The San Francisco Giants have been one of the greatest franchises in MLB history. Two of the three greatest players of all time have played for the Giants.
This is an organization whose greatness hasn’t just been contained to one city. They’ve won multiple championships in two different parts of the country, New York and San Francisco. Their legendary rivalry with the Los Angeles Dodgers is the most intense in all of baseball and has been going on since the 1880s.
From their first National League Pennant in 1888 through their record-setting season in 2021, the San Francisco Giants have represented excellence. They have a record 63 Hall of Famers. They also have more wins than any team in the history of American sports with a franchise record of 11,491-9,970 through the 2023 season.
San Francisco Giants Got Their Start in New York City
The San Francisco Giants weren’t always a thing, as baseball didn’t come to the West Coast until the Giants and Dodgers moved from New York to California in 1958. While in New York, the Giants won 17 pennants and five World Series titles. From their origin in 1883 until 1958 they had a record of 6,067-4,898.
While in New York, the Giants were led on the field by legends such as Mel Ott and Willie Mays. Mel Ott in particular hit 511 home runs and was the best right fielder of his time.
Two of the greatest pitchers of the 20th century, Carl Hubbell and Christy Matthewson pitched for the New York Giants. The standard of excellence started in New York City.
The San Francisco Giants Continued Greatness
After relocating in 1958, the championships didn’t come until 2010, but they managed to have one thing their rivals have never had which is a dynasty. The San Francisco Giants won 3 titles between 2010-2014 and made the World Series in 1962, 1989, and 2002 as well. While the team had more success in New York so far, some of the greatest talent in team history came on board in San Francisco.
The 1960s Giants were in contention for the pennant almost every year in a stacked National League. The late 90s-early 2000s featured San Francisco Giants teams that were consistently competing in the playoffs. The 2010s dynasty might be the last dynasty we see in the modern MLB era.
The Giants Had The Two Greatest Players Ever
There is a legitimate debate between two players for the greatest player in San Francisco Giants history. Depending on what generation you’re a part of it’s either Willie Mays or Barry Bonds. Both players are the franchise leaders in almost every statistic. Mays is also one of the most honored athletes in any sport.
Neither player had any weaknesses on the field. Bonds had more MVPs while Willie Mays won a World Series title in 1954. There is no wrong answer as both players are heavily in the GOAT debate. Barry is also Willie’s godson which adds to the fun dynamic as his father Bobby Bonds was also a great San Francisco Giants outfielder.
Barry’s legend might’ve gotten started in Pittsburgh, but it certainly grew to large proportions in San Francisco. If he had played his entire career with the San Francisco Giants, perhaps more of the team record book would reflect it. Instead, Barry holds more of the MLB record book and will have to settle for that.
The Greatest Managers in Giants History
John McGraw was a legendary manager for the Giants in particular. McGraw is still third overall in wins in MLB history and managed the New York Giants from 1902-1932. He won 10 pennants and three World Series titles.
The only manager to match John McGraw in World Series titles was San Francisco Giants legend Bruce Bouchy, who led the team to three titles in the 2010s. He somehow never won a Manager of the Year award in his 13 seasons.
There have been six managers in Giants history to win manager of the year. Future Hall of Famer Dusty Baker won three. Roger Craig, Frank Robinson, Joe Atlobelli, and Charlie Fox all won one. Dusty Baker and Roger Craig also guided the Giants to World Series appearances in 2002 and 1989 respectively.
Leo Durocher is another notable name that people might recognize thanks to the movie 42. One of the things that helped fuel the Giants-Dodgers rivalry was that after his suspension which was shown in the movie, he ended up going to the Giants. Durocher led the Giants to their last title in New York in 1954 and was a two-time Manager of the Year.
The Greatest Team In Giants History
The greatest team in San Francisco Giants history has to be the 2012 team. That season, they won the NL West and then went on to win the World Series in a sweep over the heavily favored Detroit Tigers who featured Justin Verlander and Miguel Cabrera in his Triple Crown season. It was never close as the team dominated the Tigers.
The Giants overcame 2-0 and 3-1 series deficits in their playoff run. They were led on offense by league MVP Buster Posey, World Series MVP Pablo Sandoval, and Hunter Pence. This was also the first team in the dynasty to feature Brandon Crawford and Brandon Belt, the two players who ended up remaining with the team the longest out of everybody on this roster.
The pitching staff was one of the best. Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner, Ryan Vogelsong, and Barry Zito were the strength of the team. Lincecum was a multiple-time Cy Young Award winner while Cain was the workhorse of the group and would lead the team with 16 wins that season despite always being known as a pitcher who never got much run support.
The bullpen of the team was also incredibly underrated. Sergio Romo would end up taking over the closer job near the end of the season from Santiago Casilla and ended up closing out the World Series by striking out Miguel Cabrera. Javier Lopez, Jeremey Affeldt, and George Kontos all had some of their finest seasons in 2012.
Even the Teams That Didn’t Win a Title Deserve Love
The San Francisco Giants have had some of the greatest teams in MLB history. Some of these teams didn’t win the World Series but deserve their praise. The 2021 team won 107 games which is a franchise record. The 1962 team had five Hall of Famers and won 103 games. The 1993 team won 104 games yet missed the playoffs.
The 1997, 2000, and 2002 teams featured Barry Bonds and 2000 league MVP Jeff Kent and revived the organization after a rough stretch through the 1990s. The 2003 team won 100 games despite losing Kent in free agency.
The 1989 San Francisco Giants team had league MVP Kevin Mitchell, Will Clark, and Matt Williams and could’ve won the World Series if not for running into the Bash Brothers-led Oakland A’s in the infamous Loma Prieta World Series.
Willie Mac Award
One of the greatest San Francisco Giants of all time is Willie McCovey. McCovey was the league MVP in 1969 and was one of the most feared hitters in baseball from 1959 to 1980. After he retired, the team created an entire award in his honor. It’s given to the Giants player voted as the most inspirational by the players, coaching, and training staff.
Mike Krukow, J.T. Snow, and Bengie Molina are the only multiple-time winners of the award. It’s not always given to the best player on the team, but winning the award is one of the best honors you can receive as a Giant. Other notable winners include Jack Clark, Jeff Kent, and Dave Dravecky.
Some of the Biggest Names You Forgot Have Been Giants
An overwhelming number of MLB legends have managed to don the “Orange and Black” for at least a season or two. This includes Joe Morgan whose famous home run in game 162 of the 1982 season eliminated the Dodgers from making it back to the postseason.
Some big names you’d never think of as San Francisco Giants also might’ve spent some time there. This includes Daryl Strawberry, Deion Sanders, and Andres Galarraga. Galarraga in particular had a successful 2003 season in San Francisco.
Other notable Hall of Famers who spent time in San Francisco include Gary Carter, Warren Spahn, Steve Carlton, Randy Johnson, and Joe Carter. One of the players that fans might be surprised to discover spent a season with the San Francisco Giants was Oriel Hershiser, one of the most legendary Dodgers pitchers of all time.
Giants-Dodgers: The Best Rivalry In Sports
Speaking of the L.A. Dodgers, this is the best rivalry in baseball. Giants fans always root for the Giants first and whoever is facing the Dodgers second. You will find Giants fans who are ok with any combination of the Padres, Diamondbacks, and Rockies winning the NL West if that team manages to beat LA to do it.
This rivalry is different from the Red Sox and Yankees for example because this rivalry has existed since the 1880s and managed to cross the entire United States. The two teams moved together to California from New York to keep the rivalry going something that no other rivalry in any sport can claim.
While the Yankees-Red Sox has been more nationally broadcasted, the San Francisco Giants and the Dodgers have been near the top of the National League since their first days. Each team has traded off periods of great success, with most recently the Giants’ 2010s dynasty being followed by the Dodgers’ recent long run of division titles.
Other Rivals of the Giants
No rivalry comes close to the Dodgers but there are a couple of other rivalries that feature the Giants. An old historic rival is their former crosstown rivals, the New York Yankees. The Giants-Yankees rivalry especially heated up in the 1920s when the Yankees rented Polo Grounds from the Giants and played them in the World Series every year from 1921-1923. They also met in 1936, 1937, 1951, and 1962.
A rivalry that will soon be laid to rest is the Bay Bridge Series with the Oakland Athletics. They met in the World Series in Philadelphia and New York in 1905, 1911, and 1913 with the A’s winning three. They also met in the 1989 World Series where the A’s swept the Giants.
The San Francisco Giants don’t have a rivalry with their other division foes which is rare for a sports team. Instead, their other rival has to be the St. Louis Cardinals who they’ve met in the postseason many times. Most notably the Giants eliminated the Cardinals in the NLCS in 2002, 2012, and 2014.
Team Ownership Has Been Mostly Steady
One of the reasons for the success of the San Francisco Giants has been that the team has been fortunate to have better ownership than some of the other teams in the league. Typically Giants ownership has been okay with spending money to draw in free agents as well as resign the talent that is on the roster. Since they’re a big market franchise this shouldn’t be that much of a surprise.
Horace Stoneham was perhaps the first notable owner of the team. Stoneham moved the team from New York to San Francisco. As owner of the team from 1936-1976, Stoneham oversaw a team that won one World Series title and four National League Pennants in all of his time.
After Stoneham almost sold the team to a group that would have moved the team to Toronto, Bob Lurie stepped up and bought the team in 1976. He held ownership of the team until 1993 when a group led by Peter Magowan bought the team. Magowan owned the team until 2008 when he stepped back for Charles B. Johnson who still owns the team.
Legendary Home Stadiums With Wonderful Features
The Giants currently play at Oracle Park. Next to Oracle Park, there’s McCovey Cove, the actual body of water where there have been 103 “Splash Landings,” the majority of which were hit by Barry Bonds. He had 35 in his time at Oracle Park from 2000-2007. Keep in mind by the time he retired in 2007 there had only been 45 total.
Previously, the Giants had played at the dreadful Candlestick Park. This stadium was so cold and so windy that fans used to get pins that said “Veni, Vidi, Vixi” which stands for “I came, I saw, I survived” if fans managed to stay for an entire extra innings night game. This was also the stadium they played at during the 1989 Earthquake.
In New York, the Giants notably played at the legendary Polo Grounds. Only five players hit a home run to center field as it was 483 feet away with a monument and flagpole in tribute to former player Eddie Grant who died in World War 1. The right field was 258 feet away from home plate and the left field was 279 feet from home plate while. The left center and right center fields were 449+ feet away which helped to create one of the most dynamic stadiums ever seen.
San Francisco Giants Could’ve Relocated Many Times
One of the things Giants fans can’t take for granted is that the team could have relocated on multiple different occasions. They almost moved to Minnesota in 1957 and were constantly threatening to relocate from San Francisco. This was due to Candlestick Park being perfect for football and the San Francisco 49ers but terrible for baseball.
The Giants almost moved to Toronto in 1976 after being sold to a Toronto-backed group. The city of San Francisco stepped in and prevented the sale. In 1985, the Giants almost left for Denver, San Jose, New Jersey, and even Oakland out of frustration due to not getting a new stadium deal in San Francisco.
The most notable attempt to move the team was in 1992. Bob Lure sold the team to a Tampa Bay group who were going to have the team play at what became Tropicana Field. The Tampa Bay Rays would never have existed if not for the owners blocking the move by voting against the sale. This saved the San Francisco Giants and Oracle Park was built in 2000.
San Francisco Giants Record Holders
Willie Mays holds an overwhelming majority of Giants records including home runs(646), games played(2,857), and All-Star Games(23). Barry Bonds holds the records for walks(1,947), OPS(1.143), on-base percentage(.477), slugging percentage(.666), and walks(1,947).
The all-time leader in wins(372) is Christy Matthewson despite having been retired since 1916. Matthewson also holds the franchise record for strikeouts in New York(2.504) while Juan Marichal holds the record for strikeouts in San Francisco(2,281). Robb Nen has the record for saves with 206, with Rod Beck only a few behind at 199.
There have been 17 no-hitters in San Francisco Giants history. Tim Lincecum has thrown 2 of them which is the team record. Matt Cain threw a perfect game in 2012 which is the only time it’s happened in team history.
Giants Have Plenty of Award Winners
There have been 15 MVPs in San Francisco Giants history. Barry Bonds won five of his MLB record seven MVPs as a Giant. Willie Mays won two MVPs. Buster Posey was the most recent MVP in 2012 while Jeff Kent, Kevin Mitchell, and Willie McCovey all had one MVP as well.
From 1972-1976, the Giants had Rookie of the Year Award winners every season. Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, and Orlando Cepeda also won the award in the 1950s. The last two Giants to win the award were Buster Posey in 2010 and Robby Thompson in 1986.
Several players most notably Brandon Crawford have been Gold Glovers as Giants. Out of all the players in San Francisco Giants history, only one has been an All-MLB team selection. In 2020, outfielder Mike Yastremzski was named to the All-MLB Second Team.
Almost Too Many Greats To Make an All-Time Team
It’s never a bad problem for a team to have so many all-time greats that even the players that might not make the all-time team could potentially be better than the players that somebody might select for their all-time San Francisco Giants team. You could even divide the teams between New York and San Francisco and still have two amazing squads.
The Giants are next to the Yankees in terms of history and prestige. Only the St. Louis Cardinals have as much of a claim for the second most prestigious organization in the history of baseball. Imagine an organization where you can make an all-time team but have MVPs or Hall of Famers potentially left off the roster.
There are World Series heroes, legendary managers, and fan favorites who can fill an all-time team build. Every fan has a different all-time team and all of them are valid. The San Francisco Giants are a special first-class organization with a prominent stamp in professional sports.
San Francisco and the Fans Deserve More Love
One of the narratives that’s been passed around about the city of San Francisco and its fans is that the fans aren’t as passionate as East Coast fanbases and the city is crime-riddled. It’s a rather played-out narrative that hasn’t been factual in the slightest.
The Giants have struggled to sign free agents in recent seasons but historically have spent a lot to get big names. The city of San Francisco seems to have no issue attracting free agents in any sports. The fanbase is also incredibly passionate in an area that used to be divided in half between A’s and San Francisco Giants fans.
The Giants Invented Some Ballpark Menu Essentials
One of the things that the San Francisco Giants are credited with inventing was garlic fries. It’s a wonderful invention that has been a top seller at both Candlestick Park and Oracle Park. It’s incredibly costly, but it’s worth it to a least try it one time.
Another idea credited to the Giants was the idea to sell wine at the stadium. This took place in 1977 at Candlestick Park and it’s added to the idea of the Giants being a first-class organization all the way, especially given their proximity to wine country. The team even hired a master sommelier in 2022 to help with the wine department at Oracle Park.
An Organization of Excellence
Despite recent struggles since making the playoffs in 2021, the history of the San Francisco Giants can’t be denied. The team has one of the deepest franchise histories in all of sports. They’ve risen to the mountain top time after time.
The San Francisco Giants are typically one of the best teams in the league. Sooner or later, their time will come and they will be back in the championship picture.
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About the Author
Alex is a writer at Total Apex Sports. His interests include gaming, watching movies, and spending time with his girlfriend. He’s a loyal fan of the Las Vegas Raiders, Chicago Bulls, San Francisco Giants, and the Chicago Blackhawks. You can find him on X at @alex_furtotti.
