The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New York Gothams, and renamed three years later the New York Giants, the team eventually moved to San Francisco in 1958.
The franchise is one of the oldest and most successful in professional baseball, with more wins than any team in the history of major American sports. The team was the first major-league organization based in New York City, most memorably playing home games at several iterations of the Polo Grounds. The Giants have played in the World Series 20 times, an NL record. In 2014, the Giants won their then-record twenty-third National League pennant; this mark has since been equaled and then eclipsed by the rival Dodgers, who as of 2020 lay claim to 24 NL crowns. The Giants' eight World Series championships are second-most in the NL and fifth-most of any franchise.
The franchise won 17 pennants and five World Series championships while in New York, led by managers John McGraw, Bill Terry, and Leo Durocher. New York-era star players including Christy Mathewson, Carl Hubbell, Mel Ott, and Willie Mays join 63 other Giants in the Baseball Hall of Fame, the most of any franchise. The Giants' rivalry with the Los Angeles Dodgers, one of the longest-standing and most famed rivalries in American sports, began in New York and continued when both teams relocated to the West Coast in 1958.
Despite the efforts of Mays and Barry Bonds, regarded as two of baseball's all-time best players, the Giants endured a 56-year championships drought following the move west, a stretch that included three World Series losses. The streak ended in 2010, which was followed by additional championships in 2012 and 2014, making the Giants the second team in NL history to win three championships in five years.
The Giants, along with their rival Los Angeles Dodgers, became the first Major League Baseball teams to play on the West Coast. On April 15, 1958, the Giants played their first game in San Francisco, defeating the former Brooklyn and now Los Angeles Dodgers, 8–0. The Giants played for two seasons at Seals Stadium (from 1931-1957, the stadium was the home of the PCL's San Francisco Seals) before moving to Candlestick Park in 1960. The Giants played at Candlestick Park until 1999, before opening Pacific Bell Park (now known as Oracle Park) in 2000, where the Giants currently play.
Candlestick Park
was an outdoor sports and entertainment stadium on the West Coast of the United States, located in San Francisco's Bayview Heights area. The stadium was originally the home of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants, who played there from 1960 until moving into Pacific Bell Park (since renamed Oracle Park) in 2000. It was also the home field of the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League from 1971 through 2013. The 49ers moved to Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara for the 2014 season. The last event held at Candlestick was a concert by Paul McCartney in August 2014, and the demolition of the stadium was completed in September 2015. As of 2019, the site is planned to be redeveloped into office space.
The Giants were unable to sustain success in their first 50 years in San Francisco. They made nine playoff appearances and won three NL pennants between 1958 and 2009. The Giants lost the 1962 World Series in seven games to the New York Yankees. The Giants were swept in the 1989 World Series by their cross-town rival Oakland Athletics, a series best known for the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, which caused a 10-day delay between Games 2 and 3. The Giants also lost the 2002 World Series to the Anaheim Angels. One of the team's biggest highlights during this time was the 2001 season, in which OF Barry Bonds hit 73 home runs, breaking the record for most home runs in a season. In 2007, Bonds would surpass Hank Aaron's career record of 755 home runs. Bonds finished his career with 762 home runs (586 hit with the Giants), still the MLB record.
1994-1999
In 1994, the Giants made a few changes to their uniform. The road uniform reverted back to "San Francisco" in front and removed the piping. The front of both uniforms returned to stylized block letters with pointed edges, but kept the rounded numbers. The "SF" on the cap was also changed to reflect the lettering change.
Coinciding with the move to Oracle Park
(then Pacific Bell Park) in 2000, the Giants unveiled new uniforms which were aesthetically close to the style they originally wore in their early years. On each uniform, numbers returned to a block letter style.
This stuffed salmon recipe is even better than it looks! Our Crabmeat Stuffed Salmon takes imitation crab and combines it with this beautiful fish to make one of our favorite dinner recipes. Seafood recipes, specifically salmon recipes, can be tricky. So why not go for a seafood dinner recipe you know is going to be a success? This healthy recipe is easy, flavorful, and is sure to leave you pleasently stuffed! Once you try it, we know you'll be hooked.
- 1/2 pound imitation crabmeat, flaked
- 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
- 6 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
- Preheat oven to 350º. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except salmon; mix well and set aside.
- Cut a slit lengthwise 3/4 of way through each salmon fillet. Evenly divide stuffing into each slit and place on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until fish flakes easily.
