San Francisco Giants facts for kids

The San Francisco Giants are a professional baseball team from San Francisco, California. They play in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) West Division. The team started in 1883 as the New York Gothams. Three years later, they became the New York Giants. In 1958, the team moved from New York City to San Francisco. Today, the Giants play their home games at Oracle Park in San Francisco.

The Giants are one of the oldest and most successful teams in baseball history. They have won more games than any other team in major American sports. The team was the first major league baseball team in New York City. They famously played their home games at a stadium called the Polo Grounds. The Giants have played in the World Series 20 times. In 2014, they won their 23rd National League pennant, which was a record at the time. The Giants have won eight World Series championships. This is the second-most in the National League and fifth-most among all MLB teams.

While in New York, the team won 17 pennants and five World Series titles. Famous players from the New York era include Christy Mathewson, Carl Hubbell, Mel Ott, and Willie Mays. Many Giants players have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, more than any other team. The Giants have a long-standing rivalry with the Los Angeles Dodgers. This rivalry started in New York and continued when both teams moved to California in 1958.

After moving to San Francisco, the Giants went 56 years without winning a championship. This period included three World Series losses. However, in the early 2010s, the team finally broke the drought. Under manager Bruce Bochy, the Giants won the World Series in 2010, 2012, and 2014. This made them the second team in NL history to win three championships in five years.

As of the end of 2024, the Giants have an all-time record of 11,541 wins and 10,019 losses. Since moving to San Francisco in 1958, their record is 5,474 wins and 5,121 losses. The team's current manager is Bob Melvin.

Quick facts for kids San Francisco Giants
2025 San Francisco Giants season
Established in 1883 Based in San Francisco since 1958
Team logo Cap insignia
Major league affiliations
National League (1883–present) West Division (1969–present)
Current uniform
Retired numbers	NY NY 3 4 11 20 22 24 25 27 30 36 44 42
Colors
Black, orange, metallic gold, cream
Name
San Francisco Giants (1958–present) New York Giants (1885–1957) New York Gothams (1883–1884)
Other nicknames
The G-Men Los Gigantes The Orange and Black
Ballpark
Oracle Park (2000–present) Candlestick Park (1960–1999) Seals Stadium (1958–1959) Hilltop Park (1911) Polo Grounds III (1891–1957) Polo Grounds II (1889–1890) St. George Cricket Grounds (1889) Oakland Park (1889) Polo Grounds I (1883–1888)
Major league titles
World Series titles (8)	1905 1921 1922 1933 1954 2010 2012 2014
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
West Division titles (9)	1971 1987 1989 1997 2000 2003 2010 2012 2021
Pre-modern World Series (2)	1888 1889
Wild card berths (3)	2002 2014 2016
Front office
Principal owner(s)	Charles B. Johnson Greg E. Johnson (Chairman)
President	Larry Baer
President of baseball operations	Buster Posey
General manager	Zack Minasian
Manager	Bob Melvin

Giants History: From New York to San Francisco

New York Giants: Early Days and Big Wins

The Giants started in New York City as the New York Gothams in 1883. They became the New York Giants in 1885 and stayed in New York until after the 1957 season. For most of their 75 years in New York, the Giants played at the Polo Grounds in Upper Manhattan.

Many famous players who are now in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum played for the New York Giants. These include John McGraw, Christy Mathewson, Mel Ott, Bill Terry, Willie Mays, Monte Irvin, and Travis Jackson. While in New York, the team won five of its eight World Series titles (in 1905, 1921, 1922, 1933, and 1954). They also won 17 of their 23 National League pennants.

Some famous moments from the New York Giants' history include the 1922 World Series, where they beat the Yankees. There was also Bobby Thomson's "Shot Heard 'Round the World" home run in 1951. And in 1954, Willie Mays made an amazing defensive play called "the Catch".

The Giants had strong rivalries with other New York teams, like the New York Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers. Games between these teams were known as the Subway Series. The rivalry with the Dodgers is still strong today because both teams moved to California after the 1957 season. The New York Giants football team in the National Football League (NFL) is named after the baseball team.

San Francisco Giants: Moving West and Winning Again

Fans celebrating the Giants' 2014 World Series victory at San Francisco City Hall.

The Giants and their rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers, were 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. They beat the Dodgers 8–0. The Giants played for two seasons at Seals Stadium before moving to Candlestick Park in 1960. They played at Candlestick Park until 1999. In 2000, they opened Oracle Park (first called Pacific Bell Park), where they play now.

For their first 50 years in San Francisco, the Giants had some ups and downs. They made it to the playoffs nine times and won three NL pennants between 1958 and 2009. They lost the 1962 World Series to the New York Yankees. In the 1989 World Series, they were swept by their cross-Bay rivals, the Oakland Athletics. This series is famous for the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, which delayed games for 10 days. The Giants also lost the 2002 World Series to the Anaheim Angels.

One big highlight during this time was the 2001 season. Outfielder Barry Bonds hit 73 home runs, breaking the record for most home runs in a season. In 2007, Bonds broke Hank Aaron's career record of 755 home runs. Bonds finished his career with 762 home runs, which is still the MLB record.

The Giants won three World Series championships in 2010, 2012, and 2014. This brought their total World Series titles to eight, including the five they won in New York.

Players who played for the San Francisco Giants and are now in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum include Willie Mays, Orlando Cepeda, Juan Marichal, Willie McCovey, and Gaylord Perry.

Giants Uniforms: A Look Through Time

The Giants' uniforms have changed over the years, but they always keep their classic black and orange colors.

1958–1972: Classic Look

When the Giants moved to San Francisco, they kept their New York uniforms. The cap had an interlocking "SF" in orange. The road uniforms said "San Francisco" in black letters with orange trim.

1973–1976: New Materials

The team started using double-knit polyester uniforms. The letters changed to orange with black trim, and player names were added to the back.

1977–1982: Pullover Style

The Giants switched to pullover uniforms. The word "Giants" on the home uniform became a cursive script. The colors went back to black with orange trim. The road uniform became orange with black and white letters. They also added chest numbers.

1983–1993: Back to Buttons

The Giants returned to traditional buttoned uniforms. This design looked more like their early San Francisco uniforms. The lettering became more rounded, and the caps were all black.

1994–1999: Modern Updates

The road uniform went back to saying "San Francisco" on the front. The letters on both uniforms became a stylish block design with pointed edges.

2000–Present: Oracle Park Era

When the team moved to Oracle Park in 2000, they got new uniforms. These looked similar to their early uniforms. Numbers went back to a block style.

Home Uniform

The home uniform became cream-colored. The "Giants" wordmark was curved. Gold shadows were added to the letters. A patch with the team logo was added to the sleeve.

Road Uniform

The gray road uniform brought back the classic "San Francisco" wordmark from the 1960s. Gold shadows were added in 2005. Since 2021, all Giants uniforms have player names on the back.

Black Alternate Uniform

In 2001, the Giants added black alternate uniforms for home and away games. These were similar to the main uniforms but in black. A new black alternate uniform was introduced in 2015 for some Saturday home games. This one has the interlocking "SF" on the front and a Golden Gate Bridge patch on the sleeve.

Orange Alternate Uniform

Before the 2010 season, the Giants added an orange alternate uniform for Friday home games. This uniform has black piping and a new sleeve patch with the interlocking "SF" logo. It also uses the script "Giants" lettering from the late 1970s.

City Connect Uniforms

In 2021, MLB and Nike started the "City Connect" program. Teams wear special uniforms that show off their city's personality. The Giants' City Connect uniform is white with orange accents. It has a special "G" with an orange and white fade, which looks like the San Francisco fog. An orange picture of the Golden Gate Bridge is on the sleeves.

Giants Rivalries: Big Games and Old Foes

The Giants have some exciting rivalries in baseball.

Los Angeles Dodgers: The Longest Rivalry

The rivalry between the Giants and the Dodgers is one of the longest in sports history. It began in the late 1800s when both teams were in New York City. The Dodgers were in Brooklyn, and the Giants played in Manhattan. After the 1957 season, both teams moved to California. The Dodgers went to Los Angeles, and the Giants went to San Francisco. This kept the rivalry alive across the country.

This rivalry is considered one of the greatest in sports because it has lasted over a century and moved across a continent. Both teams have had times of great success against each other. The Giants have more total wins and World Series titles in their history. However, the Dodgers have won their division more times since 1969.

Oakland Athletics: The Bay Bridge Series

The Giants also have a local rivalry with the American League Athletics, who play across the bay in Oakland. This rivalry became much bigger during the 1989 World Series, which was called the "Battle of the Bay." The Athletics won that series, which was famously stopped by the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.

This rivalry actually goes way back to when the Giants were in New York and the Athletics were in Philadelphia. They played each other in the World Series in 1905, 1911, and 1913. Since 1997, the teams play each other regularly every season because of "interleague play".

New York Yankees: An Old New York Rivalry

Even though they are in different leagues, the Giants and Yankees have a historic rivalry. It started in New York before the Giants moved to the West Coast. Before 1997, they mostly played each other in the World Series. They met seven times in the World Series, with the Yankees winning five of those.

Since 2023, the teams play each other every year in the regular season. In 1939, Yankees legend Lou Gehrig famously said the Giants were a team he "would give his right arm to beat."

Giants Hall of Famers: Baseball Legends

As of 2024, the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame has inducted 66 people who were part of the Giants. This includes 55 players and 11 managers, which is more than any other team in baseball history.

Christy Mathewson

Mel Ott

Ford C. Frick Award: Honoring Broadcasters

The Ford C. Frick Award honors baseball broadcasters. Several Giants broadcasters have received this award.

Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame: Local Heroes

Barry Bonds

Madison Bumgarner

Orlando Cepeda

Will Clark

Jeffrey Leonard

Tim Lincecum

Willie Mays

Juan Marichal

Willie McCovey

Gaylord Perry

Many Giants players and staff are also in the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame, recognizing their impact on local sports.

Wall of Fame: Honoring Giants Legends

The Giants Wall of Fame celebrates retired players who had long and successful careers with the San Francisco Giants. To be honored, a player must have played at least nine seasons for the Giants, or five seasons with at least one All-Star selection as a Giant.

Key

Year	Year inducted
Bold	Member of the Baseball Hall of Fame
	Member of the Baseball Hall of Fame as a Giant

San Francisco Giants Wall of Fame
Year	No.	Name	Position(s)	Tenure
2008	23, 49	Felipe Alou	OF/1B Manager	1958–1963 2003–2006
	46	Gary Lavelle	P	1974–1984
	33	Jim Barr	P	1971–1978 1982–1983
	10	Johnnie LeMaster	SS	1975–1985
	14, 24	Willie Mays	CF	1951–1952, 1954–1972
	47	Rod Beck	P	1991–1997
	00, 20, 26	Jeffrey Leonard	LF	1981–1988
	14	Vida Blue	P	1978–1981 1985–1986
	8, 17, 19	Kirt Manwaring	C	1987–1996
	44	Willie McCovey	1B	1959–1973 1977–1980
	42	Bobby Bolin	P	1961–1969
	27	Juan Marichal	P	1960–1973
	49	Jeff Brantley	P	1988–1993
	15, 22	Jack Clark	RF/1B	1975–1984
	29, 40	Mike McCormick	P	1956–1962 1967–1970
	15, 19	Bob Brenly	C	1981–1988 1989
	32, 33, 40, 51	John Burkett	P	1987 1990–1994
	23, 37	Stu Miller	P	1957–1962
	25	Bobby Bonds	RF	1968–1974
	30	Orlando Cepeda	1B	1958–1966
	17, 39	Randy Moffitt	P	1972–1981
	38, 41	Greg Minton	P	1975–1987
	7, 9	Kevin Mitchell	LF	1987–1991
	22	Will Clark	1B	1986–1993
	34, 39	Mike Krukow	P	1983–1989
	12	Jim Davenport	3B Manager	1958–1970 1985
	26, 50	John Montefusco	P	1974–1980
	30, 33	Chili Davis	OF	1981–1987
	9, 10, 60	Matt Williams	3B	1987–1996
	31	Robb Nen	P	1998–2002
	2	Dick Dietz	C	1966–1971
	22, 28, 35, 36	Gaylord Perry	P	1962–1971
	41	Darrell Evans	3B/1B	1976–1983
	16	Jim Ray Hart	3B/LF	1963–1973
	48	Rick Reuschel	P	1987–1991
	6	J. T. Snow	1B	1997–2005 2008
	23, 26, 29	Tito Fuentes	2B	1965–1974
	42, 45, 46	Kirk Rueter	P	1996–2005
	31, 43, 50, 52, 54	Scott Garrelts	P	1982–1991
	6	Robby Thompson	2B	1986–1996
	5, 51	Tom Haller	C	1961–1967
	2, 35	Chris Speier	SS	1971–1977 1987–1989
	7, 14, 17	Atlee Hammaker	P	1982–1985 1987–1990
2009	21	Jeff Kent	2B	1997–2002
2010	33, 35, 57	Rich Aurilia	SS	1995–2003 2007–2009
	36, 55	Shawn Estes	P	1995–2001
2011	7, 56	Marvin Benard	OF	1995–2003
	29	Jason Schmidt	P	2001–2006
2017	25	Barry Bonds	LF	1993–2007
2018	18, 43	Matt Cain	P	2005–2017
	33, 38	Brian Wilson	P	2006–2012
	14, 32, 51	Ryan Vogelsong	P	2000–2001 2011–2015
2019	—	Peter Magowan	Managing General Partner	1993–2008
2021	—	Bob Lurie	Owner	1976–1993
2022	8	Hunter Pence	RF	2012–2018 2020
2023	—	Mike Murphy	Clubhouse Manager	1958–2023
2024	41	Jeremy Affeldt	P	2009–2015
	46	Santiago Casilla	P	2010–2016
	49	Javier López	P	2010–2016
	54	Sergio Romo	P	2008–2016

Retired Numbers: Honoring Greats Forever

The Giants have retired 11 numbers in their history. This means no other player on the team can wear that number again. Most recently, Will Clark's number 22 was retired in 2022.

Christy Mathewson P   Honored 1988 John McGraw 3B Mgr Honored 1988 Bill Terry 1B Mgr, GM Retired 1984 Mel Ott RF Mgr Retired 1949 Carl Hubbell P   Retired 1944 Monte Irvin LF   Retired June 26, 2010 Will Clark 1B   Retired July 30, 2022 Willie Mays CF   Retired May 12, 1972 Barry Bonds LF   Retired August 11, 2018 Juan Marichal P   Retired 1975 Orlando Cepeda 1B   Retired July 11, 1999 Gaylord Perry P   Retired July 23, 2005 Willie McCovey 1B   Retired September 21, 1980 Jackie Robinson* – All MLB Honored April 15, 1997

* Retired throughout the major leagues; Robinson actually was traded to the Giants, but retired before playing a game for them.

Most of the Giants whose numbers are retired are also in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Carl Hubbell (#11) was the first National League player to have his number retired by his team in 1944. Bill Terry, Mel Ott, and Hubbell played their entire careers for the New York Giants. Willie Mays (#24) started his career in New York and moved with the team to San Francisco in 1958.

John McGraw and Christy Mathewson played for the New York Giants before uniform numbers were common. Their names are honored with the letters "NY" instead of a number. Broadcasters Lon Simmons, Russ Hodges, and Jon Miller are honored with a radio microphone symbol.

The Giants also give out the Willie Mac Award every year. This award goes to the player who shows the best spirit and leadership, just like Willie McCovey did.

Team Captains: Leaders on the Field

The Giants have had ten official team captains over the years:

• Jack Doyle, 1902
• Dan McGann, 1903–1907
• Larry Doyle, 1908–16
• Gus Mancuso, 1937–38
• Mel Ott, 1939–47
• Alvin Dark, 1950–56
• Willie Mays, 1961–72
• Willie McCovey, 1977–80
• Darrell Evans, 1980–83
• Jack Clark, 1984

Home Stadiums: Where the Giants Play

New York Stadiums

• Polo Grounds I (1883–1888)
• Oakland Park (1889)
• St. George Cricket Grounds (1889)
• Polo Grounds II (1889–1890)
• Polo Grounds III (1891–1957)
  • Hilltop Park (1911, used after a fire)

San Francisco Stadiums

• Seals Stadium (1958–1959)
• Candlestick Park (1960–1999)
• Oracle Park (2000–present), also known as AT&T Park, SBC Park, and Pacific Bell Park.

Giants on the Air: Radio and TV

Giants games are shown on TV by NBC Sports Bay Area. Some games are also shown on KNTV. The main TV announcers are Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow, known as "Kruk and Kuip."

The Giants' main radio station is KNBR (680 AM). Jon Miller and Dave Flemming are the regular radio announcers. You can hear Giants games on the San Francisco Giants Radio Network throughout Northern California and other areas. Spanish-language broadcasts are on KXZM (93.7 FM) with Erwin Higueros and Tito Fuentes.

Team Music: Songs of Victory

The Giants' fight song, "Bye, Bye Baby!", is played after any Giants home run. The song's title comes from former Giants broadcaster Russ Hodges's famous home run call.

After a Giants home win, Tony Bennett's song "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" is played at Oracle Park to celebrate.

Images for kids

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  San Francisco Giants Logo

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  San Francisco Giants Cap Insignia

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  San Francisco Giants Uniforms