San Francisco Giants history

In 1885 the team changed its name to the Giants, which was supposedly inspired by a description of the squad by its proud manager in the wake of an extra-inning victory.

The Giants won their first pennant in 1888—as well as an early and unofficial version of the World Series against the champions of the American Association—and they repeated as NL champions the following year.

Under financial duress, the Giants were sold in 1895 to Tammany Hall bigwig Andrew Freedman—and under his detestable rule, the team descended into an ongoing soap opera worthy of George Steinbrenner, minus the championship glory.

After pitching for teams in various independent leagues during the summers following his freshman and sophomore years, his contract was purchased by the New York Giants of the National League (NL), and Mathewson made his major league debut at age 19 in July 1900.

He appeared in only six games during his first season, but he entered the Giants’ starting pitching rotation in 1901, when he placed sixth in the NL in both earned run average (ERA) and wins.

The Giants soon entered into a less competitive period and only returned to the top of the NL with the hiring of manager John McGraw in the middle of the 1902 season.

Mathewson won more than 20 games in each of 13 seasons (12 consecutive, 1903–14) and 30 or more on four occasions.

McGraw’s Giants won the NL pennant in his second full season with the team, but he refused to play the champion of the supposedly inferior American League, so the nascent official World Series was not held in 1904.

Their combined talents hit a high note at the 1905 World Series when they pitched 44 of 45 innings in a five-game triumph over the Philadelphia A’s—and didn’t allow a single earned run.

In 1908 he recorded 37 victories (11 of them shutouts), had a 1.43 ERA, and struck out 259 batters to win his second Triple Crown.

1913: Giant Bridesmaids, Again Not even good luck charm Charlie Faust can save the Giants from another World Series defeat.

1919: Charles Stoneham acquires the team.

1921: See You at the Polo Grounds The home for both the New York Yankees and Giants becomes the exclusive host to the first Subway Series.

From 1923 until his death he was president of the Boston Braves in the National League.

As manager, Terry retained the winning ethic, taking three NL pennants over a five-year period and a world title in his first full year, over Washington in 1933.

Mathewson was one of the first five players chosen for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936.

Like most teams during World War II, the Giants’ fortunes were dictated by what talent was available as many players went into military service; per example, the third-place showing of the 1942 team was followed up by 98 losses one season later.

By 1957, it had the worst attendance in the National League and the second-worst in the majors, a situation attributable in part to New York's three-team market, the decrepit condition of the Polo Grounds, and the decline of the neighborhood in which the stadium was located. It was clear San Francisco could support major league baseball--in 1946 its minor league team, the Seals, was drawing bigger crowds than some major league clubs.

Ott finished his career as the first NL player with 500 home runs, and the 1947 Giants became the first major league team to bash 200.

1951: The Shot Heard ’Round the World Bobby Thomson’s historic home run caps one of baseball’s greatest pennant races for the Giants.

1954: At Least They Stopped the Yanks The Cleveland Indians go into juggernaut mode and upend the perennial AL favorite Yankees with 111 wins—but their momentum is stopped cold by the Giants in October.

The first to set his sights on the West Coast was Walter O'Malley, who announced in 1956 that he intended to move his Brooklyn Dodgers to Los Angeles.

By May 1957, Christopher was convinced that baseball would be profitable in San Francisco and that the city would vote to construct a stadium that met the club's specifications.

In 1958, the city began construction of a much larger stadium on the southern edge of the city next to San Francisco Bay, building on land donated to the city by a local construction magnate on the condition that his company be allowed to build the structure.

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.

1962: Lined to Second Best After an exhilirating pennant race, the Giants lose a seven-game World Series when Willie McCovey’s potential series-winning hit is snared out of the air by Yankee second baseman Bobby Richardson.

1968: Giants attendance is cut in half when Kansas City Athletics relocate to Oakland.

In 1972, stands were extended to enclose the outfield in an attempt to cut down the wind.

1975: Attendance at Giants games drops to the worst in the National League.

Bob Lurie purchased the Giants in 1976 and saved the franchise from a move out of town; under his early watch, real grass and bigger crowds (if not success on the field) returned to Candlestick as the team began spending money again.

By 1978, after two years of internal conflict among the owners, Bob Lurie assumed sole ownership of the team.

1981: Giants hire Frank Robinson as the first black manager in the National League.

1989: Of Triumph and Tragedy The Giants figure prominently in a rough year for the game, with Dave Dravecky’s triumphant comeback bid stopped cold and a World Series date with the cross-bay Oakland A’s shaken up by a major earthquake before Game Three.

In August 1992, he announced that he had come to an agreement to sell to a group of investors in the Tampa Bay/St Petersburg, Florida, area for $115 million.

The League finally approved the sale in January 1993, after which Bonds was signed.

Despite the turnaround in the Giants' fortune, the club's owners never lost sight of the need to replace Candlestick Park. It took longer than promised, but in December 1995 a proposal was announced to build a new 42,000-seat, baseball-only stadium in downtown San Francisco.

When the team changed hands, Mayor Frank Jordan had promised to do everything in his power to build a new park in time for the 1997 season, and to do it without public funds.

In November 1998, the estimated worth of the Giants was almost $200 million, nearly twice what was paid for the team.

In 2000, when Pacific Bell Park finally opened, Magowan predicted that it would double Giants revenues to about $120 million a year.

2001: Giants' Barry Bonds breaks an all-time, single-season record by hitting 73 home runs.

2002: The Wild, Wild Card West The red-hot Anaheim Angels—riding high on the back of their Rally Monkey—attempt to overcome Barry Bonds and the Giants.

On August 8, 2007, Barry Bonds joined the pantheon of the baseball gods by hitting his 756th homer, passing the legendary Hank Aaron to take over perhaps Major League Baseball's most hallowed record: first place on the all-time home run list.

The 2010 World Series was the 106th edition of Major League Baseball’s championship series.

The 2012 World Series was the 108th edition of Major League Baseball’s championship series.

The 2014 World Series was the 110th edition of Major League Baseball’s championship series, a best-of-seven playoff between the National League champion San Francisco Giants and the American League champion Kansas City Royals.