MLB Top 5: San Francisco Giants First and Third Basemen

This is the second article in a series that looks at the five best players at each position for the San Francisco Giants. In this installment are first and third basemen.

The Giants have been lucky to have a successful run at the corner infield positions, which have traditionally been spots that have created the most run production for teams. The entire top five at first base plus two players at third are now in the Hall of Fame and many others on these lists have been part of some of the greatest and most memorable moments in franchise history.

The best First and Third Basemen in San Francisco Giants history

First Basemen

Honorable Mentions – Although Jack Doyle was no worse than other players during his major league career, the Ireland-born star got the nickname “Dirty Jack” for his aggressive play on the basepaths. He bounced around to 10 teams in three different leagues in 17 seasons but spent most of his time with the Giants in three stints (1892-95, 98-1900 and ’02). Doyle was known for being a fierce competitor who would brawl with umpires, fans and opposing players. One of those he tangled with on more than one occasion was John McGraw, the future Giants manager who was a teammate of his in Baltimore. He accused Doyle of causing dissension in the clubhouse and a few years later, he would deliberately spike his rival during a play at third base. He ended his eight-year tenure with the Giants batting .306 overall with 452 runs, 880 hits, 158 doubles, 479 RBIs, 256 stolen bases and 1,139 total bases in 746 games. Doyle finished his career by playing one game with the Highlanders (later Yankees) in 1905, he was a minor league player-manager, umpire, scout, and a police commissioner in Massachusetts. He was honored at the final game in the Polo Grounds in 1957 as the team’s oldest living player and died the following year of a heart attack at age 89.

Following Doyle’s last stint with the team, Dan McGann was the starter for the next six years (1902-07). The Kentucky native began his career in Boston in 1896 and bounced around until following McGraw from Baltimore to New York in the mass exodus from the Orioles in 1902. “Cap” was an aggressive player who was known for starting brawls, but he was also quite productive (he had at least 80 runs scored and 70 RBIs twice each and stole 30 or more bases three time), and he led the league in being hit by a pitch twice with the Giants and six times overall. He also was stellar at his position, winning six fielding titles, including four straight with New York. McGann batted .279 with 360 runs, 678 hits, 290 RBIs and 151 stolen bases in 682 games. He was a member of two pennant-winning teams and drove in four runs in Game 3. He was traded to Boston in 1908, but his hitting declined during his one season with the Doves (later Braves) and two in the minor leagues. McGann’s tale has a tragic end. He had been haunted by the death of his mother, which also led to the suicide of one of his sisters. One brother took his own life as well, and another died from an infection after an accidental shooting. At age 39, McGann was found in his Louisville hotel room with a bullet in his chest on December 13, 1910.

Several players have become known for one defining moment in their careers but none so infamous as Fred Merkle. The son of a German immigrant began his major league career with the Giants in 1907 and was a backup for his first three seasons. However, it was during this early stretch that his “memorable” moment occurred. Merkle was a late-inning substitute in a game in late September 1908 against the Cubs in a game that pitted two of the three teams vying for the National League pennant in the season’s final weeks. With the score tied 1-1 in the bottom of the ninth inning, his single put runners on first and third. Another hit scored the winning run, but Merkle never reached second base, turning off the path to join in the celebration as fans came onto the field. The Cubs frantically searched for the ball in the crowd and when it was found (or another one was tossed into play, depending upon which story you believe), he was forced out at second and the game was declared a tie because the fans could not be cleared off the field. The two teams finished the season tied atop the standings and the Cubs won the makeup of the tied game to win the pennant. The play, known as “Merkle’s Boner” was unfairly noted as costing the Giants the pennant when there were still 17 games remaining. Even after his mistake, Merkle stayed with the Giants for a decade in total (1907-16), batting .272 with 504 runs, 1,042 hits, 192 doubles, 57 triples, 49 home runs, 512 RBIs, 212 steals and 1,495 total bases in 1,105 games. He played in three straight World Series (all losses) totaling nine runs, 15 hits one homer and seven RBIs in 18 games. Merkle spent time with the Robins (later Dodgers), Cubs and, after several years in the minors, finished his career with a brief stint with the Yankees. He was a manager of a minor league team in Daytona, Florida when a player referred to him as a bonehead, and that was his final moment in baseball. Merkle owned a fruit farm and manufactured fishing lures before passing away in 1956 at age 67.

Johnny Mize was a Georgia native who starred in tennis before taking up baseball. He joined the Cardinals in 1936 and quickly became one of the most feared power hitters in the game. The Giants traded for Mize four days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and he responded with an All-Star selection and led the league with 110 RBIs and a .521 slugging percentage in 1942. Mize then spent three years in the Navy, where he mostly played baseball during World War II. After returning to hit 22 home runs in 101 games in 1946, he threatened the home run record the following year. Although Mize hit 44 through the end of August, he finished well short of the record with 51, a total that tied for third in team history and led the National League along with 138 RBIS and 137 runs to finish third in the MVP race. However, he became the only player to hit at least 50 home runs while striking out less than 50 times (42) in a season. The “Big Cat” topped the N. L. with 40 homers in 1948 and earned two more All-Star selections, giving him five with the Giants, before he was sent to the Yankees the following year. Both his playing time and power numbers went into a decline thanks to arm and leg injuries, but he was an essential bench player on a team that set a record by winning five straight World Series titles. Mize finished his five-year Giants tenure (1942 and 46-49) with a .299 average, 473 runs, 733 hits, 110 doubles, 157 home runs, 505 RBIs and 1,346 total bases in 655 games. His 359 homers ranked sixth on the all-time list when he retired after the 1953 season. He owned several businesses in Florida and was a minor and major league coach. Mize was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1981 and passed away in 1993 at age 80.

While Mize was winning titles with the Yankees, Carroll “Whitey” Lockman had taken over at first base for the Giants. He came to New York as a center fielder in 1945 and, after missing a year as an Army technical sergeant on a transport ship, he returned in time for the 1947 season. However, he appeared in just two games after breaking his ankle on a late slide at second base during a spring training game. Lockman moved to left field then first base, taking over that spot in 1951. His most memorable moment came in Game 3 of the playoff series against the Dodgers for the National League pennant. The Giants were trailing 4-1 heading into the bottom of the ninth but had two runners on with one out. Lockman sent a ball the opposite way that snuck inside the left field line for a run-scoring double and chased Dodgers ace Don Newcombe from the game. Ralph Branca came into the game in relief and served up the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” to Bobby Thomson, giving the Giants the win and the pennant. Lockman earned his only All-Star selection the following year, was traded to the Cardinals in 1956, traded back to the Giants the following year and played in both the final season in New York and the first in San Francisco, finishing his 13-year run with the team (1945, 47-56 and 57-58) with a .281 average, 799 runs, 1,571 hits, 216 doubles, 114 home runs, 543 RBIs and 2,216 total bases in 1,485 games, which ranks tenth in franchise history. In addition to his heroics against the Dodgers, Lockman appeared in 10 World Series games, totaling three runs, eight hits, one homer and four RBIs. After ending his career with the Reds in 1960, he embarked on a long career coaching and managing both in the minor and major leagues and serving in multiple front-office positions for several teams, most notably stints as manager and general manager with the Cubs in the 1970s and his final position as a scout with the Marlins, which lasted from 1993-2001. Lockman was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in his lungs and passed away in 2009 at age 82.

Few players have come into the league with more fanfare than Will Clark. The Louisiana native attended Mississippi State, earning the Golden Spikes Award as best college player and winning a silver medal with Team USA in the 1984 Summer Olympics. The Giants selected him second overall the following year and put him on the roster, where he quickly earned the nickname “The Thrill” for his hot start, which included a home run in his first major league at-bat. He earned Rookie of the Year and MVP consideration in his first two years, led the league with 109 RBIs and 100 walks in 1988 (his first of five straight All-Star seasons) and finished second in the MVP voting the following campaign after batting .333 with a league-leading 194 runs, a career-best 196 hits, 23 home runs and 111 runs batted in. Clark was also a member of two playoff teams, winning NLCS MVP in 1989 after batting .650 (13-for-20) in the five-game win over the Cubs with eight runs, two homers and eight RBIs (including six in Game 1). He signed a big contract and produced a subpar season the following year, but returned to form in 1991, with his sweet swing producing a .301 average, 29 home runs, a career-high 116 RBIs and league-leading totals of 303 total bases and a .536 slugging percentage. His numbers declined after that, but he was still a productive player when he signed with the Rangers in 1994, ending his eight-year tenure with the Giants (1986-93) with a .299 average, 687 runs, 1,278 hits, 249 doubles, 176 home runs (ninth in franchise history), 709 RBIs and 2,121 hits in 1,160 games. Clark spent five years in Texas and played for the Orioles and Cardinals, retiring after the 2000 season to focus on his family, including a son who was diagnosed with autism. He worked as a spring training advisor for the Diamondbacks, was a community ambassador for the Giants and was an inaugural inductee into the College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006.

J. T. Snow was the son of a former star NFL wide receiver and played one year with the Yankees before being sent to the Angels in the 1993 trade for Jim Abbott. With California, he became a solid run producer and an elite defender, winning his first two of six straight gold gloves. Following a trade to San Francisco, Snow began to hit exclusively left-handed after starting his career as a switch-hitter. In addition to continuing his gold glove streak, he had the most productive season of his career, batting .281 and setting career highs with 28 home runs and 104 runs batted in. Snow had back-to-back seasons with at least 80 runs, 150 hits and 90 RBIs in 1999-2000, and he also became a clutch playoff performer later in his career. He hit a game-tying, pinch-hit three-run homer against the Mets in the 2000 Division Series (although New York won the game and the series) and totaled 10 runs, 22 hits, two home runs and nine RBIs during the team’s run to the World Series two years later. However, his greatest play did not come at first base, but as he was approaching home plate during Game 5 against the Angels. Snow was the first of two runners trying to score on a triple, but batboy Darren Baker, the three-year-old son of manager, Dusty Baker, came out to retrieve the bat while the play was still going on. The first baseman scooped the boy up as he was crossing home plate, creating one of the game’s most indelible images. Snow spent his final season with the Red Sox then was hired to be a color commentator, front office advisor and minor league instructor with the Giants, returning to make one start with the team in 2008. Overall, he batted .273 with 561 runs, 1,043 hits, 228 doubles, 124 home runs, 615 RBIs and 1,673 RBIs in 1,183 regular season games and 11 runs, 32 hits, three homers and 15 RBIs in 28 playoff contests. Snow is now a coach with the Oakland Ballers of the independent Pioneer League.

Brandon Belt was drafted by the Giants in 2009 and made his big-league debut two years later, earning the nickname “Baby Giraffe” for the way he tracked down fly balls as an outfielder. The Texas native played almost exclusively at first base ever since, winning a fielding title in 2015 and earning his only All-Star selection the following year after batting .275 with 16 home runs and setting career highs with 77 runs, 149 hits, 41 doubles and 82 RBIs. Belt was a member of two championship teams, totaling 14 runs, 29 hits, two home runs and 13 RBIs in 37 postseason games, with his most memorable playoff moment being a game-winning home run in the 18th inning against the Nationals in Game 2 of the 2014 Division Series. A knee injury slowed him down later in his career, although he hit a career-high 29 home runs in 2021. Belt ended his Giants tenure ranked fourth in franchise history in strikeouts (1,205) and tied for tenth in doubles (267) and home runs (175) to go with 628 runs, 1,146 hits, 584 RBIs and 2,010 total bases in 1,310 games. He last played with the Blue Jays in 2023.

5. George “High Pockets” Kelly – He was the nephew of Bill Lange, a speedy outfielder with the Colts and Orphans (later Cubs) in the 1890s, but he became an even bigger star during a 16-year career. His time in the major leagues did not start that way, though. Kelly had three lackluster seasons as a bench player with the Giants but returned after a year of military service during World War I and began to realize his potential. Although he led the league with 92 strikeouts in 1920, he also topped the N. L. with 94 RBIs, then ran off four straight seasons with at least 100, helping the Giants to win the pennant each year. Kelly led the league with 23 home runs the following year, set career highs with a .328 average, 96 runs and 194 hits in 1922 and led all N. L. hitters with 136 RBIs two years after that. He also played a part in two straight World Series-winning plays against the Yankees, completing a double play with the throw across the diamond to third base in 1921 and hitting a two-run series-winning single the following year.

In 1925, “High Pockets” finished third in the MVP voting as a second baseman after posting a .309-20-99 stat line. He returned to first for his final year with the Giants, ending an 11-year run with the team (1915-17 and 19-26) with a .301 average, 608 runs, 1,270 RBIs, 218 doubles, 52 triples, 123 home runs, 762 RBIs and 1,961 total bases in 1,136 regular season games and 11 runs, 25 hits, one homer and 11 RBIs in 26 World Series contests. In addition to his offensive numbers, Kelly was a stellar defender, winning the fielding title in 1926, leading the league in putouts and assists three times each and double plays twice. He played for the Reds, Cubs and Dodgers, and he also spent several seasons in the minor leagues before retiring in 1935 and spending time as a coach with Cincinnati and Boston and a scout for the Reds. Kelly was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1973 and passed away in 1984 at age 89.

4. Roger Connor – He was the game’s first slugger, smacking fastballs around open fields throughout an 18-year career. The son of Irish immigrants, Connor began his major league career with the Troy Trojans as a barehanded third baseman in 1880 and, when the franchise was disbanded two years later, he was the first player to go to the Gothams, following a season in which he led the league with 18 triples. At 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, he was one of several New York players whose size and success led to the team’s name being changed to the Giants in 1885. Connor’s season made people take notice of him for more than just his size, as he led the league with a .371 average, a .435 on-base percentage ad 169 hits. He batted .355 the following year, topped the N. L. with 20 triples and posted a career-best 172 hits.

Both Connor and the Giants were at their best during back-to-back pennant-winning seasons. The slugging first baseman batted .317 and led the league with 130 RBIs and a .528 slugging percentage in 1889. Like many of his New York teammates, he joined the Players League in 1890, drove in 103 runs, led that circuit with a .548 slugging percentage and was the only player to hit for the cycle. After the new league folded after just one year, he spent 1891 with the Giants, then one year with the Phillies before returning to New York, batting .305 with 105 RBIs in 1893. Connor was released the following year, finishing his 10-year run with the Giants (1883-89, ’91 and 93-94) ranked third in franchise history in triples (131), fourth in on-base percentage (.402), seventh in average (.319, including .300 or better six times), eight in runs (946, with six seasons of 100 or more) and ninth in RBIs (786, including four times with at least 100) to go with 1,388 hits (150 or more five times), 242 doubles, 76 home runs, 161 steals and 2,120 total bases in 1,120 games. He played his final four years with the Cardinals, finishing his career with 138 home runs, which was a major league record that stood until Babe Ruth broke it more than 20 years later. Connor was a minor league player, manager and owner for six years, then was a school inspector in Connecticut and invested in the housing market in Florida, which was later destroyed by a hurricane and the stock market crash. In his later years, he had cancer of the larynx (which led to most of his voice box being removed) and underwent prostate surgery, with sepsis from the operation adding to chronic heart disease and leading to his passing in 1931 at age 73. Connor was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee 45 years after his death in 1976.

3. Orlando Cepeda – He was the son of one of Puerto Rico’s greatest players, but it wasn’t until he found he was good at baseball himself that he escaped the island’s crime and drug culture. Cepeda signed with the Giants as a 16-year-old in 1953, but his father died days before his first minor league game. After five seasons in the minors, he joined the big-league club in their new home in San Francisco, hitting a home run in the team’s first game on the West Coast and winning the Rookie of the Year Award after posting a .312-25-96 stat line with 88 runs, 188 hits and a league-leading 38 doubles. Over the next four years, Cepeda continued to improve, earning double All-Star selections each year and finishing as the MVP runner-up after hitting .311 and leading the N. L. with 46 home runs and 142 RBIs in 1961, with the latter total being second in team history. All of this came despite appearing at both corner infield and corner outfield spots to accommodate other players (including the top player on this list). Although he had a stellar season, he damaged his knee in a home plate collision and dealt with the ramifications of that injury for the rest of his career.

During his nine-year Giants tenure (1958-66), the “Baby Bull” had at least 160 hits, 20 home runs and 90 RBIs in seven straight seasons, batted .300 or better six times and totaled 100 or more runs and RBIs three times each. San Francisco reached its first World Series since the move, but the slugger went just 3-for-19 with two RBIs in a loss to the Yankees. Although Cepeda continued to perform at a high level, he ran into a major problem in manager Al Dark, who kept a “ratings system” on his team and was accused of being prejudiced against Latino players. He missed most of the 1965 season with a knee issue that required surgery and was traded to the Cardinals the following year, ended his nine-year tenure with the Giants (1958-66) with a .308 average, 652 runs, 1,286 hits, 226 doubles, 226 home runs (sixth in franchise history), 767 RBIs (tenth) and 2,234 total bases (tenth) in 1,114 games. Cepeda had several solid seasons in St. Louis and Atlanta, including an MVP season with the Cardinals in 1967. He dealt with issues in both knees (including another surgery) over his final four years, retiring in 1974 with a .297 average, 379 homers and 1,365 RBIs. Cepeda’s post-baseball career was littered with problems including an arrest for marijuana possession and owing back child support, but he turned his life around after embracing Buddhism and became an ambassador for the Giants. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1999 and passed away in 2024 at age 86.

2. Bill Terry – He worked in the railyards in Atlanta, which made him strong enough to handle the rigors of a full baseball season. Terry began as a pitcher but converted to first base after signing with the Giants in 1922. The following season, he made his major league debut playing in the team’s final three games before making the team as a backup to Kelly in 1924. “Memphis Bill” was moved into the starting lineup and batted .319 the following year, but his play slipped in 1926, and he was demoted to a pinch-hitting role. Beginning the next season, Terry got his playing time back and became one of the best first basemen in the National League. For the next six seasons, he batted at least .300 with 180 hits, 30 doubles and 100 RBIs. Terry had seven straight campaigns finishing in the top 10 of the MVP voting, including three consecutive third-place finishes.

“Smiling Bill” had his best season in 1930 when he led the league and set franchise records with a .401 average and 254 hits, finished second in team history with 139 runs and 392 total bases and became the last N. L. player to hit .400 in a season. He batted .349 and led the league with 121 runs and 20 triples the following year and ended the six-year run with a .350 average and a career-best 28 home runs in 1932 while also becoming player-manager after McGraw stepped down. Over the next three years, Terry earned All-Star selections and reached 200 hits twice, giving him six seasons reaching that mark. He also led the Giants to 91 wins and their first title in more than a decade in 1933. Terry finished his playing career three years later, retiring after 14 seasons (1923-36) as the team’s all-time leader with a .341 average, including 11 seasons batting .300 or better. He also ranks third in hits (2,193), fourth in doubles (373) and fifth in games (1,721), runs (1,120), triples (112), RBIs (1,078) and total bases (3,252) to go with 154 home runs. Terry appeared in three World Series, totaling seven runs, 18 hits, two homers and seven RBIs in 16 games. “Memphis Bill” continued as manager until 1941, leading the team to two more pennants and an 823-661 record in 10 seasons. He was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1954 and passed away in 1989 at age 90.

1. Willie McCovey – He got his tryout with the Giants at the same camp as Cepeda, and the two would be linked for more than a decade. Despite playing in just 52 games in his first campaign, McCovey won the Rookie of the Year Award the season after Cepeda did by batting .354 in 1959. The two alternated between first base and the corner outfield spots during a four-year stretch in the early 1960s, with McCovey earning his first of six All-Star selections after leading the league with 44 home runs, driving in 102 runs and setting career highs with 103 runs scored and 158 hits in 1963. Two years later, he moved to his natural position for good and put together a string of six straight seasons with at least 30 homers.

Nicknamed “Stretch” due to his 6-foot-4 stature and long arms, he finished third in the MVP voting in 1968 after batting .293 and leading the league with 36 home runs and 105 RBIs. He had his best offensive season the following year and took home the MVP Award after batting .320 with 101 runs, 157 hits and National League-high totals of 45 homers, 126 RBIs, a .453 on-base percentage and a .656 slugging percentage. In the final year of his stellar run in 1970, McCovey posted a .289-39-126 stat line and led the league with 137 walks and a .612 slugging percentage. However, he suffered from two arthritic knees and a fractured forearm, injuries which limited his production over the final three years of his first run in San Francisco.

McCovey spent three seasons in Southern California after a traded to the Padres and played 11 games with the Athletics in 1976 before returning to his home across the Bay to finish his career. He was named Comeback Player of the Year after hitting 28 home runs and playing in 141 games in 1977 and hit his 500th homer the following year. However, the deterioration of his knees, back and hip limited his effectiveness and playing time, and he retired in 1980. McCovey was a beloved figure at Giants games, serving as a spring training instructor, and special assistant to the general manager and senior advisor. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1986, but had many surgeries through the years, including having both knees replaced and having four back surgeries that left him confined to a wheelchair. McCovey passed away in 2018 at age 80, and his name and statue adorn the water inlet where many left-handed batters have hit balls at Oracle Park.

Third Basemen

Honorable Mentions – Tom “Dude” Esterbrook was one of the two players who jumped from the Metropolitans of the American Association to the Giants of the National League along with manager Jim Mutrie after the 1884 A. A. team won the initial World’s Series. He spent two seasons with the Giants, winning the fielding title in 1886 during the time when many players fielded bare-handed. Esterbrook returned for the Mets’ final season in 1887 and played with Indianapolis and Louisville (including a brief stint as player-manager) before coming back to New York as a reserve in 1890. He played three games with the Brooklyn Bridegrooms (later Dodgers) the following year as his final major league action. His behavior became increasingly strange, including claiming to be a famous inventor and walking from New Orleans to Boston to try and get a on a roster. Esterbrook died in 1910 at age 43 when he jumped from a train that was taking him to a mental hospital in New York.

George Davis was a switch-hitter who split his 10 seasons in New York (1893-1901 and ’03) between both spots on the left side of the infield. The switch-hitter from Upstate New York began his professional career with the Cleveland Spiders before joining the Giants in a trade for legendary catcher, Buck Ewing, and playing his first four years at the “hot corner.” Known for his blonde locks and grace on the field, “Gorgeous George” bounced back from a poor final season in Cleveland to register four straight seasons batting at least .320 with 90 runs, 90 RBIs and 30 stolen bases. His first season in New York was his best at the position, and he set career highs with a .355 average, 195 hits and 11 home runs to go with 112 runs, 27 triples, 119 RBIs and 37 steals. Davis moved to shortstop on a full-time basis in 1897 and played six more seasons with the Giants and seven with the White Sox. He had unsuccessful stints as a manager in the major and minor leagues, coached at Amherst College, managed a bowling alley and was a scout for multiple teams. Davis passed away due to complications from dementia in 1940 at age 70. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1998.

Charles “Buck” Herzog started at five positions during his seven seasons with the Giants in three stints (1908-09, 11-13 and 16-17) but most often at third base. The Maryland native batted .300 as a rookie but was traded after posting a .185 average the following year. Herzog returned to New York and became a stalwart on three straight pennant-winning teams, with his 12 hits against the Red Sox in 1912 being a World Series record that stood for more than 50 years. He was injured to start the following year and had a poor championship series against the Athletics, leading to a trade to the Reds. After a three-year stint as a player manager in Cincinnati, he returned to New York once again. Herzog helped the Giants get to the World Series for a fourth time during his tenure but had an error that cost his team a game and was traded again after another Fall Classic loss. He finished his time in New York with 318 runs, 519 hits, 183 RBIs and 139 stolen bases in 602 regular season games and 11 runs, 23 hits, six doubles, seven RBIs and four steals in 25 postseason contests. Herzog split his final three seasons with the Braves and Cubs, and he was released after allegations of throwing a game in August 1920 surfaced (although no evidence was found to support the claim). He played and managed in the minor leagues, coached at the U. S. Naval Academy and worked for a racetrack and a railroad. Herzog passed away in 1953 at age 67, a broken man ravaged by tuberculosis while living on the streets of Baltimore.

Henry “Hank” Thompson had some trouble with the law and ended up at a reform school in Texas before he got into baseball. Thompson joined the Kansas City Monarchs as a 17-year-old in 1943 and, after two years as a machine gunner in the Army during World War II, he returned to the Negro League juggernaut and played in the “Colored World Series.” In 1947, he was one of two players signed by the Browns to become the first black player for the franchise but was sent back to the Monarchs after appearing in 27 games. Thompson spent one more season with Kansas City but had a harrowing experience that almost ruined his life. He ran into a former teammate in a bar in Texas who pulled a knife on him. Thompson responded by shooting him three times and the man died from his injuries. He was arrested and charged with murder, but the Giants, who later signed him, helped him to get off due to self-defense. Thompson came to New York in July 1949 as the Giants’ first black player (along with Monte Irvin) and batted .280 while primarily playing second base. He moved to third the following year and had arguably his best season, batting .289 with 20 home runs and career bests with 82 runs, 148 hits, 91 RBIs and a National League-record 43 double plays. Although Thompson spent time in the minors during the 1951 season, he returned in time to face the Yankees in the World Series and join future Hall of Famers and fellow former Negro Leaguers Irvin and Willie Mays to form the first all-black outfield in major league history. He finished his career with the Giants, overcoming a chipped kneecap to hit a personal-best 26 home runs. Thompson’s play declined and he was optioned to the minors, ending his eight-year tenure with the Giants (1949-56) with a .267 average, 482 runs, 781 hits, 103 doubles, 109 homers, 477 RBIs and 1,337 total bases in 906 games. In addition to his temper, he also had issues with women and alcohol, and his post-baseball life included arrests for assaulting his girlfriend, stealing a car and holding up a liquor store at gunpoint. Thompson turned around his life while in prison and was working with troubled teens in California when he suffered a seizure and passed away in 1966 at age 43.

Jim Ray Hart picked cotton in North Carolina before signing with the Giants as an 18-year-old in 1960. Three years later, he was in the major leagues and had a memorable first season for all the wrong reasons. In his second game in July, Hart suffered a broken shoulder blade after being hit by a Bob Gibson fastball. When he returned the following month, he got a concussion after being hit in the head by a pitch from Phillies starter Curt Simmons. Hart was the Rookie of the Year runner-up the following year after hitting .286 with 31 home runs, his first of five straight seasons with at least 20 homers and 75 RBIs. He set career highs with a .299 average and 177 hits in 1965, made his only All-Star team after hitting a personal-best 33 home runs the following year and posting a .289 average with career-best totals of 98 runs and 99 RBIs in 1967. Hart started playing more left field after that, and his later years were plagued by injuries (primarily shoulders) and his alcoholism, with the player causing the death of a pedestrian. He had his greatest game in July 1970, hitting for the cycle and driving in six runs in the fifth inning of a 13-0 win over the Braves. In 11 years with the Giants (1963-73), Hart batted .282 with 488 runs, 965 hits, 135 doubles, 157 home runs, 526 RBIs and 1,625 total bases in 1,001 games. He played his last full season as a designated hitter for the Yankees in the first year of the position in 1973 but was released the following year. Hart played in Mexico for three seasons but continued his downward spiral from alcohol addiction. After getting into rehab, he worked in a warehouse in California and passed away in 2016 at age 74.

Darrell Evans was drafted five times, the last time by the Athletics in their final season in Kansas City. He was selected by the Braves in the Rule 5 draft the following year and put together four solid seasons, including 1973, when he was selected to his first All-Star Game. It would take another decade for him to play in the Midsummer Classic. Evans slumped to being the 1976 season and was traded to the Giants, moving all around the field before setting at third base two years later. He continued his solid production throughout his eight-year tenure in San Francisco (1976-83), hitting at least 20 home runs three times. Nicknamed “Howdy Doody” (due to his resemblance to the television character), Evans had his best campaign on the West Coast in 1983, when he made the All-Star team after hitting .277 with 94 runs, 30 homers and 82 runs batted in. He signed with the Tigers after the season, finishing his Giants tenure with 534 runs, 952 hits, 159 doubles, 142 home runs, 525 RBIs and 1,575 total bases in 1,094 games. In Detroit, he proved that age was just a number, hitting 20 home runs in four straight years, including a league-leading 40 as a 38-year-old in 1985. Four years later, Evans returned to Atlanta for his final season and finished his 21-year career with 414 homers. He spent the next 20 years as a coach, manager and instructor for several major, minor and independent league teams.

5. Pablo Sandoval – The Venezuela native was signed by the Giants as a 16-year-old in 2002 and converted from catcher to third base during a six-year minor league sting. Sandoval overcame early issues with his weight and free swinging to become one of the most productive players and a team that won three championships in five seasons. He had his best season in 2009 when he set career highs with a .330 average, 79 runs, 189 hits, 44 doubles (tied for third in team history), 25 home runs and 90 runs batted in. Sandoval’s numbers declined the following year, and he appeared in just six playoff games while his team won the World Series against the Rangers. He was an All-Star in each of the next two seasons and, thankfully for the Giants, was not on the bench during the 2012 playoffs after suffering a hamstring injury. He hit six home runs in 16 postseason games and was the MVP of San Francisco’s sweep of Detroit in the World Series after totaling eight hits, including three homers.

“Kung Fu Panda” finished his first run with the Giants by totaling six runs, 12 hits and four RBIs against the Royals to help his team win a third title. Sandoval signed with the Red Sox in 2015 but struggled and was released two years later and returned to the Bay Area. He had a slight resurgence, hitting 14 home runs as a platoon player in 2019, but he was released by the Giants and signed with the Braves the following year. Sandoval spent 11 years in San Francisco (2008-14 and 17-20), batting .285 with 484 runs, 1,130 hits, 235 doubles, 135 homers, 569 RBIs and 1,810 total bases in 1,149 regular season games and 21 runs, 53 hits, 13 doubles, six home runs and 20 RBIs in 39 playoff contests. He was released by the Braves in 2021 and since has spent time in Mexico, the Middle East (with Baseball United) and Staten Island.

4. Art Devlin – He attended Georgetown University and balanced his early baseball career with being a head football coach at North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts (now called North Carolina State). Devlin joined the Giants in 1904 and made a splash with his first home run being an inside-the-park grand slam in late April. His average slipped a bit the following year, but he led the league with 59 stolen bases for the pennant-winning club, and he added three more to go with four hits in a World Series victory over the Athletics. Devlin had his best season in 1906, setting career highs with a .299 average and 149 hits along with 65 RBIs and 54 steals.

Devlin spent five more years with the Giants, with his playing time declining due to leg issues. He was traded to the Boston Braves, finishing his eight-year run in New York (1904-11) with a .268 average, 525 runs, 1,011 hits, 139 doubles, 44 triples, 439 RBIs, 266 steals (eighth in franchise history) and 1,268 total bases in 1,116 games. Devlin was at his best in the field at the “hot corner,” winning the fielding title in 1908 and leading the league in assists three times. He was a minor league player and manager over the next few seasons and held coaching jobs with the Giants, Braves and Pirates. Devlin worked at several loan companies and a hospital in his later years and passed away in 1948 at age 68.

3. Jim Davenport – He was one of a few players who spent his entire career with the Giants after they moved to San Francisco. The Alabama native signed with the Giants in 1954 and made his debut four years later, playing in 134 games and leading the league with 17 sacrifice hits. Although his run production was low for the typical third baseman, Davenport had six straight solid campaigns to begin his career. His best season came in 1962, when he was selected to play in both All-Star Games after driving in 58 runs and setting career highs with a .297 average, 83 runs, 144 hits and 14 home runs. He was a stellar defender, winning three fielding titles and a gold glove in 1962. Davenport was part of the team that defeated the Dodgers in a three-game playoff for the National League pennant that year, then had three hits and an RBI in a loss to the Yankees in the team’s first World Series since moving to San Francisco.

“Peanuts” saw his offensive production decline later in his career, but he still was great in the field, setting a record by not making an error at third base in 97 straight games. He retired after 13 seasons (1958-70) with a .258 average, 552 runs, 1,142 hits, 177 doubles, 77 home runs, 456 RBIs and 1,624 RBIs in 1,501 games, which ranks ninth in franchise history. Following his playing career, Davenport was a coach and scout for several teams, especially the Giants. He served three separate terms with San Francisco, first as a minor league manager, then as a major league coach, scout and manager (a brief stint in 1985) and finally as a coach, instructor and front office assistant, spending more than 50 years in total with the team. Davenport passed away in 2016 at age 82.

2. Freddie Lindstrom – A native of Chicago, he signed with the Giants as a 16-year-old in 1922. Two years later, the “Boy Wonder” became the youngest player to appear in a World Series, starting all seven games against the Washington Nationals and rapping out 10 hits and driving in four runs in a losing effort. Lindstrom was billed as the goat in the series thanks to a pair of bad hops in Game 7, including the winning hit in the 12th inning. However, he overcame the heartbreak and improved over the course of his nine-year run in New York (1924-32), posting six consecutive seasons with a .300 average or better and five straight campaigns with at least 90 runs and 160 hits. After scoring 107 runs in 1927, Lindstrom was the runner-up for the MVP Award after batting .358 with 88 runs, 14 home runs, a career-high 107 RBIs and a league-leading 231 hits (tied for second in franchise history). He matched the hit total two years later, when he put together another MVP-caliber season with 106 RBIs and career-highs with 127 runs, 22 home runs and a .379 average, which is the second-best single-season mark in team history.

Despite hitting .300 in 1931, Lindstrom broke his ankle and dealt with back issues, which limited him to 79 games. He was solid the following season and he was in line to take over for John McGraw after rumors surfaced of the manager stepping down. When the post went to Terry instead, Lindstrom became bitter, griped about the decision and was sent to Pittsburgh in a three-team trade. He finished his time with the Giants ranked eighth in batting average (.318) to go with 705 runs, 1,347 hits, 212 doubles, 63 triples, 91 home runs, 603 RBIs and 1,958 total bases in 1,087 games. Lindstrom’s numbers declined through his final seasons with the Pirates, Cubs and Dodgers and he retired in 1936. He was a minor league manager, coached at Northwestern University for 14 years and was a postmaster in Illinois. Lindstrom was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1976 and passed away in 1981 at age 75.

1. Matt Williams – He was selected by the Giants third overall in 1986 and began his major league career as a shortstop the following year. Williams played split time between both positions on the left side of the infield his first three years before becoming a full-time third baseman in 1990. That season, he earned his first of four All-Star selections with the Giants after batting .277 with 33 home runs 87 runs, 171 hits and 122 RBIs, which was both a career high and led the league. “Matt the Bat” posted six seasons with 30 or more home runs and topped the 90 RBI mark four times. Although he earned three silver sluggers, he proved he was not just a power hitter by winning three gold gloves and leading the league in double plays three times and putouts twice.

“Carson Crusher” (named for his California hometown) had his first of two straight spectacular seasons in 1993 when he posted a .294-38-110 stat line with 170 hits and a career-high 105 runs. The following year, he finished second in the MVP voting after leading the league with 43 home runs in 112 games, and he was on pace to threaten the single-season record when the players’ strike hit on August 12 and canceled the rest of the regular season. Despite facing leg and back injuries, Williams was an All-Star the next two years, which were his final two in San Francisco. He ended his decade-long tenure with the Giants (1987-1996) with a .264 average, 594 runs, 1,092 hits, 179 doubles, 247 homers (fifth in franchise history), 732 RBIs and 2,062 total bases in 1,120 regular season games and three runs, eight hits, three home runs and 10 RBIs in nine playoff contests.

Williams was traded to the Indians for Jeff Kent and helped Cleveland reach the World Series in his only season. He was traded to the expansion Diamondbacks in 1998 and spent his last six seasons with Arizona, earning his final All-Star selection the following year and hitting a home run in a championship victory over the Yankees in 2001. Following his 2003 retirement, Williams was a special assistant, coach and broadcaster with the Diamondbacks before being hired to manage the Nationals to the playoffs and winning the Manager of the Year Award in 2014. Washington didn’t fare as well the following year, and he was let go by the team. Recently, Williams was a coach with Oakland, a manager in Korea and a coach with San Diego before coming back to the Giants as a third base coach in 2024.

Upcoming Stories

San Francisco Giants Catchers and Managers
San Francisco Giants First and Third Basemen
San Francisco Giants Second Basemen and Shortstops
San Francisco Giants Outfielders
San Francisco Giants Pitchers