2007 San Francisco Giants season
Encyclopedia
The San Francisco Giants
are an American baseball
team. Their 2007 season
began with the team attempting to return to the post-season for the first time since 2003
. New manager
Bruce Bochy
was hired to help the club improve on a 76 win season in 2006
. Giants left fielder
Barry Bonds
entered 2007 with 21 home runs shy of tying Hank Aaron for most career home runs. On August 7, , Bonds broke the all-time home run record with his 756th career home run and 22nd of the season. The rotation was bolstered by the arrival of Barry Zito
, who was signed to the largest contract ever for a pitcher during the off-season. On September 21 it was revealed that Bonds would not return to the team following the 2007 season.
Later in May, on Mother's day, the 13th, rookie Fred Lewis hit for the cycle, in his 16th Major League game, becoming only the 22nd Giant to do so. Lewis hit a double in the first inning, leading off the game, and hit his first major league home run, a three-run shot, in the third inning. His triple came in the fifth inning, and he got the last leg of the cycle in the seventh inning. Lewis was the first Giant to hit for the cycle since Randy Winn did it in Cincinnati on Aug 15, 2005. He is only the fourth player in Major League history to hit his first home run as part of a cycle, joining, Cliff Heathcote, Gary Ward, and Luke Scott. Heathcote accomplished this feat on June 13, 1918, Ward on September 18, 1980, and Scott on July 28, 2006. He also became the first left-handed San Francisco Giants batter to hit for the cycle.
Barry Bonds became the all-time home run leader at 8:51 pm pacific time, on August 7, 2007 when he hit his 756th career home run off Mike Bascik and the Washington Nationals. His milestone home run was hit just to the right of center field. A plaque commemorating his home run has since been placed on the wall near where his home run landed.
On August 8, Bonds added to his home run total, when he hit his 757th career homer into McCovey cove. He hit it off of the Washington Nationals' Tim Redding.
Russ Ortiz
suffered elbow neuritis and was placed on the 15-day disabled list
. Second baseman
Kevin Frandsen
was recalled from the Giants' triple-A affiliate Fresno Grizzlies
. The very next day, May 4, reliever Scott Munter
was recalled from Fresno and first baseman
Lance Niekro
was designated for assignment
. He cleared waivers and was sent down to Fresno on May 9.
On May 6, starter Tim Lincecum
was recalled from Fresno and Scott Munter was sent down. On May 10, Dave Roberts was placed on the 15-day disabled list due to elbow surgery and Todd Linden
was designated for assignment. Outfielder
s Dan Ortmeier
and Fred Lewis
were recalled from Fresno.
On May 21, Russ Ortiz came off the disabled list, forcing pitcher Jonathan Sanchez
to be sent down to Fresno. To end the month, the team's closer Armando Benitez
was traded to the Marlins
for pitcher Randy Messenger
.
Eliézer Alfonzo
was placed on the 15-day disabled list and Guillermo Rodríguez was recalled from Fresno. Later that same day, outfielder Fred Lewis
was placed on the 15-day disabled list because of a right oblique strain. Outfielder Dave Roberts was recalled in his place.
for center field prospect Rajai Davis
and pitcher Stephen MacFarland.
All-Star Game
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
are an American baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team. Their 2007 season
2007 Major League Baseball season
The 2007 Major League Baseball season, began on April 1 with a rematch of the 2006 National League Championship Series; the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets played the first game of the season at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, which was won by the Mets, 6–1...
began with the team attempting to return to the post-season for the first time since 2003
2003 Major League Baseball season
*World Series MVP: Josh Beckett**American League Championship Series MVP: Mariano Rivera**National League Championship Series MVP: Iván Rodríguez*All-Star Game, July 15 at U.S...
. New manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
Bruce Bochy
Bruce Bochy
Bruce Douglas Bochy is the manager of the San Francisco Giants. Prior to joining the Giants, Bochy had been the manager of the San Diego Padres for twelve seasons. Bochy is the only former Padres player to serve as the team's manager. He has participated in all five postseason appearances in...
was hired to help the club improve on a 76 win season in 2006
2006 Major League Baseball season
In , the Major League Baseball season ended with the National League's St. Louis Cardinals winning the World Series with the lowest regular season victory total in history. The American League continued its domination at the All-Star Game by winning its fourth straight game; the A.L. has won nine...
. Giants left fielder
Left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds
Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...
entered 2007 with 21 home runs shy of tying Hank Aaron for most career home runs. On August 7, , Bonds broke the all-time home run record with his 756th career home run and 22nd of the season. The rotation was bolstered by the arrival of Barry Zito
Barry Zito
Barry Zito is a Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher for the San Francisco Giants. He previously played seven seasons with the Oakland Athletics, where he won the 2002 American League Cy Young Award and made three All-Star teams....
, who was signed to the largest contract ever for a pitcher during the off-season. On September 21 it was revealed that Bonds would not return to the team following the 2007 season.
Historic Moments
2007 was a year that had various milestones, whether personal, or historical in terms of team history, or MLB history.May
On May 8, 2007, Bengie Molina became the first Giant since Willie McCovey in 1977 to hit two home runs in one inning. Ray Durham led off the fifth inning with a walk, and Molina followed the walk with a two-run home run to left field. Rich Aurilia later hit a three-run homer, to make it a six run inning. Barry Bonds, and Durham then walked, and Molina came up and hit a three-run home run to left-center field, to finish a nine run inning.Later in May, on Mother's day, the 13th, rookie Fred Lewis hit for the cycle, in his 16th Major League game, becoming only the 22nd Giant to do so. Lewis hit a double in the first inning, leading off the game, and hit his first major league home run, a three-run shot, in the third inning. His triple came in the fifth inning, and he got the last leg of the cycle in the seventh inning. Lewis was the first Giant to hit for the cycle since Randy Winn did it in Cincinnati on Aug 15, 2005. He is only the fourth player in Major League history to hit his first home run as part of a cycle, joining, Cliff Heathcote, Gary Ward, and Luke Scott. Heathcote accomplished this feat on June 13, 1918, Ward on September 18, 1980, and Scott on July 28, 2006. He also became the first left-handed San Francisco Giants batter to hit for the cycle.
June
Rookie Fred Lewis hit his first career grand slam against the Philadelphia Phillies on June 2, 2007.July
On July 4, 2007 Fred Lewis hit his second grand slam of the season, becoming the first rookie in San Francisco Giants history to hit two slams in one season. Two of Lewis' first three career home runs were grand slams, and the other was part of a cycle.August
On August 4, 2007, Barry Bonds tied Hank Aaron for the most home runs in Major League history, when he hit his 755th career home run off of the San Diego Padres' Clay HensleyBarry Bonds became the all-time home run leader at 8:51 pm pacific time, on August 7, 2007 when he hit his 756th career home run off Mike Bascik and the Washington Nationals. His milestone home run was hit just to the right of center field. A plaque commemorating his home run has since been placed on the wall near where his home run landed.
On August 8, Bonds added to his home run total, when he hit his 757th career homer into McCovey cove. He hit it off of the Washington Nationals' Tim Redding.
September
Barry Bonds hit his final home run of 2007 on September 5, bringing his career total to 762. This would be the final home run of his career.May
May was a month full of injuries and roster-switches for the Giants. On May 3, starting pitcherPitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
Russ Ortiz
Russ Ortiz
Russell Reid Ortiz is a retired Major League baseball pitcher. Ortiz played for the Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, San Francisco Giants, Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers...
suffered elbow neuritis and was placed on the 15-day disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
. Second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
Kevin Frandsen
Kevin Frandsen
Kevin Vincent Frandsen is a Major League Baseball third baseman who is currently in the Philadelphia Phillies organization.-Career:...
was recalled from the Giants' triple-A affiliate Fresno Grizzlies
Fresno Grizzlies
The Fresno Grizzlies are a minor league baseball team based in Fresno, California. The team, which plays in the Pacific Coast League , is the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants major league club. The Grizzlies play in Chukchansi Park , located in downtown Fresno and built in 2002...
. The very next day, May 4, reliever Scott Munter
Scott Munter
Scott Michael Munter is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher who is currently playing in the San Diego Padres organization. He attended St. James/Seton grade school and Creighton Preparatory School in Omaha, Nebraska...
was recalled from Fresno and first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
Lance Niekro
Lance Niekro
Lance William Niekro is a former Major League Baseball player, nephew of Phil Niekro, and son of Joe Niekro. Niekro currently serves as an assistant coach at Florida Southern College....
was designated for assignment
Designated for assignment
Designated for assignment is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball. When a player is designated for assignment, he is immediately removed from the club's 40-man roster. This gives the club 10 days to decide what to do with the player while freeing up a roster spot for another...
. He cleared waivers and was sent down to Fresno on May 9.
On May 6, starter Tim Lincecum
Tim Lincecum
Timothy Leroy Lincecum is an American professional baseball starting pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. He was nicknamed "The Freak" and "Big Time Timmy Jim" and "The Franchise." He throws right-handed and bats left-handed....
was recalled from Fresno and Scott Munter was sent down. On May 10, Dave Roberts was placed on the 15-day disabled list due to elbow surgery and Todd Linden
Todd Linden
Todd Anthony "Moose" Linden is an outfielder in the North American League for the Edmonton Capitals organization.-Early life:...
was designated for assignment. Outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
s Dan Ortmeier
Dan Ortmeier
Daniel David Ortmeier is a Major League Baseball outfielder and first baseman who is currently a Free Agent. He made his major league debut on September 5, , with the San Francisco Giants.-High school:...
and Fred Lewis
Fred Lewis
Frederick Deshaun Lewis is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He made his debut on September 1, , with the San Francisco Giants. He is the cousin of former major league outfielder Matt Lawton. Lewis also hit the 46th Splash Hit at AT&T Park...
were recalled from Fresno.
On May 21, Russ Ortiz came off the disabled list, forcing pitcher Jonathan Sanchez
Jonathan Sanchez
Jonathan O. Sánchez is a Puerto Rican Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Kansas City Royals....
to be sent down to Fresno. To end the month, the team's closer Armando Benitez
Armando Benítez
Armando Germán Benítez is a relief pitcher who is currently a free agent.-Baltimore Orioles:...
was traded to the Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
for pitcher Randy Messenger
Randy Messenger
Randall Jerome Messenger is a right-handed relief pitcher for the Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball. He is tall and weighs , and made his Major League debut on June 22, , for the Florida Marlins. Messenger graduated from Sparks High School in 1999.Messenger is nicknamed Big Mess...
.
June
Russ Ortiz was once again placed on the 15-day disabled list on June 7 because of a strained right forearm. Jonathan Sanchez was recalled, once again. On June 9, catcherCatcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
Eliézer Alfonzo
Eliézer Alfonzo
Eliézer Jesús Alfonzo is a professional baseball catcher who is currently with the Colorado Rockies. He has played all or part of six seasons in Major League Baseball, most recently in 2011 with the Colorado Rockies. He bats and throws right-handed. Eliézer is the second cousin of former MLB star...
was placed on the 15-day disabled list and Guillermo Rodríguez was recalled from Fresno. Later that same day, outfielder Fred Lewis
Fred Lewis
Frederick Deshaun Lewis is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He made his debut on September 1, , with the San Francisco Giants. He is the cousin of former major league outfielder Matt Lawton. Lewis also hit the 46th Splash Hit at AT&T Park...
was placed on the 15-day disabled list because of a right oblique strain. Outfielder Dave Roberts was recalled in his place.
July
On July 31, 2007, pitcher Matt Morris was traded to the Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
for center field prospect Rajai Davis
Rajai Davis
Rajai Davis [RAH-jay] is an American professional baseball center fielder with the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball....
and pitcher Stephen MacFarland.
Roster
| 2007 San Francisco Giants | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers |
Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders |
Manager Coaches (third base) (bullpen) (hitting) (pitching) (first base) (bench) |
||||||
Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At Bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting Average; HR = Home Runs; RBI = Runs Batted In| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At Bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting Average; HR = Home Runs; RBI = Runs Batted In| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|
Starting pitchers
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|
Other pitchers
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|
Relief pitchers
| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|
Awards and honors
- Bengie MolinaBengie MolinaBenjamin José "Bengie" Molina , nicknamed "Big Money", is a former Major League Baseball catcher.He is the older brother of major league catchers José Molina and Yadier Molina....
C, Willie Mac AwardWillie Mac AwardThe Willie Mac Award is named in honor of Willie McCovey. It has been presented annually since 1980. It is awarded to the player on the San Francisco Giants who best exemplifies the spirit and leadership consistently shown by McCovey throughout his long career, voted upon by the players and...
All-Star Game
2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 78th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 10, 2007, at AT&T Park, the home of the NL's San Francisco Giants...