The Origins of the San Francisco Giants Team
There are many stories about the San Francisco Giants team, but none is as intriguing as the story behind their founding. Read about their first World Series appearance, the loss of their star players, and their return to the postseason in 1990. The San Francisco Giants have been a baseball staple in San Francisco for over 100 years. Read on to learn more about this legendary franchise!
The baseball team was founded in San Francisco.
The San Francisco Giants baseball team was founded in Oakland in 1894. They are the only major league team in the city, and their name is synonymous with the city. The Giants have played in the town with thousands of San Francisco Giants tickets sold for 117 seasons. They have changed uniforms several times, including the color of their traditional white uniforms. In 2001, the Giants changed the color of their uniforms to black with gold drop shadows. The team has also introduced alternate black uniforms. The alternate black uniforms were discontinued after a season. In addition, the Giant’s standard black cap was replaced with an orange brim.
The Giants have been in the major leagues since the 1880s, but their history goes much deeper than that. The Giants initially competed in the American Association, and they went on to win the World Series in 1908. Their name changed to the San Francisco Giants in 1957, but the team remained in San Francisco after moving there in 1958. The Giants have won eight World Series championships and twenty National League pennants during their history.
First World Series appearance in 1961
This year marked the first time the San Francisco Giants would make their first World Series appearance. After defeating the Chicago Cubs in five games in the National League Championship Series, the Giants were rewarded with a trip to the World Series. San Francisco then faced the Oakland Athletics in a Bay bridge series, named after the bridge that separates the two cities. The Giants lost the first two games but looked forward to the upcoming game in Candlestick Park.
The Giants seemed to be cruising in the first game of the 1961 World Series, but the Marlins rallied to win the series in Game 2. The Giants lost Game 2 9-5 because of sloppy play. Jose Cruz Jr. dropped a fly ball in the eleventh inning and allowed the Marlins to score two runs. In In-Game Three, the Giants led 1-0 in the bottom of the ninth inning, but the Marlins tied the game at the end of the inning.
Loss of star players
The Giants had a disastrous season in 2005, their worst since moving to the new stadium. Barry Bonds missed most of the season, and Armando Benitez was sidelined for four months. In addition, infielder Jason Schmidt struggled due to multiple injuries, but the Giants have rescued the season by giving playing time to several young players. The Giants gave Noah Lowry, Brad Hennessey, Kevin Correia, Jason Ellison, and Randy Winn time in the stretch run.
The Giants’ lineup is already thin, but that hasn’t stopped the team from improving. Since Sept. 3, the Giants have been excellent. Their record may not be as enticing as in prior seasons, but they’ve been consistent and good. Of course, the loss of star players will always hurt your team, but it seems as though the Giants have gained a lot of strength in the lineup this offseason.
Return to the postseason in 1990
In their first season back in the Major League, the San Francisco Giants finished last in the West. Their pitching staff was weakened, and they had to trade ace Tim Hudson and Kevin Mitchell. The Giants hired Roger Craig as manager, but he left in 1992. They lost the 1993 World Series to the Houston Astros.
The Giants were nearly forced to move to Tampa after a failed ballot initiative to build a new stadium in San Francisco. However, the Giants were so desperate for a new home that they considered purchasing the New York Giants team and playing in Buffalo. The plan would have meant the Giants missing the 1993 season. But they were still determined to make it to the postseason, so they started selling tickets to the new stadium.
Players are traded or released.
The Giants’ roster is in reverse chronological order, so tracing the players’ origins back to the draft’s first day is impossible. However, the team does have representatives from each of the three draft days. This includes outfielder Hunter Cole, selected with the 778th overall pick. However, the Giants traded him to the Texas Rangers for pitcher Sam Dyson after being designated for assignment. Wade Davis was also sold to the Twins for cash, and the Giants received a top pitching prospect from the Twins.
The Giants started in the early part of the century, a decade that saw the team win four straight NL flags and two “Subway Series” over their city’s rival Yankees. In the late part of the decade, the Giants lost their edge and remained competitive, but they failed to climb out of the NL West. Despite the early-decade success, the Giants’ attendance dropped to near zero. Finally, in 1976, Bob Lurie bought the team from its owners and returned the Giants to their roots in California.