Category: San Francisco Giants

Headline Sports podcast with London Marq: Rams-Chiefs set record for the ages; Will Warriors get back to normal?

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On the Headline Sports podcast with London:

#1 Former Cal football quarterback Jared Goff had himself an evening on Monday Night Football in a razor close game against the Kansas City Chiefs a game for the ages as the LA Rams defeated the Chiefs 54-51 in the highest scoring game in MNF history. Goff passed for 413 yards, four touchdowns, and rushed for a touchdown.

#2 The Warriors, who have lost three straight games, and open a four-game homestand on Wednesday night. Is there concern about how they’ll fare as all the talk has been about the dissension on the team as to why this team is untracked?

#3 San Francisco Giants Team president Farhan Zaidi is still in his get to know you mode. Zaidi is still getting to know the players and front office staff is going through resumes and recommendation letters and emails for who he will decide to find as the new GM for the Giants.

#4 In a meeting this week during practice at the San Francisco 49ers (2-8), head coach Kyle Shanahan made it very clear to his players that their jobs were on the line and they had better get it together soon as the team prepares for their next game in Tampa Bay this Sunday after coming off a Monday Night Football loss on Nov. 12th to the New York Giants.

#5 The Oakland Raiders (2-8) lend a great deal of credit to their running backs, who carried for scores and yards, to help the Raiders in their razor close win over the Arizona Cardinals last Sunday 23-21. The two running backs of record to get some nice pats on the back Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington, who both combined for 84 yards and 20 carries in the Raiders’ win.

London Marq does Headline Sports each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: The Last Story–A Tribute to a Broadcaster’s Broadcaster

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By: Amaury Pi-González

SAN FRANCISCO — The worst air quality in the history of San Francisco could not stop a wall-to-wall packed Perry’s at Union Street to render tribute to Hank Greenwald on this Friday November the 16th. Greenwald passed on October 22. He was 83. Perry’s is one of the most popular bar and eateries in S.F., founded in 1944.

And it was Perry’s at Union Street, one of Greenwald’s  favorites places, where he always enjoyed a great cheeseburger, were a bevy of Bay Area sports media, broadcasters, engineers, agents, baseball executives, players, manager, friends and the family of Greenwald, gathered for this emotional tribute. His wife Carla, son Doug. Also, a baseball play-by-play man, and daughter Kelly spoke to a totally packed Perry’s, as well as Giants top executive Larry Baer, along with Giants’ broadcasters Dwayne Kuiper, Mike Krukow and Jon Miller.

Greenwald began his career at his alma mater, the University of Syracuse, broadcasting their football games. He would go on to do the play by play of former NBA team, the Syracuse Nationals. In the 1960’s he called the games of the Hawaii Islanders of the Pacific Coast League.

Greenwald was a baseball story-teller with great wit and delivery. He also called games for the Warriors with Bill King, but baseball was his passion and main sport. He called Giants games from 1979-86 and left after a disagreement with radio station management. Went to work for the New York Yankees for the next two years. He came back with the Giants in 1989 when the team reached the World Series and were swept by the Oakland A’s and  remained in S.F. until 1996 when he retired. He called 2,798 consecutive games. In his book This Copyrighted Broadcast, wrote about his disagreement with Giants Vice President Larry Baer as the reason for his retirement. In 2004, Hank was the television play-by-play announcer for the A’s with Ray Fosse doing color. In 2004 and 2005, he was the lead announcer for the A’s.

Greenwald did not work during the “glory years” of the Giants World Series run from 2010-14. His only World Series was the 1989 Earthquake series. Hank had the ability to make an 8-0 lost for the Giants an interesting broadcast as his tremendous knowledge of the history of the game was his specialty. At Perry’s tonight, Krukow said that although he was a baseball player he learned a lot listening to Greenwald talk about the history of the game. Kuiper got his start working with Greenwald. Truth be said, Greenwald could tell a baseball story as good as anybody.

One of Greenwald’s most memorable calls was his great description of the final out in Game 5 of the 1989 National League Championship Series, which sent the Giants to the World Series for the first time since 1962. “27 years of waiting have come to an end! The Giants have won the pennant!

I am honored to have known Greenwald, and for a few years, traveled with him on the road with the Giants. He could talk baseball before during and after the game and it was always a pleasure to listen to him. I remember on a trip to Cincinnati, just around the hotel as I was walking I ran into Greenwald who was smoking a Cuban cigar and told me there was a great Cuban cigar store just around the corner. I told him I didn’t smoke Cuban cigars (although I was born in Cuba and I remember my father did smoke those Cohibas), Greenwald went to tell me a lot about Cuban cigars, more that I ever heard from my father. Among other experiences, I remember on a trip we where on the charter plane flying out of Pittsburgh and it was raining and lightning “big time.” He asked “Do we really have to take-off like this?” We did and the take-off what a white knuckle ride. At Candlestick Park we often talk behind the bating cage during batting practices. During night game around 5:00 PM or so, the wind was swirling all over the place, he once looked at me and said, “So many places they blow up, and we still have this place here where they play baseball.” Candlestick was not his favorite place, but can you blame anybody for that?

I will remember Greenwald as a Broadcaster’s Broadcaster. Always prepared, always ready with lots of notes, a great memory and recollection of events always ready to share with his audience, which he loved. One time after a night game, I was leaving Candlestick Park after another Giants’ terrible loss. (Hank was still in the press box doing the postgame), when a fan outside yelled “Hey Hank,we’ll get ’em tomorrow!” thinking I was Hank. He got a kick out of that, as it happened quite regularly. I told him I was “his double.”

The Bay Area broadcast booth in the sky now features: Bill King, Lon Simmons, Hank Greenwald.

Many memories of McCovey shared at AT&T Park

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Photo credit: @957thegame

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO — There may not be a game at AT&T Park on this Thursday morning, but there are people in the stands.

Fans of the San Francisco Giants have flocked to the corner of Third and King Streets to say goodbyes, and pay their respects to number 44, Willie McCovey, who passed away on October 31, at the age of 80.

McCovey, who played 19 of his 22 seasons wearing the Orange and Black was probably the most beloved Giants player of them all, with the exception of fellow Alabama native, the incomparable Willie Mays.

During his Hall of Fame career, McCovey hit 521 home runs, tying him with his boyhood idol Ted Williams and Frank Thomas for 20th place all-time.

In 2588 games, McCovey hit .270, and also drove in 1555 runs in his career. He was also walked 1345 times, including getting intentionally walked 260 times. He also hit 18 grand slams during his career.

When McCovey made his Major League debut on July 30, 1959 for the Giants against the Philadelphia Phillies at Seals Stadium, a game that the Giants would win 7-2 behind a complete game by Mike McCormick before a crowd of 10,114 at Seals Stadium.

In that game, McCovey went 4-for-4 with three runs scored and two runs batted in. He also hit two triples all against future Hall of Famer Robin Roberts.

McCovey played 52 games in that 1959 season, McCovey hit .354 with 13 home runs and 38 runs batted in, as he was named the National League Rookie of the Year. Twenty-seven of McCovey’s 68 hits that season were extra base hits.

McCovey was intentionally walked a then record 45 times in 1969, which would stand as the major-league record until Barry Bonds obliterated that record in 2002, as he was intentionally walked 68 times. Two years later, Bonds was intentionally walked a whopping 120 times, over 2.5 times as many times as McCovey in 1969.

It was in that 1969 season that McCovey won his only National League Most Valuable Player award, as he batted .320 with 45 home runs and drove in 126 runs.

McCovey led the National League in home runs and RBIs, and finished fifth in batting behind Pete Rose, who led the National League with a .348 average.

After the 1973 season, McCovey was traded to the San Diego Padres with Bernie Williams for Mike Caldwell.

In two and a half seasons with the Padres, McCovey played in 321 games, while batting .242 with 52 home runs and 167 runs batted in.

On August 30, 1976, McCovey was purchased by the Oakland Athletics from the Padres. In 11 games with the A’s, McCovey batted .208 with zero home runs and zero runs batted in.

McCovey was granted free agency after the 1976 season, and returned to the Giants, with whom he played his final three and a half years before retiring on July 6, 1980 against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. In his final at-bat, McCovey hit a sacrifice fly off of Rick Sutcliffe to score Jack Clark.

Over his 22-year career, McCovey played in one World Series, where he lined out for the final out to Bobby Richardson in Game Seven of the 1962 World Series that gave the New York Yankees their 20th World Championship. If that hit would have been three feet higher, the Giants would have won the World Series.

Charles Schulz of Peanuts fame issued a cartoon on December 22, 1962 that shows Linus and Charlie sitting down and looking somber, and finally Charlie cries out “Why Couldn’t McCovey have hit the ball just three feet higher.”

McCovey was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1986 with 81.4% of the voting by the Baseball Writers Association of America.

Giants Public Address Announcer Renel Brooks-Moon shared a memory of when her mother met McCovey, and Mrs. Brooks reminded him of what he did in his first game on July 30, 1959.

Team President and Chief Executive Officer Larry Baer, who grew up in the city shared many memories of McCovey, including the first time he met him and sat on his lap at a store on the corner of Geary Blvd. and 29th Ave. Baer told McCovey story years later, and McCovey replied by saying that is why he had all those knee problems.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed shared stories about McCovey the person, as she wanted to leave the baseball stories to the players. Breed spoke about the Junior Giants, and his days in the community of San Francisco.

“This is a family, and we are celebrating a life,” said 1989 Willie Mac Award winner Dave Dravecky.

“I have never been around a more humbler man than Willie McCovey,” Dravecky added, as he stood there on the dais right in front of the pitchers’ mound.

McCovey’s godson Jeff Dudum talked about the man off the field, and shared the stories of how his family found a house for him in the East Bay, and McCovey replied by saying, “Now Jeffrey, I am a Giant and there is no way I can live in A’s territory.”

Baseball Hall of Fame President Jeff Idelson shared stories about the five Hall of Famers from Mobile, Alabama. That included McCovey, Hank Aaron, Ozzie Smith, Billy Williams and Satchel Paige.

McCovey wore the number 44 in honor of Aaron, who made his debut for the Milwaukee Braves in 1954.

Smith mentioned to Idelson that he got his first major league hit off of Jim Barr at Candlestick Park on April 8, 1978, and McCovey gave Smith the ball and said good luck.

Former teammates Gaylord Perry, Felipe Alou, Joe Amalfitano and Orlando Cepeda all shared great stories of their late teammate.

Barry Bonds thanked McCovey for letting him call him Uncle Mac, and mentioned how he was in left, his godfather Willie Mays was in center, his father Bobby in right, Uncle Mac at first, Fuentes at second, Chris Speier at short, he wished Jim Ray Hart could have been at third, Perry on the mound and Dave Rader was the catcher back when Bonds was a kid.

Mike Krukow and the other Willie Mac Award winners in attendance came up, and Krukow spoke about when he faced McCovey at Candlestick Park and McCovey hit his 19th grand slam, but it went foul. McCovey called Krukow number 19 for the rest of his relationship.

Krukow was joined on the dais by Buster Posey, Clark, Shawon Dunston, Nick Hundley, Marvin Benard, Dravecky and Joe Morgan.

The program then continued with a call from a Sunday afternoon game on June 29, 1980, where McCovey hit a game-winning double off of Bobby Castillo of the Dodgers to score Rennie Stennett, as the Giants defeated the Dodgers 4-3 in the first game of a doubleheader between the two longtime rivals.

Finally, like in any Giants home win, the song “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” by Tony Bennett was played, as the San Francisco Fire Department Fire Boats sprayed water from their spouts in McCovey Cove.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Giants Usher the Era of Analytics

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By: Amaury Pi-González

The Giants won their three World Series in San Francisco in 2010, 2012 and 2014 with very good pitching, good defense, timely hitting and less power. Bu now, the game has drastically changed, and it is all about the modern metrics, analytics and the launch angle. Power, power and more power! Relief pitchers come in early after a starter has seen the lineup three times. That being said, there is a totally different approach to the game today than the last time the Giants won the World Series.

Farhan Zaid, aged 41, is the Giants’ new President of Baseball Operations and he will report only to Larry Baer, Chief Executive Officer, in San Francisco.

“He’s definitely an analytical-type guy who will use his computer skills to create a model for the Major League club and the Draft,” said a National League official.

However, Zaidi has a good reputation in working well with scouts.

Since the All-Star Break in 2016, the Giants have won a total 167 games. The Giants join the Orioles, White Sox and Padres on that woeful list. Zaidi is considered a top baseball mind who was the Dodgers’ General Manager for the previous four seasons reporting to Andrew Friedman, President of Baseball Operations, in Los Angeles.

Zaidi also worked for the A’s from 2005 to 2014. He urged the A’s to acquire Yoenis Céspedes. With an economic degree from MIT and a PhD in economics from UC Berkeley, he is an intelligent and educated baseball executive. Of the six consecutive NL West Division titles the Dodgers have won, four were under Zaidi.

The Giants’ Hall of Fame manager Bruce Bochy is your typical old school type of manager and many are skeptical if he is going to get along with Zaidi. That remains to be seen, but there is no question that Bochy’s legacy has been cemented. And even if he retired today, the Giants will have to move on, and he is the first to understand the game is changing and the Giants do not want to be the last team to join the party.

The Giants have some heavy contracts on their payroll and they will have to be extremely creative to return to be the contending team they were three years ago. Zaidi’s mission is to find the magic formula to return this franchise to success on the field and the obvious decisions he has to make right away, like, say, to keep ace Madison Bumgarner or to trade him? The Giants feel they do not have to rebuild,and believe they still have the pieces to return to be a power in the NL West. Some Zaidi’s first decisions could indicate which way the Giants are headed.

The Giants need younger and more athletic players as their current roster is not getting any younger. AT&T Park is not a home run friendly park, and even if they would acquire Bryce Harper and give him the $400 million contract he and his agent are seeking, they might still need more than Harper to fight the Dodgers, Rockies and Diamondbacks.

Farhan Zaidi returns to the Bay Area

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Photo credit: @SFGiants

By Jeremy Kahn

After letting Bobby Evans go as the General Manager of the San Francisco Giants, the team knew that they needed a leader who was a proven winner.

Giants President and Chief Executive Officer Larry Baer looked to the rival Los Angeles Dodgers for his new head of baseball operations, and it is Dodgers General Manager Farhan Zaidi, who spent the last four years down south.

“We set out to find one of the best minds in baseball and Farhan’s many accomplishments and expertise exceeded our expectations,” said Baer. “Farhan is widely viewed as one of the top executives in our industry and we are thrilled to have him lead the next chapter of Giants Baseball.”

Zaidi is now the President of Baseball Operations for the Giants, who also has ties to the Bay Area, as he spent 10 seasons across the bay with the Oakland A’s, where he started as a baseball operations analyst in 2005 before he was promoted to director of baseball operations in 2009. His last position with the A’s was as assistant general manager/director of baseball operations.

While with the Dodgers, the team won four consecutive National League Western Division Championships, making the National League Championship over the past three season and the World Series over the past two years. The Dodgers went 379-270, a winning percentage of .584 during those four years, the second highest winning percentage in Major League Baseball.

Famed Giants star Willie McCovey dies at 80

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By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO–Willie McCovey, who hit 521 home runs over a 22-year career with the San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics passed away at the age of 80.

McCovey, whose 521 home runs were the most by a left-handed batter in National League history until Barry Bonds broke the record in his record setting season of 2001, when he hit a major-league record 73 home runs.

“San Francisco and the entire baseball community lost a true gentleman and legend, and our collective hearts are broken,” Giants president and CEO Larry Baer said in a statement. “Willie was a beloved figure throughout his playing days and in retirement. He will be deeply missed by the many people he touched.

“For more than six decades, he gave his heart and soul to the Giants — as one of the greatest players of all time, as a quiet leader in the clubhouse, as a mentor to the Giants who followed in his footsteps, as an inspiration to our Junior Giants, and as a fan cheering on the team from his booth.”

The Giants, with whom McCovey played 19 of his 22 seasons paid tribute by flying the flags at AT&T Park at half-staff.

McCovey retired on July 6, 1980, after pinch-hitting against the rival Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.

When he retired, his 18 grand slams were second most in major league history. McCovey led the league in home runs on three different occasions, runs batted in twice. The six-time All-Star finished his career with those 521 home runs, tying his boyhood hero Ted Williams, drove in 1,555 runs and batted .270.

McCovey made his major-league debut on July 30, 1959, as he went 4-for-4 in his first game against the Philadelphia Phillies and future Hall of Fame pitcher Robin Roberts.

In 1969, McCovey won his only National League Most Valuable Player award, as he led the league with 45 home runs, 126 runs batted in and on-base percentage at .453.

“Willie McCovey was one of our game’s greatest power hitters,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “He won the National League MVP in 1969 and, alongside fellow Hall of Famer and Alabama native Willie Mays, was a key part of many memorable Giants’ teams. For 22 years on the field and many more after retiring, Willie was a superb ambassador for the Giants and our game.”

Over the past 18 years, McCovey served as an advisor for the Giants. Over the past few years, McCovey was confined to a wheelchair.

“Every moment he will be terribly missed,” said McCovey’s wife, Estella, whom he married this past summer. “He was my best friend and husband. Living life without him will never be the same.”

McCovey is also survived by one daughter, Allison, and three grandchildren, Raven, Philip, and Marissa. McCovey also is survived by sister Frances and brothers Clauzell and Cleon.

The Giants said a public celebration of McCovey’s life would be held at a later date.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: A Gentle Giant, Willie McCovey, Dies at 80

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By: Amaury Pi-González

SAN FRANCISCO — Today, the great Willie McCovey passed away at the age of 80 after a battle with ongoing health issues. He was surrounded by his family at the time of his death. He was survived by his wife Estela and daughter Allison. He was truly Gentle Giant in every sense of the word. He played for 22 seasons (19 with the San Francisco Giants, three with  the San Diego Padres and a brief stint with the Oakland Athletics). During a brilliant 22-year, Hall of Fame career in the Major Leagues from 1959-1980, he compiled 2,211 hits, 521 home runs, 353 doubles and 1,555 runs batted-in. He was a first ballot inductee in 1986 to the National Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, New York. Born in Mobile, Alabama on January 10,1938, he was one of ten children, and also played football and basketball as a youngster.

The first baseman and outfielder was nicknamed “Stretch.” At 6-foot-4, he was named the National League Rookie of the Year in 1959 with the Giants, selected to six All-Star Games and was named the MVP in the 1969 All-Star Game. He led the National League in home runs in three seasons and twice in runs batted-in. Only Barry Bonds (762) have more home runs for a left-handed hitter in the NL than McCovey with 521 round-trippers.

“He could hit a ball farther than anyone I ever played with,” Willie Mays once said of McCovey.

The great St. Louis Cardinals’ right-handed Hall of Fame pitcher, Bob Gibson, said of number 44: “He was one scary hitter.” Those are impressive words from a pitcher that usually was not scared of anybody. McCovey’s power was so awesome that the Giants designated the behind the right-field side by the bay at AT&T Park after the slugger and named it “McCovey Cove” where he also has a statue.

Before Candlestick Park was totally enclosed, most of us remember how many kids would line-up behind the cyclone fence in right field every time McCovey came to the plate expecting to catch a home run ball. He was the ultimate gamer, who among his many quotes, once said after retiring: “I had pain in both knees my whole career.”

Not only one great and classy baseball player, but McCovey was a kind man with a big heart who always ready to sign an autograph to an admiring fan. A mild mannered man that ingratiated baseball, his teammates and his organization. Never a scandal or controversy during a long and successful career. After retiring, he followed his beloved Giants and had his own box at AT&T Park. His presence and kindness will be missed.

Baseball and America lost a great guy today.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: Giants considering hiring woman for GM spot

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newsday.com photo: Then-Dodgers assistant general manager Kim Ng walks through the hotel lobby during the first day of MLB annual general managers meetings in Orlando, Fla., on Nov. 5, 2007.

By Amaury Pi-González

SAN FRANCISCO — The Major League Baseball General Manager meetings are scheduled to begin November 5th.

The San Francisco Giants are searching for a new General Manager, and many are asking, will they have one in place by then? The organization needs somebody to take charge and make important decisions pertaining their immediate future. Kim Ng is among the qualified people for the job. She has overseen international operations and talent development for the MLB. She also worked for the LA Dodgers as Vice President and Assistant to then-GM Ned Coletti as well as the front offices of the Yankees and White Sox. Her reputation is impeccable.

Among others candidates, the Giants have also shown interest on Milwaukee Brewers GM David Stearns, but the owner of the Brewers, Mark Attanasio, declined the Giants permission to speak with Stearns. Bobby Evans, who was the GM, was fired last month and the Giants announced they are searching for another executive to take that position. Maybe the Giants will find the person they want during those winter meetings starting on November 5th and conduct the interviews of the people available for the job. Who knows, and maybe make news with the announcement then.

If the Giants sign Kim Ng, it will obviously make news nationwide, and it would make sense since they play in San Francisco–one of the most diverse and progressive cities in the country.

On the other hand, the main priority for any baseball club seeking such an important position is to find the most qualified person regarding of gender or ethnic background. Whomever takes over will have to go to work right away. Trade Madison Bumgarner or not? Also, evaluate the scouting for the club. The Giants will have to take a different direction and look for younger talented players.

The Warriors will be playing within walking distance from AT&T Park at the Chase Arena next basketball season and they are the perennial winners currently in the Bay Area, dethroning the Giants, who were the winners from 2010 until 2016.

Baseball is at a very important crossroad in history as the international scouting, the sabermetrics side and the old school methods are at an intersection. It would make sense that the person for this job will grasp the understanding of all these and show the leadership required to revive a financially healthy franchise than until a couple of years ago enjoyed great success on the field.

If Ng has all those qualifications, she could be the one.

Beloved Giants announcer Hank Greenwald dies at 83

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By Jeremy Kahn

Hank Greenwald, one of the most beloved announcers in the history of the San Francisco Bay Area sports scene, passed away on Monday afternoon at the age of 83.

Greenwald, who was born in Detroit in 1935, graduated from Syracuse University in 1957 and then went on to work for the then Syracuse Nationals (now the Philadelphia 76ers) of the NBA. It was in 1964, that he moved to the San Francisco Bay Area and teamed up with the erstwhile Bill King and the Warriors, who still were known as the San Francisco Warriors.

After flourishing in the minor leagues, Greenwald was hired to work San Francisco Giants games with one of his idols, Lindsay Nelson. Greenwald left the Giants after the 1986 season to work for the New York Yankees for two seasons, but then returned to the Bay Area and the Giants for the 1989 season.

It was during that magical 1989 season that saw the Giants return to the World Series for the first time since 1962, and Greenwald uttered his famous quote. “Twenty-seven years of waiting have come to an end! The Giants have won the pennant!”

Greenwald once again left the Giants after the 1996 season, but returned to the broadcast booth with the Oakland A’s for the 2004 and 2005 seasons before hanging up his mike for good.

He is survived by his beloved wife Carla, their son Doug, who is currently the broadcaster for the Fresno Grizzlies (Triple-A affiliate for the Washington Nationals) and daughter Kellie.

Giants Get Crushed by Dodgers 15-0 to Cap 2018 Season

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By: Joe Lami

The season finally came to an end for the San Francisco Giants on Sunday. They did so in perfect fashion, to sum up, the 2018 season, losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers 15-0 at AT&T Park.

Fans came to say a final goodbye to Hunter Pence, the emotional leader of two of the franchise’s three titles in recent years. 2018 was a struggle for Pence, as he finished batting .229 with 24 RBI and four homers in the 96 games he played. It wasn’t the sunset ending Pence, who has wished for either, as he finished the day 0-for-4, including three strikeouts from the lead-off spot.

Andrew Suarez was handed the loss, surrendering six runs on six hits in 2.1 IP as the Dodgers delivered a seven-run blow in the third to make it 9-0. They continued to pour it on with three runs in the fourth and two runs in the fifth.

The Dodgers had everything to play for, as the win secured a one-game playoff with the Colorado Rockies to decide who wins the NL West tomorrow at Dodger Stadium. The winner takes the division with the loser having to play in the Wild Card Game on Tuesday.

The Giants could’ve played spoiler for their rival. A Dodgers’ loss would have secured them the Wild Card spot, but instead, LA swept the Giants capped off by the second-worst shutout in rivalry history

Giants fans will wake up tomorrow when September is finally over, looking back at a 5-21 record for the nightmare month. The worst month in franchise history since 1958 pushed them eight games below .500. They finished 73-89, the eighth-worst record in the big leagues.

The off-season will begin for San Francisco, including the search for a general manager after Bobby Evans was relieved of his position for the unacceptable season. Once a general manager is placed, it will bring attention around who will stay and who will go for next season.