What is this all about?
Here are the top 5 June 3 moments in San Francisco Giants history; I believe this is only the second date where each moment has come from a different decade.
1964 at Pittsburgh, the Giants are in second place, a game and a half out, Ron Herbel throws a complete game 4 hitter, with 2 out in the 6th the game was scoreless when Orlando Cepeda hit a two run homer off of Bob Priddy. We'd win the game 4-0. Cepeda was 17 when he signed in '55, came west with the club and his rookie season was our rookie season, 1958. He hit in every Giants season, although gave back more than a little of that defensively. He had a 148 OPS+ in '64. We, of course, dealt him away for Ray Sadecki early in the '66 season.
Walk off 1973 home vs Phillies, first place Giants are 14 games above .500 but trail the Phillies 4-1 headed to the botom of the 9th, we plated 2 but with 1 on and 2 out, still trailed 4-3 when Garry Maddox hit a 2 run homer off of Bill Wilson to win the game. I believe this to be the 46th walk off homer in San Francisco history. It is the only walk off home run in Maddox's 15 year big league career. Two years later he's traded to these Phillies.
Walk off 1980 home vs Braves, 8 games under and 9 games out the Giants had 2 on and 2 out in the bottom of the 9th trailing 2-1 - Milt May doubled home both men off of Larry Bradford to win the game. It was May's first of four San Francisco seasons, we signed him as a free agent and would deal him to the Pirates in '83 in a catcher trade for Steve Nicosia. He was just fine, hit well enough, good enough glove, basically just a guy, he was a San Francisco catcher not named Posey.
2006 at Mets, first half of a double header (we get walked off in game 2) down 4-3 with 2 out in the 6th, Eliezer Alfonzo hits a 2 run homer off of Orlando Hernandez. Alfonzo became the starting catcher for the Giants in this, his rookie season (after a decade in the minors) he got more plate appearances in '06 than the rest of his big league career combined. This was his first big league game and his first home run. We won 6-4.
2011 home vs. Rockies, first place Giants up half a game in the West, down 1-0 in the 4th, Cody Ross hits a 3 run homer off of Juan Nicasio and those are the final runs scored. Ross's only full season as a Giant, he leaves for Boston in the offseason.
See you tomorrow. Go Giants!
