Yesterday
What is this all about?
Here are the top 5 June 15 moments in San Francisco Giants history.
Walk off 1964 home vs. Reds, half a game out of first which means only 8200 paid on a Monday afternoon, 5-5 in the 9th, Jim Ray Hart singles home Willie McCovey off Ryne Duren to win the game. It's Hart's rookie season, he finished in a tie for second with Rico Carty in the NL Rookie of the Year race to Dick Allen. It's the first of his 5 seasons as the Giants starter at third and the 16th best season for a third baseman in franchise history.
Walk off 1969 home vs. Expos, we're a game and a half out of first in the West, first game of a doubleheader (we'd win the second game too) it's 4-4 in the bottom of the 9th, Ken Henderson hits a 3 run homer off Dan McGinn to win the game. It's the 35th walk off homer in San Francisco history. Henderson had a couple of really solid years as the Giants left fielder, this was not one of them, he was sub replacement with an 80 OPS+. Henderson broke in with Giants as a teenager, he got 70 at bats as a 19 year old in '65. After 8 seasons we moved him with Steve Stone to the White Sox for Tom Bradley. Later in his career, Henderson (along with another former Giant, Willie Montanez) would be part of a 4 team, 11 player trade.
1973 at Philadelphia, we're 14 over .500, half a game up in the West, it's 1-1 in the 10th, Willie McCovey hits a 3 run homer off Max Scarce. We win the game 4-3. This was McCovey's last season in his first Giants stint and he had a 162 OPS+. In the offseason we trade him to San Diego for Mike Caldwell.
Walk off 1979 home vs. Cardinals, 6.5 out of first, 2 out in the bottom of the 13th, 6-6, Willie McCovey hits a 3 run homer off Darold Knowles to win it for the good guys. McCovey's 41 years old in his last full big league season, it's his six, and last, walk off home run. It's his 515th homer, he hits only 6 more.
2002 home vs. A's, 9 over .500, 2.5 out of first, 1-1 with 2 out in the 4th, Reggie Sanders hits a grand slam off of Aaron Harang, we win 6-2. Sanders spend just the one season in San Francisco (we signed him as a free agent, he left as a free agent) he was the starting RF and was good enough, 3 WAR, 107 OPS+ Sanders played the first 8 seasons of his career in Cincinnati and in the 9 subsequent years played for 7 teams, including this year as a Giant. This was his second career grand slam and his 203rd home run.
See you tomorrow. Go Giants!
