San Francisco Giants - The Disco Years (1970-1979)

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1970

Decade

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Titles:

Top Giants Players of the Seventies

1971 NL Western Division Champs (Lost to Pirates)

Pitchers:

BallPark:

Jim Barr (26.49) - 46

Candlestick Park

John Montefusco (18.25) - 32

Gary Lavelle (12.87) - 29

Team Name:

Ed Halicki (11.79) - 29

Giants

Ron Bryant (4.59) - 26

Juan Marichal (7.16) - 25

Owner:

Gaylord Perry (9.91) - 24

Horace Stoneham (1970-1976)

Bob Knepper (10.4) - 23

Robert Lurie (1976-1979)

Randy Moffitt (5.59) - 23

Vida Blue (4.84) - 23

General Manager:

Mike Caldwell (1.44) - 12

Spec Richardson (1976-1979)

Don McMahon (4.79) - 10

Managers:

Catchers:

Clyde King (1970)

Dick Dietz (8.36) - 23

Charlie Fox (1970-1974)

Dave Rader (3.21) - 18

Wes Westrum (1974-1975)

Marc Hill (2.85) - 16

Bill Rigney (1976)

Joe Altobelli (1976-1979)

First Basemen:

Dave Bristol (1979)

Willie McCovey (12.55) - 49

Mike Ivie (5.4) - 17

No Hitters:

Ed Halicki (1975)

Second Baseman:

John Montefusco (1976)

Tito Fuentes (5.25) - 19

Hall of Famers:

ShortStop:

Juan Marichal

Chris Speier (16.54) - 44

Gaylord Perry

Willie Mays

Third Base:

Willie McCovey

Darrell Evans (8.11) - 22

Bill Madlock (5.81) - 14

Rookie of the Year

Steve Ontiveros (1.41) - 10

Gary Mathews (1973)

John Montefusco (1975)

Outfield:

Bobby Bonds (29.04) - 66

MVP

Ken Henderson (11.34) - 31

None

Gary Matthews (12.58) - 31

Gary Maddox (7.87) - 29

Cy Young

Willie Mays (11.75) - 25

None

Jack Clark (12.61) - 23

Dave Kingman (4.24) - 22

Notable Events:

Gary Thomason (5.85) - 19

Bobby Murcer (3.42) - 18

1970 - Coming into the Seventies, the Giants were one of the top teams

Larry Herndon (1.64) - 17

in baseball. They had finished the Sixties with five consecutive second

Terry Whitfield (4.95) - 16

place finishes, averaging over ninety wins.

Bill North (2.56) - 12

Since coming to San Francisco thirteen years earlier, the club had

never finished below 500. This run of success would end in this decade

Notable Events:

and the first instinct of weak willed owner Horace Stoneham would be to

want to bolt San Francisco for another city. Meanwhile, the players who

1973 - San Franscisco deals away Hall of Famers Juan Marichal

had made the Giants so successful to this point were getting old.

(Red Sox) and Willie McCovey (Padres) after the season.

Most of the club's top players were over thirty: Willie Mays, 39;

Not clear why owner / GM

Willie McCovey, 32; Juan Marichal, 32; Gaylord Perry, 31; and closer

Stoneham was so hot to get rid of his older stars. It wasn't like

Don McMahon, 40. These guys were irreplaceable for the most part.

they were impeding the Giants from winning a title by blocking

There were some young guys around like Bobby Bonds, 24, Dick Dietz, 27,

the path of a youngster who would lead them to the promised land.

Jim Ray Hart, 28, Ken Henderson, 24, and Tito Fuentes, 26.

The lack of loyalty on Stoneham's part could only by mirrored by

However, most of them were nowhere near the talents of the older guys

a similar lack of loyalty on the fans part.

and had some serious warts:

If he isn't loyal, why should they be?

Bonds struck out too much; Hart had a substance abuse problem;

You could make a case that you should have no sentiment,

Dietz was a catcher who was about to get catcher's disease

Bill Belichek style. However, when your intellect is at the opposite

(heavy legs from squatting all of the time); and

end of the spectrum from Belichek's, maybe you should do the

Henderson and Fuentes were good players, but not stars.

opposite of what he does, as well.

Of course, the final nail in the Giants coffin for the Seventies was the fact

that GM Chub Feeney left the club after the 1969 season. His were big

1975 - Slugging outfielder Jack Clark, 19, is a rookie. He was

shoes to fill and owner Horace Stoneham's bright solution was to not

selected two years earlier in the thirteenth round of the draft.

fill them at all. Stoneham actually had the temerity to think that he,

himself, was somehow capable of running the operation.

1975 - Larry Herndon, 22, is obtained in a deal for righthander

"A man's got to know his limitations" as a wise man from San Francisco

Ron Bryant from the Cards. He would be a mainstay in the

once said (Detective Harry Callahan). Stoneham obviously didn't.

Giants outfield for the next six seasons.

1970 - Slugger Dave Kingman, 21, is drafted in the first round. He

1975 - First baseman Willie Montanez is acquired from the Phillies

comes up to the big club the following year.

for centerfielder Gary Maddox

1970 - Chris Speier, twenty year old shortstop, is one of two Giants

1976 - Bob Lurie purchases the Giants, keeping them in San

first round picks in the draft. He debuts the following season for SF

Francisco. The times were lean for the Giants and Candlestick Park

wasn't helping. There was talk of the Giants moving to Toronto prior to

1970 - Rightahnder Jim Barr, 22, is a third round pick in the draft. He

the sale as there were a number of cities that were suitors for the club.

is brought up by SF the following year.

Loyalty wasn't Stoneham's game and he would have moved the Giants

out of San Francisco if Lurie had not shown up.

1970 - Willie Mays hits his 600th career home run

1976 - Of all the people on the planet for new owner Bob Lurie to hire

1971 - Stoneham deals twenty two year old outfielder George Foster to the

as GM, he picked Spec Richardson. Richardson was the guy who

Reds for journeyman shortstop Frank Duffy. Nice work Horace!

single handedly dismantled the terrificly young talented Houston

club that Paul Richards and Tal Smith had been putting together

1971 - San Francisco wins the Division, but loses to Pittsburgh in

in the early Sixties. Just when you thought there couldn't be

the NLCS. It's not only their only title of the decade, but it's the last of a

anyone worse than Stoneham to GM the club, Lurie found one.

streak of fourteen above .500 seasons, most well above .500, since

moving to San Francisco. They will only have two more winning seasons

1976 - Slugging first baseman Darrell Evans, 29, is acquired

in the 70's. The title marks the end of the successful Chub Feeney era.

from Atlanta in a six player deal featuring Willie Montanez

going the other way

1972 - Outfielder Gary Matthews, 21, is a rookie. He was a first round pick

in the 1968 draft (Feeney was still around then).

1977 - Willie McCovey wins Comeback Player of the Year award

after coming back to the Giants from the Padres

1972 - Outfielder Gary Maddox, 22, is a rookie. He was a second round pick

in the 1968 draft (Feeney was still around then) .

1977 - Bill Madlock, hard hitting twenty six year old third baseman,

is acquired from the Cubs for outfielder Bobby Murcer in a five

1972 - Righthander John The Count Montefusco, 22, is an undrafted

player deal. Murcer had been picked up from the Yankees two

free agent who is a rookie with the Giants two years later.

years earlier for star outfielder Bobby Bonds in a blockbuster trade.

The net result of Bonds for Madlock plus two years of Murcer was

1972 - The Giants trade Willie Mays to the Mets for Charlie Williams.

pretty much of a wash.

Inexplicably moronic move by lame owner GM Horace Stoneham.

1978 - Star lefthander Vida Blue, 28, is obtained from the A's

in an eight player deal that also includes $300K going

in Oakland's direction

1978 - Willie McCovey hits his 500th career home run