The Original San Francisco Giants is a nostalgic look at the team that brought Major League Baseball to San Francisco, the 1958 Giants. Author Steve Bitker, who attended his first big-league game in 1958 at age five at a charming little downtown ballpark called Seals Stadium, traveled as far as the island of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands to interview virtually every surviving member of the team.
In 1958, San Francisco welcomed its first major league baseball team when the Giants left New York and journeyed across the country to the Bay Area. Steeped in tradition, the orange-and-black team has captivated fans for decades with rosters including Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Orlando Cepeda, Juan Marichal, Gaylord Perry, Will Clark, Barry Bonds, and Tim Lincecum. This book provides a look into the team's history, highlighting the players and other notables who were instrumental in shaping the Giants organization.
With a title drought that started in New York and carried on for more than five decades after the move to the west coast, the San Francisco Giants and their fans were growing restless, waiting for a team like the 2010 roster and that one magical postseason run. The anticipation, memories, and celebrated relief of the season when it finally came together are captured in this chronicle of the World Series season of the Giants. Written in entertaining prose, the book is as much an enjoyable story to be reread through the years as it is a factual account of the events that brought the elusive title to the Giants.
The San Francisco Giants celebrate more than 50 years in the City by the Bay. Follow the Giants from their early days at Seals Stadium to Candlestick Park to latest decade led by Barry Bonds, from the World Series in 1962 and 1989 (and the earthquake) to the National League Pennant in 2002. Player profiles include 1968 no-hit hurler Gaylord Perry, and high-kicking Juan Marichal; slugger Willie McCovey, National League MVP in 1969, and of course the great Willie Mays, who hit over 600 career homers with the Giants. Other chapters cover stories such as how in 1963 Jesus Alou joined his siblings Felipe and Matty on the roster, giving the team the first all-brother outfield in Major League history. Join some of San Francisco's famous fans, from Peanut's creator Charles Schulz to Danny Glover, Carlos Santana and Robin Williams, in celebration of this golden anniversary. In addition to the often rare and amazing visual history presented in this book, each chapter features reproductions of Giants memorabilia that will provide fans a complete San Francisco Giants scrapbook. And an audio CD of famous play-by-play radio calls, player interviews and more -- collected here for the first time -- makes this book a lasting pleasure.
In 1957 Horace Stoneham took his Giants of New York baseball team and headed west, starting a gold rush with bats and balls rather than pans and mines. But San Francisco already had a team, the Seals of the Pacific Coast League, and West Coast fans had to learn to embrace the newcomers. Starting with the franchise’s earliest days and following the team up to recent World Series glory, Home Team chronicles the story of the Giants and their often topsy-turvy relationship with the city of San Francisco. Robert F. Garratt shines light on those who worked behind the scenes in the story of West Coast baseball: the politicians, businessmen, and owners who were instrumental in the club’s history. Home Team presents Stoneham, often left in the shadow of Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley, as a true baseball pioneer in his willingness to sign black and Latino players and his recruitment of the first Japanese player in the Major Leagues, making the Giants one of the most integrated teams in baseball in the early 1960s. Garratt also records the turbulent times, poor results, declining attendance, two near-moves away from California, and the role of post-Stoneham owners Bob Lurie and Peter Magowan in the Giants’ eventual reemergence as a baseball powerhouse. Garratt’s superb history of this great ball club makes the Giants’ story one of the most compelling of all Major League franchises.
San Francisco Giants 101 is required reading for every Giants fan! From "The Shot Heard 'Round the World" and "The Catch" to cheering for splash hits into McCovey Cove, you'll share all the memories with the next generation. Enjoy all the traditions of your favorite team, learn the basics about playing baseball and share your passion for America's pastime! Officially licensed by Major League Baseball.
Day in, day out, Mike Murphy has been a constant presence with the San Francisco Giants since the team moved west in 1958. The clubhouse at Oracle Park bears his name, and in the jubilant aftermath of the team's 2010 World Series victory, Buster Posey told Murphy, "We did it for you, we got your ring." If you know the Giants, you know "Murph." In From the Stick to the Cove, the beloved longtime clubhouse manager reflects on over six decades of incredible memories, from getting his start as a bat boy and first meeting his idol Willie Mays, to unexpected celebrity encounters, to his role as a father figure for more recent generations of Giants.
Inside MLB profiles each of the 30 franchises in Major League Baseball. San Francisco Giants is a beginner's history of the Giants, covering the beginnings of the franchise, the greatest and lowest moments of the team, and the best players and managers. Fun facts, anecdotes, and sidebars round out the story of each club, allowing your readers to get Inside MLB! SportsZone is an imprint of ABDO Publishing Company.
The rich tradition of the San Francisco Giants has provided indelible memories for their fans ever since they moved from New York’s Polo Grounds to Seals Stadium in 1958. With three World Series titles in five years, starting in 2010, the San Francisco Giants have established themselves as one of the powerhouse teams of the 21st century. Led by pitcher Madison Bumgarner, the Giants have come to dominate the baseball scene. Fans continue to flock to AT&T Park to support their team, and will find just as much excitement within the pages of the newly updated Tales from the San Francisco Giants Dugout. Author Nick Peters captures some of the humorous and poignant moments of the team’s years on the West Coast. From the intense rivalry with the Dodgers and the age of Willie Mays to amazing World Series victories, this book has all that a Giants fan needs and will certainly want. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in sports—books about baseball, pro football, college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, or soccer, we have a book about your sport or your team. Whether you are a New York Yankees fan or hail from Red Sox nation; whether you are a die-hard Green Bay Packers or Dallas Cowboys fan; whether you root for the Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville Cardinals, UCLA Bruins, or Kansas Jayhawks; whether you route for the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, or Los Angeles Kings; we have a book for you. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
