The San Francisco Giants Are Still Competitive After A Century Of Playing Baseball

The San Francisco Giants have an interesting history that did not begin in California and involved a name change less than two years after their debut. The year was 1883 when the New York Gothams played their first professional baseball game within the confines of the Old Polo Grounds. They won that contest against the Boston Beaneaters and have been a force to be reckoned with in the National League ever since.

Co-founder and manager Jim Mutrie is responsible for the name change just two years later. The players had just beat Philadelphia in a game that required extra innings. Mutrie was so overcome by the emotional victory he called the guys his giants. The name stuck and the Gothams were called the Giants from then on.

The first of many National League pennants came in 1888 when the New York team went on to take the championship series in ten games against St. Louis. The club was forced to seek out a new home in 1889 but before they did they played in three different venues. The Second Polo Grounds became their home in July and they stayed there for more than six decades before leaving the Big Apple for northern California in 1957.

The team escaped two subsequent moves. The first was in 1976 when a group led by Bob Lurie bought the franchise and blocked a possible move to Toronto. Sixteen years later, Lurie was frustrated at his inability to get a ballpark built downtown and agreed to sell to a group based in Florida. The team was spared another cross country trek when Peter Magowan spearheaded the effort by a local investment group to buy the team.

Games at Candlestick Park were as challenging for the players as they were for the fans. The location overlooking the bay guaranteed that most days were windy, cold, foggy or some combination of those conditions. The baseball team finally got their downtown stadium in 2000 with a move to China Basin.


The Giants introduced the idea of using signs during games in 1902 after John McGraw was named manager. McGraw required all players to learn sign language as a way of communicating with their teammate Luther Taylor, the only deaf-mute player in the league. This also gave them a way to communicate with each other during the game without speaking.

Another first for the league came in 1963 at Forbes Park. The Giants sent Jesus, Matty and Felipe Alou onto the field against the Philadelphia team marking the first time three brothers played simultaneously in the outfield. This milestone occurred on Sept. 15, five days after all three brothers went to bat in the same inning.

The 1984 season was notable as the year of Crazy Crab. This goofy looking creature with bug eyes was a satirical anti-mascot that the fans loved to hate. The idea was to make fun of traditional mascots but the crab became the brunt of the jokes as the Giants endured a season that saw 96 losses. Crazy Crab was mercilessly abused by fans and players alike and was retired after a single season.

Regardless of where the San Francisco Giants are playing, their biggest rivalry is and always has been with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The rivalry dates back to the late 1800s when the two clubs were playing in New York. They made the move to California at the same time, leaving their east coast fans heartbroken and bitter. The change of scenery and years of competition have only made the rivalry between the two teams more intense.