San Francisco Giants Explained: Traditions, Logo & History

Why did the Giants move from New York to San Francisco?

The Giants left New York after the 1957 season and began play in San Francisco in 1958, the same year the Dodgers moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles.

Attendance at the aging Polo Grounds had fallen sharply, the club could not get a new ballpark built in Manhattan, and California offered a large untapped market that had no major-league baseball at all. The two clubs moved together deliberately — a single team on the West Coast would have had no natural opponent nearby. The rivalry with the Dodgers survived the 3,000-mile move intact and is now the oldest in the National League.

How many World Series have the Giants won?

Eight.

Five as the New York Giants — 1905, 1921, 1922, 1933 and 1954 — and three in San Francisco: 2010, 2012 and 2014. The 2010 title was the franchise's first since the move west, ending a 56-year drought, and the even-year pattern of the three modern championships became a running joke among fans. The franchise also claims championships from 1888 and 1889, which came before the modern World Series format and are counted separately.

What is McCovey Cove?

The stretch of San Francisco Bay just beyond the right-field wall at Oracle Park, named for Willie McCovey.

Left-handed hitters who clear the wall on the fly land balls directly in the water, and fans wait in kayaks to retrieve them. The ballpark opened in 2000 as Pacific Bell Park and has since been SBC Park, AT&T Park and now Oracle Park; the cove has kept its name throughout. Barry Bonds hit more of these "splash hits" than anyone.

What was the Shot Heard 'Round the World?

Bobby Thomson's pennant-winning home run for the New York Giants on October 3, 1951, off Ralph Branca of the Brooklyn Dodgers in the deciding game of a three-game playoff.

The Giants had trailed the Dodgers by 13 games in August and caught them to force the series. Russ Hodges's radio call — "The Giants win the pennant!" repeated over and over — is among the most replayed pieces of audio in American sport. The Giants lost the World Series that followed to the Yankees.

What was Willie Mays's famous catch?

In Game 1 of the 1954 World Series at the Polo Grounds, Mays ran down a long Vic Wertz drive to deep center field with his back fully to the plate, caught it over his shoulder, and spun to throw the ball back to the infield to hold the runners.

The Giants won the game and swept Cleveland for the title. Known simply as "The Catch," it is the most famous defensive play in baseball history, and the throw afterward is often argued to be the harder half of it.

What did Madison Bumgarner do in the 2014 World Series?

One of the great individual postseason performances in any sport.

Bumgarner won Games 1 and 5 against Kansas City, then came out of the bullpen in Game 7 on two days' rest and threw five scoreless innings to save the series and clinch the Giants' third title in five years. He was named World Series MVP, and his combined 2014 postseason earned-run average was among the lowest ever recorded over that many innings.

San Francisco Giants Records, Titles & Milestones

How many World Series titles have the San Francisco Giants won?

The San Francisco Giants have won 8 World Series titles (1905, 1921, 1922, 1933, 1954, 2010, 2012, 2014).

Do the San Francisco Giants retire jersey numbers?

The Giants retire a number when the player reaches the Hall of Fame. They have made two exceptions: Barry Bonds's No. 25 in 2018 and Will Clark's No. 22 in 2022. Christy Mathewson and John McGraw are honored without numbers, since their careers predate numbered jerseys.

Ring of Honor (13 members)

The Greatest San Francisco Giants Players of All Time

Who is the greatest San Francisco Giants player of all time?

By the measure of championships, individual honors, and lasting impact, Willie Mays tops most all-time San Francisco Giants rankings. The full top 5 follows.

1. Willie Mays CF \u00b7 1951-1952, 1954-1972

   Regularly named the most complete player in baseball history — a great hitter, a great baserunner and arguably the best defensive center fielder ever. He hit 646 home runs as a Giant, was the first player to reach 300 home runs and 300 stolen bases, won the Gold Glove in each of the award's first 12 years, and made 24 All-Star teams. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1978 with the highest vote share since the inaugural class.

2. Barry Bonds LF \u00b7 1993-2007

   Seven MVP awards, five of them with San Francisco, and the all-time home run record at 762. His 2001-2004 stretch is statistically the most dominant offensive run any hitter has produced, to the point that teams simply stopped pitching to him. His No. 25 was retired in 2018 despite his absence from the Hall of Fame, which remains the central argument about his career.

3. Christy Mathewson P \u00b7 1900-1916

   Still the franchise leader in wins (372), complete games (434), shutouts (79), innings and strikeouts (2,504), more than a century after he stopped pitching. He won 30 or more games in four seasons and threw three shutouts in the 1905 World Series. A member of the Hall of Fame's inaugural class in 1936, and the pitcher who did most to make the sport respectable in its early era.

4. Willie McCovey 1B \u00b7 1959-1973, 1977-1980

   The most feared hitter in the National League in the late 1960s — his 45 intentional walks in 1969 shattered the previous record, and opponents built four-man outfields against him. He finished with 521 home runs and an NL-record 18 grand slams. The stretch of water beyond right field at Oracle Park carries his name, as does the team's annual award for its most inspirational player.

5. Juan Marichal P \u00b7 1960-1973

   The "Dominican Dandy" won 191 games in the 1960s, more than any pitcher in a decade full of great ones, and threw a one-hit shutout in his major-league debut. He remains the San Francisco-era leader in wins (238), complete games (244), shutouts (52), innings and strikeouts. His high leg kick is one of the most recognizable deliveries the sport has produced.