San Jose Giants
Encyclopedia
The San Jose Giants are a minor league baseball
team in San Jose, California
, USA
. They are a Class A - Advanced team in the Northern Division of the California League
, and have been a farm team
of the San Francisco Giants
since 1988. Home games are played at San Jose Municipal Stadium
. The Giants join a long line of San Jose based California League teams dating back to the league's inception including:
The Giants are the current defending two-time California League champions, having beaten the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
in the 2010 season and the High Desert Mavericks
the previous year.
Since the team's inception, the San Jose Giants have been one of the more successful teams in the California League. They captured the league championship in 1998, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2009 and most recently in 2010. In 2005 and once again in 2007 after being down 2-0 in the best of 5 series, came back home and won the final three games over Lake Elsinore Storm to claim the Championship Series 3-2. (In 2001 the Giants were declared co-champions with the Lake Elsinore Storm
after the final series was cancelled after the September 11 terrorist attacks). The team has also made the California League playoffs numerous times and won the Northern Division championship 8 times. The Giants also had the best record of any minor league class A team in the 1990s.
This has shown at the turnstile as attendance has increased 14 of the last 17 years. The SJ Giants are now in their 22nd season being affiliated with the San Francisco Giants
. This makes the SJ Giants affiliation the longest currently enjoyed by a team in the California League. 2008 marked a second highest team record attendance of 183,788 for the season. On August 27, 2009, San Jose Giants fan Ramon Valle helped make history becoming the 200,000th fan in attendance for the 2009 season.
San Jose Giants have developed more than 115 major league players, including Buster Posey
, Tim Lincecum
, Jonathan Sanchez
, Matt Cain
, Brian Horwitz
, Noah Lowry
, Merkin Valdez
, Chad Zerbe
, Russ Ortiz
, Bill Mueller
, Doug Mirabelli
, Rod Beck
, Joe Nathan
, Francisco Liriano
, Shawn Estes
, Emmanuel Burriss
, Andrés Torres
, and Pablo Sandoval
. In addition, many players on the Kansas City Royals teams of the 70's and 80's, such as George Brett
, Amos Otis
, and Dennis Leonard
, knew their way to San Jose.
San Jose Giants games are very much rooted in the older traditions of baseball. Fans sit very close to the field, general admission seating is available for games, players sign autographs before every game, and the outfield walls are lined with advertisements much like the stadiums of the 1920s and 30s were. A simple scoreboard shows basic game data like runs, strikes, balls, and outs. This was updated in 2005 to feature lights to denote the count rather than numbers much like Fenway Park
in Boston. The out-of-town scoreboard for other California League games is also hand hung. In 2006, the simple scoreboard was replaced with a 21-by-15-foot video screen costing $500,000, and the hand hung out-of-town scoreboard is no longer used. Between innings, fans are treated to all manner of little games and entertainment, such as a tire toss, a child footrace around the bases, or throwing a baseball at a truck for prizes. The San Jose Giants also added a mascot, Gigante, for the 2006 season.
Another unique feature of San Jose Giants games is the "beer batter." A batter from the opposing team is designated the "beer batter". If the San Jose pitcher strikes out that batter, beer is half price in the beer only lines for the 15 minutes immediately following the strike out. The beer batter promotion is in effect only for the first six innings of the game. The PA system plays Beer Barrel Polka
("roll out the barrel") whenever the beer batter comes to the plate and after every strike during the beer batter's at-bat (through the first six innings). After the sixth inning, the beer batter becomes the apple juice batter and if he strikes out, fans get half-priced Martinelli's apple juice.
San Jose Giants games were often the home of Krazy George
. George is a well known "fan" in the San Francisco Bay Area
who attends not only SJ Giants games but also many of the MLB, NFL, NHL, and NCAA football games in the region. His claim to fame is being the creator of "the wave
" in Oakland on October 15, 1981 where fans rise and wave their arms in sequence around a stadium thus created a wave like effect when viewed from a distance.
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
team in San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. They are a Class A - Advanced team in the Northern Division of the California League
California League
The California League is a Class A Advanced minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High-A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
, and have been a farm team
Farm team
In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team or nursery club, is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher level at a given point...
of the San Francisco Giants
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....
since 1988. Home games are played at San Jose Municipal Stadium
San Jose Municipal Stadium
The San Jose Municipal Stadium, or Muni Stadium in common usage, is the home of the minor league baseball San Jose Giants, the Advanced A league affiliate of the San Francisco Giants located in San Jose, California. The Giants play in the northern division of the California League...
. The Giants join a long line of San Jose based California League teams dating back to the league's inception including:
- San Jose Bees (1983–87)
- San Jose Expos (1982)
- San Jose Missions (1979–81) (Pacific Coast League 1977-78)
- San Jose Bees (1962–76)
- San Jose Pirates (1958)
- San Jose JoSox (1956–57)
- San Jose Red Sox (1947–55)
- San Jose Owls (1942)
The Giants are the current defending two-time California League champions, having beaten the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes are a minor league baseball team in Rancho Cucamonga, California, USA. They are a Class A – Advanced team in the California League and a farm team of the Los Angeles Dodgers, their third major league affiliate in team history....
in the 2010 season and the High Desert Mavericks
High Desert Mavericks
The High Desert Mavericks are a minor league baseball team in Adelanto, California, USA. Their Major League parent club is the Seattle Mariners. They are a Class A - Advanced team in the California League and had been a farm team of the Kansas City Royals since 2005 before the switch...
the previous year.
Team history
Lake Elsinore Storm
The Lake Elsinore Storm is a minor league baseball team in Lake Elsinore, California, USA. It is a Class A - Advanced team in the California League, and is a farm team of the San Diego Padres. The Storm plays its home games at Lake Elsinore Diamond...
after the final series was cancelled after the September 11 terrorist attacks). The team has also made the California League playoffs numerous times and won the Northern Division championship 8 times. The Giants also had the best record of any minor league class A team in the 1990s.
This has shown at the turnstile as attendance has increased 14 of the last 17 years. The SJ Giants are now in their 22nd season being affiliated with the San Francisco Giants
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....
. This makes the SJ Giants affiliation the longest currently enjoyed by a team in the California League. 2008 marked a second highest team record attendance of 183,788 for the season. On August 27, 2009, San Jose Giants fan Ramon Valle helped make history becoming the 200,000th fan in attendance for the 2009 season.
San Jose Giants have developed more than 115 major league players, including Buster Posey
Buster Posey
Gerald Dempsey "Buster" Posey III is a catcher for the San Francisco Giants. He was drafted by the Giants fifth overall in the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft....
, 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....
, Jonathan Sanchez
Jonathan Sanchez
Jonathan O. Sánchez is a Puerto Rican Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Kansas City Royals....
, Matt Cain
Matt Cain
Matthew Thomas Cain is an American Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the San Francisco Giants...
, Brian Horwitz
Brian Horwitz
Brian Jeffery Horwitz, nicknamed "The Rabbi," is an American baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent. He has won two minor league batting titles, and made his major league debut in 2008....
, Noah Lowry
Noah Lowry
Noah Ryan Lowry is a free agent left-handed starting pitcher formerly of the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball.-College and the MLB Draft:...
, Merkin Valdez
Merkin Valdéz
Merkin R. Valdéz Mola is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. Valdez graduated from Escuela Rural Palenque High School in his native Dominican Republic.-Atlanta Braves:...
, Chad Zerbe
Chad Zerbe
Chad Zerbe is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher who played for the San Francisco Giants from 2000 to 2003.-Career:...
, 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...
, Bill Mueller
Bill Mueller
William Richard Mueller is a former Major League Baseball third baseman. Mueller's playing career was spent with the San Francisco Giants , Chicago Cubs , Boston Red Sox , and Los Angeles Dodgers . He won the American League batting title in 2003, and helped the Red Sox win the 2004 World Series...
, Doug Mirabelli
Doug Mirabelli
Douglas Anthony Mirabelli is a former Major League Baseball catcher. He played for the San Francisco Giants , Texas Rangers , Boston Red Sox , and San Diego Padres before returning to the Red Sox to end his eleven year career...
, Rod Beck
Rod Beck
Rodney Roy "Rod" Beck nicknamed "Shooter", was a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the San Francisco Giants , Chicago Cubs , Boston Red Sox and San Diego Padres...
, Joe Nathan
Joe Nathan
Joseph Michael Nathan is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball . Nathan started out his baseball career as a shortstop in high school but converted to a pitcher after being drafted by the San Francisco Giants...
, Francisco Liriano
Francisco Liriano
Francisco Liriano y Casillas is a left-handed Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Minnesota Twins.-Professional career:...
, Shawn Estes
Shawn Estes
Aaron Shawn Estes is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. After he attended Douglas High School in Minden, Nevada, he was offered a scholarship by Stanford University...
, Emmanuel Burriss
Emmanuel Burriss
Emmanuel "Manny" Allen Burriss is a Major League Baseball second baseman for the San Francisco Giants. He is a switch-hitter who throws right-handed and has played second base, shortstop, and third base.-Early life:...
, Andrés Torres
Andres Torres
Andrés "Yungo" Torres Jr. is a Major League Baseball outfielder with the San Francisco Giants. He has also played for the Detroit Tigers and the Texas Rangers.-Early life:...
, and Pablo Sandoval
Pablo Sandoval
Pablo E. Sandoval , nicknamed Kung Fu Panda, is a Venezuelan professional baseball infielder for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. Sandoval is a 5'11", 237 pound switch hitter. He was born left handed, but did not want to have to play outfield all of his career. He therefore...
. In addition, many players on the Kansas City Royals teams of the 70's and 80's, such as George Brett
George Brett (baseball)
George Howard Brett , nicknamed "Mullet", is a former Major League Baseball third baseman, designated hitter, and first baseman. He played his entire 21-year baseball career for the Kansas City Royals. Brett's 3,154 career hits are the most by any third baseman in major league history, and 15th...
, Amos Otis
Amos Otis
Amos Joseph Otis is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Mets , Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates . He batted and threw right-handed....
, and Dennis Leonard
Dennis Leonard
Dennis Patrick Leonard was one of the Kansas City Royals' most dominating pitchers of the late '70s and early '80s, but a promising career cut short due to injuries. In 1975, his first full year he managed to bust out with a 15-7 record...
, knew their way to San Jose.
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
in Boston. The out-of-town scoreboard for other California League games is also hand hung. In 2006, the simple scoreboard was replaced with a 21-by-15-foot video screen costing $500,000, and the hand hung out-of-town scoreboard is no longer used. Between innings, fans are treated to all manner of little games and entertainment, such as a tire toss, a child footrace around the bases, or throwing a baseball at a truck for prizes. The San Jose Giants also added a mascot, Gigante, for the 2006 season.
Another unique feature of San Jose Giants games is the "beer batter." A batter from the opposing team is designated the "beer batter". If the San Jose pitcher strikes out that batter, beer is half price in the beer only lines for the 15 minutes immediately following the strike out. The beer batter promotion is in effect only for the first six innings of the game. The PA system plays Beer Barrel Polka
Beer Barrel Polka
Beer Barrel Polka, also known as Roll Out the Barrel, is a song which became popular worldwide during World War II. The music was composed by the Czech musician Jaromír Vejvoda in 1927. Eduard Ingriš wrote the first arrangement of the piece, after Vejvoda came upon the melody and sought Ingriš's...
("roll out the barrel") whenever the beer batter comes to the plate and after every strike during the beer batter's at-bat (through the first six innings). After the sixth inning, the beer batter becomes the apple juice batter and if he strikes out, fans get half-priced Martinelli's apple juice.
San Jose Giants games were often the home of Krazy George
Krazy George Henderson
Krazy George Henderson is a professional cheerleader and claimed inventor of the audience wave.Krazy George began cheerleading while a student at San Jose State in 1968, where he was also a member of the National Championship winning judo team...
. George is a well known "fan" in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
who attends not only SJ Giants games but also many of the MLB, NFL, NHL, and NCAA football games in the region. His claim to fame is being the creator of "the wave
Audience wave
The wave or the Mexican wave is an example of metachronal rhythm achieved in a packed stadium when successive groups of spectators briefly stand and raise their arms...
" in Oakland on October 15, 1981 where fans rise and wave their arms in sequence around a stadium thus created a wave like effect when viewed from a distance.