Photo Credit:
This article was researched and compiled
by Carrie Birdsong
* Established in 1883
* Based in San Francisco since 1958
Major League Affiliations:
1. National League (1883 – Present)
2. West Division (1969 – Present)
Retired Numbers:
1. NY: Christopher Mathewson
2. NY: John Joseph McGraw
3. #3 William Harold Terry
4. #4 Mel Ott
5. #11 Carl Hubbell
6. #20 Monte Irvin
7. #22 Will Clark
8. #24 Willie Mays
9. #25 Barry Bonds
10. #27 Juan Marichal
11. #30 Orlando Cepeda
12. #36 Gaylord Perry
13. #44 Willie McCovey
14. #42 Jackie Robinson
Colors: Black, Orange, Metallic Gold, Cream(1)(2)(3)
Name:
1. San Francisco Giants (1958 – Present)
2. New York Giants (1885 – 1957)
3. New York Gothams (1883 – 1884)
Other Nicknames:
1. The G – Men
2. Los Gigantes
3. The Orange and Black
Ballpark:
1. Oracle Park (2000 – Present)
2. Candlestick Park (1960 – 1999)
3. Seals Stadium (1958 – 1959)
4. Hilltop Park (1911)
5. Polo Grounds III (1891 – 1957)
6. Polo Grounds II (1889 – 1890)
7. St. George Cricket Grounds (1889)
8. Oakland Park (1889)
9. Polo Grounds (1883 – 1888)
Major League Titles:
1. World Series Titles (8): 1905, 1921, 1922,
1933, 1954, 2010, 2012, 2014
2. NL Pennants (23): 1888, 1889, 1904, 1905,
1911, 1912, 1913, 1917, 1921, 1922, 1923,
1924, 1933, 1936, 1937, 1951, 1954, 1962,
1989, 2002, 2010, 2012, 2014
3. West Division Titles (9): 1971, 1987, 1989,
1997, 2000, 2003, 2010, 2012, 2021
4. Temple Cup (1): 1894
5. Pre – Modern World Series (2): 1888,
1889
6. Wild Card Berth (3): 2002, 2014, 2016
Front Office:
1. Principal Owner(s): Charles B. Johnson,
6. Wild Card Berth (3): 2002, 2014, 2016
Front Office:
1. Principal Owner(s): Charles B. Johnson,
Greg E. Johnson (Chairman)(4)(5)
2. President: Larry Baer
3. President of Baseball Operations: Buster
2. President: Larry Baer
3. President of Baseball Operations: Buster
Posey
4. General Manager: Zack Minasian
5. Manager: Bob Melvin
6. Website: mlb.com/giants
The San Francisco Giants are a professional baseball team located in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in the Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) West Division. Founded in 1883 as the New York Gothams, the team was renamed the New York Giants three years later, eventually relocating from New York City to San Francisco in 1958. The Giants play their home games at Oracle Park in San Francisco.
The franchise is one of the oldest and most successful in professional baseball, with more wins than any other team in the history of major American sports(6). 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. In 2014, the Giants won their then – record 23rd National League pennant; this mark has since been equaled and then eclipsed by the rival Los Angeles Dodgers, wo won their 25th NL crown in 2024. The Giants’ eight World Series championships are tied for second – most in the NL – alongside the Dodgers – and are tied for the fifth – most of any franchise.(7)
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(8). The Giants’ rivalry with the Dodgers, one of the longest – standing and most famed rivalries in American sports, began in New York and continued when both teams relocated to California in 1958(9)(10).
Despite the efforts of Mays and Barry Bonds, regarded as two of baseball’s all – time best players,(11) the Giants endured a 56 – year championship drought following the move west, a stretch that included three World Series losses. The drought finally ended in the early 2010’s; under manager Bruce Bochy, the Giants embraced sabermetrics (blanket term for sports analytics) and eventually formed a baseball dynasty that saw them win the World Series in 2010, 2012, and 2014, making the Giants the second team in NL history to win three championships in five years.(12)(13)(14)
Through 2024, the franchise’s all – time record is 11,541 – 10,019 – 163 (.535). Since moving to San Francisco in 1958, the Giants have an overall win – loss record of 5,474 – 5,121 – 6 (.517) through the end of 2024(15). The team’s current manager is Bob Melvin.
History:
San Francisco Giants:
The Giants, along with their rival Los Angeles Dodgers, became the first Major League Baseball teams to play on the West Coast(16). On April 15th, 1958, the Giants played their first game in San Francisco, defeating the former Brooklyn and now Los Angeles Dodgers, 8 – 0(17). The Giants played for two seasons at Seals Stadium (from 1931 to 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.
The Giants struggled to sustain consistent success in their first 50 years in San Francisco. They made nine playoff appearances and won three National League 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, a series best known for the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, which caused a 10 – day delay between Games 2 and 3(18). 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 outfielder Barry Bonds hit 73 home runs, breaking the record for most home runs in a season(19). In 2007, Bonds would surpass Hank Aaron’s career record of 755 home runs(20). Bonds finished his career with 762 home runs (586 hit with the Giants), which is still the MLB record.
The Giants won three World Series championships in 2010, 2012, and 2014, giving the team eight total World Series titles, including the five won as the New York Giants.
Players inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum (Cooperstown) as members of the San Fransico Giants include (center fielder) Willie Mays, (first baseman) Orlando Cepeda, (pitcher) Juan Marichal, (first baseman) Willie McCovey, and (pitcher) Gaylord Perry.
Uniforms:
1958 – 1972
Upon moving to San Francisco, the Giants kept the same uniform they wore in New York, save for two changes. The cap logo now had an interlocking “SF” in orange, while the road uniform now featured “San Francisco” in black block letters with orange trim. Neckline, pants and sleeves feather thin black and orange stripes.
1973 – 1976
Changing to double – knit polyester, the Giants made a few noticeable changes to their uniform. The color scheme on the letters was changed to orange with black trim, and player names were added on the back. The cap logo remained the same.
1977 – 1982
For the 1977 season, the Giants switched to pullover uniforms. “Giants” on the home uniform was changed from serifed block lettering to cursive script, and the color scheme returned to black with orange trim. The road uniform became orange, with letters in black with white trim. Neck and sleeve stripes are in black, orange and white. Both uniforms received chest numbers. The standard cap was changed to feature an orange brim.
The 1978 season saw the Giants add a black alternate uniform, an inverse of their road orange uniform. All three uniforms now featured the “Giants” script previously exclusive to the home uniform.
1983 – 1993
Before the 1983 season, the Giants returned to a traditional buttoned uniform designed by Sidjakov Berman & Gomez(21). This design returned to the classic look they wore early in their San Francisco tenure, but with a few exceptions. The lettering became more rounded (save for the player’s name), the neck stripes were removed, and the interlocking “SF” and black piping was added on the road gray uniform. The caps returned to an all – black design.
1994 – 1999
In 1994, the Giants made a few changes to their uniform. The road uniform reverted 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.
2000 – Present
Coinciding with the move to Oracle Park (the 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.
Home
The base of the home uniform was changed to cream. The “Giants” wordmark kept the same stylized block letter treatment but the arrangement was changed from a vertical to a radial arch. Neck stripes were also returned to this uniform. Gold drop shadows were also added. A sleeve patch containing the team logo and the words “San Francisco Baseball Club” was also featured.
Road
The gray road uniform returned to the classic “San Francisco” wordmark used in the 1960’s, though in 2005 gold drop shadows were also added. This uniform was then tweaked to include black piping in 2012. Two sleeve patches were used. Between 2000 and 2010, the patch featured “SF” in orange letters in front of a baseball, with the full name added within a black circle. In 2011, this was changed to the sleeve patch used on the home uniform. Until 2020, only the road uniform featured player names; since 2021, all Giants uniforms have player names on the back.
Black Alternate
In 2001, the Giants added a road and home alternate black uniform. Each uniform shared the same design as their home and road counterparts, with the exception of the road alternate receiving gold drop shadows. The home design was dropped after only one season, and the road version was retired the following year. Both sets were worn with an all – black cap but with the squatchee in black (the primary cap has an orange squatchee) and the “SF” wordmark changed to black with orange trim.
In 2015, the Giants unveiled a new black alternative uniform to be used on select Saturday home games. This set has the interlocking “SF” in front along with orange piping and a new sleeve patch containing the Golden Gate Bridge atop the “Giants” wordmark. Initially, the letters were in black with orange trim, but this was changed to orange with black trim and orange drop shadows. In 2025, the Giants began wearing this uniform on select road games as well.
4. General Manager: Zack Minasian
5. Manager: Bob Melvin
6. Website: mlb.com/giants
The San Francisco Giants are a professional baseball team located in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in the Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) West Division. Founded in 1883 as the New York Gothams, the team was renamed the New York Giants three years later, eventually relocating from New York City to San Francisco in 1958. The Giants play their home games at Oracle Park in San Francisco.
The franchise is one of the oldest and most successful in professional baseball, with more wins than any other team in the history of major American sports(6). 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. In 2014, the Giants won their then – record 23rd National League pennant; this mark has since been equaled and then eclipsed by the rival Los Angeles Dodgers, wo won their 25th NL crown in 2024. The Giants’ eight World Series championships are tied for second – most in the NL – alongside the Dodgers – and are tied for the fifth – most of any franchise.(7)
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(8). The Giants’ rivalry with the Dodgers, one of the longest – standing and most famed rivalries in American sports, began in New York and continued when both teams relocated to California in 1958(9)(10).
Despite the efforts of Mays and Barry Bonds, regarded as two of baseball’s all – time best players,(11) the Giants endured a 56 – year championship drought following the move west, a stretch that included three World Series losses. The drought finally ended in the early 2010’s; under manager Bruce Bochy, the Giants embraced sabermetrics (blanket term for sports analytics) and eventually formed a baseball dynasty that saw them win the World Series in 2010, 2012, and 2014, making the Giants the second team in NL history to win three championships in five years.(12)(13)(14)
Through 2024, the franchise’s all – time record is 11,541 – 10,019 – 163 (.535). Since moving to San Francisco in 1958, the Giants have an overall win – loss record of 5,474 – 5,121 – 6 (.517) through the end of 2024(15). The team’s current manager is Bob Melvin.
History:
San Francisco Giants:
The Giants, along with their rival Los Angeles Dodgers, became the first Major League Baseball teams to play on the West Coast(16). On April 15th, 1958, the Giants played their first game in San Francisco, defeating the former Brooklyn and now Los Angeles Dodgers, 8 – 0(17). The Giants played for two seasons at Seals Stadium (from 1931 to 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.
The Giants struggled to sustain consistent success in their first 50 years in San Francisco. They made nine playoff appearances and won three National League 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, a series best known for the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, which caused a 10 – day delay between Games 2 and 3(18). 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 outfielder Barry Bonds hit 73 home runs, breaking the record for most home runs in a season(19). In 2007, Bonds would surpass Hank Aaron’s career record of 755 home runs(20). Bonds finished his career with 762 home runs (586 hit with the Giants), which is still the MLB record.
The Giants won three World Series championships in 2010, 2012, and 2014, giving the team eight total World Series titles, including the five won as the New York Giants.
Players inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum (Cooperstown) as members of the San Fransico Giants include (center fielder) Willie Mays, (first baseman) Orlando Cepeda, (pitcher) Juan Marichal, (first baseman) Willie McCovey, and (pitcher) Gaylord Perry.
Uniforms:
1958 – 1972
Upon moving to San Francisco, the Giants kept the same uniform they wore in New York, save for two changes. The cap logo now had an interlocking “SF” in orange, while the road uniform now featured “San Francisco” in black block letters with orange trim. Neckline, pants and sleeves feather thin black and orange stripes.
1973 – 1976
Changing to double – knit polyester, the Giants made a few noticeable changes to their uniform. The color scheme on the letters was changed to orange with black trim, and player names were added on the back. The cap logo remained the same.
1977 – 1982
For the 1977 season, the Giants switched to pullover uniforms. “Giants” on the home uniform was changed from serifed block lettering to cursive script, and the color scheme returned to black with orange trim. The road uniform became orange, with letters in black with white trim. Neck and sleeve stripes are in black, orange and white. Both uniforms received chest numbers. The standard cap was changed to feature an orange brim.
The 1978 season saw the Giants add a black alternate uniform, an inverse of their road orange uniform. All three uniforms now featured the “Giants” script previously exclusive to the home uniform.
1983 – 1993
Before the 1983 season, the Giants returned to a traditional buttoned uniform designed by Sidjakov Berman & Gomez(21). This design returned to the classic look they wore early in their San Francisco tenure, but with a few exceptions. The lettering became more rounded (save for the player’s name), the neck stripes were removed, and the interlocking “SF” and black piping was added on the road gray uniform. The caps returned to an all – black design.
1994 – 1999
In 1994, the Giants made a few changes to their uniform. The road uniform reverted 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.
2000 – Present
Coinciding with the move to Oracle Park (the 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.
Home
The base of the home uniform was changed to cream. The “Giants” wordmark kept the same stylized block letter treatment but the arrangement was changed from a vertical to a radial arch. Neck stripes were also returned to this uniform. Gold drop shadows were also added. A sleeve patch containing the team logo and the words “San Francisco Baseball Club” was also featured.
Road
The gray road uniform returned to the classic “San Francisco” wordmark used in the 1960’s, though in 2005 gold drop shadows were also added. This uniform was then tweaked to include black piping in 2012. Two sleeve patches were used. Between 2000 and 2010, the patch featured “SF” in orange letters in front of a baseball, with the full name added within a black circle. In 2011, this was changed to the sleeve patch used on the home uniform. Until 2020, only the road uniform featured player names; since 2021, all Giants uniforms have player names on the back.
Black Alternate
In 2001, the Giants added a road and home alternate black uniform. Each uniform shared the same design as their home and road counterparts, with the exception of the road alternate receiving gold drop shadows. The home design was dropped after only one season, and the road version was retired the following year. Both sets were worn with an all – black cap but with the squatchee in black (the primary cap has an orange squatchee) and the “SF” wordmark changed to black with orange trim.
In 2015, the Giants unveiled a new black alternative uniform to be used on select Saturday home games. This set has the interlocking “SF” in front along with orange piping and a new sleeve patch containing the Golden Gate Bridge atop the “Giants” wordmark. Initially, the letters were in black with orange trim, but this was changed to orange with black trim and orange drop shadows. In 2025, the Giants began wearing this uniform on select road games as well.
Part 2 of the article about the San Francisco Giants
will be posted on Tuesday September 16, 2025