· They were founded in 1883 as the New York Gothams but were renamed three years later to the Giants.
· The team moved from New York to San Francisco in 1958.
· They play their games at Oracle Park in the south beach neighborhood of San Francisco, California.
· The have made the postseason twenty nine times with eight division titles, three wild card berths and 23 NL pennants.
· They won the World Series eight times in 1905, 1921, 1922, 1933, 1954, 2010, 2012, & 2014.
Batting Lineup:
1. SS George Davis
2. 3B Darrell Evans
3. CF Willie Mays
4. RF Barry Bonds
5. LF Willie McCovey
6. DH Johnny Mize
7. 1B Orlando Cepeda
8. 2B Jeff Kent
9. C Buck Ewing
Starting Rotation:
4. Carl Hubbell
5. Jim Barr
Bullpen:
1. Closer: Hoyt Wilhelm
2. Rod Beck
3. Brian Wilson
4. Robb Nen
5. Gary Lavelle
Bench:
OF-Mel Ott
OF-Bobby Bonds
INF-Frankie Frisch
INF-Alvin Dark
Coaching Staff:
Manager- John McGraw
Manager- John McGraw
John McGraw managed the Giants for thirty one seasons where he finished with the most wins with 2583. He also won three NL Pennants and three World Series Championships in 1905, 1921 and 1920. He still has the most wins in NL history and is second all-time in wins behind Connie Mack who was in the AL.
Bench Coach-Bruce Bochy
Bruce Bochy managed the Giants for thirteen seasons where he finished with the second most wins with 1052. He guided them to seven winning seasons, four playoff appearances, three NL Pennants and three World Series Championships in 2010, 2012, and 2014.
1B Coach-Dusty Baker
Dusty Baker managed the Giants for ten seasons where he finished with the third most wins with 840. He won two divisional titles, made a wild card appearance, won one NL Pennant and won manager of the year three times there.
3B Coach-Bill Terry
Bill Terry managed the Giants for ten seasons where he finished with the fourth most wins with 823 and was the manager after McGraw. He was a player-manager to start his managing career and guided his team to two NL Pennants, one World Series Championship in 1993 and was also the general manager of another NL Pennant team. He made the Hall of Fame for his time as the Giants first basemen and they retired his number three
Hitting Coach-Leo Durocher
Leo Durocher managed the Giants for eight seasons where he finished with the fifth most wins with 637. He won two NL Pennant teams and a World Series Championship in 1954.
Pitching Coach-Roger Craig
Roger Craig managed the Giants for eight seasons where he finished with the sixth most wins with 586. He won two won division titles, their first NL Pennant since 1962, managed them to the first ever Bay area World Series the one that was interrupted by the earthquake and the Giants they never had a losing season under him.
Bullpen Coach-Jim Mutrie
Jim Mutrie managed the Giants for seven seasons where he finished with the seventh most wins with 529. He guided the Giants to their first two World Series in 1888 & 1889 and NL Pennants. His career winning percentage of .611 was a 19th-century record, and remains the second highest by any major league manager with at least 500 wins, trailing only Joe McCarthy‘s mark of .615. He is credited in giving the team their new name, “Giants”.
There have been fifty five Hall of Fame players and eleven managers who ho have played for them at different points in their respective careers. They have eleven numbers and two sets of initials retired.
Willie Mays spent twenty one seasons in centerfield for the Giants as their greatest player/greatest outfielder/longest tenured outfielder where he put numbers that speak for themselves that got him elected into the Hall of Fame in 1979 and they retired his number 24. He won all twelve of his gold gloves, made twenty three of twenty four All-Star appearances, won a NL batting title once, won two NL MVP awards, won NL rookie of the year, led the NL in home runs four times, led the NL in stolen bases four times, won the Roberto Clemente Award, and was on the 1954 World Series Championship team while there. He also finished as the franchise leader in many offensive categories in Giants history like having the most at bats, plate appearances, games played, runs scored, hits, total bases, doubles, home runs, singles, extra base hits, highest offensive WAR and the highest WAR for position players.
Willie McCovey spent eighteen seasons in the outfield and first base for the Giants as their second greatest player where he put up numbers that speak for themselves that got him elected into the Hall of Fame in 1986 and they retired his number 44. In the inlet of San Francisco Bay beyond the right field fence of Oracle Park, historically known as China Basin, has been re-dubbed McCovey Cove in his honor. A statue of McCovey was erected across McCovey Cove from the park, and the land on which it stands named McCovey Point. He made all of six of his All-Star appearances led the NL in home runs three times, led the NL in RBIs two times, won NL Rookie of the Year and won NL MVP while there. He also finished in the top 10 for many offensive categories in Giants history like having the third most at bats, plate appearances, games played, the fourth most hits, walks, homeruns, total bases, extra base hits, RBIs, fourth highest offensive WAR and the fourth highest WAR for position players to name some.
Barry Bonds spent fourteen seasons for the Giants as their longest tenured/greatest left fielder where he put numbers that speak for themselves and they retired his number 25. He made twelve of his fourteen All Star appearances, won five of his seven NL MVPs, won five of his eight gold gloves, won nine of his twelve silver sluggers, won all three of his NL Hank Aaron award, won both of his NL batting titles, led the NL in home runs twice and led the NL in RBIs once while there. He finished in the top 10 for many offensive categories in Giants history like having the highest on base percentage, highest slugging percentage, the most walks, second most home runs, second highest offensive WAR and the second highest WAR for position players to name some.
Johnny Mize spent five seasons for the Giants where three years got interrupted by World War II but put up numbers that speak for themselves that got him elected into the Hall of Fame in 1981. He made five of his ten All-Star appearances, led the NL in home runs twice, led the NL in RBIs twice, led the NL in runs once while there and became the only player to strikeout fewer than fifty times but hit 50 home runs in a season (he hit 51). He hit 17 home runs in 51 games and batted over .475 while manning first base for the Great Lakes Naval Station baseball team for service members and new personnel in training and could have won another home run title but a broken toe causes him to fall one short of the lead. He also has third highest slugging percentage and has the ninth highest on base percentage in Giants history.
Orlando Cepeda spent eight seasons at first base for the Giants where he put numbers that speak for themselves that got him elected into the Hall of Fame in 1999. He made ten of his eleven All Star appearances, won the NL rookie of the year, led the NL in home runs once and led the NL in RBIs once while there. He also finished in the top 10 for many offensive categories in Giants history like having the fifth highest slugging percentage, the sixth most home runs and tenth most RBIs to name some.
Buck Ewing spent eight seasons behind the plate for the Giants(Gothams too) as their greatest catcher where he put numbers that speak for themselves that got him elected into the Hall of Fame in 1939. He was the first 19th-century catcher elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame and was named one of the top five 19th-century players in a 1999 poll by the Society for American Baseball Research. He led the league in triples many times, led the NL in home runs once and finished with 354 career steals while there. He also finished with the sixth most triples in Giants history and managed them for one season.
George Davis spent nine seasons for the Giants as their greatest shortstop where he put numbers that speak for themselves that got him elected into the Hall of Fame in 1998. He led the league in double plays, fielding percentage four times each, led the NL in RBIs once, had batting average of more than .300 for nine consecutive seasons, was among the league leaders in doubles, triples, RBI, and stolen bases while there. He also finished in the top 10 for many offensive categories in Giants history like having the second most stolen bases, the third highest batting average, sixth highest batting average and seventh highest WAR for position players to name some.
Christy Mathewson pitched sixteen years for the Giants as their greatest pitcher where he put numbers that speak for themselves that got him elected into the Hall of Fame in 1936 and they retired his name. He was on the 1905 World Series winning team, led the NL in wins four times, led the NL in ERA five times, led the NL in strikeouts five times, won the pitching triple crown twice, pitched two no hitters while there. He also finished as the franchise leader for many pitching categories in Giants history like having the most wins, strikeouts, innings pitched, games started, complete games, shutouts, lowest ERA and the highest WAR for pitchers.
Juan Marichal pitched thirteen years for the Giants where he put numbers that speak for themselves that got him elected into the Hall of Fame in 1983 and they retired his number 27. He made all of his ten All Star appearances, led the NL in wins once, led the league in the fewest walks per nine innings four times, led the majors in ERA once, won 20 or more games in most seasons, never posted an ERA higher than 2.76, and his 2,303 strikeouts with only 709 walks for a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 3.25 to 1 ranks among the top 20 pitchers of all time for retired pitchersand pitched a no hitter while there. He also finished in the top 10 for many pitching categories in Giants history like have the second most strikeouts, shutouts, games started, third most wins and the fourth highest WAR for pitchers to name some. He also is famous for his fight with Johnny Rosbero.
Gaylord Perry pitched nine seasons for the Giants where he put numbers that speak for themselves that got him elected into the Hall of Fame in 1991 and they retired his numbers 36. He made two of his five All Star appearances, led the majors in wins once, was on the 1962 NL Pennant team and pitched a no hitter while there. He also finished with the seventh highest WAR for pitchers, eight most innings pitched, strikeouts and the tenth most games started in Giants history.
Carl Hubbell pitched fifteen years for the Giants where he put up numbers that speak for themselves that got him elected into the Hall of Fame in 1947 and they retired his number 11. He made nine all of his All Star appearances, won the NL MVP twice, led the NL in wins three times, led the majors in ERA three times, led the NL in strikeouts once, set the major league record for consecutive wins by a pitcher with 24, pitched a no hitter and was on the 1933 NL Pennant and World Series Championship team. He also finished in the top 10 for many pitching categories in Giants history like having the second most wins, innings pitched, second highest WAR for pitchers, third most shutouts and games started to name some.
Mel Ott spent twenty one seasons for the Giants as their longest tenured/greatest right fielder where he put up numbers that speak for themselves that got him voted into the Hall of Fame in 1951 and they retired his number 4. He led the NL in home runs six times, led the NL in walks six times, youngest ever to ever hit for the cycle, first NL player to have eight consecutive 100 RBI seasons, led the NL in RBIs once, made all twelve of his All-Star appearances, he was both the youngest player to hit 100 home runs, the first National Leaguer to hit 500 home runs, won three NL Pennants and was on 1933 World Series Championship team while there. He also finished in the top 10 for many offensive categories in Giants history like having the most RBIs, second highest on base percentage, second most games played, at bats, runs scored, plate appearances, hits, total bases, doubles, walks, singles and extra base hits to name some. He managed them for eight seasons as well.
Frankie Frisch spent seven years for the Giants where he put numbers that speak for themselves that got him elected into the Hall of Fame in 1947. He led the NL in steals once, led the NL in hits once, led the NL in runs once, batted over .300 in his last six seasons, was on four NL Pennant winners and was on two World Series Championship teams in 1921 & 1922 while there. He also finished with the fifth highest batting average and the fifth highest defensive WAR in Giants history.
Hoyt Wilhelm was the Giants closer for five seasons where he put numbers that speak for themselves that got him elected into the Hall of Fame in 1985. He made one of his eight All-Star appearances, led the NL in ERA once, was on the 1954 NL Pennant and World Series Championship team while there. He also won 124 games in relief, which is still the major league record, was the first pitcher to reach 200 saves, and the first to appear in 1,000 games.
Jeff Kent spent six seasons for the Giants as their greatest second basemen where he put numbers will eventually get him elected to the Hall of Fame. He made three of his five All Star appearances, won three of his four silver sluggers, hit for the cycle, was on the 2002 NL Pennant team and won the 200 NL MVP. He is the all-time leader in home runs as a second baseman, in nine straight seasons hit no less than 22 home runs and drove in no less than 93 runs and is the only second baseman to have 100 or more RBIs in 6 consecutive seasons. He finished with the seventh highest slugging percentage and the tenth most home runs in Giants history.
Darrell Evans spent eight seasons for the Giants as their greatest third basemen where he made one of his two All-Star appearances and won the Willie Mac award for his spirit and leadership. He also has been described by author Bill James as “the most underrated player in baseball history, absolutely number one on the list”. In The Bill James Handbook 2019, James also rated Evans No. 7 on his list of “The 25 Best Players Who Are Not in the Hall of Fame. He finished with the seventh most walks in Giants history.
Jim Barr pitched ten seasons for the Giants where in 1972 he set the record for consecutive batters retire and he went on to win at least ten games for the Giants in five straight seasons, from 1973 to 1977. He also led the league in 1974 with 1.76 BB/9IPand is on the Giants Wall of Fame.
Bobby Bonds spent seven seasons for the Giants in right field where he made two of his three All Star appearances, led the NL in runs once, won all three of his gold gloves, hit 39 home runs and had 43 stolen bases in 1973 the highest level of home runs and stolen bases (39+ of each) until Jose Canseco passed it, was on the 1971 NL West division title team and he was also named the NL Player of the Year by The Sporting News in 1973. He finished with eight most home runs and is tied with son for ninth most stolen bases in Giants history. Other notable outfielders in Giants history have been Garry Matthews, Jack Clark, Jo-Jo Moore, Jeffrey Leonard, Kevin Mitchell, Marquis Grissom, Angel Pagan, Garry Maddux, Don Mueller, Felipe Alou, Randy Winn, Hunter Pence who is active and Hall of Famer Ross Youngs.
There is a Hall of Fame shortstop controversy for the Giants with Dave Bancroft who is like Travis Jackson and their teammates Ross Youngs, George Kelly, Rube Marquard, and Freddie Lindstrom that got voted in through nepotism. Other players who also played for the Cardinals got in because of Bill Terry and Frankie Frisch being on the committee after they had been voted into the Hall of Fame when their careers ended but it was Frisch who was the chairmen who had the most influence. These players has been considered among the weakest of all inductees and according to the BBWAA, the Veterans Committee was not selective enough in choosing members. Charges of cronyism were levied against the Veterans Committee most notably by Bill James. This led to the Veterans Committee having its powers reduced in subsequent years.
Alvin Dark spent six seasons for the Giants as their second greatest shortstop where he made all three of his All-Star appearances, led the NL in doubles once, was their team captain and was two NL Pennant teams, was on the 1954 World Series Championship team. He also managed the Giants for four seasons and his career numbers are interestingly similar to Jackson who is in the Hall of Fame via the veterans committee. Other notable infielders in Giants history have been Chris Speier, Rich Aurilia, Pedro Feliz, Matt Williams, Will Clark, JT Snow, Ray Durham, Bobby Thomson, Art Fletcher, Dick Bartell, Omar Vizquel, Larry Doyle, Jim Davenport, Bill Mueller, Juan Uribe, current players Brandon Belt, Pablo Sandoval, Brandon Crawford, Hall of Famers George Kelly, Travis Jackson, Freddie Lindstrom, Dave Bancroft and Roger Connor.
Harry Danning spent ten seasons for the Giants as their second greatest catcher where he made all of his four All Star appearances, led all National League catchers with in fielding average once, hit for the cycle once, was depicted on a Wheaties box as “the year’s best catcher was on three NL Pennant teams and the 1933 World Series Championship team while there. He also has the tenth most hits for a Jewish player. Other notable catchers in Giants history have been Wes Westrum, Tom Haller, Benito Santiago, Bengie Molina, their current catcher Buster Posey
Rod Beck was the Giants closer for seven seasons where he made all three of his All-Star appearances, won NL reliever of the year once and was on the 1997 NL division winning team while there. He also finished with the second most saves and second most games finished in Giants history.
Robb Nen was the Giants closer for five seasons where he made all three of his All-Star appearances, was on two playoff teams, was on the 2002 NL Pennant team and led the NL in saves once while there. He also finished with the most saves and the fourth most games finished in Giants history.
Brian Wilson was the Giants closer for seven seasons where made all three of his All-Star appearances, led the NL in saves once and was two World Series Championship teams while there. He is also finished with the third most saves and the sixth most games finished in Giants history.
Gary Lavelle was the Giants closer for eleven seasons where he made both of his All Star appearances while there. He also finished with the most games finished, games played and has the fourth most games saved in Giants history.
Jeff Brantley was the Giants closer for six seasons where made his only All-Star appearance and was on the 1989 NL Pennant team while there. Other notable relievers in Giants history have been Javier Lopez, Jeremy Affeldt, Frank Linzy, Greg Minton, Stu Miller, Hall of Famers John Montgomery Ward, Joe McGinnity, Santiago Casilla and Sergio Romo whom are both active.
