What is this all about?
Yesterday
Here are the top 5 June 25 moments in San Francisco Giants history.
1961 at St Louis, we're 9 games over .500 and 4 out of first, this is game 1 of a Sunday doubleheader at Busch, we're down 4-3 in the 9th, but had 2 on with nobody out, Harvey Kuenn's attempted bunt got muffed by Bill White, he was safe and Chuck Hiller scored the tying run. We'd go on to win 6-4. White, was a Giant, signed in '53, up in '56, came over with the franchise from New York, but he was a first baseman - and with Cepeda and then McCovey coming up right behind him there wasn't a ton of room, we dealt him to the Cards with Ray Jablonski for Sam Jones before the '59 season.
1976 at Dodgers, 15.5 games out, but we had just taken 3 from the Padres and are opening up 3 in Los Angeles, complete games by both Ed Halicki and Burt Hooten in this sub 2 hour game, 2 on with 2 out in the top of the 9th, Chris Speier singles home Derrel Thomas to give us the one run lead.
1976 at Dodgers, same game, the Dodgers loaded the bases in the bottom of the 9th, trailing 1-0, Ed Halicki still on the mound, the Dodgers pinch hit Manny Mota - Halicki strikes him out to end the ballgame. Solid enough season for Halicki in '76, 100 ERA+, worth a couple of WAR, his big year comes next year - Halicki in '77 has just shy of a half dozen WAR, it's right about the 60th best season any starting pitcher ever had in franchise history.
1987 home vs. Reds, we just lost in extras the day before, trying to avoid a 3 game sweep, we're dead at .500, 35-35, and now trail the first place Reds by 4.5 games. We're down 6-5 in the bottom of the 9th, Joel Youngblood doubles home Bob Brenly off of Frank Williams to tie the score, we go on to win 7-6. Youngblood was 35 in '87, in his second to last San Francisco season - back in '84 he was the starer at third, but now he's a pinch hitter, near the end of his career - he signs with the Reds in '89 and that's where he finishes.
Walk off 2007 home vs. Padres, we're 11 out but had walked off the Mets in extras two days before and were in the 11th here, 2 on, 2 out, Pedro Feliz singles home the winning run off of Justin Hampson - Feliz was a Giant for 8 seasons, this is the last one, he just couldn't get on base, he had a .288 OBP in 3000 plate appearances. He signs with the Phillies after the season.
See you tomorrow. Go Giants!
