds against the Cleveland Indians
, Willie Mays made "The Catch"—a dramatic over-the-shoulder catch of a fly ball by Vic Wertz
to deep center field. At the time the game was tied 2–2 in the eighth inning, with men on first and second and nobody out. Mays caught the ball 450 ft (137.2 m) from the plate, whirled and threw the ball to the infield, keeping the lead runner, Larry Doby
, from scoring.
The underdog Giants went on to sweep the series in four straight, despite the Indians having won a then-American League
record 111 games that year. The 1954 World Series
title would be their last appearance in the World Series as the New York Giants, as the team moved to San Francisco just prior to the 1958 season.
and Willie Mays
, other memorable members of the Giants teams during the 1950s include: Hall of Fame manager Leo Durocher
, coach Herman Franks
, Hall of Fame outfielder Monte Irvin
, outfielder and runnerup for the 1954 NL batting championship (won by Willie Mays) Don Mueller
, Hall of Fame knuckleball
relief pitcher Hoyt Wilhelm
, starting pitchers Larry Jansen
, Sal Maglie
, Jim Hearn
, Marv Grissom
, Dave Koslo
, Don Liddle
, Max Lanier
, Rubén Gómez
, and Johnny Antonelli
, catcher Wes Westrum
, catchers Ray Katt
and Sal Yvars
, shortstop Alvin Dark
, third baseman Hank Thompson
, first baseman Whitey Lockman
, second basemen Davey Williams
and Eddie Stanky
, outfielder, pitcher Clint Hartung
, Hall of Fame second baseman Red Schoendienst
and utility players: Bill Rigney
, Daryl Spencer
, Bobby Hofman
, and Dusty Rhodes
among others. In the late 1950s and after the move to San Francisco two Hall of Fame First Basemen Orlando Cepeda
and Willie McCovey
joined the team.
in Minneapolis-Saint 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 at around the same time that the 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. And so it was in the summer of 1957 that 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 had ended.
New York would remain a one-team town with the New York Yankees
until 1962 when Joan Whitney Payson founded the New York Mets
and brought National League baseball back to the city. Payson and M. Donald Grant
, who became the Mets' chairman, had been the only Giants board members to vote against the Giants' move to California. The "NY" script on the Giants' caps and the orange trim on their uniforms, along with the blue background used by the Dodgers, would be adopted by the Mets – something of a compromise between the colors of both the Giants and the Dodgers.
for their first two seasons. The stadium, which was located at 16th & Bryant St. across from the Stempel's Bakery, had been the home of the Pacific Coast League
(PCL) San Francisco Seals, a minor league affiliate of the Boston Red Sox
, from 1931 to 1957. In 1958
, Latino hitter Orlando Cepeda
won Rookie of the Year honors. In 1959
, Willie McCovey
won the same award.
In 1960
, the Giants moved to Candlestick Park (sometimes known simply as "The 'Stick"), a stadium built on Candlestick Point in San Francisco's southeast corner overlooking San Francisco Bay
. The new stadium quickly became known for its strong, swirling winds, cold temperatures, and thick evening fog that made for a formidable experience for brave fans and players. The park had a built-in radiant heating system, but it never worked. Candlestick Park's reputation was sealed in the ninth inning of the first 1961 All-Star Game
when, after a day of calm conditions, the winds rose. A strong gust appeared to cause Giants relief pitcher Stu Miller
to slip off the pitching rubber during his delivery, resulting in a balk
(and a baseball legend that Miller was "blown off the mound").
There were also many times that Candlestick Park was covered in fog, both inside and out, coming in from the ocean seven miles to the west (through what is known as the "Alemany Gap," a type of wide gorge through which the ocean winds come without major topographical obstacles). At one time, a fog horn was played inside the stadium between innings giving Candlestick another reputation. Other times, the winds would also whirl around in the parking lot, but inside the stadium it would be calm. Even with its reputation of being cold, windy, and foggy, it stood its ground when the ground below it shook violently during the 1989 World Series
. At 5:04 p.m., the Loma Prieta Earthquake
shook the San Francisco Bay Area
during the pre-game ceremonies before Game 3. For 15 seconds the stadium rocked and there was fear that the standing light fixtures above would fall onto the crowd. However, only minor injuries were reported, and the stadium's structure was deemed safe ten days later.
which resulted in a playoff series which the Giants won, the Giants brought a World Series to San Francisco. However, the Giants lost the series four games to three to the New York Yankees
. The seventh game went to the bottom of the ninth inning, with the Yankees ahead 1–0. With Matty Alou
on first base and two outs, Willie Mays
sliced a double down the right field line. Right fielder Roger Maris
, quickly got to the ball and rifled a throw to the infield, preventing Alou from scoring the tying run (he only reached 3rd base).
With the speedy Mays on second, any base hit by the next batter, Willie McCovey, would likely win the series for the Giants. McCovey hit a screaming line drive that was snared by second baseman Bobby Richardson
, bringing the Series to a sudden end. Earlier in the inning, a failed sacrifice bunt by Felipe Alou had ultimately resulted in his brother Matty not scoring on Mays' double. In addition, Richardson was not originally positioned to catch the drive – he only moved there (three steps to the left) in reaction to a foul smash by McCovey on the previous pitch.
Giants fan (and resident of nearby Santa Rosa
) Charles Schulz made a reference to the real world in one of his Peanuts
strips soon afterward. In the first three panels of the strip of December 22, Charlie Brown and Linus are sitting on a porch step, looking glum. In the last panel, Charlie cries to the heavens, "Why couldn't McCovey have hit the ball just three feet higher?" Some weeks later, the same scene appears. This time, Charlie cries, "Or why couldn't McCovey have hit the ball just two feet higher?"
, who pitched a no-hitter with the Giants in 1968; Juan Marichal
, a pitcher with a memorable high-kicking delivery; McCovey, who won the National League MVP award
in 1969, and Mays, who hit his 600th career home run in 1969. A Giants highlight came in 1963 when Jesús Alou
joined the team, and along with Felipe and Matty formed the first all-brother outfield in Major League history. In 1967 the Giants had their first Cy Young Award winner in Mike McCormick.
The Giants' next appearance in the postseason came in . After winning their division, they were easily defeated in the League Championship Series
by the Pittsburgh Pirates
and Roberto Clemente
, who then went on to beat the Baltimore Orioles
in the World Series
.
In 1972 the field at Candlestick Park was converted from grass to Astroturf
.
During this decade, the Giants gave up many players who became successful elsewhere. Some of them included Garry Maddox, George Foster, Dave Kingman
, and Gaylord Perry
. However, the Giants did produce two more Rookie of the Year winners (Gary Matthews
Sr. in 1973 and John Montefusco
in 1975).
In 1976, Bob Lurie
bought the team, saving it from being moved to Toronto. Toronto
was awarded an expansion team called the Blue Jays
, but San Francisco baseball fans' worries about losing their beloved Giants had not completely gone away just yet. The rest of the 1970s was a generally disappointing time for the Giants, as they finished no higher than third place in any season. That third place season was 1978. They had a young star in the likes of Jack Clark
, along with veteran first baseman Willie McCovey
, second baseman Bill Madlock
(whom the Giants had acquired from the Chicago Cubs,) shortstops Johnnie LeMaster
and Roger Metzger
, and third baseman Darrell Evans
. Veteran pitchers Vida Blue
, John Montefusco
, Ed Halicki
, and Bob Knepper
rounded out the starting rotation with Vida Blue leading the way with eighteen victories. The most memorable moment of that 1978 season
occurred on May 28, 1978, when pinch hitter Mike Ivie
, acquired from the San Diego Padres
during the offseason for Darrel Thomas, hit a towering grand slam off of Dodgers pitching ace Don Sutton in front of Candlestick Park's highest paid attendance of 58,545. They were atop of the NL West for most of the season, but the Dodgers
heated up to eventually win the West and the NL Pennant.
In time for the 1979 season, Candlestick was converted back to grass.
In 1981, the Giants
became the first National League team to hire a black manager, Frank Robinson
. However, Robinson's tenure lasted less than four years and was generally unsuccessful. In that tenure, the Giants finished a game over .500 in the strike-shortened 1981 season. The next season
, the Giants acquired veterans Joe Morgan
and Reggie Smith
. They
were in the midst of a three-team pennant race with the Dodgers and Braves. Morgan hit a homer against the Dodgers
on the final day of the season to make sure Atlanta
won the NL West.
In 1984, the Giants
hosted the All-Star Game
at Candlestick Park
.
lost 100 games (the most in franchise history), and owner Bob Lurie
responded by hiring Al Rosen
as general manager. Under Rosen's tenure, the Giants promoted promising rookies such as Will Clark
and Robby Thompson
, and made canny trades to acquire such players as Kevin Mitchell
, Dave Dravecky
, Candy Maldonado
, and Rick Reuschel
.
New manager Roger Craig
served from 1985 to 1992. In Craig's first five full seasons with the Giants, the team never finished with a losing record.
Under Roger Craig's leadership (and his unique motto, "Humm Baby") the Giants won 83 games in 1986 and won the National League Western Division title in 1987. The team lost the 1987 National League Championship Series
to the St. Louis Cardinals
in seven games. The one bright spot in that defeat was Giants outfielder Jeffrey Leonard
, who was named the series MVP in a losing effort. In Leonard's own faltering words, the prize money ($50,000) meant nothing to him. He would have given anything to be going up north to play the Minnesota Twins
in the 1987 World Series
.
won the National League pennant. They were led by pitchers Rick Reuschel (1989 National League All-Star Game Starter) and Scott Garrelts
(the 1989 National League ERA champion) and sluggers Kevin Mitchell (the 1989 National League MVP
) and Will Clark.
The Giants
beat the Chicago Cubs
in the National League Championship Series
, four games to one. In Game 5, eventual 1989 NLCS MVP Will Clark (who hit .650, drove in eight runs, including a grand slam off Greg Maddux
in Game 1) came through in the clutch with a bases-loaded single off of the hard-throwing Mitch Williams to break a 1–1 tie in the bottom of the eighth inning. In the top of the 9th inning, Steve Bedrosian
was shaky as he gave up a run. But ultimately, Bedrosian was able to get Ryne Sandberg
to ground-out for out #3. Fittingly, the hero of Game 5, Will Clark caught the final out from second baseman Robby Thompson. For the first time in twenty-seven years, the San Francisco Giants were the champions of the National League.
After taking care of the Cubs, the Giants faced the Oakland Athletics
in the "Bay Bridge Series
". The series is best remembered because the Loma Prieta earthquake
on October 17, 1989, disrupted the planned Game 3 of the series at Candlestick Park. After a ten-day delay in the series, Oakland finished up its sweep of San Francisco. The Giants never would hold a lead in any of the 4 games and never even managed to send the tying run to the plate in their last at-bat.
in 1976, put the team up for sale. A group of investors from St. Petersburg
led by Vince Naimoli
reached an agreement to purchase the team and move them to the Tampa Bay Area
, but National League owners voted against the acquisition. Wally Haas, the owner of the Oakland Athletics at the time, agreed to grant the Giants exclusive rights to the South Bay so the Giants could explore all potential local sites for a new stadium and at least help to keep the team in the Bay Area. The team was instead sold to an ownership group including managing general partner Peter Magowan
, the former CEO of Safeway
, Harmon Burns, and his wife, Sue
.
In addition to the anticipated move to downtown San Francisco, the Giants' ownership also made a major personnel move to solidify fan support. Before even hiring a new General Manager or officially being approved as the new owners, Magowan signed superstar free agent Barry Bonds
(a move which MLB initially blocked until some terms were negotiated to protect Lurie and Bonds in case the sale failed).
and Bill Swift
both had 20+ wins, and closer Rod Beck
was dominant with 48 saves and a 2.16 ERA. All this led the Giants to a 103–59 record in Dusty Baker
's first year as manager, which earned him the Manager of the Year award.
But despite the Giants'
great record, the Atlanta Braves
— fueled by solid seasons from David Justice
, Ron Gant
, Deion Sanders
and their midseason acquisition of Fred McGriff
from the San Diego Padres
— came back from a ten-game deficit to the Giants to win the NL West by a single game. The Braves also had 20+ wins from both Tom Glavine
and Cy Young Award
winner Greg Maddux
.
Desperately needing a win against the Dodgers
in the final game of the year to force a one-game playoff with the Braves in San Francisco, the controversial choice of Giants rookie pitcher Salomon Torres
proved disastrous as he gave up three runs in the first four innings and the Giants went on to lose the game 12–1. After MLB's establishment of the three-division–Wild Card
playoff format following the 1993 season, New York Times
sports columnist Dave Anderson
captured the feeling of many baseball purists regarding the thrilling (and for Giants fans, heartbreaking) winner-take-all outcome as the "last pure pennant race."
. The strike denied Matt Williams a chance to beat Roger Maris
's single season home run record—he had 43 HR in 115 team games, and was thus on pace for 60 when the strike hit with 47 games left to play (Bonds had 37, on pace for 52). But the rest of the team was bad, with no other player having even 10 home runs or even 40 RBI that late into the season.
The Giants came in last place in both 1995 and 1996, as key injuries and slumps hurt them. 1995 had a strange feeling about it, with fans unsure if they would come back after the strike-shortened 1994 season (something that would keep attendances notably lower for a few more years, probably until the HR chase of 1998). Bonds continued to be the team's driving force, posting fantastic numbers, with the highest WAR among position players in the National League (33 HR, 104 RBI, 109 R and 120 BB in 144 games). Matt Williams and Glenallen Hill
were the only other Giants with 20+ HR, and the rest of the team had mediocre offensive numbers. The pitching staff was bad, with only Mark Leiter
having 10 wins (10–12, 3.82 ERA). Rod Beck had 33 saves, but a 4.45 ERA and a 5–6 record, including nine blown saves.
1996 was highlighted by Barry Bonds joining the 40–40 club (42 HR, 40 SB, with 129 RBI, 151 BB and .308 BA). Rookie Bill Mueller
also provided hope for the future of the club with a .330 average (66 hits in 200 AB over 55 games). Matt Williams and Glenallen Hill provided offensive support. Pitching-wise, the team was not very good. Only Mark Gardner had more than 10 wins (12–7, 4.42 ERA), and Rod Beck had 35 saves, a 3.34 ERA and nine losses on his record. The low point came in late June when the Giants lost 10 straight games en route to a 68–94 record.
as their new general manager in , replacing Bob Quinn
. (Sabean may have been acting as GM prior to the announcement, as he was rumored to have engineered the deal to get Kirk Rueter
from the Montreal Expos
). His tenure began with great controversy. In his first official trade as GM, he shocked Giants fans by trading Matt Williams to Cleveland for what newspapers referred to as a 'bunch of spare parts', with the negative reaction being great enough for him to have to publicly explain: "I didn't get to this point by being an idiot... I'm sitting here telling you there is a plan."
Sabean was proven right, as the players he acquired in the Williams trade—Jeff Kent
, Jose Vizcaino
, Julian Tavarez
, and Joe Roa
(plus the $1 million in cash that enabled them to sign Darryl Hamilton
)—and a subsequent trade for J.T. Snow were major contributors in leading the Giants to win their first NL West division title of the decade in 1997
. Snow, Kent, and Bonds each had over 100 RBI, and pitcher Shawn Estes' 19 wins led the team. Rod Beck had 37 saves.
The 1997 baseball season also saw the introduction of interleague play
. The Giants faced the four American League West teams that year: Seattle Mariners
, Texas Rangers
, Anaheim Angels
and the Oakland A's
, while compiling a 10–6 record.
The Wild-card winning Florida Marlins
ended the Giants' season with a 3–0 sweep in the first round of the playoffs
, as the Marlins marched on their way to their first World Series
championship.
(11–10, 4.41). New closer Robb Nen
had 40 saves. The Giants tied for the NL Wild card but lost a one-game playoff against the Chicago Cubs (at Wrigley Field
, Chicago
).
also had a career year in center field with 16 home runs, 64 RBIs, and a career and team high 27 stolen bases. The pitching staff was paced by Russ Ortiz
(18–9, 3.81) and Kirk Reuter (15–10, 5.41).
With the knowledge that their days in Candlestick Park were coming to an end, the 1999 season ended with a series of promotions and tributes. After the final game of the season, a defeat to the Los Angeles Dodgers, home plate was ceremoniously removed and taken to the new grounds where the downtown stadium was being built.
, after forty years at Candlestick Park, the Giants bid a bittersweet farewell to their old home and privately financed a downtown stadium, a long-advocated move. AT&T Park
(originally Pacific Bell Park and later SBC Park) sits on the shores of China Basin (often referred to as McCovey Cove
by Giants fans) at the corner of 3rd and King Streets (with an official address of 24 Willie Mays Plaza to honor the long-time Giant). Regardless of anything that might happen on the field of play, this move represented an entirely new era for the Giants and their fans. Whereas the team used to occupy a stadium that was a throwback to the era of suburban, multi-purpose, concrete "cookie-cutter" stadiums that so many teams moved to during the 1960s and 70s, their new home is regarded as one of the better venues in all of professional sports. Even so, as part of the intense rivalry with the Los Angeles Dodgers, some Dodger fans derisively refer to AT&T Park as "The Phone Booth," owing to its current and former names (Pac Bell Park, SBC Park).
The Giants routinely sell out this nearly 43,000-seat stadium, whereas it was not uncommon for them to have a paid attendance of less than 10,000 in Candlestick's nearly 60,000 seating capacity, although by the 1999 season the Giants managed about 25,000 fans a game. The franchise since the move annually vies for highest MLB season attendance, in contrast to being often threatened with having the league-low figure before. While still breezy in the summer time in comparison to other MLB parks, AT&T Park has been a consensus success and has developed the reputation as a "pitcher's park." Its state-of-the-art design minimizes wind-chill, it is well served by mass transit, and it has spectacular views of the bay and the city skyline, a trait that had been missing from Candlestick Park since its redesign in the early 1970s to accommodate the 49ers
. AT&T Park
is the centerpiece of a renaissance in San Francisco's South Beach and Mission Bay
neighborhoods.
Despite inaugural game festivities at the new ballpark, the Dodgers would spoil the 2000 season opener, with a three HR performance by little-known Kevin Elster
. However, the Giants would rebound and put out a solid effort all season long, culminating with a division title and the best record in the Major Leagues. Jeff Kent paced the attack with clutch RBI hits (33 HR, 125 RBI) en route to winning the MVP award, despite Bonds's 49 HR, 106 RBI season (Bonds finished second in MVP voting to Kent). The pitching staff was decent but not great, although 5 starters had at least 10 victories. These included Liván Hernández (17–11, 3.75), Russ Ortiz (14–12, 5.01), Kirk Rueter (11–9, 3.96), Shawn Estes (15–6, 4.26), and Mark Gardner (11–7, 4.05). Robb Nen was nearly perfect, with 41 saves and a minute 1.50 ERA.
The Giants lost the 2000 division series to the New York Mets
, three games to one. They had started out solid, winning game one bolstered by Liván Hernández
. However, the Mets won the next three games, despite decent performances by Shawn Estes, Russ Ortiz and Mark Gardner. Game two in particular had a tumultuous ending. Down 4–1 in the ninth, J.T. Snow hit a three-run home run to tie the game; but the Mets won the game anyway by scoring in the tenth inning.
In 2001
the Giants were eliminated from playoff contention on the second to last day of the season. Rich Aurilia put up stellar numbers (37 HR, 97 RBI, .324 BA) in support of Barry Bonds, who once again gave fans something to cheer about as he hit 73 home runs, setting a new single-season record. The pitching staff was good but not great, with Russ Ortiz (17–9, 3.29) leading a staff that also had Liván Hernández (13–15, 5.24), and Kirk Reuter (14–12, 4.42). Shawn Estes and Mark Gardner would have sub-par years, but notably Jason Schmidt (7–1, 3.39) was picked up in a mid-season acquisition from the Pittsburgh Pirates
. Robb Nen continued to be a dominant closer (45 saves, 3.01 ERA).
, the Giants finished 2nd in the NL West behind the Arizona Diamondbacks
, bolstered by another MVP season for Barry Bonds (46 HR, 110 RBI, .370 BA, a then-record 198 walks and a .582 OBP) and Jeff Kent
(37 HR, 108 RBI and .313 BA). Additional roster support was provided by decent seasons from Benito Santiago
and Rich Aurilia
, plus new acquisitions David Bell
, Reggie Sanders
and Tsuyoshi Shinjo
, who spent only one season with the Giants before returning to Japan. The pitching staff again proved solid, with five starters having 12 wins or more, including Jason Schmidt
, who the Giants acquired in 2001 from the Pittsburgh Pirates
. Closer Robb Nen
had 43 saves and a 2.20 ERA, and setup men Felix Rodriguez
and Tim Worrell
were solid coming out of the bullpen.
The Giants would make the playoffs as the NL Wild Card team. They went on to defeat the Atlanta Braves
in the NLDS
three games to two, with Russ Ortiz winning Games 1 and 5 in Atlanta. In the NLCS
, they went on to defeat the St. Louis Cardinals
four games to one, with wins by Reuter, Schmidt and two by Worrell in relief. Benito Santiago went on to win the MVP award in the NLCS.
The Giants then went on to face the American League's Wild Card team, the Anaheim Angels, now known as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
, in the World Series
. Since its inception, this was the first time that two wildcard teams met in a World Series. The Giants split the first two games in Anaheim and took two of three at Pac Bell Park. With the Giants leading the series three games to two following a 16–4 blowout win in Game 5 at Pac Bell Park, the series shifted back to Anaheim. With the Giants leading 5–0 going into the bottom of the 7th inning of Game 6, the series' momentum changed decisively when then Manager Dusty Baker
removed starter Russ Ortiz and handed him the "game" ball as he left the mound. Moments later, Scott Spiezio
hit a three-run home run for the Angels off reliever Felix Rodriguez, and went on to win the game 6–5. The following night, Anaheim won Game 7, 4–1 to claim the Series. Angels third baseman Troy Glaus
was named MVP.
After the 2002 season, the Giants would go through many personnel changes. After ten seasons, manager Dusty Baker did not have his contract renewed. Closer Robb Nen
had pitched despite a damaged shoulder, an injury which eventually ended his career (retired), and Jeff Kent was not re-signed (he went to play for the Houston Astros
). Position players David Bell
, Reggie Sanders
, Tsuyoshi Shinjo
and Kenny Lofton
, as well as pitchers Liván Hernández
, Russ Ortiz
and relief pitcher Aaron Fultz
all played for other teams the following season.
in first place, just the ninth team to do so in baseball history. Their offense was paced by yet another MVP season from Bonds (45 HR, 90 RBI, .341 BA, 148 BB, and an OBP of .529). Decent offensive support was provided by Rich Aurilia, Marquis Grissom, Jose Cruz Jr., Edgardo Alfonzo, Benito Santiago, Pedro Feliz and Andres Galarraga. The pitching staff was led by Jason Schmidt (17–5, 2.34 ERA) and Kirk Rueter (10–5, 4.53), but had a dropoff after that, as no other starter had 10 wins.
Once again in the playoffs, and just like in 1997, the Giants faced the Florida Marlins
in the NLDS
. Jason Schmidt won game one in San Francisco with a complete game victory, but the Marlins would win the series three games to one as the Giants bullpen proved unable to prevent their opponent from scoring.
broke his own records with 232 walks and a .609 OBP on route to his 7th and last NL MVP award (45 HR, 101 RBI, .362 BA). The team also had a solid but not stellar supporting cast including Marquis Grissom (22, 90, .279) and Pedro Feliz (22, 84, .276), along with decent showings by Ray Durham, Edgardo Alfonzo, Michael Tucker and AJ Pierzynski. Jason Schmidt was the star of the staff (18–7, 3.20 ERA, 251 SO), and the team was constantly looking for a new closer (Matt Herges and Dustin Hermanson split the role during the season). After sitting out most of the first half of the season, J.T. Snow led the league in hitting after the All-Star Break.
As in 1993 and 2001, the Giants again avoided elimination from playoff contention until the final weekend of the season. The team would come close but still finished two games behind the division-winning Los Angeles Dodgers
, marking the third time in four seasons the Giants would finish within 2½ games of the leader. The season ended in frustration, as San Francisco needed a three-game sweep of the Dodgers in the final weekend of the season to force a one-game playoff in San Francisco for the NL West title. After winning the first game, the Giants lost the second game 7–3 (L.A. scored seven runs in the 9th, the last four on a walkoff grand slam
by Steve Finley
) as the Dodgers clinched the division title. Houston
won the wildcard spot the next day, rendering the Giants' season finale victory meaningless.
The Giants' 2005
season was the team's least successful since moving to its new stadium. Bonds missed most of the season with a knee injury, closer Armando Benitez
was injured for four months, and ace Jason Schmidt
struggled after numerous injuries. However, team management has taken advantage of the off year to give playing time to numerous young players, including pitchers Noah Lowry
, Brad Hennessey
, Kevin Correia
, Scott Munter
, Matt Cain
, and Jeremy Accardo
, as well as first baseman Lance Niekro
and outfielders Jason Ellison
and Todd Linden
. The acquisition of Randy Winn
from the Seattle Mariners
also proved invaluable in the stretch run.
On May 25, the Giants held a celebration in honor of Baseball Hall of Famer Juan Marichal
. A statue of Marichal was dedicated on the plaza outside of the ballpark. Leonel Fernández
, the President of the Dominican Republic, was in attendance. In the two games which followed the ceremonies, the Giants wore uniforms with the word "Gigantes" on the front (the Spanish
word for "Giants"). On July 14, 2005, the franchise won their 10,000th contest defeating their long-time rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers
, 4–3, becoming the first professional sports franchise to have five digits in its winning total.
On September 28, the Giants were officially eliminated from the NL West race after losing to the division champion San Diego Padres
. The team finished the season in third place, with a record of 75–87, their worst season—and first losing record—since 1996. Despite the disappointing finish, manager Felipe Alou was offered a one-year extension of his contract by Giants management.
The Giants were expected to contend in 2006, as they were bolstered by a strong starting staff. Despite a losing streak in May, and the worst batting performance by Barry Bonds
in about fifteen years the Giants did contend in the less-than-stellar Western Division and by July 23 were in first place. On that day, however, during the last game of a home stand and leading San Diego going into the ninth inning, closer
Armando Benitez
blew a save by giving up a home run and the Giants lost in extra innings. That was the first loss of a horrendous three-week stretch that saw San Francisco go 3–16, losing nine games by one run.
At the end of August the Giants recovered to again contend for both the division crown and the Wild Card berth. Bonds returned to form after his legs healed (batting .400—34 for 85—in 27 games from August 21 to September 23), the starting staff pitched well enough to lead the National League in ERA among starters, and the team found an effective closer in Mike Stanton, acquired in a trade at the end of July. However on the final road trip of the season the Giants lost eight of nine games to fall out of all contention for post-season play, despite an offensive explosion by both Bonds and right-fielder Moisés Alou
. The starting staff collapsed, bombed in all nine games, and Giants pitching gave up 93 runs on the trip (by comparison, the Giants gave up 86 runs during the 19-game losing span in August), and the Giants were "officially eliminated" on September 25, and finished the season with a record of 76–85, just 1½ games better than the previous season.
On October 2, 2006, the day after the end of the regular season, the Giants announced that they would not renew the contract of manager Felipe Alou, but did extend him an offer to remain with the club in an advisory role to the general manager and to baseball operations.
s excluding Jason Schmidt
who signed with the Dodgers for roughly $15 million a year, a new manager on board with Bruce Bochy
coming from division rival San Diego, and the loss of veteran catcher Mike Matheny
due to complications resulting from concussions sustained during his career, the Giants' prospects for the 2007 season were less than favorable going into the winter off-season. Since then, the team has agreed to several deals—resigning Pedro Feliz
, Ray Durham
, and old time Giants fans favorite Rich Aurilia
, and picking up catcher Bengie Molina
, Ryan Klesko
, and Dave Roberts. They also signed free agent pitcher Barry Zito
to a seven year contract worth $126 million. The deal, which was the richest contract for a pitcher in baseball history, includes a $20 million player option for an eighth year. On January 9, 2007, the Giants resigned pitcher Russ Ortiz
to compete for the fifth starting position in spring training. Ortiz was slotted for the position in late March due to his outstanding spring.
The Giants started off the regular season slow, had spurts of promise but more often stretches of mediocre to worse play. Pitching was often inconsistent or the offense was non-existent (such as during a pair of 1–0 losses for losing pitcher Matt Cain).
The season did have memorable action, such as the Giants playing the Red Sox in Boston for the first time since 1912. Most notable during the season, however, was Bonds march towards Hank Aaron's career home run record of 755. Bonds's proximity to the record brought heavy media attention to the San Francisco Giants.
On July 27, in the first inning of the Giants' three game series against the Florida Marlins
, Bonds hit his 754th career home run. Also contributing to the Giants' 12–10 victory was pinch-hitter Mark Sweeney
, who moved ahead of Manny Mota
on the all time pinch hits list with a clutch RBI single in the sixth inning.
Leading off in the top of the second inning of game two versus the Padres, before a sell-out crowd at PETCO Park
, Barry Bonds hit a high fastball off the facing of the upper deck in left field for his 755th career home run. The opposite-field shot tied the game at 1–1 and tied Hank Aaron for the all-time home run record. The Giants lost in extra innings, this time by a score of 2–3.
In the bottom of the fifth inning at home against the Nationals on August 7, 2007, Bonds hit his 756th home run which caused a melee in the crowd. Hank Aaron appeared on the big screen and congratulated Bonds. The Giants went on to lose the game 8–6.
On August 9, 2007, Mark Sweeney was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers
for AA second baseman Travis Denker. The trade was the first between the Giants and the Dodgers since 1985.
The discouraging theme of 2007 would continue as solid pitching was not backed up with offense. Tim Lincecum
held the Chicago Cubs
to two hits through eight innings on August 21, but the team scored only one run, losing to the Cubs by a score of 5–1.
On September 22, 2007, the Giants officially announced that the team would not re-sign Barry Bonds
for the 2008 season. After much speculation and debate, owner Peter Magowan
announced Bonds's departure at a press conference, stressing the fact that the Giants needed to get younger and start fielding a more efficient offense.
Barry Bonds played his last game as a San Francisco Giant on September 26, 2007. He went 0 for 3, driving a ball that was caught at the warning track in left-center field in his final at bat.
outfielder Aaron Rowand
to a 5-year, $60 million contract. Barry Zito
once again got off to a poor start, losing his first eight decisions. However, the team found hope in pitcher Tim Lincecum
. After going 7–5 in his first stint in 2007 with the Giants, he exploded onto the scene this year winning four straight before losing his 1st game of the year on April 29, 2008, to the Colorado Rockies
. Lincecum was selected to the 2008 MLB All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium but was unable to pitch due to being hospitalized with flu-like symptoms. He went on to win the 2008 NL Cy Young Award
, finishing at 18–5. He was the first Giant to do so since Mike McCormick
won it in 1967. The Giants finished the season in fourth place in the NL West with a record of 72–90.
and relievers Bobby Howry and Jeremy Affeldt
. The Giants also signed infielders Edgar Renteria
and Juan Uribe
. Despite these new acquisitions however, questions still lingered about the teams offensive abilities and whether they would be able to contend. Nonetheless, the team compiled a 49–39 record by the 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
, good enough for second place in the NL West.
In addition to the team's overall performance, the first half of the season provided several memorable moments for the players themselves. Highlights included Johnson earning his 300th career victory
, becoming the twenty-fourth pitcher in Major League history to do so, as well as struggling starter Jonathan Sánchez
tossing a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres
on July 10, the first Giants no-hitter since 1976 when John Montefusco
no-hit the Braves. 2009's pitching staff will go down as one of the strongest starting rotations in Giants history.
The Giants sent two of their starting pitchers to the All-Star Game. Matt Cain
, who did not pitch due to a minor elbow injury, and Tim Lincecum
, who was chosen to be the starting pitcher for the National League. It was Lincecum's 2nd straight all-star game appearance and Cain's 1st. The Giants narrowly missed sending a third player the game, as third baseman
Pablo Sandoval
was a leading contender to be the fan's vote for the final roster spot. However the vote went to Philadelphia Phillies' outfielder Shane Victorino
.
On July 10, Jonathan Sánchez
, spot starting in place of an injured Randy Johnson
and on his first start upon returning to the starting rotation after a brief demotion to the bullpen, threw a no-hitter
against the San Diego Padres
. Sánchez issued no walks (the only runner reached on an error by third baseman Juan Uribe
) and struck out a career-high eleven hitters in the game, which was also his first major league complete game
and shutout
and the first no-hitter ever thrown at AT&T Park. He threw 110 pitches to complete the game, with a final score of 8–0 for the Giants.
On July 19, the club announced that Sue Burns
, the team's senior general partner who was a virtual fixture in her seat adjacent to the Giants' dugout, died early Sunday morning of cancer. She was 58. Burns was the widow of Harmon Burns, who died in November 2006 at age 61. A financier in the San Francisco Bay Area, Harmon Burns was a key member of the investor group that purchased the Giants from Bob Lurie after the 1992 season and prevented them from moving to Tampa-St. Petersburg. On July 27, the Giants honored Burns in a pre-game ceremony in which Barry Bonds was also in attendance. In the game, ace pitcher Tim Lincecum struck out a career-high 15 batters and the Giants defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 4–2.
On July 20, the Giants traded one of their top prospects, double-a pitcher Tim Alderson
, for Pittsburgh Pirates
second baseman Freddy Sanchez
. Alderson was the first round pick in the 2007 draft and was ranked the number four prospect in the Giants organization by Baseball America
, but Sanchez provided a much needed jump for the Giants offense. Sanchez ended the 2009 season batting .293 with 41 runs batted in and 22 walks.
On September 11, the Giants added another key player when they brought up Buster Posey
from the Giants triple-a affiliate Fresno Grizzlies
. Buster Posey was one of the most talked about minor league players throughout 2009, and played in seven games in the 2009 season. When playing college ball at Florida State University
, he was the only player in college ball history to play every position in a single game. After the Giants traded Bengie Molina to the Rangers in June 2010, Posey replaced him as starting catcher.
On September 23, in beating the Diamondbacks 5–2, the Giants clinched a winning season at 82–70. This was their first winning season since 2004. On September 30, the Colorado Rockies
' 10–6 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers
eliminated the Giants from the Wild Card race for 2009.
The Giants completed the 2009 regular season at 88–74, 14 games above .500, winning 16 more games than the previous season. Finishing in third place in the NL West behind the Colorado Rockies and first-place Los Angeles Dodgers, the Giants moved up one spot from 2008. With the emergence of star player Pablo Sandoval alongside a dominant pitching staff, the Giants look forward to making the playoffs next year for the first time since 2003.
, the club won the National League Western Division title for the first time since 2003 after trailing the San Diego Padres most of the season. On July 4, after losing a four-game road series in Colorado, the Giants' record stood at 41–40 at the half-way point of the season. Boosted by a 21-game hitting streak by Posey, called up in May from AAA Fresno, the Giants then won 19 of the remaining 24 games in July. August saw a losing record of 13–15, as the club lost four series against the Braves, Padres, Phillies, and Cardinals. On August 25, despite overcoming a 10–1 deficit in the 5th inning, the Giants lost to the Reds in extra innings at home to drop 6.5 games behind San Diego. Three days later, following an 11–3 debacle at home against the Diamondbacks, Sabean and Bochy held a private meeting with the starting pitchers, who had gone 5–13 with a 5.56 ERA in August, including 14 straight starts without a win.
In September, the slogan for the Giants became "Fear the Beard" as they made their push for the playoffs. Brian Wilson and Sergio Romo grew out their facial hair, AT&T Park filled with "Fear the Beard" signs, and "There's Magic Inside" slogan took the place of the one from the previous season, "Yes We Can
".
The Padres suffered a 10-game losing streak going into September and on the 5th, the Giants beat the Dodgers 3–0 to move to within a game of first place. Despite being shut out four times in ten games, the Giants recorded an 18–8 September to move into first by three games as the pitching staff achieved a team ERA of 1.78, the lowest in the National League in a September stretch run since the 1965 Dodgers. During their September run, the Giants' pitching staff allowed no more than 3 runs for 18 straight games, the longest single-season streak since 1920. The division title came down to the final three games of the year in October at home against San Diego, with the Giants clinching in the last regular season game, 3–0. Jonathan Sanchez
, who had been ridiculed in August when he failed to make good a boast that the Giants would sweep the Padres, led the September charge with a 3–1 record and 1.17 ERA, and took the win in the clincher. Closer Brian Wilson finished the game for his franchise record-tying and major league-leading 48th save. In the second half of the season the Giants went 51–30. After a 9–20 first half against division opponents, the Giants won 29 of their remaining 43 division games.
of ESPN.com, although he later recanted his pick before the NLCS, saying the Philadelphia Phillies would beat the Giants and advance to the World Series) out of literally dozens of baseball writers and pundits picked the Giants to even reach the World Series, with most not expecting the Giants to even make the playoffs.
In the 2010 National League Division Series
, the Giants defeated the Atlanta Braves three games to one, splitting at home and then sweeping them at Turner Field
. Tim Lincecum
won Game 1 with a memorable and record-setting 14-strikeout, 2-hit shutout performance. The clinching game was also notable as it was the final game of Atlanta's highly successful and venerated manager, Bobby Cox
.
In the ensuing NLCS
, the Giants took a 3–1 advantage over the Philadelphia Phillies
, winning two games at home after splitting the first two at Philadelphia. Starting pitcher for the Giants Tim Lincecum
rematched against the Phillies' Roy Halladay
in Game 5. The Giants failed to beat Roy Halladay
, losing 4–2, forcing a return trip to Philadelphia. In Game Six, the Giants beat Philadelphia by a final score of 3–2, to win the NLCS 4–2 and advance to face the Texas Rangers
in the 2010 World Series
. Because the National League won the All-Star Game, the Giants had home-field advantage in the World Series
with the first two games in San Francisco, the next three games in Texas (the last if necessary), and the following two games (if necessary) back in San Francisco.
The first World Series game was a highly anticipated matchup between 2-time National League Cy Young Award winner (2008,2009) Tim Lincecum against the 2008 American League Cy Young award winner and heretofore undefeated in postseason play, Cliff Lee
. The pitching matchup turned out to be a sideline, as the Giants won the first game of the World Series, 11–7, over the Rangers, backed by Freddy Sanchez
's three doubles, setting a World Series record for being the first player to hit three consecutive doubles in their first three at bats. The game also saw the Giants set the record for the most runs (6) scored in a single half-inning in a World Series since 1933. The next day, the Giants won game 2 of the World Series, crushing the Rangers 9–0 after the Rangers walked 4 in a row and allowed 7 runs to the Giants in the 8th inning. Matt Cain also had a dominant game, pitching 7 innings without giving up a run. The Giants went on to lose Game 3 in Arlington, Texas 4–2 after a 3-run home run from Ranger's rookie, Mitch Moreland, in the second inning and a solo home run by Josh Hamilton in the fifth. Game 4 belonged to the Giants, as rookie left-handed pitcher Madison Bumgarner
shut out the Rangers, 4–0, with home runs by Huff and Posey. The Giants, along with Tim Lincecum, won Game 5 by a score of 3–1. Lincecum outdueled Cliff Lee in an every-pitch-matters matchup that was scoreless until Renteria hit a stunning three-run homer with two outs in the seventh inning. Nelson Cruz homered in the bottom half, but Lincecum returned to his wicked self and preserved the lead. Brian Wilson was brought in to pitch the 9th and produced a scoreless inning, allowing San Francisco to bring out a series of firsts, not just for the Giants, but also for the city of San Francisco and the San Francisco Bay Area
. Edgar Renteria
was named World Series Most Valuable Player.
The firsts with the championship were:
Overall the Giants have won 6 World championships (5 as the New York Giants, 1 as the San Francisco Giants), 21 pennants, 7 Western Division titles and 1 wild-card berth in the team's multiple post-season appearances. The San Francisco team has appeared in the post-season nine times in 53 years, going to the World Series four times (1962, 1989, 2002, and 2010).
In summing up the firsts with the championship, Larry Baer, the president of the Giants and a fourth generation resident of San Francisco, said that the team dedicated the championship to everyone who has worn a Giants uniform, and all Giants fans since the team's move to San Francisco, honoring 53 years of baseball in the city.
On November 15, 2010, Giants catcher Buster Posey was named NL Rookie of the Year.
dates back to when the two teams were based in New York, while the rivalry with the New York Yankees
existed when the Giants were in New York. The rivalry with the Oakland Athletics
dates back to when the Giants were in New York and the A's were in Philadelphia and was renewed in 1968, when the Athletics moved from Kansas City.
The feud between the Los Angeles Dodgers
and the Giants began in the late 19th century when both clubs were based in New York City
, with the Dodgers playing in Brooklyn
and the Giants playing at the Polo Grounds
in Manhattan
. After the season, Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley
decided to move the team to Los Angeles
for financial reasons, among others. Along the way, he managed to convince Giants owner Horace Stoneham
(who was considering moving his team to Minnesota
) to preserve the rivalry by bringing his team to California
as well. New York
baseball fans were stunned and heartbroken by the move. Given that the cities of Los Angeles
and San Francisco have long been competitors in economic, cultural, and political arenas, the new venue in California became fertile ground for its transplantation.
Each team's ability to have endured for over a century while leaping across an entire continent, as well as the rivalry's growth from a cross-city to a cross-state engagement, have led to the rivalry being considered one of the greatest in sports history.
Unlike many other historic baseball match-ups in which one team remains dominant for most of their history, the Dodgers–Giants rivalry has exhibited a persistent balance in the respective successes of the two teams. While the Giants have more wins in franchise history, both National League West
teams are tied for the most National League pennants with 21, and both teams have each won six World Series
titles. The 2010 World Series
was the Giants' first championship since moving to California, while the Dodgers' last title came in the 1988 World Series
.
Athletics has grown larger as a result of the two teams meeting in the 1989 World Series
, nicknamed the "Battle of the Bay," which Oakland swept (and which was interrupted by the Loma Prieta Earthquake moments before Game 3). In addition, the introduction of interleague play
in 1997 that has called for the teams to play each other about 6 times every season since 1997. This rivalry, once limited to spring-training games, is called "The Battle of the Bay" because the two teams play on opposite sides of the San Francisco Bay
. They have played each other fairly evenly, despite differences that range from league, style of play, stadium, payroll, fan base stereotypes, media coverage, and World Series records—all of which have heightened the rivalry in recent years. Since the start of interleague play, the A's lead the series 34–28. The intensity of the rivalry and how it is understood varies among Bay Area fans. Some are fans of both teams. The "split hats" that feature the logos of both teams best embodies the shared fan base. Other Bay Area fans view the competition between the two teams as a "friendly rivalry" with little hatred.
This particular geographic rivalry is generally considered to be relatively friendly when compared to similar cases, including the Subway Series (New York Mets and New York Yankees), the Red Line Series (Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox), and the Freeway Series
(Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim).
The Giants and A's enjoyed a limited rivalry at the start of the twentieth century prior to the emergence of the Yankees when the Giants were in New York and the A's were in Philadelphia. The teams were managed by managing legends John McGraw
and Connie Mack
, who were friendly rivals and considered to be the premier managers during that era. Each team played in 5 of the first 15 World Series (tying them with the Red Sox and Cubs for most World Series appearances during that time period). As the New York Giants and the Philadelphia A's, they met in three World Series, with the Giants winning in , and the A's emerging victorious in and . After becoming the San Francisco Giants and Oakland A's, they met in a fourth world series in , the most recent championship for the A's.
. Before the institution of interleague play
in 1997, the two teams would have little opportunity to play each other. However, they faced off in seven World Series
, in , , , , , , and . The Yankees won five of these series. The teams have only met twice in the regular season with the first meeting occurring in 2002 at the old Yankee Stadium. The teams met again at AT&T Park
in 2007.
In his farewell speech, Lou Gehrig
stated that the Giants were a team that "[he] would give his right arm to beat, and vice versa."
have the second most (45 players, 9 managers) and the Yankees with the third most (41 players, 11 managers).
* Played as Giants
Broadcasters Russ Hodges
, Lon Simmons
, and Jon Miller
are permanently honored in the Hall's "Scribes & Mikemen" exhibit as a result of winning the Ford C. Frick Award
in 1980, 2004, and 2010 respectively. As with all Frick Award winners, neither is officially recognized as an inducted member of the Hall of Fame.
In 1944, Hubbell became the first National Leaguer to have his number retired by his team.
Terry, Ott and Hubbell played/managed their entire careers for the New York Giants. Mays began his career in New York, moving with the Giants to San Francisco in 1958; he did not play in 1953 due to his service in the Korean War
.
Although not officially retired, the team has not reissued number 25 since Barry Bonds
left the team following the 2007 season.
(P, 1900–16), who were members of the New York Giants before the introduction of uniform numbers, have the letters "NY" displayed in place of a number.
Broadcasters Lon Simmons
(1958–73, 1976–78, 1996–2002, 2006), Russ Hodges
(1949–70), and Jon Miller
(1997–current) are each represented by an old-style radio microphone displayed in place of a number.
The Giants present the Willie Mac Award
annually to the player that best exemplifies the spirit and leadership shown by Willie McCovey
throughout his career.
, 680 AM, which refers to itself as "The Sports Leader". Jon Miller
and Dave Flemming
are the regular play-by-play announcers. When games are televised on KNTV
, Duane Kuiper replaces Miller on the radio, and Miller goes to television.
Giants' telecasts are split between KNTV
(over-the-air) and Comcast SportsNet Bay Area (cable). Miller regularly calls the action on KNTV, while the announcing team for CSN
telecasts is Mike Krukow
and Duane Kuiper
, affectionately known as "Kruk and Kuip" . KNTV's
broadcast contract with the Giants began in 2008, one year after the team and KTVU
mostly ended a relationship that dated to 1958, the team's first year in the Bay Area. (As a FOX affiliate, KTVU continues to air Giants games that are part of the Major League Baseball on Fox package; Several Giants games a year are also part of the ESPN and TBS
packages.).
During a July 23–25, 2010 road game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks
, Fresno Grizzlies broadcaster Doug Greenwald filled in so that Jon Miller could travel to Cooperstown
to be honored with the Ford C. Frick Award. Snow sat in so that Dave Flemming could also attend the award presentation. On September 4, 2010, Miller made his first appearance with CSN Bay Area.
to the transmitter
cut off while the ball was in flight, so the radio audience heard only crowd noise. Papa took over the broadcast and apologized to listeners. Kuiper's TV call was submitted to the Baseball Hall of Fame as an artifact, instead of the usual radio call.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
(MLB) team based in San Francisco, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, playing in the National League West Division
National League West
The National League Western Division, or NL West, is one of the three divisions of Major League Baseball's National League. It was created in 1969 when the previously undivided National League expanded its membership to twelve teams, positioning half of them in an Eastern division and the other...
.
As one of the oldest baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
teams, they have won the most games of any team in the history of American baseball, and any North American professional sports team. They have won 21 National League pennants and appeared in 18 World Series competitions – both records in the National League (tied for NL pennants with the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
and for World Series appearances with the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
and the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The 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...
). The Giants 6 World Series Championships are also tied for second in the National League with the Dodgers (the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The 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...
have won 11). The Giants have played in the World Series an NL record 18 times, but boycotted the event in 1904
1904 World Series
In 1904, there was no World Series between the champions of the two Major League Baseball leagues, the American League and the National League...
. With their history, the Giants have the most Hall of Fame players in all of professional baseball.
The Giants played at the Polo Grounds
Polo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used by many professional teams in both baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963...
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, until the close of the 1957 season, after which they moved west to California to become the San Francisco Giants. As the New York Giants, they won 14 pennants and 5 World Championships
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
, from the era of John McGraw and Christy Mathewson
Christy Mathewson
Christopher "Christy" Mathewson , nicknamed "Big Six", "The Christian Gentleman", or "Matty", was an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played his entire career in what is known as the dead-ball era...
to that of Bobby Thomson
Bobby Thomson
Robert 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...
and Willie Mays
Willie 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...
. The Giants have won four pennants and the 2010 World Series
2010 World Series
The 2010 World Series was the 106th occurrence of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff, played between the American League champion Texas Rangers and the National League champion San Francisco Giants, began on Wednesday, , and ended on Monday, , with the Giants...
since arriving in San Francisco.
Early days and the John McGraw era
The Giants began as the second baseball club founded by millionaire tobacconist John B. DayJohn B. Day
John Bailey Day was the founding owner of the independent New York Metropolitans in 1880 and leased the Polo Grounds for them to play in, which was the first baseball venue in Manhattan, New York City. In 1883 his New York Gothams/Giants of the National League began play at the same site...
and veteran amateur baseball player Jim Mutrie
Jim Mutrie
James J. Mutrie was an American baseball pioneer who was the co-founder and first manager of both the original New York Metropolitans and the New York Giants...
. The Gothams, as the Giants were originally known, entered 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...
in 1883, while their other club, the Metropolitans
New York Metropolitans
The Metropolitan Club was a 19th-century professional baseball team that played in New York City from 1880 to 1887...
(the original 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...
) played in the American Association
American Association (19th century)
The American Association was a Major League Baseball league that existed for 10 seasons from to . During that time, it challenged the National League for dominance of professional baseball...
. Nearly half of the original Gotham players were members of the disbanded Troy Trojans, whose place in the National League the Gothams inherited. While the Metropolitans
New York Metropolitans
The Metropolitan Club was a 19th-century professional baseball team that played in New York City from 1880 to 1887...
were initially the more successful club, Day and Mutrie began moving star players to the Gothams and the team won its first National League pennant
Pennant (sports)
A pennant is a commemorative flag typically used to show support for a particular athletic team. Pennants have been historically used in all types of athletic levels: high school, collegiate, professional etc. Traditionally, pennants were made of felt and fashioned in the official colors of a...
in 1888, as well as a victory over the St. Louis Browns in an early incarnation of the World Series
1888 World Series
The 1888 World Series was an end-of-the-year playoff series between the National League champion New York Giants and American Association champion St. Louis Browns.The Giants won, 6 games to 4. Hall of Fame pitcher Tim Keefe went 4-0....
. They repeated as champions the next year with a pennant and World Series victory over the Brooklyn Bridegrooms
1888 Brooklyn Bridegrooms season
With the 1888 season, the team underwent a name change to the Brooklyn Bridegrooms, a nickname that resulted from several team members getting married around the same time. Also, owner Charles Byrne decided to withdraw from managing the team's on field activities and turned the reigns over to more...
.
It is said that after one particularly satisfying victory over the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, Mutrie (who was also the team's manager) stormed into the dressing room and exclaimed, "My big fellows! My giants!" From then on, the club was known as the Giants.
The Giants' original home stadium, the Polo Grounds
Polo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used by many professional teams in both baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963...
, also dates from this early era. The first of the Polo Grounds was located north of Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
adjacent to Fifth and Sixth Avenues and 110th and 112th Streets in the 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...
neighborhood of Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
. Upon eviction from the Polo Grounds after the 1888 season, the Giants moved uptown and renamed various fields the Polo Grounds which were located between 155th and 159th Streets in the 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...
neighborhoods of Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
and Washington Heights
Washington Heights, Manhattan
Washington Heights is a New York City neighborhood in the northern reaches of the borough of Manhattan. It is named for Fort Washington, a fortification constructed at the highest point on Manhattan island by Continental Army troops during the American Revolutionary War, to defend the area from the...
. The Giants played at the Polo Grounds until the end of the 1957 season
1957 Major League Baseball season
The 1957 Major League Baseball season involved the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants playing their final seasons as New York-based franchises before their moves to California for the following season, leaving New York without a National League team until the birth of the Mets in...
, when they moved to San Francisco.
New York Giants (PL)
In 1890, the short-lived Players' League included a team called the New York Giants. This baseball team was managed by Hall of Famer Buck Ewing, and they finished third with a record of 74-57. Besides Ewing, who was also a catcher on this team, the roster several former members of the National...
. The new team even built its park next door to the National League Giants' Polo Grounds. With a decimated roster, the Giants finished a distant sixth. Attendance took a nosedive, and the financial strain affected Day's tobacco business as well. The Players' League dissolved after the season, and Day sold a minority interest to the PL Giants' principal backer, Edward Talcott. As a condition of the sale, Day had to fire Mutrie as manager. Although the Giants rebounded to third in 1891, Day was forced to sell controlling interest to Talcott at the end of the season.
Four years later, Talcott sold the Giants to Andrew Freedman
Andrew Freedman
Andrew Freedman was the owner of the New York Giants of the National League from through . He also served as a director of the Wright Company, established in 1909 to market the Wright brothers' airplanes in the United States. In 1895 Freedman purchased the franchise from Cornelius C. Van Cott...
, a real estate developer with ties to Tammany Hall
Tammany Hall
Tammany Hall, also known as the Society of St. Tammany, the Sons of St. Tammany, or the Columbian Order, was a New York political organization founded in 1786 and incorporated on May 12, 1789 as the Tammany Society...
. Freedman was one of the most detested owners in baseball history, getting into heated disputes with other owners, writers and his own players. The most famous one was with star pitcher Amos Rusie
Amos Rusie
Amos Wilson Rusie , nicknamed "The Hoosier Thunderbolt", was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball during the late 19th century...
. When Freedman only offered Rusie $2,500 for 1896, Rusie sat out the entire season. Attendance fell off throughout the league due to the loss of Rusie, prompting the other owners to chip in $50,000 to get him to return for 1897. Freedman hired former owner Day as manager for part of 1899.
In 1902, after a series of disastrous moves that left the Giants 53½ games behind, Freedman signed John McGraw as a player-manager, convincing him to jump in mid-season from the Baltimore Orioles
1902 Baltimore Orioles season
The Baltimore Orioles season finished with the Orioles in 8th in the American League with a record of 50-88. The team was managed by John McGraw and Wilbert Robinson...
of the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
and to bring with him several Orioles' players. McGraw would go on and manage the Giants for three decades, one of the longest and most successful tenures in professional sports. McGraw's hiring was one of Freedman's last significant moves as owner of the Giants; after the season he was forced to sell his interest to John T. Brush
John T. Brush
John Tomlinson Brush was an American sports executive who was the owner of the New York Giants franchise in Major League Baseball from 1890 until his death. He also owned the Indianapolis Hoosiers in the late 1880s, and the Cincinnati Reds from 1891 to 1902. Under his leadership, the Giants were...
. Under McGraw the Giants won ten National League pennants and three World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
championships.
The Giants already had their share of stars during its brief history at this point, such as Smiling Mickey Welch
Mickey Welch
Michael Francis Welch Born as Michael Francis Walsh , nicknamed "Smiling Mickey", was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the third pitcher to accumulate 300 career victories. Welch was born in Brooklyn, New York, and played 13 seasons in the major leagues, three with the Troy Trojans, and 10...
, Roger Connor
Roger Connor
Roger Connor was a 19th century Major League Baseball player, born in Waterbury, Connecticut. Known for being the player whom Babe Ruth succeeded as the all-time home run champion, Connor hit 138 home runs during his 18-year career, and his career home run record stood for 23 years after his...
, Tim Keefe
Tim Keefe
Timothy John "Tim" Keefe , nicknamed "Smiling Tim" and "Sir Timothy", was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He was one of the most dominating pitchers of the 19th century and posted impressive statistics in one category or another for almost every season he pitched...
, Jim O'Rourke
Jim O'Rourke (baseball player)
James Henry O'Rourke , nicknamed "Orator Jim", was an American professional baseball player in the National Association and Major League Baseball who played primarily as a left fielder...
and John Montgomery Ward
John Montgomery Ward
John Montgomery Ward , known as Monte Ward, was an American Major League Baseball pitcher, shortstop and manager. Ward was born in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, and grew up in Renovo, Pennsylvania...
, the player-lawyer who formed the renegade Players League
Players League
The Players' National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs, popularly known as the Players' League , was a short-lived but star-studded professional American baseball league of the 19th century...
in 1890 to protest unfair player contracts. McGraw would also cultivate his own crop of baseball heroes during his time with the Giants. Names such as Christy Mathewson
Christy Mathewson
Christopher "Christy" Mathewson , nicknamed "Big Six", "The Christian Gentleman", or "Matty", was an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played his entire career in what is known as the dead-ball era...
, Iron Man Joe McGinnity, Bill Terry
Bill Terry
William Harold Terry was a Major League Baseball first baseman and manager. Considered one of the greatest players of all time, Terry was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1954. In 1999, he ranked number 59 on The Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was a nominee...
, Jim Thorpe
Jim Thorpe
Jacobus Franciscus "Jim" Thorpe * Gerasimo and Whiteley. pg. 28 * americaslibrary.gov, accessed April 23, 2007. was an American athlete of mixed ancestry...
, Mel Ott
Mel Ott
Melvin Thomas Ott , nicknamed "Master Melvin", was a Major League Baseball right fielder. He played his entire career for the New York Giants . Ott was born in Gretna, Louisiana. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed...
, Casey Stengel
Casey Stengel
Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel , nicknamed "The Old Perfessor", was an American Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in ....
, and Red Ames
Red Ames
Leon Kessling "Red" Ames was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball for the New York Giants, Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals, and Philadelphia Phillies.-Major league career:...
are just a sample of the many players who honed their skills under McGraw.
The Giants under McGraw famously snubbed their first modern World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
chance in 1904
1904 World Series
In 1904, there was no World Series between the champions of the two Major League Baseball leagues, the American League and the National League...
—an encounter with the reigning world champion
1903 World Series
The 1903 World Series was the first modern World Series to be played in Major League Baseball. It matched the Boston Americans of the American League against the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League in a best-of-nine series, with Boston prevailing five games to three, winning the last...
Boston Americans
1904 Boston Americans season
The Boston Americans season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Americans finishing 1st in the American League with a record of 95 wins and 59 losses...
(now known as the "Red Sox")—because McGraw considered the new American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
as little more than a minor league
Minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities. This term is used in North America with regard to several organizations competing in...
. His original reluctance was because the intra-city rival New York Highlanders
New York Yankees
The 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...
looked like they would win the AL pennant. The Highlanders lost to Boston on the last day, but the Giants stuck by their refusal. McGraw had also managed the Highlanders in their first two seasons, when they were known as the Baltimore Orioles.
The ensuing criticism resulted in Brush leading an effort to formalize the rules and format of the World Series. The Giants
1905 New York Giants season
The New York Giants won their second consecutive National League pennant. They beat the Philadelphia Athletics in the World Series. This team featured three Hall of Fame players -- catcher Roger Bresnahan, and pitchers Christy Mathewson and Joe McGinnity -- along with Hall of Fame manager John...
won the 1905 World Series
1905 World Series
- Game 1 :Monday, October 9, 1905 at Columbia Park in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaA pitchers' duel took place between Christy Mathewson and Eddie Plank. Both pitchers got out of jams and were able to shut the offense down. In the Giants top of the fifth, Mathewson singled, but was forced by Roger...
over the Philadelphia Athletics
1905 Philadelphia Athletics season
The Philadelphia Athletics season was a season in American baseball. The team finished first in the American League with a record of 92 wins and 56 losses, winning their first pennant. They went on to face the New York Giants in the 1905 World Series, losing 4 games to 1.The pitching staff...
, with Christy Mathewson
Christy Mathewson
Christopher "Christy" Mathewson , nicknamed "Big Six", "The Christian Gentleman", or "Matty", was an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played his entire career in what is known as the dead-ball era...
nearly winning the series single-handedly.
The Giants then had several frustrating years. In 1908, they finished in a tie with the Chicago Cubs
1908 Chicago Cubs season
The Chicago Cubs season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Cubs winning their third consecutive National League pennant, as well as the World Series...
and had a one-game playoff at the Polo Grounds. The game was a replay of a tied game that resulted from the Merkle Boner
Fred Merkle
Frederick Charles Merkle , also known as "Bonehead" Merkle, was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball...
. They lost the rematch to the Cubs, who would go on to win their second World Series. That post-season game was further darkened by a story that someone on the Giants had attempted to bribe umpire Bill Klem
Bill Klem
William Joseph Klem, born William Joseph Klimm , known as the "father of baseball umpires", was a National League umpire in Major League Baseball from 1905 to 1941...
. This could have been a disastrous scandal for baseball, but because Klem was honest and the Giants lost, it faded over time.
The Giants experienced some hard luck in the early 1910s, losing three straight World Series starting in 1911 to the A's, the Red Sox,and the A's again(the Giants and the A's both won pennants in 1913; two seasons later, both teams finished in eighth [last] place). After losing the 1917 Series
1917 World Series
In the 1917 World Series, the Chicago White Sox beat the New York Giants four games to two. The Series was played against the backdrop of World War I, which dominated the American newspapers that year and next....
to the Chicago White Sox
1917 Chicago White Sox season
The 1917 Chicago White Sox dominated the American League with a record of 100-54. The 100 wins is a club record that still stands. Their offense was first in runs scored while their pitching staff led the league with a 2.16 ERA....
(the White Sox's last World Series win until 2005), the Giants played in four straight World Series in the early 1920s, winning the first two over their tenants, the Yankees, then losing to the Yankees
1923 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees season was the 23rd season for this American League franchise and its 21st season in New York. Manager Miller Huggins led the team to their third straight pennant with a 98-54 record, 16 games ahead of the second place Detroit Tigers. The Yankees moved into the now famous...
in 1923
1923 World Series
In the 1923 World Series, the New York Yankees beat the New York Giants in six games. This would be the first of the Yankees' 27 World Series championships...
when Yankee Stadium opened. They also lost in 1924, when the Washington Senators
1924 Washington Senators season
The Washington Senators won 92 games, lost 62, and finished in first place in the American League. Fueled by the excitement of winning their first AL pennant, the Senators won the World Series in dramatic fashion, a 12-inning game 7 victory.-Regular season:...
won their only World Series in their history (prior to their move to Minnesota).
1930–57: Five pennants in 28 seasons
McGraw handed over the team to Bill Terry in 19321932 Major League Baseball season
-Awards and honors:*MLB Most Valuable Player Award** Jimmie Foxx, Philadelphia Athletics, 1B** Chuck Klein, Philadelphia Phillies, OF-MLB statistical leaders:-External links:*...
, and Terry played for and managed the Giants for ten years. During this time the Giants won three pennants, defeating the Senators
1933 Washington Senators season
The Washington Senators was a season in American baseball. They won 99 games, lost 53, and finished in first place in the American League. It was their third, and last, pennant of their existence. The team was managed by Joe Cronin and played home games at Griffith Stadium...
in the 1933 World Series
1933 World Series
The 1933 World Series featured the New York Giants and the Washington Senators, with the Giants winning in five games for their first championship since , and their fourth overall....
and losing to the Yankees in 1936
1936 World Series
The 1936 World Series matched the New York Yankees against the New York Giants, with the Yankees winning in six games to earn their fifth championship....
and 1937
1937 World Series
The 1937 World Series featured the defending champion New York Yankees and the New York Giants in a rematch of the 1936 Series. The Yankees won the Series in five games for their second championship in a row and their sixth in fifteen years. It also broke a tie that they had reached in 1936, with...
. Aside from Terry himself, the other stars of the era were Mel Ott and Carl Hubbell
Carl Hubbell
Carl Owen Hubbell was an American baseball player. He was a member of the New York Giants in the National League from 1928 to 1943, and remained on the Giants' payroll for the rest of his life, long after their move to San Francisco.Twice voted the National League's Most Valuable Player, Hubbell...
. Known as "King Carl" and "The Meal Ticket", Hubbell gained fame during the 1934 All-Star Game
1934 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1934 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the second playing of the mid-summer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 10 at the Polo Grounds in New York City, the home of the New...
, when he struck out five future Hall of Famers in a row: Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
, Lou Gehrig
Lou Gehrig
Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig , nicknamed "The Iron Horse" for his durability, was an American Major League Baseball first baseman. He played his entire 17-year baseball career for the New York Yankees . Gehrig set several major league records. He holds the record for most career grand slams...
, Jimmie Foxx
Jimmie Foxx
James Emory "Jimmie" Foxx , nicknamed "Double X" and "The Beast", was a right-handed American Major League Baseball first baseman and noted power hitter....
, Al Simmons
Al Simmons
Aloysius Harry Simmons , born Aloisius Szymanski in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was an American baseball player. He played for two decades in the major leagues as an outfielder, and had his best years as a member of Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics during the 1930's...
, and Joe Cronin
Joe Cronin
Joseph Edward Cronin was a Major League Baseball shortstop and manager.During a 20-year playing career, he played from 1926–45 for three different teams, primarily for the Boston Red Sox. Cronin was a major league manager from 1933–47...
.
Mel Ott succeeded Terry as manager in , but the war years proved to be difficult for the Giants. Midway during the 1948 season
1948 Major League Baseball season
The Boston Braves won the NL pennant. Hopes for an all-Boston World Series were ended when the Cleveland Indians won a 1-game playoff against the Boston Red Sox to take the AL pennant.- External links :*...
Brooklyn Dodgers
1948 Brooklyn Dodgers season
Leo Durocher returned as manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers to start the 1948 season but was fired in mid-season. He was replaced first by team coach Ray Blades and then by Burt Shotton, who had managed the team to the 1947 pennant...
manager Leo Durocher
Leo Durocher
Leo Ernest Durocher , nicknamed Leo the Lip, was an American infielder and manager in Major League Baseball. Upon his retirement, he ranked fifth all-time among managers with 2,009 career victories, second only to John McGraw in National League history. Durocher still ranks tenth in career wins by...
left the Dodgers to become manager of the Giants. This hire was not without controversy. Not only was the mid-season switch unusual, but Durocher had been accused of gambling in 1947 and subsequently suspended for the entire 1947 season
1947 Major League Baseball season
-Statistical leaders:-Events:On April 15, Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers became the first modern day black player to play in the major leagues....
by Baseball Commissioner Albert "Happy" Chandler
Happy Chandler
Albert Benjamin "Happy" Chandler, Sr. was a politician from the US state of Kentucky. He represented the state in the U.S. Senate and served as its 44th and 49th governor. Aside from his political positions, he also served as the second Commissioner of Major League Baseball from 1945 to 1951 and...
. Durocher remained at the helm of the Giants through the 1955 season
1955 Major League Baseball season
For the third consecutive season, a franchise changed homes as the Philadelphia Athletics moved to Kansas City, MO and played their home games at Municipal Stadium.-Statistical leaders:-External links:*...
, and those eight years proved to be some of the most memorable for Giants fans, particularly because of the arrival of Willie Mays
Willie 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...
and arguably the two most famous plays in Giants' history.
1951: The "Shot Heard 'Round the World"
One of the most famous episodes in Major League Baseball history, the "Shot Heard 'Round the World" is the name given to Bobby ThomsonBobby Thomson
Robert 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...
's walk-off home run
Walk-off home run
In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. It must be a home run that gives the home team the lead in the bottom of the final inning of the game—either the ninth inning, or any extra inning, or any other regularly scheduled final inning...
that clinched the National League pennant for the Giants over their rivals, the Brooklyn Dodgers. This game was the deciding one of a three-game playoff ending one of baseball's most memorable pennant races. The Giants
1951 New York Giants (MLB) season
The New York Giants season saw the Giants finish the regular season in a tie for first place in the National League with a record of 96 wins and 58 losses. This prompted a three-game playoff against the Brooklyn Dodgers, which the Giants won in three games, clinched by Bobby Thomson's walk-off...
had been thirteen and a half games behind the league-leading Dodgers
1951 Brooklyn Dodgers season
The Brooklyn Dodgers led the National League for much of the season, holding a 13 game lead as late as August. However, a late season swoon and a hot streak by the New York Giants led to a classic three-game playoff series...
in August, but under Durocher's guidance and with the aid of a sixteen-game winning streak, caught the Dodgers to tie for the lead on the last day of the season.
Mays' catch and the 1954 Series
In game one of the 1954 World Series1954 World Series
The 1954 World Series matched the National League champion New York Giants against the American League champion Cleveland Indians. The Giants swept the Series in four games to win their first championship since , defeating the heavily favored Indians, who had won an AL-record 111 games in the...
at the Polo Grounds against the Cleveland Indians
1954 Cleveland Indians season
The Cleveland Indians advanced to the World Series for the first time in six years. It was the team's third American League championship in franchise history...
, Willie Mays made "The Catch"—a dramatic over-the-shoulder catch of a fly ball by Vic Wertz
Vic Wertz
Victor Woodrow Wertz was a Major League Baseball first baseman and outfielder. He had a seventeen year career from 1947 to 1963. He was signed as a free agent by the Detroit Tigers in 1942 and played for the Tigers, St...
to deep center field. At the time the game was tied 2–2 in the eighth inning, with men on first and second and nobody out. Mays caught the ball 450 ft (137.2 m) from the plate, whirled and threw the ball to the infield, keeping the lead runner, Larry Doby
Larry Doby
Lawrence Eugene "Larry" Doby was an American professional baseball player in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball....
, from scoring.
The underdog Giants went on to sweep the series in four straight, despite the Indians having won a then-American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
record 111 games that year. The 1954 World Series
1954 World Series
The 1954 World Series matched the National League champion New York Giants against the American League champion Cleveland Indians. The Giants swept the Series in four games to win their first championship since , defeating the heavily favored Indians, who had won an AL-record 111 games in the...
title would be their last appearance in the World Series as the New York Giants, as the team moved to San Francisco just prior to the 1958 season.
Memorable New York Giants of the 1950s
In addition to Bobby ThomsonBobby Thomson
Robert 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...
and Willie Mays
Willie 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...
, other memorable members of the Giants teams during the 1950s include: Hall of Fame manager Leo Durocher
Leo Durocher
Leo Ernest Durocher , nicknamed Leo the Lip, was an American infielder and manager in Major League Baseball. Upon his retirement, he ranked fifth all-time among managers with 2,009 career victories, second only to John McGraw in National League history. Durocher still ranks tenth in career wins by...
, coach Herman Franks
Herman Franks
Herman Louis Franks was a catcher, coach, manager, general manager and scout in American Major League Baseball. He was born in Price, Utah.-Catcher with Cardinals, Dodgers and A's:...
, Hall of Fame outfielder Monte Irvin
Monte Irvin
Monford Merrill "Monte" Irvin is a former left fielder and right-handed batter in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball who played with the Newark Eagles , New York Giants and Chicago Cubs .-Biography:Although born in Haleburg, Alabama, Irvin grew up in Orange, New Jersey, one of five...
, outfielder and runnerup for the 1954 NL batting championship (won by Willie Mays) Don Mueller
Don Mueller
Donald Frederick Mueller is a retired outfielder who played 12 seasons in American Major League Baseball . The first ten of those years were spent with the New York Giants, for whom he batted over .300 for three consecutive seasons and led the National League in hits in 1954...
, Hall of Fame knuckleball
Knuckleball
A knuckleball is a baseball pitch with an erratic, unpredictable motion. The pitch is thrown so as to minimize the spin of the ball in flight. This causes vortices over the stitched seams of the baseball during its trajectory, which in turn can cause the pitch to change direction—and even...
relief pitcher Hoyt Wilhelm
Hoyt Wilhelm
James Hoyt Wilhelm was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985....
, starting pitchers Larry Jansen
Larry Jansen
Lawrence Joseph Jansen was an American right-handed pitcher and coach in Major League Baseball. A native of Oregon, he played minor league baseball in the early 1940s before starting his Major League career in 1947 with the New York Giants. Jansen played nine seasons in the big leagues, and was...
, Sal Maglie
Sal Maglie
Salvatore Anthony Maglie was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He played from 1945-1958 for the New York Giants, Cleveland Indians, Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Yankees, and St. Louis Cardinals. Maglie was known as "Sal the Barber", because he gave close shaves—that is, pitched inside to...
, Jim Hearn
Jim Hearn
James Tolbert Hearn was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball for 13 seasons . A right-hander, he stood tall and weighed .-Career:...
, Marv Grissom
Marv Grissom
Marvin Edward Grissom was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball for the New York & San Francisco Giants , Detroit Tigers , Chicago White Sox , Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals . He was born in Los Molinos, California.He helped the Giants win the 1954 World Series...
, Dave Koslo
Dave Koslo
George Bernard "Dave" Koslo was a former professional baseball left-handed pitcher over parts of twelve seasons with the New York Giants, Baltimore Orioles and Milwaukee Braves. On April 18, 1947, Koslo gave up Jackie Robinson’s first major league home run, hit in the third inning...
, Don Liddle
Don Liddle
Donald Eugene Liddle was an American left-handed pitcher in professional baseball who played four seasons in the Major Leagues for the Milwaukee Braves, New York Giants and St. Louis Cardinals from through...
, Max Lanier
Max Lanier
Hubert Max Lanier was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who spent most of his career with the St. Louis Cardinals. He led the National League in earned run average in , and was the winning pitcher of the clinching game in the 1944 World Series against the crosstown St. Louis...
, Rubén Gómez
Rubén Gómez (baseball player)
Rubén Gómez Colón , was a Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher who became the first Puerto Rican to pitch in a World Series game. He was also the winning pitcher in the first ever Major League Baseball game played west of Kansas City...
, and Johnny Antonelli
Johnny Antonelli
John August Antonelli is an American former left-handed starting pitcher who played for the Boston and Milwaukee Braves, New York and San Francisco Giants, and Cleveland Indians....
, catcher Wes Westrum
Wes Westrum
Wesley Noreen Westrum was an American professional baseball player, coach, manager, and scout. He played for 11 seasons as a catcher in Major League Baseball for the New York Giants from to . He was known as a superb defensive catcher...
, catchers Ray Katt
Ray Katt
Raymond 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 Sal Yvars
Sal Yvars
Salvador Anthony Yvars was a Major League Baseball catcher who played with the New York Giants from to and the St. Louis Cardinals from to . Born in Manhattan's Little Italy to a Spanish gravedigger and an Italian laundress, he was a three-sport star at White Plains High School, playing...
, shortstop Alvin Dark
Alvin Dark
Alvin Ralph Dark , nicknamed "Blackie" and "The Swamp Fox", is a former shortstop and manager in Major League Baseball who played for five National League teams from 1946 to 1960. Named the major leagues' Rookie of the Year with the Boston Braves when he batted .322...
, third baseman Hank Thompson
Hank Thompson (baseball player)
Henry Curtis Thompson , best known as Hank Thompson, was an American player in the Negro Leagues and Major League Baseball who played primarily as a third baseman. A left-handed batter, he played with the Kansas City Monarchs , St. Louis Browns and New York Giants...
, first baseman Whitey Lockman
Whitey Lockman
Carroll Walter "Whitey" Lockman was a player, coach, manager and front office executive in American Major League Baseball.-Role in miraculous 1951 comeback:...
, second basemen Davey Williams
Davey Williams
David Carlous Williams was an All-Star second baseman who played his entire career for the New York Giants of the National League. Listed at 5' 10", 160 lb., Williams batted and threw right-handed...
and Eddie Stanky
Eddie Stanky
Edward Raymond Stanky , nicknamed "The Brat", was an American second baseman and manager in Major League Baseball. He played for the Chicago Cubs , Brooklyn Dodgers , Boston Braves , New York Giants , and St. Louis Cardinals...
, outfielder, pitcher Clint Hartung
Clint Hartung
Clinton Clarence Hartung was a right-handed pitcher and right fielder in Major League Baseball who played with the New York Giants from 1947 to 1952. His name has become associated with promising rookies who have undistinguished careers...
, Hall of Fame second baseman Red Schoendienst
Red Schoendienst
Albert 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...
and utility players: Bill Rigney
Bill Rigney
William Joseph Rigney was an American infielder and manager in Major League Baseball. A native of Alameda, California, he batted and threw right-handed....
, Daryl Spencer
Daryl Spencer
Daryl Dean Spencer , is a former professional baseball player. He was a utility infielder, playing shortstop, second base, and third base in the major leagues from 1952-1963. He played for the New York Giants, San Francisco Giants, St...
, Bobby Hofman
Bobby Hofman
Robert George Hofman was an American infielder, catcher and coach in Major League Baseball. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Hofman threw and batted right-handed, and stood 5'11" tall and weighed 175 pounds .Hofman's seven-year MLB playing career was spent entirely with the New York Giants...
, and Dusty Rhodes
Dusty Rhodes (baseball player)
James Lamar Rhodes was an outfielder with a 7 year career from 1952–1957, 1959. He played for the Giants franchise of the National League ....
among others. In the late 1950s and after the move to San Francisco two Hall of Fame First Basemen Orlando Cepeda
Orlando Cepeda
Orlando Manuel Cepeda Pennes is a former Puerto Rican Major League Baseball first baseman.Cepeda was born to a poor family. His father, Pedro Cepeda, was a baseball player in Puerto Rico, which influenced his interest in the sport from a young age. His first contact with professional baseball was...
and Willie McCovey
Willie McCovey
Willie Lee McCovey , nicknamed "Mac", "Big Mac", and "Stretch", is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. He played nineteen seasons for the San Francisco Giants, and three more for the San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics, between and...
joined the team.
1957: The move to California
The Giants' final three years in New York City were unmemorable. They stumbled to third place the year after their World Series win and attendance fell off precipitously. 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-Saint 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 at around the same time that the 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. And so it was in the summer of 1957 that 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 had ended.
New York would remain a one-team town with the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The 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...
until 1962 when Joan Whitney Payson founded 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...
and brought National League baseball back to the city. Payson and M. Donald Grant
M. Donald Grant
Michael Donald Grant was the chairman and a minority owner of the New York Mets baseball club from its beginnings in 1962 to 1978.Grant was born in Montreal in 1904, the son of Hockey Hall of Fame goalie Mike Grant...
, who became the Mets' chairman, had been the only Giants board members to vote against the Giants' move to California. The "NY" script on the Giants' caps and the orange trim on their uniforms, along with the blue background used by the Dodgers, would be adopted by the Mets – something of a compromise between the colors of both the Giants and the Dodgers.
1958: The San Francisco Giants history begins
As with the New York years, the Giants' fortunes in San Francisco have been mixed. Though recently the club has enjoyed relatively sustained success, there have also been prolonged stretches of mediocrity, along with two instances when the club's ownership threatened to move the team away from San Francisco.1958–61: Seals Stadium and Candlestick Park
When the Giants moved to San Francisco, they played in Seals StadiumSeals Stadium
Seals Stadium was a minor league baseball stadium that stood in San Francisco from 1931 through 1959.Built during the depression, Seals Stadium opened on April 7, 1931, It cost $600,000 to construct, and Seals President "Doc" Strub described how laborers would leap onto the running boards of his...
for their first two seasons. The stadium, which was located at 16th & Bryant St. across from the Stempel's Bakery, had been the home of the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
(PCL) San Francisco Seals, a minor league affiliate of the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, from 1931 to 1957. In 1958
1958 Major League Baseball season
The Major League Baseball season of 1958 was the first season of play in California for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants...
, Latino hitter Orlando Cepeda
Orlando Cepeda
Orlando Manuel Cepeda Pennes is a former Puerto Rican Major League Baseball first baseman.Cepeda was born to a poor family. His father, Pedro Cepeda, was a baseball player in Puerto Rico, which influenced his interest in the sport from a young age. His first contact with professional baseball was...
won Rookie of the Year honors. In 1959
1959 Major League Baseball season
-Awards and honors:*Most Valuable Player**Nellie Fox, Chicago White Sox **Ernie Banks, Chicago Cubs *Cy Young Award**Early Wynn, Chicago White Sox *Rookie of the Year**Bob Allison, Washington Senators...
, Willie McCovey
Willie McCovey
Willie Lee McCovey , nicknamed "Mac", "Big Mac", and "Stretch", is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. He played nineteen seasons for the San Francisco Giants, and three more for the San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics, between and...
won the same award.
In 1960
1960 Major League Baseball season
The 1960 Major League Baseball season was held between the American and National Leagues. It was also the final season that a 154-game schedule was played in both the AL and the NL, before the AL began using the 162-game schedule the following season, with the NL following suit in .-Awards and...
, the Giants moved to Candlestick Park (sometimes known simply as "The 'Stick"), a stadium built on Candlestick Point in San Francisco's southeast corner overlooking San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
. The new stadium quickly became known for its strong, swirling winds, cold temperatures, and thick evening fog that made for a formidable experience for brave fans and players. The park had a built-in radiant heating system, but it never worked. Candlestick Park's reputation was sealed in the ninth inning of the first 1961 All-Star Game
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
when, after a day of calm conditions, the winds rose. A strong gust appeared to cause Giants relief pitcher Stu Miller
Stu Miller
Stuart Leonard Miller , is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the St. Louis Cardinals , Philadelphia Phillies , New York & San Francisco Giants , Baltimore Orioles and Atlanta Braves...
to slip off the pitching rubber during his delivery, resulting in a balk
Balk
In baseball, a pitcher can commit a number of illegal motions or actions that constitute a balk. In games played under the Official Baseball Rules, a balk results in a dead ball or delayed dead ball. In certain other circumstances, a balk may be wholly or partially disregarded...
(and a baseball legend that Miller was "blown off the mound").
There were also many times that Candlestick Park was covered in fog, both inside and out, coming in from the ocean seven miles to the west (through what is known as the "Alemany Gap," a type of wide gorge through which the ocean winds come without major topographical obstacles). At one time, a fog horn was played inside the stadium between innings giving Candlestick another reputation. Other times, the winds would also whirl around in the parking lot, but inside the stadium it would be calm. Even with its reputation of being cold, windy, and foggy, it stood its ground when the ground below it shook violently during the 1989 World Series
1989 World Series
†: Game 3 was originally slated for October 17 at 5:35 pm; however, it was postponed when an earthquake occurred at 5:04 pm.-Game 1:Saturday, October 14, 1989 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California...
. At 5:04 p.m., the Loma Prieta Earthquake
Loma Prieta earthquake
The Loma Prieta earthquake, also known as the Quake of '89 and the World Series Earthquake, was a major earthquake that struck the San Francisco Bay Area of California on October 17, 1989, at 5:04 p.m. local time...
shook the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
during the pre-game ceremonies before Game 3. For 15 seconds the stadium rocked and there was fear that the standing light fixtures above would fall onto the crowd. However, only minor injuries were reported, and the stadium's structure was deemed safe ten days later.
1962 World Series
In 1962, after another memorable pennant chase with the Dodgers1962 Los Angeles Dodgers season
The Los Angeles Dodgers season was the fifth for the team in Southern California, and the 73rd for the franchise in the National League. After spending the previous four seasons at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, they began the season by opening Dodger Stadium, the team's new ballpark. The...
which resulted in a playoff series which the Giants won, the Giants brought a World Series to San Francisco. However, the Giants lost the series four games to three to the New York Yankees
1962 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees season was the 60th season for the team in New York, and its 62nd season overall. The team finished with a record of 96-66, winning their 27th pennant, finishing 5 games ahead of the Minnesota Twins. New York was managed by Ralph Houk. The Yankees played at Yankee Stadium...
. The seventh game went to the bottom of the ninth inning, with the Yankees ahead 1–0. With Matty Alou
Matty Alou
Mateo Rojas "Matty" Alou was a Dominican outfielder who spent fifteen seasons in Major League Baseball with the San Francisco Giants , Pittsburgh Pirates , St. Louis Cardinals , Oakland Athletics , New York Yankees and San Diego Padres...
on first base and two outs, Willie Mays
Willie 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...
sliced a double down the right field line. Right fielder Roger Maris
Roger Maris
Roger Eugene Maris was an American Major League Baseball right fielder. During the 1961 season, he hit a record 61 home runs for the New York Yankees, breaking Babe Ruth's single-season record of 60 home runs...
, quickly got to the ball and rifled a throw to the infield, preventing Alou from scoring the tying run (he only reached 3rd base).
With the speedy Mays on second, any base hit by the next batter, Willie McCovey, would likely win the series for the Giants. McCovey hit a screaming line drive that was snared by second baseman Bobby Richardson
Bobby Richardson
Robert Clinton "Bobby" Richardson is a former second baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Yankees from through . Batting and throwing right-handed, he was a superb defensive infielder, as well as something of a clutch hitter, who played no small role in the Yankee baseball...
, bringing the Series to a sudden end. Earlier in the inning, a failed sacrifice bunt by Felipe Alou had ultimately resulted in his brother Matty not scoring on Mays' double. In addition, Richardson was not originally positioned to catch the drive – he only moved there (three steps to the left) in reaction to a foul smash by McCovey on the previous pitch.
Giants fan (and resident of nearby Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa, California
Santa Rosa is the county seat of Sonoma County, California, United States. The 2010 census reported a population of 167,815. Santa Rosa is the largest city in California's Wine Country and fifth largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area, after San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, and Fremont and 26th...
) Charles Schulz made a reference to the real world in one of his Peanuts
Peanuts
Peanuts is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz, which ran from October 2, 1950, to February 13, 2000, continuing in reruns afterward...
strips soon afterward. In the first three panels of the strip of December 22, Charlie Brown and Linus are sitting on a porch step, looking glum. In the last panel, Charlie cries to the heavens, "Why couldn't McCovey have hit the ball just three feet higher?" Some weeks later, the same scene appears. This time, Charlie cries, "Or why couldn't McCovey have hit the ball just two feet higher?"
1963–84: Always a bridesmaid, never the bride
Although the Giants did not play in another World Series until 1989, the teams of the 1960s continued to be pennant contenders thanks to several future Hall-of-Famers. These included Gaylord PerryGaylord Perry
Gaylord 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...
, who pitched a no-hitter with the Giants in 1968; Juan Marichal
Juan Marichal
Juan Antonio Marichal Sánchez is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. Playing for the San Francisco Giants most of his career, Marichal was known for his high leg kick, pinpoint control and intimidation tactics, which included aiming pitches directly at the opposing batters'...
, a pitcher with a memorable high-kicking delivery; McCovey, who won the National League MVP award
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
in 1969, and Mays, who hit his 600th career home run in 1969. A Giants highlight came in 1963 when Jesús Alou
Jesús Alou
Jesús María Rojas Alou is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. During a 17-year baseball career, he played for the San Francisco Giants , Houston Astros , Oakland Athletics , and New York Mets...
joined the team, and along with Felipe and Matty formed the first all-brother outfield in Major League history. In 1967 the Giants had their first Cy Young Award winner in Mike McCormick.
The Giants' next appearance in the postseason came in . After winning their division, they were easily defeated in the League Championship Series
1971 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 2, 1971 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, CaliforniaWith aces Gaylord Perry and Steve Blass taking the mound for their respective teams, Game 1 looked to be a pitchers duel. It sort of was for four innings; the Pirates struck for two in the top of the third when Dave...
by the Pittsburgh Pirates
1971 Pittsburgh Pirates season
The Pittsburgh Pirates season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Pirates finishing first in the National League East with a record of 97 wins and 65 losses. They defeated the San Francisco Giants three games to one in the National League Championship Series and beat the Baltimore...
and Roberto Clemente
Roberto Clemente
Roberto Clemente Walker was a Puerto Rican Major League Baseball right fielder. He was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico, the youngest of seven children. Clemente played his entire 18-year baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates . He was awarded the National League's Most Valuable Player Award in...
, who then went on to beat the Baltimore Orioles
1971 Baltimore Orioles season
In , the Baltimore Orioles finished first in the American League East, with a record of 101 wins and 57 losses. As of 2010, the 1971 Orioles are the last Major League Baseball club to have four 20-game winners in a season: Jim Palmer, Dave McNally, Mike Cuellar, and Pat Dobson.- Offseason :*...
in the World Series
1971 World Series
The 1971 World Series matched the defending champion Baltimore Orioles against the Pittsburgh Pirates, with the Pirates winning in seven games. Game 4, played in Pittsburgh, was the first-ever World Series game scheduled to be played at night....
.
In 1972 the field at Candlestick Park was converted from grass to Astroturf
AstroTurf
AstroTurf is a brand of artificial turf. Although the term is a registered trademark, it is sometimes used as a generic description of any kind of artificial turf. The original AstroTurf product was a short pile synthetic turf while the current products incorporate modern features such as...
.
During this decade, the Giants gave up many players who became successful elsewhere. Some of them included Garry Maddox, George Foster, Dave Kingman
Dave Kingman
David Arthur Kingman , nicknamed "Kong" and "Sky King", is a former Major League Baseball left fielder, first baseman, third baseman, and designated hitter. The towering 6' 6" Kingman was one of the most feared sluggers of the 1970s and 1980s...
, and Gaylord Perry
Gaylord Perry
Gaylord 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...
. However, the Giants did produce two more Rookie of the Year winners (Gary Matthews
Gary Matthews
Gary Nathaniel Matthews Sr. , nicknamed Sarge, is a former left fielder in Major League Baseball. He now serves as a color commentator for the Philadelphia Phillies. From through , Matthews played for the San Francisco Giants, Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and Seattle...
Sr. in 1973 and John Montefusco
John Montefusco
John Joseph Montefusco Jr. is a former Major League Baseball pitcher from 1974 to 1986 for the San Francisco Giants, Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, and New York Yankees. Named the National League Rookie of the Year in 1975, Montefusco's nickname was "The Count", a pun on his last name which...
in 1975).
In 1976, Bob Lurie
Bob Lurie
Robert Alfred Lurie is a real estate magnate, philanthropist, and former owner of the San Francisco Giants franchise of Major League Baseball from March 2, 1976 until January 12, 1993.-Giants Ownership:...
bought the team, saving it from being moved to Toronto. Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
was awarded an expansion team called the Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
, but San Francisco baseball fans' worries about losing their beloved Giants had not completely gone away just yet. The rest of the 1970s was a generally disappointing time for the Giants, as they finished no higher than third place in any season. That third place season was 1978. They had a young star in the likes of Jack Clark
Jack Clark (baseball)
Jack Anthony Clark , also known as "Jack the Ripper," is a former Major League Baseball player. From 1975 through 1992, Clark played for the San Francisco Giants , St. Louis Cardinals , New York Yankees , San Diego Padres and Boston Red Sox...
, along with veteran first baseman Willie McCovey
Willie McCovey
Willie Lee McCovey , nicknamed "Mac", "Big Mac", and "Stretch", is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. He played nineteen seasons for the San Francisco Giants, and three more for the San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics, between and...
, second baseman Bill Madlock
Bill Madlock
Bill "Mad Dog" Madlock, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball player. From 1973 to 1987, Madlock was a right-handed hitter who won several National League batting titles. His record of four batting titles as a third baseman would be eclipsed in 1988 by Wade Boggs. Since 1970, only Tony Gwynn has...
(whom the Giants had acquired from the Chicago Cubs,) shortstops Johnnie LeMaster
Johnnie LeMaster
Johnnie Lee LeMaster is a former Major League Baseball infielder. He played for 12 seasons for four teams, including 10 seasons for the San Francisco Giants. He batted and threw right-handed....
and Roger Metzger
Roger Metzger
Roger Henry Metzger was a Shortstop for the Chicago Cubs , Houston Astros and San Francisco Giants . A light-hitting shortstop, he was known for his strong defense and good running speed.- Career :Metzger won the 1973 Gold Glove Award at Shortstop...
, and third baseman Darrell Evans
Darrell Evans
Darrell Wayne Evans is a former third baseman and first baseman in Major League Baseball who played from 1969 to 1989 with the Atlanta Braves , San Francisco Giants and Detroit Tigers . He is also the former manager and director of player personnel for the Victoria Seals of the Golden Baseball...
. Veteran pitchers Vida Blue
Vida Blue
Vida Rochelle Blue Jr. is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. During a 17-year career, he pitched for the Oakland Athletics , San Francisco Giants , and Kansas City Royals He won the American League Cy Young award and Most Valuable Player Award in 1971...
, John Montefusco
John Montefusco
John Joseph Montefusco Jr. is a former Major League Baseball pitcher from 1974 to 1986 for the San Francisco Giants, Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, and New York Yankees. Named the National League Rookie of the Year in 1975, Montefusco's nickname was "The Count", a pun on his last name which...
, Ed Halicki
Ed Halicki
Ed Halicki , is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1974-1980. On August 24, 1975, Halicki threw a no-hitter for the San Francisco Giants against the New York Mets in a 6-0 victory...
, and Bob Knepper
Bob Knepper
Robert Wesley Knepper is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball with a 15-year career from 1976 to 1990. He played for the San Francisco Giants and Houston Astros, both of the National League....
rounded out the starting rotation with Vida Blue leading the way with eighteen victories. The most memorable moment of that 1978 season
1978 Major League Baseball season
The 1978 Major League Baseball season saw the New York Yankees defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers to win their second consecutive World Series, and 22nd overall, in a rematch of the prior season's Fall Classic...
occurred on May 28, 1978, when pinch hitter Mike Ivie
Mike Ivie
Michael Wilson Ivie , is a former Major League Baseball first baseman who played for the San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Houston Astros, and Detroit Tigers during his career from 1971 to 1983...
, acquired from the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
during the offseason for Darrel Thomas, hit a towering grand slam off of Dodgers pitching ace Don Sutton in front of Candlestick Park's highest paid attendance of 58,545. They were atop of the NL West for most of the season, but the Dodgers
1978 Los Angeles Dodgers season
The 1978 season ended with the Los Angeles Dodgers winning their second straight National League pennant and losing to the New York Yankees in the World Series again...
heated up to eventually win the West and the NL Pennant.
In time for the 1979 season, Candlestick was converted back to grass.
In 1981, the Giants
1981 San Francisco Giants season
The 1981 season was the 99th season in Giants history. Giants manager Frank Robinson became the first black manager in the history of the National League...
became the first National League team to hire a black manager, Frank Robinson
Frank Robinson
Frank Robinson , is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He played from 1956–1976, most notably for the Cincinnati Reds and the Baltimore Orioles. He is the only player to win league MVP honors in both the National and American Leagues...
. However, Robinson's tenure lasted less than four years and was generally unsuccessful. In that tenure, the Giants finished a game over .500 in the strike-shortened 1981 season. The next season
1982 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series Champion: St. Louis Cardinals*World Series MVP: Darrell Porter**American League Championship Series MVP: Fred Lynn**National League Championship Series MVP: Darrell Porter...
, the Giants acquired veterans Joe Morgan
Joe Morgan
Joe Leonard Morgan is a former Major League Baseball second baseman who played for the Houston Astros, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, and Oakland Athletics from 1963 to 1984. He won two World Series championships with the Reds in 1975 and 1976 and was also named the...
and Reggie Smith
Reggie Smith
Carl Reginald Smith is a former Major League Baseball outfielder, coach and front office executive. During a 17-year big league career , Smith appeared in 1,987 games, hit 314 home runs and batted .287. He was a switch-hitter who threw right-handed. In his prime, he had one of the strongest...
. They
1982 San Francisco Giants season
The1982 San Francisco Giants season was the franchise's 100th season and 25th season in San Francisco.- Offseason :* December 9, 1981: Larry Herndon was traded by the Giants to the Detroit Tigers for Dan Schatzeder and Mike Chris....
were in the midst of a three-team pennant race with the Dodgers and Braves. Morgan hit a homer against the Dodgers
1982 Los Angeles Dodgers season
The Los Angeles Dodgers were in contention all season but lost to the Atlanta Braves by one game in the National League Western Division race. This was the final L.A. season for longtime cornerstones Steve Garvey and Ron Cey, who would move on to new teams next season...
on the final day of the season to make sure Atlanta
1982 Atlanta Braves season
- Offseason :* October 5, 1981: Gaylord Perry was released by the Braves.* March 23, 1982: Brian Asselstine was released by the Braves.During the offseason, the Braves acquired manager Joe Torre from the New York Mets in hopes of bringing the Braves their first postseason appearance since 1969.-...
won the NL West.
In 1984, the Giants
1984 San Francisco Giants season
- Offseason :* December 5, 1983: Fran Mullins was drafted by the Giants from the Cincinnati Reds in the 1983 rule 5 draft.* December 6, 1983: Champ Summers was traded by the Giants to the San Diego Padres for Joe Pittman and a player to be named later...
hosted the All-Star Game
1984 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1984 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 55th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was played on July 10, 1984 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California, home of the...
at Candlestick Park
Monster Park
Candlestick Park is an outdoor sports and entertainment stadium located in San Francisco, California, in the Bayview Heights area. The stadium was originally built as the home of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants, who played there from 1960 until moving into Pacific Bell Park in 2000...
.
1985–89: Nadir and resurrection
The 1985 Giants1985 San Francisco Giants season
-Offseason:* November 5, 1984: Guy Sularz was released by the San Francisco Giants.* December 3, 1984: Doug Gwosdz was drafted by the Giants from the San Diego Padres in the 1984 rule 5 draft....
lost 100 games (the most in franchise history), and owner Bob Lurie
Bob Lurie
Robert Alfred Lurie is a real estate magnate, philanthropist, and former owner of the San Francisco Giants franchise of Major League Baseball from March 2, 1976 until January 12, 1993.-Giants Ownership:...
responded by hiring Al Rosen
Al Rosen
Albert Leonard Rosen , nicknamed "Al", "Flip", and the "Hebrew Hammer", is a former American professional baseball player who was a third baseman and right-handed slugger in the Major Leagues for ten seasons in tthe 1940s and 1950s.He played his entire 10-year career with the Cleveland Indians in...
as general manager. Under Rosen's tenure, the Giants promoted promising rookies such as Will Clark
Will Clark
William Nuschler Clark, Jr. is a former first baseman in Major League Baseball best known for his years with the San Francisco Giants from to .Will was known by the nickname of "Will the Thrill"...
and Robby Thompson
Robby Thompson
Robert Randall "Robby" Thompson is an American professional baseball coach and former college and professional player. He played his entire career in Major League Baseball as the second baseman for the San Francisco Giants from to . Thompson is the current bench coach for the Seattle Mariners...
, and made canny trades to acquire such players as Kevin Mitchell
Kevin Mitchell (baseball player)
Kevin Darnell Mitchell is a former American Major League Baseball left fielder. He became widely known not only for his occasional brilliance on the field, but also for his unpredictable and sometimes volatile behavior off the field.-New York Mets:In Amazin, Peter Golenbock's oral history of the...
, Dave Dravecky
Dave Dravecky
David Francis Dravecky is a Christian motivational speaker, author, and former Major League Baseball player for the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants...
, Candy Maldonado
Candy Maldonado
Candido Maldonado Guadarrama is a former Major League Baseball outfielder from to for the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, Cleveland Indians, Milwaukee Brewers, Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago Cubs, and Texas Rangers. Chris Berman, a fellow ESPN analyst, called him the "Candyman"...
, and Rick Reuschel
Rick Reuschel
Rickey Eugene Reuschel is a former professional baseball pitcher from the early 1970s into the early 1990s. His nickname was "Big Daddy" because of his portly physique...
.
New manager Roger Craig
Roger Craig (baseball)
Roger Craig may refer to:*Roger Craig , former NFL running back*Roger Craig , former pitcher, coach and manager in Major League Baseball...
served from 1985 to 1992. In Craig's first five full seasons with the Giants, the team never finished with a losing record.
Under Roger Craig's leadership (and his unique motto, "Humm Baby") the Giants won 83 games in 1986 and won the National League Western Division title in 1987. The team lost the 1987 National League Championship Series
1987 National League Championship Series
- Game 1 :Tuesday, October 6, 1987 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriThe Giants struck first on an RBI groundout by Candy Maldonado, but the Cardinals tied it in the third on Vince Coleman's RBI single...
to the St. Louis Cardinals
1987 St. Louis Cardinals season
The 1987 St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 106th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 96th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 95-67 during the season and finished first in the National League East Division for the third and last time before moving to the NL Central in 1994....
in seven games. The one bright spot in that defeat was Giants outfielder Jeffrey Leonard
Jeffrey Leonard
Jeffrey N. Leonard is a former left fielder in Major League Baseball with a 14-year career from to...
, who was named the series MVP in a losing effort. In Leonard's own faltering words, the prize money ($50,000) meant nothing to him. He would have given anything to be going up north to play the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
in the 1987 World Series
1987 World Series
The 1987 World Series pitted the Minnesota Twins versus the St. Louis Cardinals.Minnesota was victorious in a World Series that was the first in which the home team won every game...
.
1989: The "Thrill", World Series and the Earthquake
Although the team used fifteen different starting pitchers, the 1989 Giants1989 San Francisco Giants season
The 1989 San Francisco Giants season saw the Giants finish in first place in the National League West with a record of 92 wins and 70 losses. It was their second division title in three years. The Giants defeated the Chicago Cubs in five games in the National League Championship Series...
won the National League pennant. They were led by pitchers Rick Reuschel (1989 National League All-Star Game Starter) and Scott Garrelts
Scott Garrelts
Scott William Garrelts , is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the San Francisco Giants from 1982 to 1991...
(the 1989 National League ERA champion) and sluggers Kevin Mitchell (the 1989 National League MVP
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
) and Will Clark.
The Giants
1989 San Francisco Giants season
The 1989 San Francisco Giants season saw the Giants finish in first place in the National League West with a record of 92 wins and 70 losses. It was their second division title in three years. The Giants defeated the Chicago Cubs in five games in the National League Championship Series...
beat the Chicago Cubs
1989 Chicago Cubs season
The Chicago Cubs season marked the last time the Cubs would win their division prior to the realignment to six divisions in which moved the Cubs to the National League Central, in which they would not win until 2003. Winning the division put the Cubs in the playoffs, which they would not return...
in the National League Championship Series
1989 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 4, 1989 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IllinoisThe Giants entered the series as slight favorites due to the MVP season of Kevin Mitchell, the solid play of Will Clark, and the best ERA in baseball by pitcher Scott Garrelts...
, four games to one. In Game 5, eventual 1989 NLCS MVP Will Clark (who hit .650, drove in eight runs, including a grand slam off Greg Maddux
Greg Maddux
Gregory Alan Maddux , nicknamed "Mad Dog" and "The Professor", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the first pitcher in major league history to win the Cy Young Award for four consecutive years , a feat matched only by Randy Johnson...
in Game 1) came through in the clutch with a bases-loaded single off of the hard-throwing Mitch Williams to break a 1–1 tie in the bottom of the eighth inning. In the top of the 9th inning, Steve Bedrosian
Steve Bedrosian
Stephen Wayne Bedrosian, is an American former baseball player. Nicknamed "Bedrock", he played from 1981 to 1995 with the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants and Minnesota Twins...
was shaky as he gave up a run. But ultimately, Bedrosian was able to get Ryne Sandberg
Ryne Sandberg
Ryne Dee Sandberg , nicknamed "Ryno" is a former Major League Baseball second baseman. During a 16-year baseball career, he played from 1981–1994 and 1996–97, spending nearly his entire career with the Chicago Cubs. He was named after relief pitcher Ryne Duren, and is recognized as one of the best...
to ground-out for out #3. Fittingly, the hero of Game 5, Will Clark caught the final out from second baseman Robby Thompson. For the first time in twenty-seven years, the San Francisco Giants were the champions of the National League.
After taking care of the Cubs, the Giants faced the Oakland Athletics
1989 Oakland Athletics season
The Oakland Athletics season saw the A's finish in first place in the American League West division, with a record of 99 wins and 63 losses, seven games in front of the Kansas City Royals. It was their second consecutive AL West title, as well as the second straight year in which they finished...
in the "Bay Bridge Series
1989 World Series
†: Game 3 was originally slated for October 17 at 5:35 pm; however, it was postponed when an earthquake occurred at 5:04 pm.-Game 1:Saturday, October 14, 1989 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California...
". The series is best remembered because the Loma Prieta earthquake
Loma Prieta earthquake
The Loma Prieta earthquake, also known as the Quake of '89 and the World Series Earthquake, was a major earthquake that struck the San Francisco Bay Area of California on October 17, 1989, at 5:04 p.m. local time...
on October 17, 1989, disrupted the planned Game 3 of the series at Candlestick Park. After a ten-day delay in the series, Oakland finished up its sweep of San Francisco. The Giants never would hold a lead in any of the 4 games and never even managed to send the tying run to the plate in their last at-bat.
1992: Farewell San Francisco?
Following the 1989 World Series defeat to the Oakland A's, a local ballot initiative to fund a new stadium in San Francisco failed, threatening the franchise's future in the city. After the 1992 season, owner Bob Lurie, who had previously saved the franchise from moving to TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
in 1976, put the team up for sale. A group of investors from St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
led by Vince Naimoli
Vince Naimoli
Vincent J. Naimoli is a businessman, and the first owner of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. -Biography:...
reached an agreement to purchase the team and move them to the Tampa Bay Area
Tampa Bay Area
The Tampa Bay Area is the region of west central Florida adjacent to Tampa Bay. Definitions of the region vary. It is often considered equivalent to the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater Metropolitan Statistical Area defined by the United States Census Bureau. The Census Bureau currently...
, but National League owners voted against the acquisition. Wally Haas, the owner of the Oakland Athletics at the time, agreed to grant the Giants exclusive rights to the South Bay so the Giants could explore all potential local sites for a new stadium and at least help to keep the team in the Bay Area. The team was instead sold to an ownership group including managing general partner Peter Magowan
Peter Magowan
Peter A. Magowan is the former managing general partner of the San Francisco Giants Major League Baseball franchise.-Early life and career:...
, the former CEO of Safeway
Safeway Inc.
Safeway Inc. , a Fortune 500 company, is North America's second largest supermarket chain after The Kroger Co., with, as of December 2010, 1,694 stores located throughout the western and central United States and western Canada. It also operates some stores in the Mid-Atlantic region of the Eastern...
, Harmon Burns, and his wife, Sue
Sue Burns
Sue Burns was an American businesswoman who was the senior general partner of the San Francisco Giants baseball franchise.-Early life:...
.
In addition to the anticipated move to downtown San Francisco, the Giants' ownership also made a major personnel move to solidify fan support. Before even hiring a new General Manager or officially being approved as the new owners, Magowan signed superstar free agent Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds
Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...
(a move which MLB initially blocked until some terms were negotiated to protect Lurie and Bonds in case the sale failed).
1993: "The last pure pennant race"
The Barry Bonds era began auspiciously as Bonds put up the numbers for the third MVP of his career: 46 homers, 129 runs and 123 RBI, (.336 BA, .458 OBP, .677 SLG, for a total of 1.135 OPS), all career highs. Matt Williams was very good (38 HR, 110 RBI, .294 BA), with Robby Thompson and Will Clark (in his last season with the Giants) providing offensive support. John BurkettJohn Burkett
John David Burkett is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He compiled 166 wins, 1,766 strikeouts, and a 4.31 earned run average. He pitched from 1987–2003, with the San Francisco Giants, Florida Marlins, Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox. His best season came in 1993 when he...
and Bill Swift
Bill Swift
William Charles Swift is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher.After graduating South Portland High School, Swift attended the University of Maine. Swift pitched for the 1984 U.S. Olympic team and was a first-round draft pick by the Seattle Mariners following his senior year at Maine...
both had 20+ wins, and closer Rod Beck
Rod Beck
Rodney Roy "Rod" Beck nicknamed "Shooter", was a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the San Francisco Giants , Chicago Cubs , Boston Red Sox and San Diego Padres...
was dominant with 48 saves and a 2.16 ERA. All this led the Giants to a 103–59 record in Dusty Baker
Dusty Baker
Johnnie B. "Dusty" Baker, Jr. is a former player and current manager in Major League Baseball, currently the manager of the Cincinnati Reds. He enjoyed a 19-year career as a hard-hitting outfielder, mostly with the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers...
's first year as manager, which earned him the Manager of the Year award.
But despite the Giants'
1993 San Francisco Giants season
The 1993 Giants season was their 111th in Major League Baseball and their 36th in San Francisco. In the offseason, Barry Bonds left the Pirates to sign a lucrative free agent contract worth a then-record $43.75 million over 6 years with the Giants, with whom his father spent the first 7 years of...
great record, the Atlanta Braves
1993 Atlanta Braves season
The 1993 Atlanta Braves season saw the Braves finish in first place in the National League West with a record of 104 wins and 58 losses. In the waning weeks of the season, they engaged in a dramatic and exciting battle for the division title against the San Francisco Giants, who finished in second...
— fueled by solid seasons from David Justice
David Justice
David Christopher Justice is a former outfielder and designated hitter in Major League Baseball who played for the Atlanta Braves , Cleveland Indians , New York Yankees , and Oakland Athletics .-Early life:David was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, the son of Robert and Nettie Justice...
, Ron Gant
Ron Gant
Ronald Edwin "Ron" Gant is a former American Major League outfielder and second baseman earlier on who played for the Atlanta Braves , Cincinnati Reds , St...
, Deion Sanders
Deion Sanders
Deion Luwynn Sanders , nicknamed "Prime Time" and "Neon Deion", is a former National Football League cornerback and Major League Baseball outfielder who currently works as an NFL Network analyst...
and their midseason acquisition of Fred McGriff
Fred McGriff
Frederick Stanley McGriff is a left-handed former Major League Baseball player who starred for several teams from the mid-1980s until the early 2000s. A power-hitting first baseman with a tall, lanky build, the five-time All-Star became, in , the first player since the dead-ball era to lead both...
from the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
— came back from a ten-game deficit to the Giants to win the NL West by a single game. The Braves also had 20+ wins from both Tom Glavine
Tom Glavine
Thomas Michael Glavine is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher.With 164 victories during the 1990s, Glavine was the second winningest pitcher in the National League, second only to teammate Greg Maddux's 176...
and Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
winner Greg Maddux
Greg Maddux
Gregory Alan Maddux , nicknamed "Mad Dog" and "The Professor", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the first pitcher in major league history to win the Cy Young Award for four consecutive years , a feat matched only by Randy Johnson...
.
Desperately needing a win against the Dodgers
1993 Los Angeles Dodgers season
The 1993 Dodgers improved on the dismal 1992 season finishing fourth in the Western Division of the National League. This was in part thanks to this years Rookie of the Year winner, catcher Mike Piazza. Piazza set rookie records with 35 home runs and 112 RBI...
in the final game of the year to force a one-game playoff with the Braves in San Francisco, the controversial choice of Giants rookie pitcher Salomon Torres
Salomón Torres
Salomón Torres Ramirez is a former Major League Baseball player. He began his career in with the San Francisco Giants, and also played for the Seattle Mariners, Montreal Expos, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Milwaukee Brewers.-San Francisco Giants:Torres is best known for starting the last game of the...
proved disastrous as he gave up three runs in the first four innings and the Giants went on to lose the game 12–1. After MLB's establishment of the three-division–Wild Card
Wild card (sports)
The term wild card refers broadly to a tournament or playoff berth awarded to an individual or team that has not qualified through normal play.-International sports:...
playoff format following the 1993 season, New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
sports columnist Dave Anderson
Dave Anderson (sportswriter)
Dave Anderson is an American sportswriter based in New York City. After graduating in 1947 from Xavier High School - an elite Jesuit preparatory school in New York City - Anderson attended the College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts, graduating in 1951.Anderson has written for a number of New...
captured the feeling of many baseball purists regarding the thrilling (and for Giants fans, heartbreaking) winner-take-all outcome as the "last pure pennant race."
1994–96 seasons
The period of 1994 to 1996 was not good for the Giants, punctuated by the strike that canceled the rest of the 1994 baseball season and the World Series1994 World Series
The 1994 World Series was canceled on September 14 of that year due to an ongoing strike by the Major League Baseball Players Association, which had begun on August 12...
. The strike denied Matt Williams a chance to beat Roger Maris
Roger Maris
Roger Eugene Maris was an American Major League Baseball right fielder. During the 1961 season, he hit a record 61 home runs for the New York Yankees, breaking Babe Ruth's single-season record of 60 home runs...
's single season home run record—he had 43 HR in 115 team games, and was thus on pace for 60 when the strike hit with 47 games left to play (Bonds had 37, on pace for 52). But the rest of the team was bad, with no other player having even 10 home runs or even 40 RBI that late into the season.
The Giants came in last place in both 1995 and 1996, as key injuries and slumps hurt them. 1995 had a strange feeling about it, with fans unsure if they would come back after the strike-shortened 1994 season (something that would keep attendances notably lower for a few more years, probably until the HR chase of 1998). Bonds continued to be the team's driving force, posting fantastic numbers, with the highest WAR among position players in the National League (33 HR, 104 RBI, 109 R and 120 BB in 144 games). Matt Williams and Glenallen Hill
Glenallen Hill
Glenallen Hill is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for 13 seasons. Hill played with the Toronto Blue Jays , Cleveland Indians , Chicago Cubs San Francisco Giants , Seattle Mariners , New York Yankees , and Anaheim Angels...
were the only other Giants with 20+ HR, and the rest of the team had mediocre offensive numbers. The pitching staff was bad, with only Mark Leiter
Mark Leiter
Mark Edward Leiter is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who had an 11-year career from -, . Leiter grew up in Toms River, New Jersey.-Career:...
having 10 wins (10–12, 3.82 ERA). Rod Beck had 33 saves, but a 4.45 ERA and a 5–6 record, including nine blown saves.
Bill Mueller
William Richard Mueller is a former Major League Baseball third baseman. Mueller's playing career was spent with the San Francisco Giants , Chicago Cubs , Boston Red Sox , and Los Angeles Dodgers . He won the American League batting title in 2003, and helped the Red Sox win the 2004 World Series...
also provided hope for the future of the club with a .330 average (66 hits in 200 AB over 55 games). Matt Williams and Glenallen Hill provided offensive support. Pitching-wise, the team was not very good. Only Mark Gardner had more than 10 wins (12–7, 4.42 ERA), and Rod Beck had 35 saves, a 3.34 ERA and nine losses on his record. The low point came in late June when the Giants lost 10 straight games en route to a 68–94 record.
1997
After three consecutive losing seasons, the Giants named Brian SabeanBrian Sabean
Brian R. Sabean is the Senior Vice President and General Manager of the San Francisco Giants, a Major League Baseball franchise. He has held the job since 1997, when he replaced former General Manager Bob Quinn...
as their new general manager in , replacing Bob Quinn
Bob Quinn (baseball grandson)
Bob Quinn is a former Major League Baseball general manager. He served as general manager of the Cincinnati Reds from to and of the San Francisco Giants from to . He had previously served as general manager of the New York Yankees. His grandfather, also named Bob Quinn, was also a baseball...
. (Sabean may have been acting as GM prior to the announcement, as he was rumored to have engineered the deal to get Kirk Rueter
Kirk Rueter
Kirk Wesley Rueter is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball, and is the winningest left-hander in San Francisco Giants history. Rueter played for the Montreal Expos and the Giants and made most of his career appearances as a starter. Rueter attended and played for Murray State...
from the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
). His tenure began with great controversy. In his first official trade as GM, he shocked Giants fans by trading Matt Williams to Cleveland for what newspapers referred to as a 'bunch of spare parts', with the negative reaction being great enough for him to have to publicly explain: "I didn't get to this point by being an idiot... I'm sitting here telling you there is a plan."
Sabean was proven right, as the players he acquired in the Williams trade—Jeff Kent
Jeff Kent
Jeffrey Franklin Kent is a retired Major League Baseball second baseman. Kent won the National League Most Valuable Player award in 2000 with the San Francisco Giants, and is the all-time leader in home runs among second basemen...
, Jose Vizcaino
José Vizcaíno
José Luis Vizcaíno Pimental is a former Major League Baseball player. He was a backup infielder for most of his MLB career. In , he played a significant role with the Chicago Cubs, having 551 at-bats and being 9th in the National League with 131 singles as well as second in the NL with 9 sacrifice...
, Julian Tavarez
Julián Tavárez
Julián Tavárez Carmen is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.-Minor leagues :...
, and Joe Roa
Joe Roa
Joseph Rodger Roa , nicknamed "The Roa Constrictor", is former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. Roa is a graduate of Hazel Park High School and was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 18th round of the 1989 amateur draft...
(plus the $1 million in cash that enabled them to sign Darryl Hamilton
Darryl Hamilton
Darryl Quinn Hamilton is a former Major League Baseball outfielder who played for the Milwaukee Brewers , Texas Rangers , San Francisco Giants , Colorado Rockies and New York Mets . He batted left-handed and threw right-handed...
)—and a subsequent trade for J.T. Snow were major contributors in leading the Giants to win their first NL West division title of the decade in 1997
1997 Major League Baseball season
*American League Championship Series MVP: Marquis Grissom**American League Division Series*National League Championship Series MVP: Liván Hernández**National League Division Series...
. Snow, Kent, and Bonds each had over 100 RBI, and pitcher Shawn Estes' 19 wins led the team. Rod Beck had 37 saves.
The 1997 baseball season also saw the introduction of interleague play
Interleague play
Interleague play is the term used to describe regular season Major League Baseball games played between teams in different leagues, introduced in . Before the 1997 season, teams in the American League and National League did not meet during the regular season...
. The Giants faced the four American League West teams that year: Seattle Mariners
1997 Seattle Mariners season
The Seattle Mariners 1997 season was their 21st since the franchise creation, and ended the season finishing 1st in the American League West, finishing with a record of 90-72...
, Texas Rangers
1997 Texas Rangers season
The Texas Rangers 1997 season involved the Rangers finishing 3rd in the American League west with a record of 77 wins and 85 losses. Despite not making the playoffs the club would set an all-time attendance record of over 2.945 million fans, which would be the franchise's best until 2011.On a...
, Anaheim Angels
1997 Anaheim Angels season
The Anaheim Angels 1997 season involved the Angels finishing 2nd in the American League west with a record of 84 wins and 78 losses.-Offseason:...
and the Oakland A's
1997 Oakland Athletics season
The Oakland Athletics' 1997 season involved the A's finishing 4th in the American League West with a record of 65 wins and 97 losses. The club's elephant mascot took its current form, Stomper.-Offseason:...
, while compiling a 10–6 record.
The Wild-card winning Florida Marlins
1997 Florida Marlins season
The 1997 Florida Marlins season started off with the team trying to improve on their record from 1996. Their manager was Jim Leyland. They played home games at Pro Player Stadium...
ended the Giants' season with a 3–0 sweep in the first round of the playoffs
1997 National League Division Series
-Houston Astros vs. Atlanta Braves:-San Francisco vs. Florida:The San Francisco Giants made it back to the postseason for the first time since the 1989 World Series. The Florida Marlins were in the postseason for the first time ever.-Game 1, September 30:...
, as the Marlins marched on their way to their first World Series
1997 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 18, 1997 at Pro Player Stadium in Miami Gardens, FloridaThe first World Series game in the state of Florida, Game 1 featured a youngster and a veteran facing each other on the mound...
championship.
1998
In 1998, the Giants were fueled by good seasons from Jeff Kent and Barry Bonds, both with 30+ HR and 100+ RBI. Also having good seasons were pitchers Kirk Reuter (16–9 W-L record, 4.36 ERA), Mark Gardner (13–6, 4.33) and newly acquired Orel HershiserOrel Hershiser
Orel Leonard Hershiser IV is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He is currently an analyst for Baseball Tonight and Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN and a professional poker player for...
(11–10, 4.41). New closer Robb Nen
Robb Nen
Robert Allen Nen is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. He spent most of his career as a closer. He is the son of former major league first baseman Dick Nen. He currently works in the Giants' front office as a special assistant to General Manager Brian Sabean.Nen is best...
had 40 saves. The Giants tied for the NL Wild card but lost a one-game playoff against the Chicago Cubs (at Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
).
1999
The next year, (1999), saw the Giants finish second in the NL West with an 86–76 record. Barry Bonds's production dropped as he hit .262, his lowest average in a decade. He did however hit 34 home runs while missing more than one-third of the season due to injury, and other team regulars put up very good numbers in support. These included J.T. Snow, Jeff Kent, Rich Aurilia, and Ellis Burks, all who had 20+ HR and 80+ RBI. Marvin BenardMarvin Benard
Marvin Larry Benard [buh-NARD] is a former Major League Baseball outfielder who batted and threw left-handed....
also had a career year in center field with 16 home runs, 64 RBIs, and a career and team high 27 stolen bases. The pitching staff was paced by Russ Ortiz
Russ Ortiz
Russell Reid Ortiz is a retired Major League baseball pitcher. Ortiz played for the Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, San Francisco Giants, Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers...
(18–9, 3.81) and Kirk Reuter (15–10, 5.41).
With the knowledge that their days in Candlestick Park were coming to an end, the 1999 season ended with a series of promotions and tributes. After the final game of the season, a defeat to the Los Angeles Dodgers, home plate was ceremoniously removed and taken to the new grounds where the downtown stadium was being built.
2000–01: Downtown Baseball Begins
In 20002000 Major League Baseball season
The 2000 Major League Baseball season ended with the New York Yankees defeating the New York Mets in Game 5 of the World Series, known as the Subway Series because fans could take the Subway to and from every game of the Series. An all-time record 5,693 home runs were hit during the regular season...
, after forty years at Candlestick Park, the Giants bid a bittersweet farewell to their old home and privately financed a downtown stadium, a long-advocated move. AT&T Park
AT&T Park
AT&T Park is a ballpark located in the South Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Located at 24 Willie Mays Plaza, at the corner of Third and King Streets, it has served as the home of the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball since 2000....
(originally Pacific Bell Park and later SBC Park) sits on the shores of China Basin (often referred to as McCovey Cove
McCovey Cove
McCovey Cove is the unofficial name of a section of San Francisco Bay beyond the right field wall of AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, coined after famed Giants first baseman Willie McCovey. The proper name for the cove is China Basin, which is the mouth of Mission Creek as it meets the...
by Giants fans) at the corner of 3rd and King Streets (with an official address of 24 Willie Mays Plaza to honor the long-time Giant). Regardless of anything that might happen on the field of play, this move represented an entirely new era for the Giants and their fans. Whereas the team used to occupy a stadium that was a throwback to the era of suburban, multi-purpose, concrete "cookie-cutter" stadiums that so many teams moved to during the 1960s and 70s, their new home is regarded as one of the better venues in all of professional sports. Even so, as part of the intense rivalry with the Los Angeles Dodgers, some Dodger fans derisively refer to AT&T Park as "The Phone Booth," owing to its current and former names (Pac Bell Park, SBC Park).
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
. AT&T Park
AT&T Park
AT&T Park is a ballpark located in the South Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Located at 24 Willie Mays Plaza, at the corner of Third and King Streets, it has served as the home of the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball since 2000....
is the centerpiece of a renaissance in San Francisco's South Beach and Mission Bay
Mission Bay, San Francisco, California
Mission Bay is a neighborhood in San Francisco, California.-Location:Mission Bay is roughly bounded by Townsend Street on the north, Third Street and San Francisco Bay on the east, Mariposa Street on the south, and 7th Street and Interstate 280 on the west.-History:It was created in 1998 by the...
neighborhoods.
Despite inaugural game festivities at the new ballpark, the Dodgers would spoil the 2000 season opener, with a three HR performance by little-known Kevin Elster
Kevin Elster
Kevin Daniel Elster is a retired Major League Baseball shortstop.Elster played for six different ballclubs during his career: the New York Mets , New York Yankees , Philadelphia Phillies , Texas Rangers , Pittsburgh Pirates , and Los Angeles Dodgers...
. However, the Giants would rebound and put out a solid effort all season long, culminating with a division title and the best record in the Major Leagues. Jeff Kent paced the attack with clutch RBI hits (33 HR, 125 RBI) en route to winning the MVP award, despite Bonds's 49 HR, 106 RBI season (Bonds finished second in MVP voting to Kent). The pitching staff was decent but not great, although 5 starters had at least 10 victories. These included Liván Hernández (17–11, 3.75), Russ Ortiz (14–12, 5.01), Kirk Rueter (11–9, 3.96), Shawn Estes (15–6, 4.26), and Mark Gardner (11–7, 4.05). Robb Nen was nearly perfect, with 41 saves and a minute 1.50 ERA.
The Giants lost the 2000 division series 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...
, three games to one. They had started out solid, winning game one bolstered by Liván Hernández
Liván Hernández
Eisler Liván Hernández Carrera is a Cuban professional baseball pitcher. He is the half-brother of pitcher Orlando "El Duque" Hernández.-Playing career:...
. However, the Mets won the next three games, despite decent performances by Shawn Estes, Russ Ortiz and Mark Gardner. Game two in particular had a tumultuous ending. Down 4–1 in the ninth, J.T. Snow hit a three-run home run to tie the game; but the Mets won the game anyway by scoring in the tenth inning.
In 2001
2001 Major League Baseball season
The Major League Baseball season finished with the Arizona Diamondbacks defeating the New York Yankees in a Game 7 of the 2001 World Series. The attacks of September 11 pushed the end of the regular-season from September 30 to October 7. Because of that, the World Series was not completed until...
the Giants were eliminated from playoff contention on the second to last day of the season. Rich Aurilia put up stellar numbers (37 HR, 97 RBI, .324 BA) in support of Barry Bonds, who once again gave fans something to cheer about as he hit 73 home runs, setting a new single-season record. The pitching staff was good but not great, with Russ Ortiz (17–9, 3.29) leading a staff that also had Liván Hernández (13–15, 5.24), and Kirk Reuter (14–12, 4.42). Shawn Estes and Mark Gardner would have sub-par years, but notably Jason Schmidt (7–1, 3.39) was picked up in a mid-season acquisition from the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
. Robb Nen continued to be a dominant closer (45 saves, 3.01 ERA).
2002: National League Championship Season and World Series
In the 2002 season2002 Major League Baseball season
The Major League Baseball season finished with the Anaheim Angels defeating the San Francisco Giants in Game 7 of the 2002 World Series.-Major league baseball final standings:...
, the Giants finished 2nd in the NL West behind the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
, bolstered by another MVP season for Barry Bonds (46 HR, 110 RBI, .370 BA, a then-record 198 walks and a .582 OBP) and Jeff Kent
Jeff Kent
Jeffrey Franklin Kent is a retired Major League Baseball second baseman. Kent won the National League Most Valuable Player award in 2000 with the San Francisco Giants, and is the all-time leader in home runs among second basemen...
(37 HR, 108 RBI and .313 BA). Additional roster support was provided by decent seasons from Benito Santiago
Benito Santiago
Benito Santiago Rivera is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball player. He played for twenty seasons as a catcher in Major League Baseball from to , most notably for the San Diego Padres...
and Rich Aurilia
Rich Aurilia
Richard Santo Aurilia is a former Major League Baseball player, mainly as a shortstop. He bats and throws right-handed.The 24th round pick of the Texas Rangers in the 1992 Major League Baseball Draft, Aurilia worked in the Rangers minor league system before being traded with first baseman Desi...
, plus new acquisitions David Bell
David Bell (baseball)
David Michael Bell is a former Major League Baseball third baseman who is currently the manager of the Triple-A Louisville Bats...
, Reggie Sanders
Reggie Sanders
Reginald Laverne Sanders is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball. He bats and throws right-handed. Sanders was 24 years old when he made his major league debut on August 22, , after being selected in the 7th round of the amateur draft by the Cincinnati Reds...
and Tsuyoshi Shinjo
Tsuyoshi Shinjo
is a former Japanese professional baseball outfielder.-Career:Born in Tsushima, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan and raised in Minami-ku, Fukuoka, he played for the Hanshin Tigers in Japan from until , then for Major League Baseball's New York Mets and San Francisco Giants...
, who spent only one season with the Giants before returning to Japan. The pitching staff again proved solid, with five starters having 12 wins or more, including Jason Schmidt
Jason Schmidt
Jason David Schmidt , is a former American Major League Baseball pitcher.Schmidt was born in Lewiston, Idaho. In his career he has played for the Los Angeles Dodgers , San Francisco Giants , Pittsburgh Pirates and Atlanta Braves , by whom he had been drafted in the eighth round, 206th overall, of...
, who the Giants acquired in 2001 from the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
. Closer Robb Nen
Robb Nen
Robert Allen Nen is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. He spent most of his career as a closer. He is the son of former major league first baseman Dick Nen. He currently works in the Giants' front office as a special assistant to General Manager Brian Sabean.Nen is best...
had 43 saves and a 2.20 ERA, and setup men Felix Rodriguez
Félix Rodríguez (baseball)
Félix Antonio Rodríguez is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Camden Riversharks....
and Tim Worrell
Tim Worrell
Timothy Howard Worrell is a former right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. During his fourteen-year Major League career, Worrell has pitched for nine teams, including the San Diego Padres, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, Oakland Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, San...
were solid coming out of the bullpen.
The Giants would make the playoffs as the NL Wild Card team. They went on to defeat the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The 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....
in the NLDS
2002 National League Division Series
-Arizona Diamondbacks vs. St. Louis Cardinals:-Atlanta vs. San Francisco:The Atlanta Braves had won their eleventh straight division title. The San Francisco Giants were making their third appearance in the postseason since 1997...
three games to two, with Russ Ortiz winning Games 1 and 5 in Atlanta. In the NLCS
2002 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 9, 2002 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri-Game 2:Thursday, October 10, 2002 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri-Game 3:Saturday, October 12, 2002 at Pacific Bell Park in San Francisco, California-Game 4:...
, they went on to defeat the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The 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...
four games to one, with wins by Reuter, Schmidt and two by Worrell in relief. Benito Santiago went on to win the MVP award in the NLCS.
The Giants then went on to face the American League's Wild Card team, the Anaheim Angels, now known as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
, in the World Series
2002 World Series
The 2002 World Series was a best-of-seven playoff series to determine the champion of Major League Baseball for the 2002 season. It was the 98th such contest between the champions of the American League and National League , and featured the AL champion Anaheim Angels against the NL champion San...
. Since its inception, this was the first time that two wildcard teams met in a World Series. The Giants split the first two games in Anaheim and took two of three at Pac Bell Park. With the Giants leading the series three games to two following a 16–4 blowout win in Game 5 at Pac Bell Park, the series shifted back to Anaheim. With the Giants leading 5–0 going into the bottom of the 7th inning of Game 6, the series' momentum changed decisively when then Manager Dusty Baker
Dusty Baker
Johnnie B. "Dusty" Baker, Jr. is a former player and current manager in Major League Baseball, currently the manager of the Cincinnati Reds. He enjoyed a 19-year career as a hard-hitting outfielder, mostly with the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers...
removed starter Russ Ortiz and handed him the "game" ball as he left the mound. Moments later, Scott Spiezio
Scott Spiezio
Scott Edward Spiezio is a former Major League Baseball infielder. He is currently an infielder for the Newark Bears of the independent Atlantic League . He is well known for his time as a member of the Anaheim Angels, when he hit a 3-run home run in Game Six of the 2002 World Series against the...
hit a three-run home run for the Angels off reliever Felix Rodriguez, and went on to win the game 6–5. The following night, Anaheim won Game 7, 4–1 to claim the Series. Angels third baseman Troy Glaus
Troy Glaus
Troy Edward Glaus is a Major League Baseball first baseman and third baseman who is currently a free agent. Previously, Glaus played with the Anaheim Angels , Arizona Diamondbacks , Toronto Blue Jays , St. Louis Cardinals , and the Atlanta Braves . Glaus lettered in baseball while attending UCLA...
was named MVP.
After the 2002 season, the Giants would go through many personnel changes. After ten seasons, manager Dusty Baker did not have his contract renewed. Closer Robb Nen
Robb Nen
Robert Allen Nen is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. He spent most of his career as a closer. He is the son of former major league first baseman Dick Nen. He currently works in the Giants' front office as a special assistant to General Manager Brian Sabean.Nen is best...
had pitched despite a damaged shoulder, an injury which eventually ended his career (retired), and Jeff Kent was not re-signed (he went to play for the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
). Position players David Bell
David Bell (baseball)
David Michael Bell is a former Major League Baseball third baseman who is currently the manager of the Triple-A Louisville Bats...
, Reggie Sanders
Reggie Sanders
Reginald Laverne Sanders is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball. He bats and throws right-handed. Sanders was 24 years old when he made his major league debut on August 22, , after being selected in the 7th round of the amateur draft by the Cincinnati Reds...
, Tsuyoshi Shinjo
Tsuyoshi Shinjo
is a former Japanese professional baseball outfielder.-Career:Born in Tsushima, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan and raised in Minami-ku, Fukuoka, he played for the Hanshin Tigers in Japan from until , then for Major League Baseball's New York Mets and San Francisco Giants...
and Kenny Lofton
Kenny Lofton
Kenneth Lofton is a former Major League Baseball outfielder known for his great speed on the base paths as well as in the field, award-winning defensive play , timely hitting, and playful spirit. He batted and threw left-handed...
, as well as pitchers Liván Hernández
Liván Hernández
Eisler Liván Hernández Carrera is a Cuban professional baseball pitcher. He is the half-brother of pitcher Orlando "El Duque" Hernández.-Playing career:...
, Russ Ortiz
Russ Ortiz
Russell Reid Ortiz is a retired Major League baseball pitcher. Ortiz played for the Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, San Francisco Giants, Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers...
and relief pitcher Aaron Fultz
Aaron Fultz
Richard Aaron Fultz is a retired Major League Baseball relief pitcher.Drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 6th round of the 1992 Major League Baseball Draft, Fultz spent the first three seasons of his Major League career with them , compiling a 10-5 record in 167 games played...
all played for other teams the following season.
2003: Wire to wire
After two consecutive close second place finishes, the Giants, under new manager Felipe Alou, recorded 100 victories for the seventh time in franchise history and the third time in San Francisco, winning their division for the third time in seven seasons. The team spent every day of the season2003 in baseball
-Headline event of the year:*The Florida Marlins become World Series champions, holding off a dynastic New York Yankees team, 4 games to 2.-Major League Baseball:*Regular Season Champions*World Series Champion - Florida Marlins...
in first place, just the ninth team to do so in baseball history. Their offense was paced by yet another MVP season from Bonds (45 HR, 90 RBI, .341 BA, 148 BB, and an OBP of .529). Decent offensive support was provided by Rich Aurilia, Marquis Grissom, Jose Cruz Jr., Edgardo Alfonzo, Benito Santiago, Pedro Feliz and Andres Galarraga. The pitching staff was led by Jason Schmidt (17–5, 2.34 ERA) and Kirk Rueter (10–5, 4.53), but had a dropoff after that, as no other starter had 10 wins.
Once again in the playoffs, and just like in 1997, the Giants faced the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
in the NLDS
2003 National League Division Series
-San Francisco Giants vs. Florida Marlins:-Game 1, September 30:Turner Field in Atlanta, GeorgiaIn Game 1, Kerry Wood faced Russ Ortiz. Both pitchers were on their game and in the bottom of the third the Braves struck first when Marcus Giles homered to make it 1–0 Braves. The score remained 1–0...
. Jason Schmidt won game one in San Francisco with a complete game victory, but the Marlins would win the series three games to one as the Giants bullpen proved unable to prevent their opponent from scoring.
2004–06: Playoff drought
In 2004, Barry BondsBarry Bonds
Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...
broke his own records with 232 walks and a .609 OBP on route to his 7th and last NL MVP award (45 HR, 101 RBI, .362 BA). The team also had a solid but not stellar supporting cast including Marquis Grissom (22, 90, .279) and Pedro Feliz (22, 84, .276), along with decent showings by Ray Durham, Edgardo Alfonzo, Michael Tucker and AJ Pierzynski. Jason Schmidt was the star of the staff (18–7, 3.20 ERA, 251 SO), and the team was constantly looking for a new closer (Matt Herges and Dustin Hermanson split the role during the season). After sitting out most of the first half of the season, J.T. Snow led the league in hitting after the All-Star Break.
As in 1993 and 2001, the Giants again avoided elimination from playoff contention until the final weekend of the season. The team would come close but still finished two games behind the division-winning Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
, marking the third time in four seasons the Giants would finish within 2½ games of the leader. The season ended in frustration, as San Francisco needed a three-game sweep of the Dodgers in the final weekend of the season to force a one-game playoff in San Francisco for the NL West title. After winning the first game, the Giants lost the second game 7–3 (L.A. scored seven runs in the 9th, the last four on a walkoff grand slam
Grand slam (baseball)
In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
by Steve Finley
Steve Finley
Steven Allen Finley is a former Major League Baseball outfielder.-Early life:Finley, who grew up in Paducah, Kentucky, attended Paducah Tilghman High School and Southern Illinois University, where he earned a degree in physiology and played for the baseball team from 1984–87.-College, Team USA,...
) as the Dodgers clinched the division title. Houston
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
won the wildcard spot the next day, rendering the Giants' season finale victory meaningless.
The Giants' 2005
2005 Major League Baseball season
Click on any series score to link to that series' page.Higher seed had home field advantage during Division Series and League Championship Series.The American League champion had home field advantage during the World Series as a result of the AL victory in the 2005 All-Star...
season was the team's least successful since moving to its new stadium. Bonds missed most of the season with a knee injury, closer Armando Benitez
Armando Benítez
Armando Germán Benítez is a relief pitcher who is currently a free agent.-Baltimore Orioles:...
was injured for four months, and ace Jason Schmidt
Jason Schmidt
Jason David Schmidt , is a former American Major League Baseball pitcher.Schmidt was born in Lewiston, Idaho. In his career he has played for the Los Angeles Dodgers , San Francisco Giants , Pittsburgh Pirates and Atlanta Braves , by whom he had been drafted in the eighth round, 206th overall, of...
struggled after numerous injuries. However, team management has taken advantage of the off year to give playing time to numerous young players, including pitchers Noah Lowry
Noah Lowry
Noah Ryan Lowry is a free agent left-handed starting pitcher formerly of the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball.-College and the MLB Draft:...
, Brad Hennessey
Brad Hennessey
Brad Martin Hennessey is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He attended Whitmer High School.-Professional career:...
, Kevin Correia
Kevin Correia
Kevin John Correia is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates.-Early life:...
, Scott Munter
Scott Munter
Scott Michael Munter is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher who is currently playing in the San Diego Padres organization. He attended St. James/Seton grade school and Creighton Preparatory School in Omaha, Nebraska...
, Matt Cain
Matt Cain
Matthew Thomas Cain is an American Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the San Francisco Giants...
, and Jeremy Accardo
Jeremy Accardo
Jeremy Lee Accardo is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent.-San Francisco Giants:...
, as well as first baseman Lance Niekro
Lance Niekro
Lance William Niekro is a former Major League Baseball player, nephew of Phil Niekro, and son of Joe Niekro. Niekro currently serves as an assistant coach at Florida Southern College....
and outfielders Jason Ellison
Jason Ellison
Jason Jerome Ellison is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent. He attended Lewis-Clark State in Lewiston, Idaho, and made his major league debut on May 9, ....
and Todd Linden
Todd Linden
Todd Anthony "Moose" Linden is an outfielder in the North American League for the Edmonton Capitals organization.-Early life:...
. The acquisition of Randy Winn
Randy Winn
Dwight Randolph Winn is a retired Major League Baseball outfielder. Winn was a switch hitter, and threw right-handed. He played college baseball at Santa Clara University and made his Major League debut in 1998 with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays...
from the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
also proved invaluable in the stretch run.
On May 25, the Giants held a celebration in honor of Baseball Hall of Famer Juan Marichal
Juan Marichal
Juan Antonio Marichal Sánchez is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. Playing for the San Francisco Giants most of his career, Marichal was known for his high leg kick, pinpoint control and intimidation tactics, which included aiming pitches directly at the opposing batters'...
. A statue of Marichal was dedicated on the plaza outside of the ballpark. Leonel Fernández
Leonel Fernández
Leonel Antonio Fernández Reyna is a Dominican lawyer, academic, and the current President of the Dominican Republic since 2004. He held the same office from 1996 to 2000...
, the President of the Dominican Republic, was in attendance. In the two games which followed the ceremonies, the Giants wore uniforms with the word "Gigantes" on the front (the Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
word for "Giants"). On July 14, 2005, the franchise won their 10,000th contest defeating their long-time rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
, 4–3, becoming the first professional sports franchise to have five digits in its winning total.
On September 28, the Giants were officially eliminated from the NL West race after losing to the division champion San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
. The team finished the season in third place, with a record of 75–87, their worst season—and first losing record—since 1996. Despite the disappointing finish, manager Felipe Alou was offered a one-year extension of his contract by Giants management.
The Giants were expected to contend in 2006, as they were bolstered by a strong starting staff. Despite a losing streak in May, and the worst batting performance by Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds
Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...
in about fifteen years the Giants did contend in the less-than-stellar Western Division and by July 23 were in first place. On that day, however, during the last game of a home stand and leading San Diego going into the ninth inning, closer
Closer (baseball)
In baseball, a closing pitcher, more frequently referred to as a closer , is a relief pitcher who specializes in closing out games, i.e., getting the final outs in a close game. Closers often appear when the score is close, and the role is often assigned to a team's best reliever. A small number of...
Armando Benitez
Armando Benítez
Armando Germán Benítez is a relief pitcher who is currently a free agent.-Baltimore Orioles:...
blew a save by giving up a home run and the Giants lost in extra innings. That was the first loss of a horrendous three-week stretch that saw San Francisco go 3–16, losing nine games by one run.
At the end of August the Giants recovered to again contend for both the division crown and the Wild Card berth. Bonds returned to form after his legs healed (batting .400—34 for 85—in 27 games from August 21 to September 23), the starting staff pitched well enough to lead the National League in ERA among starters, and the team found an effective closer in Mike Stanton, acquired in a trade at the end of July. However on the final road trip of the season the Giants lost eight of nine games to fall out of all contention for post-season play, despite an offensive explosion by both Bonds and right-fielder Moisés Alou
Moisés Alou
Moisés Rojas Alou |Spanish:]] ; born July 3, 1966 in Atlanta, Georgia) is a former American outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for 17 seasons in the National League. In 1,942 career games, Alou had a batting average of .303 with 2,134 hits, 421 doubles, 332 home runs, and 1,287 runs...
. The starting staff collapsed, bombed in all nine games, and Giants pitching gave up 93 runs on the trip (by comparison, the Giants gave up 86 runs during the 19-game losing span in August), and the Giants were "officially eliminated" on September 25, and finished the season with a record of 76–85, just 1½ games better than the previous season.
On October 2, 2006, the day after the end of the regular season, the Giants announced that they would not renew the contract of manager Felipe Alou, but did extend him an offer to remain with the club in an advisory role to the general manager and to baseball operations.
2007: End of the Bonds era
With eleven free agentFree agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
s excluding Jason Schmidt
Jason Schmidt
Jason David Schmidt , is a former American Major League Baseball pitcher.Schmidt was born in Lewiston, Idaho. In his career he has played for the Los Angeles Dodgers , San Francisco Giants , Pittsburgh Pirates and Atlanta Braves , by whom he had been drafted in the eighth round, 206th overall, of...
who signed with the Dodgers for roughly $15 million a year, a new manager on board with Bruce Bochy
Bruce Bochy
Bruce Douglas Bochy is the manager of the San Francisco Giants. Prior to joining the Giants, Bochy had been the manager of the San Diego Padres for twelve seasons. Bochy is the only former Padres player to serve as the team's manager. He has participated in all five postseason appearances in...
coming from division rival San Diego, and the loss of veteran catcher Mike Matheny
Mike Matheny
Michael Scott Matheny is the manager of the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball. He is also a former baseball catcher, playing for four different teams during his thirteen years in the major leagues...
due to complications resulting from concussions sustained during his career, the Giants' prospects for the 2007 season were less than favorable going into the winter off-season. Since then, the team has agreed to several deals—resigning Pedro Feliz
Pedro Feliz
Pedro Julio Feliz is a Dominican Republic minor league baseball third baseman for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball. Feliz has hit 20 or more home runs in four of his first five seasons as a starting third baseman and is an above average fielder at third base...
, Ray Durham
Ray Durham
Ray Durham , nicknamed The Sugarman, is a former Major League Baseball second baseman.A two-time All-Star, Durham in his prime was one of the premier offensive catalysts in all of baseball, providing prototypical lead-off hitting with power...
, and old time Giants fans favorite Rich Aurilia
Rich Aurilia
Richard Santo Aurilia is a former Major League Baseball player, mainly as a shortstop. He bats and throws right-handed.The 24th round pick of the Texas Rangers in the 1992 Major League Baseball Draft, Aurilia worked in the Rangers minor league system before being traded with first baseman Desi...
, and picking up catcher Bengie Molina
Bengie Molina
Benjamin José "Bengie" Molina , nicknamed "Big Money", is a former Major League Baseball catcher.He is the older brother of major league catchers José Molina and Yadier Molina....
, Ryan Klesko
Ryan Klesko
Ryan Anthony Klesko , is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and corner outfielder, who played for the Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, and the San Francisco Giants...
, and Dave Roberts. They also signed free agent pitcher Barry Zito
Barry Zito
Barry Zito is a Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher for the San Francisco Giants. He previously played seven seasons with the Oakland Athletics, where he won the 2002 American League Cy Young Award and made three All-Star teams....
to a seven year contract worth $126 million. The deal, which was the richest contract for a pitcher in baseball history, includes a $20 million player option for an eighth year. On January 9, 2007, the Giants resigned pitcher Russ Ortiz
Russ Ortiz
Russell Reid Ortiz is a retired Major League baseball pitcher. Ortiz played for the Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, San Francisco Giants, Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers...
to compete for the fifth starting position in spring training. Ortiz was slotted for the position in late March due to his outstanding spring.
The season did have memorable action, such as the Giants playing the Red Sox in Boston for the first time since 1912. Most notable during the season, however, was Bonds march towards Hank Aaron's career home run record of 755. Bonds's proximity to the record brought heavy media attention to the San Francisco Giants.
On July 27, in the first inning of the Giants' three game series against the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
, Bonds hit his 754th career home run. Also contributing to the Giants' 12–10 victory was pinch-hitter Mark Sweeney
Mark Sweeney
Mark Patrick Sweeney is a former first baseman in Major League Baseball. He is best known for his skill as a pinch hitter, where he ranks second in career pinch hits with 175 and first in career pinch hit runs batted in with 102....
, who moved ahead of Manny Mota
Manny Mota
Manuel 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...
on the all time pinch hits list with a clutch RBI single in the sixth inning.
Leading off in the top of the second inning of game two versus the Padres, before a sell-out crowd at PETCO Park
PETCO Park
Petco Park is an open-air ballpark in downtown San Diego, California, USA. It opened in 2004, replacing Qualcomm Stadium as the home park of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres. Before then, the Padres shared Qualcomm Stadium with the NFL's San Diego Chargers...
, Barry Bonds hit a high fastball off the facing of the upper deck in left field for his 755th career home run. The opposite-field shot tied the game at 1–1 and tied Hank Aaron for the all-time home run record. The Giants lost in extra innings, this time by a score of 2–3.
In the bottom of the fifth inning at home against the Nationals on August 7, 2007, Bonds hit his 756th home run which caused a melee in the crowd. Hank Aaron appeared on the big screen and congratulated Bonds. The Giants went on to lose the game 8–6.
On August 9, 2007, Mark Sweeney was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
for AA second baseman Travis Denker. The trade was the first between the Giants and the Dodgers since 1985.
The discouraging theme of 2007 would continue as solid pitching was not backed up with offense. Tim Lincecum
Tim Lincecum
Timothy Leroy Lincecum is an American professional baseball starting pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. He was nicknamed "The Freak" and "Big Time Timmy Jim" and "The Franchise." He throws right-handed and bats left-handed....
held the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The 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...
to two hits through eight innings on August 21, but the team scored only one run, losing to the Cubs by a score of 5–1.
On September 22, 2007, the Giants officially announced that the team would not re-sign Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds
Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...
for the 2008 season. After much speculation and debate, owner Peter Magowan
Peter Magowan
Peter A. Magowan is the former managing general partner of the San Francisco Giants Major League Baseball franchise.-Early life and career:...
announced Bonds's departure at a press conference, stressing the fact that the Giants needed to get younger and start fielding a more efficient offense.
Barry Bonds played his last game as a San Francisco Giant on September 26, 2007. He went 0 for 3, driving a ball that was caught at the warning track in left-center field in his final at bat.
2008: Without Bonds
The 2008 season marked the first year that Barry Bonds was not a member of the team since first signing with them in 1992. The Giants signed former Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
outfielder Aaron Rowand
Aaron Rowand
Aaron Ryan Rowand is an outfielder in Major League Baseball who has played for the San Francisco Giants, Chicago White Sox and the Philadelphia Phillies. He was released by the Giants in September 2011.-Early life and college career:...
to a 5-year, $60 million contract. Barry Zito
Barry Zito
Barry Zito is a Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher for the San Francisco Giants. He previously played seven seasons with the Oakland Athletics, where he won the 2002 American League Cy Young Award and made three All-Star teams....
once again got off to a poor start, losing his first eight decisions. However, the team found hope in pitcher Tim Lincecum
Tim Lincecum
Timothy Leroy Lincecum is an American professional baseball starting pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. He was nicknamed "The Freak" and "Big Time Timmy Jim" and "The Franchise." He throws right-handed and bats left-handed....
. After going 7–5 in his first stint in 2007 with the Giants, he exploded onto the scene this year winning four straight before losing his 1st game of the year on April 29, 2008, to the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
. Lincecum was selected to the 2008 MLB All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium but was unable to pitch due to being hospitalized with flu-like symptoms. He went on to win the 2008 NL Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
, finishing at 18–5. He was the first Giant to do so since Mike McCormick
Mike McCormick (pitcher)
Michael Francis McCormick is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the New York Giants from 1956 to 1958, then the San Francisco Giants from 1958 to 1970...
won it in 1967. The Giants finished the season in fourth place in the NL West with a record of 72–90.
2009: A mix of the Old and the New
During the off season, the Giants strengthened their pitching staff by acquiring veteran starting pitcher Randy JohnsonRandy Johnson
Randall David Johnson , nicknamed "The Big Unit", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. During a 22-year career, he pitched for six different teams....
and relievers Bobby Howry and Jeremy Affeldt
Jeremy Affeldt
Jeremy David Affeldt is an American baseball professional pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. He throws and bats left-handed. Previously, he has played for the Kansas City Royals, the Colorado Rockies, and the Cincinnati Reds....
. The Giants also signed infielders Edgar Renteria
Edgar Rentería
Edgar Enrique Rentería Herazo , nicknamed "The Barranquilla Baby," is a Colombian professional baseball shortstop. He throws and bats right-handed. Previously, he has played for the Florida Marlins, the St...
and Juan Uribe
Juan Uribe
Juan C. Uribe Tena is a Dominican Republic professional baseball infielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball. He began his career in 1997 when he was signed to the Colorado Rockies, and played with the team until December 3, 2003 when he was traded to the Chicago White Sox...
. Despite these new acquisitions however, questions still lingered about the teams offensive abilities and whether they would be able to contend. Nonetheless, the team compiled a 49–39 record by the 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 80th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 14, 2009, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, the home of the...
, good enough for second place in the NL West.
In addition to the team's overall performance, the first half of the season provided several memorable moments for the players themselves. Highlights included Johnson earning his 300th career victory
300 win club
In Major League Baseball, the 300 win club refers to the group of pitchers—24 as of 2011—who have won 300 or more games. While the "300 club" is an informal group, becoming a member is among the highest accomplishments a starting pitcher can achieve. Several members retired soon after winning their...
, becoming the twenty-fourth pitcher in Major League history to do so, as well as struggling starter Jonathan Sánchez
Jonathan Sanchez
Jonathan O. Sánchez is a Puerto Rican Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Kansas City Royals....
tossing a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
on July 10, the first Giants no-hitter since 1976 when John Montefusco
John Montefusco
John Joseph Montefusco Jr. is a former Major League Baseball pitcher from 1974 to 1986 for the San Francisco Giants, Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, and New York Yankees. Named the National League Rookie of the Year in 1975, Montefusco's nickname was "The Count", a pun on his last name which...
no-hit the Braves. 2009's pitching staff will go down as one of the strongest starting rotations in Giants history.
The Giants sent two of their starting pitchers to the All-Star Game. Matt Cain
Matt Cain
Matthew Thomas Cain is an American Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the San Francisco Giants...
, who did not pitch due to a minor elbow injury, and Tim Lincecum
Tim Lincecum
Timothy Leroy Lincecum is an American professional baseball starting pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. He was nicknamed "The Freak" and "Big Time Timmy Jim" and "The Franchise." He throws right-handed and bats left-handed....
, who was chosen to be the starting pitcher for the National League. It was Lincecum's 2nd straight all-star game appearance and Cain's 1st. The Giants narrowly missed sending a third player the game, as third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
Pablo Sandoval
Pablo Sandoval
Pablo E. Sandoval , nicknamed Kung Fu Panda, is a Venezuelan professional baseball infielder for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. Sandoval is a 5'11", 237 pound switch hitter. He was born left handed, but did not want to have to play outfield all of his career. He therefore...
was a leading contender to be the fan's vote for the final roster spot. However the vote went to Philadelphia Phillies' outfielder Shane Victorino
Shane Victorino
Shane Patrick Victorino is an outfielder in Major League Baseball who plays for the Philadelphia Phillies. He is a switch-hitter and throws right-handed.-Career:...
.
On July 10, Jonathan Sánchez
Jonathan Sanchez
Jonathan O. Sánchez is a Puerto Rican Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Kansas City Royals....
, spot starting in place of an injured Randy Johnson
Randy Johnson
Randall David Johnson , nicknamed "The Big Unit", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. During a 22-year career, he pitched for six different teams....
and on his first start upon returning to the starting rotation after a brief demotion to the bullpen, threw a no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
against the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
. Sánchez issued no walks (the only runner reached on an error by third baseman Juan Uribe
Juan Uribe
Juan C. Uribe Tena is a Dominican Republic professional baseball infielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball. He began his career in 1997 when he was signed to the Colorado Rockies, and played with the team until December 3, 2003 when he was traded to the Chicago White Sox...
) and struck out a career-high eleven hitters in the game, which was also his first major league complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
and shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
and the first no-hitter ever thrown at AT&T Park. He threw 110 pitches to complete the game, with a final score of 8–0 for the Giants.
On July 19, the club announced that Sue Burns
Sue Burns
Sue Burns was an American businesswoman who was the senior general partner of the San Francisco Giants baseball franchise.-Early life:...
, the team's senior general partner who was a virtual fixture in her seat adjacent to the Giants' dugout, died early Sunday morning of cancer. She was 58. Burns was the widow of Harmon Burns, who died in November 2006 at age 61. A financier in the San Francisco Bay Area, Harmon Burns was a key member of the investor group that purchased the Giants from Bob Lurie after the 1992 season and prevented them from moving to Tampa-St. Petersburg. On July 27, the Giants honored Burns in a pre-game ceremony in which Barry Bonds was also in attendance. In the game, ace pitcher Tim Lincecum struck out a career-high 15 batters and the Giants defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 4–2.
On July 20, the Giants traded one of their top prospects, double-a pitcher Tim Alderson
Tim Alderson
Timothy Alderson is a pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.-Baseball career:Alderson was drafted by the San Francisco Giants 22nd overall in the first round of the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft...
, for Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
second baseman Freddy Sanchez
Freddy Sanchez
Frederick Phillip "Freddy" Sanchez, Jr. is a Major League Baseball second baseman for the San Francisco Giants. Sanchez has previously played for the Boston Red Sox and the Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Francisco Giants...
. Alderson was the first round pick in the 2007 draft and was ranked the number four prospect in the Giants organization by Baseball America
Baseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
, but Sanchez provided a much needed jump for the Giants offense. Sanchez ended the 2009 season batting .293 with 41 runs batted in and 22 walks.
On September 11, the Giants added another key player when they brought up Buster Posey
Buster Posey
Gerald Dempsey "Buster" Posey III is a catcher for the San Francisco Giants. He was drafted by the Giants fifth overall in the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft....
from the Giants triple-a affiliate Fresno Grizzlies
Fresno Grizzlies
The Fresno Grizzlies are a minor league baseball team based in Fresno, California. The team, which plays in the Pacific Coast League , is the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants major league club. The Grizzlies play in Chukchansi Park , located in downtown Fresno and built in 2002...
. Buster Posey was one of the most talked about minor league players throughout 2009, and played in seven games in the 2009 season. When playing college ball at Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
, he was the only player in college ball history to play every position in a single game. After the Giants traded Bengie Molina to the Rangers in June 2010, Posey replaced him as starting catcher.
On September 23, in beating the Diamondbacks 5–2, the Giants clinched a winning season at 82–70. This was their first winning season since 2004. On September 30, the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
' 10–6 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
eliminated the Giants from the Wild Card race for 2009.
The Giants completed the 2009 regular season at 88–74, 14 games above .500, winning 16 more games than the previous season. Finishing in third place in the NL West behind the Colorado Rockies and first-place Los Angeles Dodgers, the Giants moved up one spot from 2008. With the emergence of star player Pablo Sandoval alongside a dominant pitching staff, the Giants look forward to making the playoffs next year for the first time since 2003.
2010–present: New slogan, new team, new title
In 2010, in a season described with the slogan "Giants' Baseball: Torture" by broadcaster Duane KuiperDuane Kuiper
Duane Eugene Kuiper is a former Major League Baseball second baseman, and is currently a five-time Emmy award-winning radio and television sportscaster for the San Francisco Giants...
, the club won the National League Western Division title for the first time since 2003 after trailing the San Diego Padres most of the season. On July 4, after losing a four-game road series in Colorado, the Giants' record stood at 41–40 at the half-way point of the season. Boosted by a 21-game hitting streak by Posey, called up in May from AAA Fresno, the Giants then won 19 of the remaining 24 games in July. August saw a losing record of 13–15, as the club lost four series against the Braves, Padres, Phillies, and Cardinals. On August 25, despite overcoming a 10–1 deficit in the 5th inning, the Giants lost to the Reds in extra innings at home to drop 6.5 games behind San Diego. Three days later, following an 11–3 debacle at home against the Diamondbacks, Sabean and Bochy held a private meeting with the starting pitchers, who had gone 5–13 with a 5.56 ERA in August, including 14 straight starts without a win.
In September, the slogan for the Giants became "Fear the Beard" as they made their push for the playoffs. Brian Wilson and Sergio Romo grew out their facial hair, AT&T Park filled with "Fear the Beard" signs, and "There's Magic Inside" slogan took the place of the one from the previous season, "Yes We Can
Yes We Can
"Yes We Can" is the first single from Change Is Now: Renewing America's Promise, a compilation album organised and produced by Black Eyed Peas frontman Will.I.Am...
".
The Padres suffered a 10-game losing streak going into September and on the 5th, the Giants beat the Dodgers 3–0 to move to within a game of first place. Despite being shut out four times in ten games, the Giants recorded an 18–8 September to move into first by three games as the pitching staff achieved a team ERA of 1.78, the lowest in the National League in a September stretch run since the 1965 Dodgers. During their September run, the Giants' pitching staff allowed no more than 3 runs for 18 straight games, the longest single-season streak since 1920. The division title came down to the final three games of the year in October at home against San Diego, with the Giants clinching in the last regular season game, 3–0. Jonathan Sanchez
Jonathan Sanchez
Jonathan O. Sánchez is a Puerto Rican Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Kansas City Royals....
, who had been ridiculed in August when he failed to make good a boast that the Giants would sweep the Padres, led the September charge with a 3–1 record and 1.17 ERA, and took the win in the clincher. Closer Brian Wilson finished the game for his franchise record-tying and major league-leading 48th save. In the second half of the season the Giants went 51–30. After a 9–20 first half against division opponents, the Giants won 29 of their remaining 43 division games.
2010 World Series Champions
At the beginning of the 2010 Major League Baseball season only one (Jim CapleJim Caple
Jim Caple is a columnist and senior writer for ESPN.com. He has worked previously with the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and St. Paul Pioneer Press.Caple attended R.A...
of ESPN.com, although he later recanted his pick before the NLCS, saying the Philadelphia Phillies would beat the Giants and advance to the World Series) out of literally dozens of baseball writers and pundits picked the Giants to even reach the World Series, with most not expecting the Giants to even make the playoffs.
In the 2010 National League Division Series
2010 National League Division Series
The 2010 National League Division Series were two best-of-five game series to determine the participating teams in the 2010 National League Championship Series. The three divisional winners and a fourth team—a "Wild Card"—played in two series from October 6 to 11...
, the Giants defeated the Atlanta Braves three games to one, splitting at home and then sweeping them at Turner Field
Turner Field
Turner Field is a stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, home to Major League Baseball's Atlanta Braves since 1997. Turner Field was originally built as Centennial Olympic Stadium, it was completed in 1996 to serve as the centerpiece of the 1996 Summer Olympics...
. Tim Lincecum
Tim Lincecum
Timothy Leroy Lincecum is an American professional baseball starting pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. He was nicknamed "The Freak" and "Big Time Timmy Jim" and "The Franchise." He throws right-handed and bats left-handed....
won Game 1 with a memorable and record-setting 14-strikeout, 2-hit shutout performance. The clinching game was also notable as it was the final game of Atlanta's highly successful and venerated manager, Bobby Cox
Bobby Cox
Robert Joseph "Bobby" Cox is a former Major League Baseball third baseman and manager. He first led the Atlanta Braves from 1978 to 1981, and then managed the Toronto Blue Jays from 1982 to 1985. He later rejoined the Braves in 1985 as a general manager...
.
In the ensuing NLCS
2010 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 16, 2010 — 7:30 p.m. at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaIn one of the most touted postseason pitching matchups in recent history, two former Cy Young Award winners faced off: Roy Halladay for the Phillies and Tim Lincecum for the Giants...
, the Giants took a 3–1 advantage over the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, winning two games at home after splitting the first two at Philadelphia. Starting pitcher for the Giants Tim Lincecum
Tim Lincecum
Timothy Leroy Lincecum is an American professional baseball starting pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. He was nicknamed "The Freak" and "Big Time Timmy Jim" and "The Franchise." He throws right-handed and bats left-handed....
rematched against the Phillies' Roy Halladay
Roy Halladay
Harry Leroy "Roy" Halladay III , nicknamed "Doc", is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies...
in Game 5. The Giants failed to beat Roy Halladay
Roy Halladay
Harry Leroy "Roy" Halladay III , nicknamed "Doc", is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies...
, losing 4–2, forcing a return trip to Philadelphia. In Game Six, the Giants beat Philadelphia by a final score of 3–2, to win the NLCS 4–2 and advance to face the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
in the 2010 World Series
2010 World Series
The 2010 World Series was the 106th occurrence of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff, played between the American League champion Texas Rangers and the National League champion San Francisco Giants, began on Wednesday, , and ended on Monday, , with the Giants...
. Because the National League won the All-Star Game, the Giants had home-field advantage in the World Series
2010 World Series
The 2010 World Series was the 106th occurrence of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff, played between the American League champion Texas Rangers and the National League champion San Francisco Giants, began on Wednesday, , and ended on Monday, , with the Giants...
with the first two games in San Francisco, the next three games in Texas (the last if necessary), and the following two games (if necessary) back in San Francisco.
The first World Series game was a highly anticipated matchup between 2-time National League Cy Young Award winner (2008,2009) Tim Lincecum against the 2008 American League Cy Young award winner and heretofore undefeated in postseason play, Cliff Lee
Cliff Lee
Clifton Phifer "Cliff" Lee is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. Lee has also played for the Cleveland Indians, the Seattle Mariners, and the Texas Rangers....
. The pitching matchup turned out to be a sideline, as the Giants won the first game of the World Series, 11–7, over the Rangers, backed by Freddy Sanchez
Freddy Sanchez
Frederick Phillip "Freddy" Sanchez, Jr. is a Major League Baseball second baseman for the San Francisco Giants. Sanchez has previously played for the Boston Red Sox and the Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Francisco Giants...
's three doubles, setting a World Series record for being the first player to hit three consecutive doubles in their first three at bats. The game also saw the Giants set the record for the most runs (6) scored in a single half-inning in a World Series since 1933. The next day, the Giants won game 2 of the World Series, crushing the Rangers 9–0 after the Rangers walked 4 in a row and allowed 7 runs to the Giants in the 8th inning. Matt Cain also had a dominant game, pitching 7 innings without giving up a run. The Giants went on to lose Game 3 in Arlington, Texas 4–2 after a 3-run home run from Ranger's rookie, Mitch Moreland, in the second inning and a solo home run by Josh Hamilton in the fifth. Game 4 belonged to the Giants, as rookie left-handed pitcher Madison Bumgarner
Madison Bumgarner
Madison Bumgarner is an American baseball pitcher with the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. Bumgarner is listed 6'5" and 225 pounds and has a 90–95 MPH fastball...
shut out the Rangers, 4–0, with home runs by Huff and Posey. The Giants, along with Tim Lincecum, won Game 5 by a score of 3–1. Lincecum outdueled Cliff Lee in an every-pitch-matters matchup that was scoreless until Renteria hit a stunning three-run homer with two outs in the seventh inning. Nelson Cruz homered in the bottom half, but Lincecum returned to his wicked self and preserved the lead. Brian Wilson was brought in to pitch the 9th and produced a scoreless inning, allowing San Francisco to bring out a series of firsts, not just for the Giants, but also for the city of San Francisco and the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
. Edgar Renteria
Edgar Rentería
Edgar Enrique Rentería Herazo , nicknamed "The Barranquilla Baby," is a Colombian professional baseball shortstop. He throws and bats right-handed. Previously, he has played for the Florida Marlins, the St...
was named World Series Most Valuable Player.
The firsts with the championship were:
- Giants:
- Championship since , when in New York.
- Championship since moving to San Francisco.
- City of San Francisco:
- World Series championship.
- Major sports championship since the 49ersSan Francisco 49ersThe San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
won Super Bowl XXIXSuper Bowl XXIXSuper Bowl XXIX was an American football game played on January 29, 1995 at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1994 regular season...
in 1995.
- San Francisco Bay Area:
- World Series championship since the Oakland AthleticsOakland AthleticsThe Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
swept the Giants in . - Major sports championship since the 49ers win in Super Bowl XXIXSuper Bowl XXIXSuper Bowl XXIX was an American football game played on January 29, 1995 at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1994 regular season...
.
- World Series championship since the Oakland Athletics
Overall the Giants have won 6 World championships (5 as the New York Giants, 1 as the San Francisco Giants), 21 pennants, 7 Western Division titles and 1 wild-card berth in the team's multiple post-season appearances. The San Francisco team has appeared in the post-season nine times in 53 years, going to the World Series four times (1962, 1989, 2002, and 2010).
In summing up the firsts with the championship, Larry Baer, the president of the Giants and a fourth generation resident of San Francisco, said that the team dedicated the championship to everyone who has worn a Giants uniform, and all Giants fans since the team's move to San Francisco, honoring 53 years of baseball in the city.
On November 15, 2010, Giants catcher Buster Posey was named NL Rookie of the Year.
Rivalries
The Giants' rivalry with the Los Angeles DodgersLos Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
dates back to when the two teams were based in New York, while the rivalry with the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The 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...
existed when the Giants were in New York. The rivalry with the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
dates back to when the Giants were in New York and the A's were in Philadelphia and was renewed in 1968, when the Athletics moved from Kansas City.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers–Giants rivalry is the longest-standing and one of the most storied rivalries in the history of baseball.The feud between the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
and the Giants began in the late 19th century when both clubs were based 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...
, with the Dodgers playing in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
and the Giants playing at the Polo Grounds
Polo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used by many professional teams in both baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963...
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. After the season, 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...
decided to move the team to 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...
for financial reasons, among others. Along the way, he managed to convince Giants 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...
(who was considering moving his team to Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
) to preserve the rivalry by bringing his team to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
as well. New York
Sports in New York City
Sports in New York City have a long and distinguished history. The city has a few historic sports venues: the original Yankee Stadium, home of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 2008, before the team moved into their new stadium in 2009, Ebbets Field, home of the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1913 until...
baseball fans were stunned and heartbroken by the move. Given that the cities 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...
and San Francisco have long been competitors in economic, cultural, and political arenas, the new venue in California became fertile ground for its transplantation.
Each team's ability to have endured for over a century while leaping across an entire continent, as well as the rivalry's growth from a cross-city to a cross-state engagement, have led to the rivalry being considered one of the greatest in sports history.
Unlike many other historic baseball match-ups in which one team remains dominant for most of their history, the Dodgers–Giants rivalry has exhibited a persistent balance in the respective successes of the two teams. While the Giants have more wins in franchise history, both National League West
National League West
The National League Western Division, or NL West, is one of the three divisions of Major League Baseball's National League. It was created in 1969 when the previously undivided National League expanded its membership to twelve teams, positioning half of them in an Eastern division and the other...
teams are tied for the most National League pennants with 21, and both teams have each won six World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
titles. The 2010 World Series
2010 World Series
The 2010 World Series was the 106th occurrence of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff, played between the American League champion Texas Rangers and the National League champion San Francisco Giants, began on Wednesday, , and ended on Monday, , with the Giants...
was the Giants' first championship since moving to California, while the Dodgers' last title came in the 1988 World Series
1988 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 15, 1988 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaBecause of using ace Orel Hershiser in Game 7 of the NLCS, the Dodgers had to open with rookie Tim Belcher in Game 1. Meanwhile, Oakland sent a well-rested Dave Stewart to the mound. Both pitchers, however, would have...
.
Oakland Athletics
A geographic rivalry with the cross-bay American LeagueAmerican League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
Athletics has grown larger as a result of the two teams meeting in the 1989 World Series
1989 World Series
†: Game 3 was originally slated for October 17 at 5:35 pm; however, it was postponed when an earthquake occurred at 5:04 pm.-Game 1:Saturday, October 14, 1989 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California...
, nicknamed the "Battle of the Bay," which Oakland swept (and which was interrupted by the Loma Prieta Earthquake moments before Game 3). In addition, the introduction of interleague play
Interleague play
Interleague play is the term used to describe regular season Major League Baseball games played between teams in different leagues, introduced in . Before the 1997 season, teams in the American League and National League did not meet during the regular season...
in 1997 that has called for the teams to play each other about 6 times every season since 1997. This rivalry, once limited to spring-training games, is called "The Battle of the Bay" because the two teams play on opposite sides of the San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
. They have played each other fairly evenly, despite differences that range from league, style of play, stadium, payroll, fan base stereotypes, media coverage, and World Series records—all of which have heightened the rivalry in recent years. Since the start of interleague play, the A's lead the series 34–28. The intensity of the rivalry and how it is understood varies among Bay Area fans. Some are fans of both teams. The "split hats" that feature the logos of both teams best embodies the shared fan base. Other Bay Area fans view the competition between the two teams as a "friendly rivalry" with little hatred.
This particular geographic rivalry is generally considered to be relatively friendly when compared to similar cases, including the Subway Series (New York Mets and New York Yankees), the Red Line Series (Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox), and the Freeway Series
Freeway Series
The term Freeway Series refers to a series of baseball games played between Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of the American League and the Los Angeles Dodgers of the National League...
(Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim).
The Giants and A's enjoyed a limited rivalry at the start of the twentieth century prior to the emergence of the Yankees when the Giants were in New York and the A's were in Philadelphia. The teams were managed by managing legends John McGraw
John McGraw
John McGraw may refer to:* John McGraw , , New York lumber tycoon, and one of the founding trustees of Cornell University* John McGraw , , Governor of Washington state from 1893–1897...
and Connie Mack
Connie Mack (baseball)
Cornelius McGillicuddy, Sr. , better known as Connie Mack, was an American professional baseball player, manager, and team owner. The longest-serving manager in Major League Baseball history, he holds records for wins , losses , and games managed , with his victory total being almost 1,000 more...
, who were friendly rivals and considered to be the premier managers during that era. Each team played in 5 of the first 15 World Series (tying them with the Red Sox and Cubs for most World Series appearances during that time period). As the New York Giants and the Philadelphia A's, they met in three World Series, with the Giants winning in , and the A's emerging victorious in and . After becoming the San Francisco Giants and Oakland A's, they met in a fourth world series in , the most recent championship for the A's.
Historical Rivalries
Though in different leagues, the Giants historically have had a rivalry with the Yankees, beginning as a regional rivalry before the Giants moved to the West CoastWest Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
. Before the institution of interleague play
Interleague play
Interleague play is the term used to describe regular season Major League Baseball games played between teams in different leagues, introduced in . Before the 1997 season, teams in the American League and National League did not meet during the regular season...
in 1997, the two teams would have little opportunity to play each other. However, they faced off in seven World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
, in , , , , , , and . The Yankees won five of these series. The teams have only met twice in the regular season with the first meeting occurring in 2002 at the old Yankee Stadium. The teams met again at AT&T Park
AT&T Park
AT&T Park is a ballpark located in the South Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Located at 24 Willie Mays Plaza, at the corner of Third and King Streets, it has served as the home of the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball since 2000....
in 2007.
In his farewell speech, Lou Gehrig
Lou Gehrig
Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig , nicknamed "The Iron Horse" for his durability, was an American Major League Baseball first baseman. He played his entire 17-year baseball career for the New York Yankees . Gehrig set several major league records. He holds the record for most career grand slams...
stated that the Giants were a team that "[he] would give his right arm to beat, and vice versa."
Baseball Hall of Famers
As of 2009, the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame has inducted 66 representatives of the Giants (55 players and 11 managers) into the Hall of Fame, more than any other team in the history of baseball. The Los Angeles DodgersLos Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
have the second most (45 players, 9 managers) and the Yankees with the third most (41 players, 11 managers).
Ford C. Frick Award recipients
Names in bold received the award based primarily on their work as Giants broadcasters.- Ernie HarwellErnie HarwellWilliam Earnest "Ernie" Harwell was an American sportscaster, known for his long career calling play-by-play of Major League Baseball games. For 55 years, 42 of them with the Detroit Tigers, Harwell called the action on radio and/or television...
- Russ HodgesRuss HodgesRussell Patrick Hodges was an American broadcaster who did play-by-play for several baseball teams, most notably the New York and San Francisco Giants.-Early career:...
- Lindsey NelsonLindsey NelsonLindsey Nelson was an American sportscaster best known for his broadcasts of college football and New York Mets baseball.-Early life and career:...
- Lon SimmonsLon SimmonsLon Simmons born on July 19, 1923, in Elko, Nevada, is an American baseball and football broadcaster, and is currently broadcasting part-time for the San Francisco Giants.-Career:...
- Jon MillerJon MillerJon Wallace Miller is an American sportscaster, known primarily for his broadcasts of Major League Baseball. He is currently employed as a play-by-play announcer for the San Francisco Giants. He was also a baseball announcer on ESPN until the network chose not to renew his contract following the...
Other
The following inducted members of the Hall of Fame played and/or managed for the Giants, but either played for the Giants and were inducted as a manager having never managed the Giants, or managed the Giants and were inducted as a player having never played for the Giants:- Cap AnsonCap AnsonAdrian Constantine Anson , nicknamed "Cap" and "Pop", was a National Association and Major League Baseball first baseman...
– inducted as player, managed Giants in 1898. - Hughie JenningsHughie JenningsHugh Ambrose Jennings was a Major League Baseball player and manager from 1891 to 1925. Jennings was a leader, both as a batter and as a shortstop, with the Baltimore Orioles teams that won National League championships in 1894, 1895, and 1896. During the three championship seasons, Jennings had...
– inducted as player, managed Giants from 1924 to 1925. - Bill McKechnieBill McKechnieWilliam Boyd McKechnie was an American third baseman, manager and coach in Major League Baseball. He was the first manager to win World Series titles with two different teams , and remains one of only two managers to win pennants with three teams, also capturing the National League title in 1928...
– inducted as manager, played for Giants in 1939. - Frank RobinsonFrank RobinsonFrank Robinson , is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He played from 1956–1976, most notably for the Cincinnati Reds and the Baltimore Orioles. He is the only player to win league MVP honors in both the National and American Leagues...
– inducted as player, managed Giants from 1981 to 1984. - Casey StengelCasey StengelCharles Dillon "Casey" Stengel , nicknamed "The Old Perfessor", was an American Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in ....
– inducted as manager, played for Giants from 1921 to 1923.
Broadcasters Russ Hodges
Russ Hodges
Russell Patrick Hodges was an American broadcaster who did play-by-play for several baseball teams, most notably the New York and San Francisco Giants.-Early career:...
, Lon Simmons
Lon Simmons
Lon Simmons born on July 19, 1923, in Elko, Nevada, is an American baseball and football broadcaster, and is currently broadcasting part-time for the San Francisco Giants.-Career:...
, and Jon Miller
Jon Miller
Jon Wallace Miller is an American sportscaster, known primarily for his broadcasts of Major League Baseball. He is currently employed as a play-by-play announcer for the San Francisco Giants. He was also a baseball announcer on ESPN until the network chose not to renew his contract following the...
are permanently honored in the Hall's "Scribes & Mikemen" exhibit as a result of winning the Ford C. Frick Award
Ford C. Frick Award
The Ford C. Frick Award is presented annually by the National Baseball Hall of Fame in the United States to a broadcaster for "major contributions to baseball." It is named for Ford Christopher Frick, former Commissioner of Major League Baseball...
in 1980, 2004, and 2010 respectively. As with all Frick Award winners, neither is officially recognized as an inducted member of the Hall of Fame.
San Francisco Giants Wall of Famers
| Felipe Alou | Gary Lavelle Gary Lavelle Gary Robert Lavelle is a retired professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1974–1985 and 1987.... |
Jim Barr Jim Barr James Leland Barr is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the San Francisco Giants and California Angels... |
Johnnie LeMaster Johnnie LeMaster Johnnie Lee LeMaster is a former Major League Baseball infielder. He played for 12 seasons for four teams, including 10 seasons for the San Francisco Giants. He batted and threw right-handed.... |
Willie Mays Willie 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... |
| Rod Beck Rod Beck Rodney Roy "Rod" Beck nicknamed "Shooter", was a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the San Francisco Giants , Chicago Cubs , Boston Red Sox and San Diego Padres... |
Jeffrey Leonard Jeffrey Leonard Jeffrey N. Leonard is a former left fielder in Major League Baseball with a 14-year career from to... |
Vida Blue Vida Blue Vida Rochelle Blue Jr. is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. During a 17-year career, he pitched for the Oakland Athletics , San Francisco Giants , and Kansas City Royals He won the American League Cy Young award and Most Valuable Player Award in 1971... |
Kirt Manwaring Kirt Manwaring Kirt Dean Manwaring , is a former Major League baseball catcher. He played thirteen seasons in the major leagues, from 1987 until 1999.... |
Willie McCovey Willie McCovey Willie Lee McCovey , nicknamed "Mac", "Big Mac", and "Stretch", is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. He played nineteen seasons for the San Francisco Giants, and three more for the San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics, between and... |
| Bobby Bolin Bobby Bolin Bobby Donald Bolin is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He was signed by the New York Giants on November 10, 1956 at the age of 17, and played for the San Francisco Giants , Milwaukee Brewers and Boston Red Sox .He began and ended his 13-year career as a relief pitcher,... |
Juan Marichal Juan Marichal Juan Antonio Marichal Sánchez is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. Playing for the San Francisco Giants most of his career, Marichal was known for his high leg kick, pinpoint control and intimidation tactics, which included aiming pitches directly at the opposing batters'... |
Jeff Brantley | Barry Bonds Barry Bonds Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds... |
Jack Clark Jack Clark (baseball) Jack Anthony Clark , also known as "Jack the Ripper," is a former Major League Baseball player. From 1975 through 1992, Clark played for the San Francisco Giants , St. Louis Cardinals , New York Yankees , San Diego Padres and Boston Red Sox... |
| Mike McCormick Mike McCormick (pitcher) Michael Francis McCormick is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the New York Giants from 1956 to 1958, then the San Francisco Giants from 1958 to 1970... |
Bob Brenly Bob Brenly Robert Earl Brenly is an American former professional baseball player, coach and manager in Major League Baseball. He played the majority of his career as a catcher with the San Francisco Giants and played half a season for the Toronto Blue Jays... |
John Burkett John Burkett John David Burkett is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He compiled 166 wins, 1,766 strikeouts, and a 4.31 earned run average. He pitched from 1987–2003, with the San Francisco Giants, Florida Marlins, Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox. His best season came in 1993 when he... |
Stu Miller Stu Miller Stuart Leonard Miller , is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the St. Louis Cardinals , Philadelphia Phillies , New York & San Francisco Giants , Baltimore Orioles and Atlanta Braves... |
Bobby Bonds Bobby Bonds Bobby Lee Bonds was an American right fielder in Major League Baseball from to , primarily with the San Francisco Giants... |
| Orlando Cepeda Orlando Cepeda Orlando Manuel Cepeda Pennes is a former Puerto Rican Major League Baseball first baseman.Cepeda was born to a poor family. His father, Pedro Cepeda, was a baseball player in Puerto Rico, which influenced his interest in the sport from a young age. His first contact with professional baseball was... |
Greg Minton Greg Minton Gregory Brian Minton is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher who played for the California Angels and San Francisco Giants.... |
Kevin Mitchell | Will Clark Will Clark William Nuschler Clark, Jr. is a former first baseman in Major League Baseball best known for his years with the San Francisco Giants from to .Will was known by the nickname of "Will the Thrill"... |
Mike Krukow Mike Krukow Michael Edward "Mike" Krukow is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. He is currently a television color commentator for the San Francisco Giants.-Early life:... |
| Randy Moffitt Randy Moffitt Randall James Moffitt is a former American baseball pitcher for the San Francisco Giants, Houston Astros and Toronto Blue Jays. Born in Long Beach, California, he is the younger brother of tennis star Billie Jean Moffitt King.... |
Jim Davenport Jim Davenport James Houston Davenport is a former Major League Baseball infielder who played his entire career with the San Francisco Giants . The right-handed batter and thrower attended The University of Southern Mississippi.He played in one World Series in 1962, as the Giants lost to the New York Yankees... |
John Montefusco John Montefusco John Joseph Montefusco Jr. is a former Major League Baseball pitcher from 1974 to 1986 for the San Francisco Giants, Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, and New York Yankees. Named the National League Rookie of the Year in 1975, Montefusco's nickname was "The Count", a pun on his last name which... |
Chili Davis Chili Davis Charles Theodore "Chili" Davis is the hitting coach for the Oakland Athletics. Davis is a former outfielder/designated hitter who played in Major League Baseball with the San Francisco Giants , California Angels , Minnesota Twins , Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees... |
Matt Williams |
| Robb Nen Robb Nen Robert Allen Nen is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. He spent most of his career as a closer. He is the son of former major league first baseman Dick Nen. He currently works in the Giants' front office as a special assistant to General Manager Brian Sabean.Nen is best... |
Dick Dietz Dick Dietz Richard Allen Dietz was an American catcher in Major League Baseball who played for the San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Atlanta Braves from 1966 to 1973. Born in Crawfordsville, Indiana, Dietz enjoyed his best season in 1970 with the Giants, when he batted .300 with 22 home runs and... |
Gaylord Perry Gaylord Perry Gaylord 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... |
Darrell Evans Darrell Evans Darrell Wayne Evans is a former third baseman and first baseman in Major League Baseball who played from 1969 to 1989 with the Atlanta Braves , San Francisco Giants and Detroit Tigers . He is also the former manager and director of player personnel for the Victoria Seals of the Golden Baseball... |
Jim Ray Hart Jim Ray Hart James Ray Hart , is a retired third baseman in Major League Baseball. He played for the National League's San Francisco Giants from 1963 to 1973 and the American League's New York Yankees in 1973 and 1974. Hart batted and threw right-handed... |
| Rick Reuschel Rick Reuschel Rickey Eugene Reuschel is a former professional baseball pitcher from the early 1970s into the early 1990s. His nickname was "Big Daddy" because of his portly physique... |
Tito Fuentes Tito Fuentes Rigoberto "Tito" Fuentes Peat is a retired second baseman who played for 13 seasons in the Major Leagues between 1965 and 1978... |
Kirk Rueter Kirk Rueter Kirk Wesley Rueter is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball, and is the winningest left-hander in San Francisco Giants history. Rueter played for the Montreal Expos and the Giants and made most of his career appearances as a starter. Rueter attended and played for Murray State... |
Scott Garrelts Scott Garrelts Scott William Garrelts , is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the San Francisco Giants from 1982 to 1991... |
Robby Thompson Robby Thompson Robert Randall "Robby" Thompson is an American professional baseball coach and former college and professional player. He played his entire career in Major League Baseball as the second baseman for the San Francisco Giants from to . Thompson is the current bench coach for the Seattle Mariners... |
| J.T. Snow | Tom Haller Tom Haller Thomas Frank Haller was an American professional baseball player and baseball executive. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball with the San Francisco Giants , Los Angeles Dodgers and Detroit Tigers... |
Chris Speier Chris Speier Christopher Edward Speier is a former Major League Baseball player and current bench coach for the Cincinnati Reds. He was drafted second overall in the January secondary 1970 Major League Baseball Draft.-Playing career:... |
Atlee Hammaker Atlee Hammaker Charlton Atlee Hammaker is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher who played the majority of his career for the San Francisco Giants from 1982 to 1990. He also played for the Kansas City Royals, San Diego Padres, and Chicago White Sox... |
Jeff Kent Jeff Kent Jeffrey Franklin Kent is a retired Major League Baseball second baseman. Kent won the National League Most Valuable Player award in 2000 with the San Francisco Giants, and is the all-time leader in home runs among second basemen... |
| Rich Aurilia Rich Aurilia Richard Santo Aurilia is a former Major League Baseball player, mainly as a shortstop. He bats and throws right-handed.The 24th round pick of the Texas Rangers in the 1992 Major League Baseball Draft, Aurilia worked in the Rangers minor league system before being traded with first baseman Desi... |
Shawn Estes Shawn Estes Aaron Shawn Estes is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. After he attended Douglas High School in Minden, Nevada, he was offered a scholarship by Stanford University... |
Marvin Benard Marvin Benard Marvin Larry Benard [buh-NARD] is a former Major League Baseball outfielder who batted and threw left-handed.... |
Jason Schmidt Jason Schmidt Jason David Schmidt , is a former American Major League Baseball pitcher.Schmidt was born in Lewiston, Idaho. In his career he has played for the Los Angeles Dodgers , San Francisco Giants , Pittsburgh Pirates and Atlanta Braves , by whom he had been drafted in the eighth round, 206th overall, of... |
Retired numbers
 Bill Terry William Harold Terry was a Major League Baseball first baseman and manager. Considered one of the greatest players of all time, Terry was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1954. In 1999, he ranked number 59 on The Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was a nominee... 1B, 1923–36 Manager, 1932–41 |
 Mel Ott Melvin Thomas Ott , nicknamed "Master Melvin", was a Major League Baseball right fielder. He played his entire career for the New York Giants . Ott was born in Gretna, Louisiana. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed... RF, 1926–47 Manager, 1942–48 |
 Carl Hubbell Carl Owen Hubbell was an American baseball player. He was a member of the New York Giants in the National League from 1928 to 1943, and remained on the Giants' payroll for the rest of his life, long after their move to San Francisco.Twice voted the National League's Most Valuable Player, Hubbell... P, 1928–43 |
Monte Irvin Monte Irvin Monford Merrill "Monte" Irvin is a former left fielder and right-handed batter in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball who played with the Newark Eagles , New York Giants and Chicago Cubs .-Biography:Although born in Haleburg, Alabama, Irvin grew up in Orange, New Jersey, one of five... LF, 1949–55 |
 Willie 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... CF, 1951–72 |
 Juan Marichal Juan Antonio Marichal Sánchez is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. Playing for the San Francisco Giants most of his career, Marichal was known for his high leg kick, pinpoint control and intimidation tactics, which included aiming pitches directly at the opposing batters'... P, 1960–73 |
 Orlando Cepeda Orlando Manuel Cepeda Pennes is a former Puerto Rican Major League Baseball first baseman.Cepeda was born to a poor family. His father, Pedro Cepeda, was a baseball player in Puerto Rico, which influenced his interest in the sport from a young age. His first contact with professional baseball was... 1B-OF, 1958–66 |
 Gaylord Perry Gaylord 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... P, 1962–71 |
 Willie McCovey Willie Lee McCovey , nicknamed "Mac", "Big Mac", and "Stretch", is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. He played nineteen seasons for the San Francisco Giants, and three more for the San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics, between and... 1B–OF, 1959–73 1977–81 |
 Jackie Robinson Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson was the first black Major League Baseball player of the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947... * MLB |
In 1944, Hubbell became the first National Leaguer to have his number retired by his team.
Terry, Ott and Hubbell played/managed their entire careers for the New York Giants. Mays began his career in New York, moving with the Giants to San Francisco in 1958; he did not play in 1953 due to his service in the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
.
Although not officially retired, the team has not reissued number 25 since Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds
Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...
left the team following the 2007 season.
Also honored
John McGraw (3B, 1902–06; Manager, 1902–32) and Christy MathewsonChristy Mathewson
Christopher "Christy" Mathewson , nicknamed "Big Six", "The Christian Gentleman", or "Matty", was an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played his entire career in what is known as the dead-ball era...
(P, 1900–16), who were members of the New York Giants before the introduction of uniform numbers, have the letters "NY" displayed in place of a number.
Broadcasters Lon Simmons
Lon Simmons
Lon Simmons born on July 19, 1923, in Elko, Nevada, is an American baseball and football broadcaster, and is currently broadcasting part-time for the San Francisco Giants.-Career:...
(1958–73, 1976–78, 1996–2002, 2006), Russ Hodges
Russ Hodges
Russell Patrick Hodges was an American broadcaster who did play-by-play for several baseball teams, most notably the New York and San Francisco Giants.-Early career:...
(1949–70), and Jon Miller
Jon Miller
Jon Wallace Miller is an American sportscaster, known primarily for his broadcasts of Major League Baseball. He is currently employed as a play-by-play announcer for the San Francisco Giants. He was also a baseball announcer on ESPN until the network chose not to renew his contract following the...
(1997–current) are each represented by an old-style radio microphone displayed in place of a number.
The Giants present the Willie Mac Award
Willie Mac Award
The Willie Mac Award is named in honor of Willie McCovey. It has been presented annually since 1980. It is awarded to the player on the San Francisco Giants who best exemplifies the spirit and leadership consistently shown by McCovey throughout his long career, voted upon by the players and...
annually to the player that best exemplifies the spirit and leadership shown by Willie McCovey
Willie McCovey
Willie Lee McCovey , nicknamed "Mac", "Big Mac", and "Stretch", is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. He played nineteen seasons for the San Francisco Giants, and three more for the San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics, between and...
throughout his career.
Season records
All-time record: 10,595--9,111 (.538) (most wins in MLB history)Minor league affiliations
| Level | Team | League | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| AAA | Fresno Grizzlies Fresno Grizzlies The Fresno Grizzlies are a minor league baseball team based in Fresno, California. The team, which plays in the Pacific Coast League , is the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants major league club. The Grizzlies play in Chukchansi Park , located in downtown Fresno and built in 2002... |
Pacific Coast League Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The... |
Fresno, California Fresno, California Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation... |
| AA | Richmond Flying Squirrels Richmond Flying Squirrels The Richmond Flying Squirrels are a minor league baseball team in Richmond, Virginia. The team, which is a part of the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants major league club, and plays at The Diamond... |
Eastern League Eastern League (U.S. baseball) The Eastern League is a minor league baseball league which operates primarily in the northeastern United States, although it has had a team in Ohio since 1989. The Eastern League has played at the AA level since 1963. The league was founded in 1923 as the New York-Pennsylvania League... |
Richmond, Virginia Richmond, Virginia Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area... |
| Advanced A | San Jose Giants San Jose Giants The San Jose Giants are a minor league baseball team in San Jose, California, USA. They are a Class A - Advanced team in the Northern Division of the California League, and have been a farm team of the San Francisco Giants since 1988. Home games are played at San Jose Municipal Stadium... |
California League California League The California League is a Class A Advanced minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High-A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth... |
San Jose, California San Jose, California San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay... |
| A | Augusta GreenJackets Augusta GreenJackets The Augusta GreenJackets are a minor league baseball team that plays in Augusta, Georgia, as a Class A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Lake Olmstead Stadium has been the home of the GreenJackets since the 1995 season, although Augusta has fielded a team in the South Atlantic League since 1988... |
South Atlantic League South Atlantic League The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States... |
Augusta, Georgia Augusta, Georgia Augusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County... |
| Short Season A | Salem-Keizer Volcanoes Salem-Keizer Volcanoes The Salem-Keizer Volcanoes are a minor league baseball team in Keizer, Oregon, United States. They are a Short-Season Class A team in the Northwest League, and have been an affiliate of the San Francisco Giants since the Volcanoes' inception in 1997... |
Northwest League Northwest League The Northwest League of Professional Baseball is a Class A-Short Season minor baseball league. The league is the descendant of the Western International League which ran as a class B league from 1937-1951 and class A from 1952-1954... |
Keizer, Oregon Keizer, Oregon Keizer is a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States, along the 45th parallel. It was named for Thomas Dove and John Brooks Keizer, two pioneers who arrived in the Wagon Train of 1843, and later filed donation land claims. The population was 36,278 at the 2010 census... |
| Rookie | AZL Giants | Arizona League Arizona League The Arizona League is a minor league baseball league that operates in and around Phoenix, Arizona. It is a rookie-level professional baseball league run by Major League Baseball since 1989. Games are played at the spring training complexes of the team's parent organizations from mid-June until the... |
Scottsdale, Arizona Scottsdale, Arizona Scottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2010 the population of the city was 217,385... |
| DSL Giants | Dominican Summer League Dominican Summer League The Dominican Summer League is a branch of affiliated minor league baseball which is played in the Dominican Republic. The league was founded in 1985. The 2011 72-game season begins May 28 and ends August 20... |
Boca Chica Boca Chica Boca Chica is a municipality of the Santo Domingo province in the Dominican Republic. Within the municipality there is one municipal district : La Caleta.... , Dominican Republic Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries... |
Radio and television
The Giants' flagship radio station is KNBRKNBR
KNBR, The Sports Leader, is the on-air branding used by two AM radio stations in the San Francisco, California, area broadcasting a sports radio format, owned by Cumulus Media....
, 680 AM, which refers to itself as "The Sports Leader". Jon Miller
Jon Miller
Jon Wallace Miller is an American sportscaster, known primarily for his broadcasts of Major League Baseball. He is currently employed as a play-by-play announcer for the San Francisco Giants. He was also a baseball announcer on ESPN until the network chose not to renew his contract following the...
and Dave Flemming
Dave Flemming
David Braxton "Dave" Flemming is an American sportscaster and television personality, currently working as a play-by-play announcer for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball as well as the Stanford Cardinal football and basketball teams.Flemming grew up in Alexandria, Virginia,...
are the regular play-by-play announcers. When games are televised on KNTV
KNTV
KNTV, channel 11, is the NBC owned-and-operated television station in the Bay Area market. It is licensed to San Jose, with its transmitter located on San Bruno Mountain, just south of San Francisco. It shares facilities in San Jose with NBC Universal sister station KSTS and CNBC's Silicon...
, Duane Kuiper replaces Miller on the radio, and Miller goes to television.
Giants' telecasts are split between KNTV
KNTV
KNTV, channel 11, is the NBC owned-and-operated television station in the Bay Area market. It is licensed to San Jose, with its transmitter located on San Bruno Mountain, just south of San Francisco. It shares facilities in San Jose with NBC Universal sister station KSTS and CNBC's Silicon...
(over-the-air) and Comcast SportsNet Bay Area (cable). Miller regularly calls the action on KNTV, while the announcing team for CSN
CSN Bay Area
Comcast SportsNet Bay Area is a regional sports network that serves cable outlets throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as other parts of Northern California, Central California, Southern Oregon, and Nevada.-History:...
telecasts is Mike Krukow
Mike Krukow
Michael Edward "Mike" Krukow is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. He is currently a television color commentator for the San Francisco Giants.-Early life:...
and Duane Kuiper
Duane Kuiper
Duane Eugene Kuiper is a former Major League Baseball second baseman, and is currently a five-time Emmy award-winning radio and television sportscaster for the San Francisco Giants...
, affectionately known as "Kruk and Kuip" . KNTV's
KNTV
KNTV, channel 11, is the NBC owned-and-operated television station in the Bay Area market. It is licensed to San Jose, with its transmitter located on San Bruno Mountain, just south of San Francisco. It shares facilities in San Jose with NBC Universal sister station KSTS and CNBC's Silicon...
broadcast contract with the Giants began in 2008, one year after the team and KTVU
KTVU
KTVU, virtual channel 2 , is the Fox-affiliated television station serving the San Francisco Bay Area. Licensed to Oakland, California, the station has been owned by Atlanta-based Cox Enterprises since 1964, making it the largest Fox affiliate by market size that is not owned and operated by the...
mostly ended a relationship that dated to 1958, the team's first year in the Bay Area. (As a FOX affiliate, KTVU continues to air Giants games that are part of the Major League Baseball on Fox package; Several Giants games a year are also part of the ESPN and TBS
TBS (TV channel)
TBS , stylized in the logo as tbs, is an American cable television channel owned by Time Warner that shows a variety of programming, with a focus on comedy. TBS was originally known as WTCG, a UHF terrestrial television station that broadcast from Atlanta, Georgia, during the late 1970s...
packages.).
During a July 23–25, 2010 road game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
, Fresno Grizzlies broadcaster Doug Greenwald filled in so that Jon Miller could travel to Cooperstown
Cooperstown, New York
Cooperstown is a village in Otsego County, New York, USA. It is located in the Town of Otsego. The population was estimated to be 1,852 at the 2010 census.The Village of Cooperstown is the county seat of Otsego County, New York...
to be honored with the Ford C. Frick Award. Snow sat in so that Dave Flemming could also attend the award presentation. On September 4, 2010, Miller made his first appearance with CSN Bay Area.
Home run call glitch
On May 28, 2006, Flemming called the 715th career home run of Barry Bonds, putting Bonds second on the all-time home run list. Unfortunately, the power from his microphoneMicrophone
A microphone is an acoustic-to-electric transducer or sensor that converts sound into an electrical signal. In 1877, Emile Berliner invented the first microphone used as a telephone voice transmitter...
to the transmitter
Transmitter
In electronics and telecommunications a transmitter or radio transmitter is an electronic device which, with the aid of an antenna, produces radio waves. The transmitter itself generates a radio frequency alternating current, which is applied to the antenna. When excited by this alternating...
cut off while the ball was in flight, so the radio audience heard only crowd noise. Papa took over the broadcast and apologized to listeners. Kuiper's TV call was submitted to the Baseball Hall of Fame as an artifact, instead of the usual radio call.
See also
- Giants statistical records and milestone achievements
- List of San Francisco Giants broadcasters
- San Francisco Giants general managers and managers
- Yomiuri GiantsYomiuri GiantsThe are a professional baseball team based in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan. The team competes in the Central League in Nippon Professional Baseball, the top level of professional play in Japan. They play their home games in the Tokyo Dome, opened in 1988. The English-language press occasionally calls the...
, a Japanese baseball teamBaseball in JapanBaseball is one of the most popular sports in Japan. It was introduced to Japan in 1872 by Horace Wilson, who taught at the Kaisei School in Tokyo. The first baseball team was called the Shimbashi Athletic Club and was established in 1878. Baseball has been a popular sport ever since...
whose uniforms and logos resemble the San Francisco team's - New York GiantsNew York GiantsThe New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
(football team that was named after the Giants when both teams played at the Polo Grounds in New York) - 2010 San Francisco Giants season2010 San Francisco Giants seasonThe San Francisco Giants are an American Major League Baseball team. Their 2010 season marked their 128th year in Major League Baseball, and their fifty-third year in San Francisco since their move from New York following the 1957 season...
- Francisco GrandeFrancisco GrandeFrancisco Grande is a hotel and golf resort is located in Casa Grande, Arizona approximately 46 miles south east of Phoenix.- History :In 1959 the San Francisco Giants' owner Horace Stoneham developed the property as a spring training camp for his popular Major League Baseball team...
(The Giants' spring training camp from 1959 to 1982) - The FanThe Fan (1996 film)The Fan is a 1996 American thriller film starring Robert De Niro and Wesley Snipes. It was directed by Tony Scott and based on the novel of the same name by Peter Abrahams...
, a film starring Robert De NiroRobert De NiroRobert De Niro, Jr. is an American actor, director and producer. His first major film roles were in Bang the Drum Slowly and Mean Streets, both in 1973...
and Wesley SnipesWesley SnipesWesley Trent Snipes is an American actor, film producer, and martial artist, who has starred in numerous action films, thrillers, and dramatic feature films. Snipes is known for playing the Marvel Comics character Blade in the Blade film trilogy, among various other high profile roles...
that centers on the Giants.
External links
- Official Website
- Baseball Reference
- The Franchise (TV series)The Franchise (TV series)The Franchise: A Season With The San Francisco Giants is a new television show that debuted on July 13, 2011, on the Showtime television television network. This new documentary-type series follows the 2010 World Series champions as they defend their title in the 2011 Major League Baseball season...