San Francisco Giants team CEO Larry Baer (left), Giants Player Personnel Dick Tidrow (center) and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred (right) talk things over at Oracle Park in San Francisco (file photo from KNBR)

By Jessica Kwong

Thursday is the San Francisco Giants’ last day off during the All-Star break before getting back on the field for the second half of the season. They are coming out of the break with the best record in the league at 57-33 with a two-game lead over the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Giants are facing the St. Louis Cardinals for the first of a three-game series at Busch Stadium. First pitch is at 5:15 p.m. The series comes just nine days after the Cardinals beat the Giants in two of three games at Oracle Park, so it will be a chance for revenge.

In other organization news, the Giants on Wednesday announced the passing of Dick Tidrow 74, a longtime member of the front office. Tidrow, a former major league pitcher, died unexpectedly on Saturday in Lee’s Summit, Missouri.

“Our entire organization is heartbroken by the news of Dick’s passing,” Giants President and CEO Larry Baer said in a statement. “So much of our success over these past three decades is directly linked to Dick’s contributions. He will be truly missed by all of us and our thoughts are with Mari Jo and his entire family during this difficult time.”

Tidrow served most recently as the president of baseball operations for the Giants. Over a span of 27 years, Tidrow was in a half-dozen different roles. He started in the 1994 season as a major league scout.

“Dick was a unique and special person whose influence and impact was legendary throughout the game and whose fingerprints are all over our three World Series trophies,” said the Giants’ Executive Vice President and Senior Adviser Brian Sabean. “On a personal level, we shared some incredible highs and lows together and I’m forever grateful for his 40 years of friendship and support.”