The Rally Monkey is the unofficial mascot for the Los Angeles Angels Major League Baseball team.
115-526: The character debuted on June 6, 2000, when the Angels were trailing the San Francisco Giants 5–4 in the bottom of the ninth inning. Two video board operators, Dean Fraulino and Jaysen Humes, took a clip of a monkey jumping around from the 1994 Jim Carrey movie comedy Ace Ventura: Pet Detective , and superimposed the words "RALLY MONKEY!" on top of it. The Angels scored two runs and won
230-513: A SportsCenter commercial in which it showed one of the executives having to make "budget cuts," leading to the release of the monkey. The monkey pleaded by raising the "It's Rally Time" sign. In one installment of the popular comic strip Get Fuzzy , the strip's protagonist, Bucky Katt, attempts to travel to Anaheim to eat the Rally Monkey after seeing it on television, as part of a running gag focused on Bucky's irrational desire to eat
345-883: A National League wild card twice. The Giants won their first world championship in California in 2010, while the Dodgers won their last world title in 2020. As of the end of the 2023 baseball season, the Los Angeles Dodgers lead the San Francisco Giants in California World Series triumphs, 6–3, whereas in 20th-century New York, the Giants led the Dodgers in World Series championships, 5–1. The combined franchise histories give
460-568: A 1908 season-ending matchup in New York of particular note. That historical rivalry was revisited when the Giants beat the Cubs in the 1989 National League Championship Series , in their tiebreaker game in Chicago at the end of the 1998 season, on June 6, 2012, in a "Turn Back The Century" game in which both teams wore replica 1912 uniforms, and in the 2016 National League Division Series in which
575-518: A Giants outfielder until shortly after McGraw became manager By the time the Giants returned from a road trip to meet McGraw at their home field, the Polo Grounds , they had a record of 22–50 and were in last place in the NL. Not all of them got to return. McGraw released four of them by telegraph to Cincinnati, and two more when they returned to New York. McGraw played occasionally, and spent part of
690-486: A crisis in his professional life as Johnson sought to exclude him from the Orioles' move to New York, McGraw acted in a way that was "totally ruthless and unscrupulous". Baseball historian Fred Lieb , who knew both men well, wrote that McGraw and Johnson never spoke again. There is a story McGraw fired me the first day. That is a big lie. It was the second day. I hid in the clubhouse the first day. Jack Hendricks ,
805-444: A friendly rival much lower on the scale. This is most likely due to the A's lack of a historical rival, while the Giants have their heated rivalry with the Dodgers. Some Bay Area fans are fans of both teams. The "split hats" that feature the logos of both teams best embodies the shared fan base. Other Bay Area fans view the competition between the two teams as a "friendly rivalry", with little actual hatred compared to similar ones such as
920-494: A full-time player, though he nominally remained on the roster until 1906. One stratagem used by McGraw was to have pitcher Dummy Taylor , who was deaf and could not speak, teach his teammates sign language , which both gave the team ways of communicating on the field and improved Taylor's relationship with his teammates. The Giants used sign language until Chicago's Johnny Evers detected and learned it. McGraw's knee gave way in 1903 spring training, effectively sidelining him for
1035-417: A knee injury; recovery from that, suspensions and a deep cut from the sharpened spikes of a baserunner meant he played few games for the Orioles. The team drifted between fifth and seventh in the league, and there was widespread talk that at the end of the season, Johnson would shift the team to New York. Although being a manager and part owner of a New York AL team would be a major opportunity for him, McGraw
1150-456: A major-league baseball player. McGraw described his new home upon his arrival as "a dirty, dreary, ramshackle sort of place." Barnie was unimpressed by the short stature of the player he had recruited unseen, but McGraw assured him, "I'm bigger than I look." During the short part of the 1891 season McGraw was with the Orioles, he hit .245. Initially he played shortstop, but his poor fielding (18 errors in 86 chances) caused Barnie, who quit before
1265-908: A monkey. San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco . The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division . Founded in 1883 as the New York Gothams , the team was renamed the New York Giants three years later, eventually relocating from New York City to San Francisco in 1958. The Giants play their home games at Oracle Park in San Francisco. The franchise
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#17327764508041380-520: A nickname he strongly disliked, by The Washington Post . The Orioles won their first pennant, besting the New York Giants and the Boston Beaneaters . Amid disputes over money, they lost the postseason Temple Cup series to the second-place Giants. After a brief visit to Truxton, McGraw spent the winter at St. Bonaventure. The Orioles' "Big Four" (McGraw, Jennings, Keeler and Joe Kelley ) held out to start 1895, but came to terms with
1495-424: A personal record, and Pittsburgh owner Barney Dreyfuss sought to have McGraw disciplined after the manager shouted accusations at him after one ejection. The league Board of Directors refused to suspend McGraw, and when NL president Harry Pulliam suspended McGraw for 15 games for accusing Pulliam of being Dreyfuss's lackey, the suspension was overturned by a court. This time, the Giants had no objection to playing
1610-565: A postseason series against the AL champions, the Philadelphia Athletics , managed by Connie Mack . The 1905 World Series saw a great exhibition of pitching, as every game ended in a shutout , three of them pitched by Mathewson and one by McGinnity. The Giants won, four games to one. McGraw was rewarded with a new contract at $ 15,000 per year. The victory made the Giants heroes in a city that always admired winners, and McGraw one of
1725-495: A quick rise through the minor leagues that led him to the Orioles at the age of 18. Under the tutelage of manager Ned Hanlon , the Orioles of the 1890s won three National League (NL) pennants; McGraw was one of the stalwarts of the team alongside Wee Willie Keeler , Hughie Jennings , and Wilbert Robinson . The Orioles perfected the hit and run play and popularized the Baltimore chop ; they also sought to win by intimidating
1840-481: A strong relationship with the new Giants owner, Brush, according to baseball author Cait N. Murphy, "the partnership clicked: Brush signed the checks and did as McGraw ordered". McGraw's new-look Giants got off to a hot start in 1903, and were in first place ahead of the two-time defending NL champion Pirates at the end of May, as crowds not seen in a decade flocked to the Polo Grounds. Still coming together as
1955-468: A team, they thereafter faded and finished second, 6 + 1 ⁄ 2 games behind the Pirates, but McGinnity won 31 games while Mathewson won 30 and led the league in strikeouts. As a player, McGraw appeared in 11 games and batted .273. The Giants' success, and the controversy the belligerent McGraw aroused, meant they attracted larger crowds not only at the Polo Grounds, but on the road as well. Leading
2070-516: Is 11,541–10,019–163 (.535). Since moving to San Francisco in 1958, the Giants have an overall win–loss record of 5,474–5,121–6 (.517) through the end of 2024. The team's current manager is Bob Melvin . The Giants originated in New York City as the New York Gothams in 1883, and were known as the New York Giants from 1885 until the team relocated to San Francisco after the 1957 season. During most of their 75 seasons in New York City,
2185-534: Is one of the oldest and most successful in professional baseball, with more wins than any team in the history of major American sports . The team was the first major-league organization based in New York City, most memorably playing home games at several iterations of the Polo Grounds . The Giants have played in the World Series 20 times. In 2014, the Giants won their then-record 23rd National League pennant ; this mark has since been equaled and then eclipsed by
2300-563: Is paired with an all-orange cap with the "SF" in orange with white trim. The uniforms are usually worn on Tuesday home games. The Giants' rivalry with the Los Angeles Dodgers dates back to when the two teams were based in New York, as does their rivalry with the New York Yankees . The Dodger and Giants rivalry is one of the longest rivalries in sports history. Their rivalry with the Oakland Athletics dates back to when
2415-529: The 1962 World Series in seven games to the New York Yankees. The Giants were swept in the 1989 World Series by their cross-Bay rival Oakland Athletics , a series best known for the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake , which caused a 10-day delay between Games 2 and 3. The Giants also lost the 2002 World Series to the Anaheim Angels . One of the team's biggest highlights during this time was
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#17327764508042530-548: The 2001 season , in which outfielder Barry Bonds hit 73 home runs , breaking the record for most home runs in a season. In 2007, Bonds would surpass Hank Aaron 's career record of 755 home runs. Bonds finished his career with 762 home runs (586 hit with the Giants), which is still the MLB record. The Giants won three World Series championships in 2010 , 2012 , and 2014 , giving the team eight total World Series titles, including
2645-535: The Baseball Hall of Fame , the most of any franchise. The Giants' rivalry with the Dodgers , one of the longest-standing and most famed rivalries in American sports, began in New York and continued when both teams relocated to California in 1958. Despite the efforts of Mays and Barry Bonds , regarded as two of baseball's all-time best players, the Giants endured a 56-year championship drought following
2760-541: The National Football League (NFL) are named after the team. The Giants, along with their rival Los Angeles Dodgers , became the first Major League Baseball teams to play on the West Coast. On April 15, 1958, the Giants played their first game in San Francisco, defeating the former Brooklyn and now Los Angeles Dodgers, 8–0. The Giants played for two seasons at Seals Stadium (from 1931 to 1957,
2875-691: The National League and the American Association . He quickly became the best player on his school team. While in Goddard's care, he took a job delivering newspapers. As a paperboy , he met and struck up a friendship with Herman Pitz , who was then playing minor league baseball in Elmira . McGraw began carrying Pitz's bags and was adopted as a mascot by the Elmira team. Shortly after his 16th birthday, he began playing for his town's team,
2990-603: The New York Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers . The Giants faced the Yankees in six World Series and played the league rival Dodgers multiple times per season. Games between any two of these three teams were known collectively as the Subway Series . The Dodgers-Giants rivalry continues, as both teams moved to California after the 1957 season, with the Dodgers relocating to Los Angeles. The New York Giants of
3105-682: The Philadelphia Phillies dropping off as one of the premier teams of the National League, this rivalry has died down since 2010 and 2011. Another rivalry that has intensified recently is with the St. Louis Cardinals , whom the team has faced 4 times in the NLCS . The rivalry between the New York Giants and Chicago Cubs in the early 20th century was once regarded as one of the most heated in baseball, with Merkle's Boner leading to
3220-603: The Pittsburgh Pirates to manage the Orioles. The Orioles lost over 100 games, finishing last by a wide margin. Of the seventeen players Hanlon inherited, he kept only three: pitcher Sadie McMahon , catcher Wilbert Robinson and McGraw. According to baseball author Burt Solomon, "Hanlon saw that McGraw's value to the Orioles came less from his agility than from his intensity. He never gave up and had contempt for anyone who did, John McGraw could drive his teammates to another level of play." But little of that showed in
3335-407: The hit and run . Many of the players, including McGraw, lived in the same Baltimore boarding house, and talked baseball deep into the night. From such discussions arose the discovery that a runner on third had an excellent chance of scoring if he left at the pitcher's first motion and the batter bunted , originating the squeeze play . A reputation for dirty play led to McGraw being dubbed "Muggsy",
3450-545: The "City Connect" program, with teams wearing special uniforms that reflect the pride and personality of their community. The Giants' version is a white base with orange accents, featuring the stylized "G" in an orange/white gradient. The gradient represents the San Francisco fog that envelopes the Bay Area many months per year. An orange silhouette of the Golden Gate Bridge is printed on the sleeves. The uniform
3565-447: The "SF" wordmark changed to black with orange trim. In 2015, the Giants unveiled a new black alternate uniform to be used on select Saturday home games. This set has the interlocking "SF" in front along with orange piping and a new sleeve patch containing the Golden Gate Bridge atop the "Giants" wordmark. Initially, the letters were in black with orange trim, but this was changed to orange with black trim and orange drop shadows. Before
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3680-592: The 1892 season, in which McGraw hit .267 with 14 stolen bases while playing a variety of positions. During the 1892–93 offseason, McGraw attended Allegany College (soon to be renamed St. Bonaventure ), trading his skills as a baseball coach for the right to attend without paying tuition. In 1893, Hanlon secured Hughie Jennings from the Louisville Colonels , a shortstop whose acquisition caused Hanlon to displace McGraw from that position. The team finished eighth in 1893, while McGraw hit .327, second on
3795-447: The 1977 season, the Giants switched to pullover uniforms. "Giants" on the home uniform was changed from serifed block lettering to cursive script, and the color scheme returned to black with orange trim. The road uniform became orange, with letters in black with white trim. Neck and sleeve stripes are in black, orange and white. Both uniforms received chest numbers. The standard cap was changed to feature an orange brim. The 1978 season saw
3910-436: The 2010 season, the Giants unveiled a new orange alternate uniform to be used on Friday home games. Initially, this design was similar to the home uniform save for a trim change to cream, but in 2011, the sleeve patch was changed to the one previously used on the team's road uniform. In 2014, the orange alternate were tweaked slightly, adding black piping and a new sleeve patch featuring the interlocking "SF" logo, and returning to
4025-457: The A's in 1911 & 1913 . After becoming the San Francisco Giants and Oakland A's, they met in a fourth Series in 1989 resulting in the A's last world championship (as of 2024). Though in different leagues, the Giants have also been historical rivals of the Yankees, starting in New York before the Giants moved to the West Coast . Before the institution of interleague play in 1997,
4140-405: The A's) have been fairly evenly divided despite differences in league, style of play, stadium, payroll, fan base stereotypes, media coverage and World Series records, all of which have heightened the rivalry in recent years. The intensity of the rivalry and how it is understood varies among Bay Area fans. A's fans generally view the Giants as a hated rival, while Giants fans generally view the A's as
4255-402: The Angels' appearance in the 2002 World Series , again against the San Francisco Giants. In the sixth game, the Angels were playing at home, but were trailing the series 3-2 and facing elimination. They were down 5-0 as the game entered the bottom of the seventh inning. Amid fervid rally-monkey themed fan support, the Angels proceeded to score six unanswered runs over the next two innings, winning
4370-619: The Cardinals, McGraw and Robinson were involved in meetings aimed at upgrading the Western League to major league status, and on November 12, 1900, they signed an agreement with Johnson giving them exclusive rights to form an AL franchise in Baltimore, securing financial backing from local figures. McGraw spent much of the winter seeking to sign players. Among them was Charley Grant, an African-American second baseman who McGraw alleged
4485-499: The Cubs won. The Giants-Dodgers rivalry is one of the longest-standing rivalries in team sports. The Giants-Dodgers feud began in the late 19th century when both clubs were based in New York City, with the Dodgers based in Brooklyn and the Giants playing at the Polo Grounds in upper Manhattan . After the 1957 season, Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley decided to move the team to Los Angeles primarily for financial reasons. Along
4600-1476: The Giants (55 players and 11 managers) into the Hall of Fame, more than any other team in the history of baseball. Dave Bancroft Jake Beckley Roger Bresnahan * Dan Brouthers Jesse Burkett Roger Connor * George Davis * Leo Durocher Buck Ewing * Frankie Frisch Burleigh Grimes Gabby Hartnett Rogers Hornsby Waite Hoyt Carl Hubbell * Monte Irvin Travis Jackson * Tim Keefe * Willie Keeler George Kelly * King Kelly Tony Lazzeri Freddie Lindstrom * Ernie Lombardi Rube Marquard * Christy Mathewson * Joe McGinnity * John McGraw * Joe Medwick Johnny Mize Hank O'Day Jim O'Rourke * Mel Ott * Edd Roush Amos Rusie * Ray Schalk Red Schoendienst Bill Terry * John Montgomery Ward * Mickey Welch * Hoyt Wilhelm Hack Wilson Ross Youngs * Steve Carlton Gary Carter Orlando Cepeda * Rich Gossage Randy Johnson Juan Marichal * Willie Mays * Willie McCovey * Joe Morgan Gaylord Perry * Frank Robinson Duke Snider Warren Spahn Ernie Harwell Russ Hodges Tim McCarver Al Michaels Jon Miller John McGraw As manager John Joseph McGraw (April 7, 1873 – February 25, 1934)
4715-459: The Giants add a black alternate uniform, an inverse of their road orange uniform. All three uniforms now featured the "Giants" script previously exclusive to the home uniform. Before the 1983 season, the Giants returned to a traditional buttoned uniform designed by Sidjakov Berman & Gomez . This design returned to the classic look they wore early in their San Francisco tenure, but with a few exceptions. The lettering became more rounded (save for
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4830-424: The Giants added a road and home alternate black uniform. Each uniform shared the same design as their home and road counterparts, with the exception of the road alternate receiving gold drop shadows. The home design was dropped after only one season, and the road version was retired the following year. Both sets were worn with an all-black cap but with the squatchee in black (the primary cap has an orange squatchee) and
4945-587: The Giants an 8–7 edge in MLB championships, overall. A geographic rivalry with the cross-Bay American League Athletics greatly increased with the 1989 World Series , nicknamed the "Battle of the Bay", which Oakland swept (and which was interrupted by the Loma Prieta earthquake moments before the scheduled start of Game 3 in San Francisco). This dates back to when the Giants and Athletics were rivals, when
5060-421: The Giants in 1902, taking several Orioles players with him. Through his just-short of thirty years managing the Giants, McGraw exerted control on players and team, and saw great success, winning ten pennants (matched only by Casey Stengel , who played for and learned from him) and three World Series . His 2,763 victories as an MLB manager ranks third overall behind only Connie Mack and Tony La Russa ; he holds
5175-728: The Giants played home games at various incarnations of the Polo Grounds in Upper Manhattan . Numerous inductees of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum played for the New York Giants, including John McGraw , Christy Mathewson , Mel Ott , Bill Terry , Willie Mays , Monte Irvin , and Travis Jackson . During the club's tenure in New York, they produced five of the franchise's eight World Series wins ( 1905 , 1921 , 1922 , 1933 , 1954 ) and 17 of its 23 National League pennants. Famous moments in
5290-618: The Giants were in New York and the A's were in Philadelphia and played each other in the 1905, 1911, & 1913 World Series, and was renewed in 1968 when the Athletics moved from Kansas City and the teams again played each other in the earthquake-interrupted 1989 Bay Bridge World Series. The 2010 NLCS inaugurated a Giants rivalry with the Philadelphia Phillies after confrontations between Jonathan Sánchez and Chase Utley , and between Ramón Ramírez and Shane Victorino . However, with
5405-527: The Giants were in New York and the Athletics in Philadelphia. They met in the 1905, 1911, and 1913 World Series. In addition, the introduction of interleague play in 1997 has pitted the two teams against each other for usually six games every season since 1997, three in each city (but only four in 2013, two in each city). Before 1997, they played each other only in Cactus League spring training . Their interleague play wins and losses (63–57 in favor of
5520-507: The Giants' New York history include the 1922 World Series, in which the Giants swept the Yankees in four games, the 1951 home run by New York Giants outfielder and third baseman Bobby Thomson known as the "Shot Heard 'Round the World" , and the defensive feat by Mays during Game 1 of the 1954 World Series known as "the Catch" . The Giants had intense rivalries with their fellow New York teams,
5635-436: The NL record with 31 seasons managed. Additionally, McGraw finished his managerial career 815 games over .500, more than any other manager in MLB history. This is 23 games more than Joe McCarthy , who is second with 792 games over .500. McGraw is widely held to be one of the greatest managers in baseball history. He retired, ill, in 1932 and died less than two years later after making a final appearance in 1933 as NL manager in
5750-620: The National League Cleveland Spiders to play his team. McGraw hit three doubles in five times at bat , playing errorless ball at shortstop, and the reports of that game led several minor league teams to seek to sign him. Lawson acted as the boy's agent, and advised him to request $ 125 monthly and a $ 75 advance. The manager of the Cedar Rapids club in the Illinois–Iowa League was the first to wire
5865-505: The Orioles and possibly the AL. When McGraw returned to the lineup on June 28, he provoked the umpire into kicking him out of the game and, when he refused to go, forfeiting the game to Boston . This resulted in his indefinite suspension by Johnson. McGraw went to the directors of the Baltimore franchise, and demanded that either they reimburse the $ 7,000 he had advanced towards player salaries or that they release him. The team agreed to his release on July 8, and McGraw sold his interest in
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#17327764508045980-419: The Orioles as Major League Baseball made its return to Baltimore in 1901, but missed games due to injuries and because of a suspension by Johnson for abusing the umpire. The Orioles finished fifth, McGraw batting .349 in 73 games. The team lost money. On January 8, 1902, McGraw married for the second time, to Blanche Sindall, whose father was a Baltimore housing contractor. McGraw started the 1902 season with
6095-426: The Orioles remained close to Brooklyn in the pennant race through late August, when McGraw had to leave the team due to the illness of his wife. By the time he returned, after her death, Brooklyn had clinched the pennant; the Orioles finished fourth. Nevertheless, for getting the castoff Orioles to perform so well amid his personal tragedy, McGraw was hailed as a managerial genius in the newspapers. Syndicate baseball
6210-442: The Orioles won pennants, as violence on the field spread into the stands. The Spanish–American War of 1898 distracted the public from baseball, causing financial problems for the teams. Before the 1899 season, Van der Horst and Hanlon (a co-owner) bought half the shares in the Dodgers, while Brooklyn owners, led by Charlie Ebbets , bought a 50 percent interest in the Orioles. Brooklyn drew better attendance than Baltimore, and under
6325-550: The Rockford team's Bill Gleason , a former Oriole, for a recommendation, which according to McGraw biographer Charles C. Alexander must have been favorable, as Barnie then wired Hank Smith, another former Oriole who was playing for Cedar Rapids, asking if there was any chance Baltimore could acquire McGraw. Cedar Rapids agreed to give McGraw his release, and he left by rail for Baltimore. McGraw arrived at Camden Station in Baltimore on August 24, 1891, still only 18 years old, but now
6440-512: The Spiders in four games. McGraw appeared in only 23 games for Baltimore, batting .325. After the season, the Orioles had planned an exhibition tour of Europe, but it was canceled over concerns poor weather would preclude too many games. The Big Four went anyway, as tourists, visiting Britain, Belgium and France. Following their return, in February 1897, McGraw married Minnie Doyle, whose father
6555-734: The Subway Series ( New York Mets vs. New York Yankees ), the Red Line Series ( Chicago Cubs vs. Chicago White Sox ) and the Freeway Series (Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Los Angeles Angels). The Giants and A's enjoyed a limited rivalry at the start of the 20th century before the Yankees began to dominate after the acquisition of Babe Ruth in 1920, when the Giants were in New York and the A's were in Philadelphia. The teams were managed by legendary leaders John McGraw and Connie Mack , who were considered not only friendly rivals but
6670-590: The Truxton Grays, making a favorable impression on their manager, Albert "Bert" Kenney. While he could play any position, his ability to throw a big curveball made him the star pitcher. McGraw's relationship with Kenney precipitated his professional playing career. In 1890, Kenney bought a portion of the new professional baseball franchise in Olean, New York . The team was to play in the newly formed New York–Pennsylvania League . In return for this investment, he
6785-528: The advent of the balanced schedule format introduced in 2023. In his July 4, 1939, farewell speech ending with the renowned "Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth", Yankee slugger Lou Gehrig , who played in 2,130 consecutive games, declared that the Giants were a team he "would give his right arm to beat, and vice versa". As of 2024, the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame has inducted 66 representatives of
6900-416: The aggressive techniques of the old Orioles, stating years later, “It was a team of fighters. They thought they could beat anybody and they generally could." The team was never really threatened in its drive to a second consecutive pennant, and McGraw always stated this was the best team he ever managed. It won 105 games; the Pirates finished second, nine games behind. McGraw was ejected from games 13 times,
7015-496: The ancient rivalry. In the wake of the Giants' and Dodgers' leaving New York, a new ballclub was born in 1962 in Queens: The New York Mets. The team's colors (blue and orange) were an homage to the recently departed teams. Both teams' having endured for over a century while leaping across an entire continent, as well as the rivalry's growth from cross-city to cross-state, have led to its being considered one of
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#17327764508047130-432: The arrangement, known as "syndicate baseball", manager Hanlon and the better Oriole players would move to Brooklyn. McGraw and Robinson, who had financial interests in Baltimore, refused to go and before the 1899 season, McGraw was made player/manager of the Orioles. McGraw schooled his players in the Orioles system, and led by example, hitting .391 for the season. To Hanlon's surprise, attendance in Baltimore rebounded, and
7245-485: The club in time for spring training. By 1895, McGraw had become controversial for his aggressive style of play. Some writers urged Hanlon to rein him in, but others argued that fans were flocking to the ballpark to see such play. In spite of the controversy, the Orioles won their second consecutive pennant, though they lost the Temple Cup again, this time to the Spiders. McGraw, suffering from malaria , missed part of
7360-428: The club to John Mahon , a team official and Joe Kelley's father in law. McGraw immediately announced he would sign to manage the Giants, which he did the next day. His salary of $ 11,000, equivalent to $ 387,369 in 2023, was the largest of any player or manager in baseball history to that point. Freedman then secured a controlling interest in the Orioles from Mahon, Kelley and others. Once he had done so, he directed
7475-494: The club to Robinson, and led the league in runs scored . He spent a second winter at St. Bonaventure, this time with Robinson as his assistant coach and fellow student. During the offseason, McGraw narrowly avoided being dealt to the woeful Washington Senators when a trade for Duke Farrell fell through. Deciding McGraw could handle third base, Hanlon traded two infielders for five-time batting champion Dan Brouthers and diminutive outfielder Willie Keeler . By 1894, McGraw
7590-579: The crisis might have destroyed the American League had not Johnson acted decisively to take over the Baltimore franchise, getting the other seven teams to contribute players to the Orioles, who finished last. After the season, the two leagues signed a peace agreement, and the AL replaced the Baltimore franchise with one in New York City. That team became known as the Highlanders and later as the New York Yankees . According to Alexander, given
7705-410: The end of the season, to try him at other positions. Despite his poor fielding percentage , McGraw was quickly signed to a contract for 1892 by club owner Harry Von der Horst . The American Association failed after the 1891 season, and the Orioles and other surviving franchises moved to an expanded twelve-team National League. Early in the 1892 season, Von der Horst hired outfielder Ned Hanlon of
7820-423: The evening, drilled them on baseball's rules and possible ways of taking advantage of them. The innovations of the Orioles of the mid-1890s would include the Baltimore chop, hitting a pitched ball so it would bounce high and allow the batter to reach first base safely, and having the pitcher cover first base when the first baseman fielded a ball that took him away from the base, and though they probably did not invent
7935-455: The father became abusive , and the son ran away to a neighbor, Mary Goddard, who ran the local hotel. She persuaded John Sr. to let his son stay in her care. During his time in Goddard's household, John attended school and took on several jobs that allowed him to save money to buy baseballs and the Spalding magazines that documented the rule changes in the rival major leagues of baseball,
8050-518: The first All-Star Game . McGraw's father (also named John) emigrated from Ireland in 1856. He arrived before the Civil War , and served in the Union Army . He married, but his first wife soon died, leaving him with a young daughter, and he moved to Truxton, New York , in 1871, where he became a railroad worker. There, he married young Ellen Comerfort. The younger John McGraw, her first child,
8165-426: The five won as the New York Giants. Players inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum as members of the San Francisco Giants include CF Willie Mays , 1B Orlando Cepeda , P Juan Marichal , 1B Willie McCovey , and P Gaylord Perry . Upon moving to San Francisco, the Giants kept the same uniform they wore in New York, save for two changes. The cap logo now had an interlocking "SF" in orange, while
8280-558: The following season. Thus, they would be free agents after the 1900 season. Injured for part of the season, McGraw hit .337 in 98 games as the Cardinals finished tied for fifth, but when manager Patsy Tebeau resigned in August, McGraw ruled out replacing him. Ban Johnson , president of the minor league Western League , sought to build a second major league, which would seek to attract fans wanting baseball without rowdyism or aggression towards umpires. McGraw and Robinson, centerpieces of
8395-435: The four games he played. His .466 career on-base percentage remains third-best all-time behind Ted Williams (.482) and Babe Ruth (.474). McGraw made few changes for the 1907 Giants. But by mid-July, the Cubs pulled away and New York finished in fourth place, 25 + 1 ⁄ 2 games behind. McGraw later stated, "It was in 1907 that I discovered my players were growing old and beginning to slip. Always I have made it
8510-541: The game and turning the momentum of the series for good (they went on to clinch the championship in game 7). In 2009, the Angels once again reached the post-season, sparking a renewal of the rally monkey's popularity. Additional videos featuring the Rally Monkey show her edited into popular films and TV shows such as The Brady Bunch Movie , Jurassic Park , Field of Dreams , Star Trek , Risky Business , WarGames , and Animal House . The Angels started selling plush monkeys that fans bring to games. ESPN did
8625-477: The game. The video clip proved to be so popular that the team hired Katie, a white-haired capuchin monkey who previously appeared as Marcel in the television sitcom Friends , to star in original clips for later games. When seen, she bounces to the House of Pain song " Jump Around " and sometimes holds a sign proclaiming that it is "RALLY TIME!" The rally monkey came to national and world-wide attention during
8740-481: The greatest in sports history. The Giants-Dodgers rivalry has seen both teams enjoy periods of success at the expense of the other. While the Giants have more total wins, head-to-head wins, and World Series titles in their franchise histories, the Dodgers have won the National League West 11 more times than the Giants since the start of division play in 1969. Both teams have made the postseason as
8855-473: The hit and run, they were the first team to employ it as a regular maneuver. McGraw often took the lead in the discussions. When the team played in New Orleans, a local sportswriter called him "a fine ball-player, yet he adopts every low and contemptible method that his erratic brain can conceive to win a play by a dirty trick". This included shoving, holding, and blocking baserunners, at a time when there
8970-635: The hit-and-run, the Baltimore chop, the suicide squeeze, and the bunt single. They also led the league in unsportsmanlike conduct. Cait N. Murphy (2007). Crazy '08: How a Cast of Cranks, Rogues, Boneheads, and Magnates Created the Greatest Year in Baseball History , p. 18 The Orioles' 1894 spring training took place in Macon, Georgia , where Hanlon taught the players innovative plays that he had thought of during his playing career, and in
9085-415: The local teams in what was then a Spanish colony. McGraw, who played shortstop , became a favorite of local fans, who dubbed him " el mono amarillo " (the yellow monkey), referring to his speed, his diminutive size, and the color of his team's uniforms. McGraw fell in love with Cuba and returned there many times in later years. Lawson took his team to Gainesville, Florida , in February 1891, and persuaded
9200-554: The money, and McGraw signed with them. Other teams claimed that McGraw had also taken advance money from them (though McGraw maintained he returned it) and one even threatened legal action. This came to nothing, allowing McGraw to play with Cedar Rapids. By August, the league had financial woes but McGraw was hitting .275 and had become known as a tough shortstop. Billy Barnie , manager of the American Association's Baltimore Orioles , had heard about McGraw, and wrote to
9315-521: The most hated team in the league, McGraw stated, "it is the prospect of a hot feud, that brings out the crowd." Before the 1904 season, McGraw deemed his team the strongest he had ever led, and predicted the Giants would win the pennant. The team played accordingly, and opened up a 15-game lead on the Chicago Cubs by the start of September. With the Highlanders leading the AL for much of the year (though they ultimately were defeated by Boston), there
9430-419: The most prominent people in New York. Confident of a third-straight NL championship, McGraw put "World's Champions" on the front of his team's uniforms. But the drive for that was slowed by Mathewson getting diphtheria, and outfielder Mike Donlin broke a leg; The Giants finished second, twenty games behind the Cubs. McGraw played the last games of his playing career, going hitless in two plate appearances in
9545-425: The move west, a stretch that included three World Series losses. The drought finally ended in the early 2010s; under manager Bruce Bochy , the Giants embraced sabermetrics and eventually formed a baseball dynasty that saw them win the World Series in 2010 , 2012 , and 2014 , making the Giants the second team in NL history to win three championships in five years. Through 2024, the franchise's all-time record
9660-502: The old Orioles where such aggression was routine, were an odd fit, but as Johnson renamed his circuit the American League (AL) and sought to put franchises in abandoned NL cities like Baltimore, they became key to his plans. He was confident he could control them, since one of the requirements was that franchises grant the league an option to buy a majority stake and thus take them over if necessary. Even while under contract to
9775-468: The opposing team and the umpire . The instability in MLB at the turn of the 20th century led to McGraw becoming manager of the Orioles at age 26 in 1899, and he was lauded for his leadership. The National League Orioles were dissolved after 1899, and McGraw spent one season with the St. Louis Cardinals before returning to Baltimore as player/manager of the new Orioles of the American League (AL). He quarreled with AL president Ban Johnson and jumped to
9890-399: The player's name), the neck stripes were removed, and the interlocking "SF" and black piping was added on the road gray uniform. The caps returned to an all-black design. In 1994, the Giants made a few changes to their uniform. The road uniform reverted to "San Francisco" in front and removed the piping. The front of both uniforms returned to stylized block letters with pointed edges, but kept
10005-469: The premier managers during that era, especially in view of their longevity (Mack for 50 years, McGraw for 30) since both were majority owners. Each team played in five of the first 15 World Series (tying them with the Red Sox and Cubs for most World Series appearances during that time period). As the New York Giants and the Philadelphia A's, they met in three World Series, with the Giants winning in 1905 and
10120-470: The release of Orioles Joe McGinnity , Dan McGann , Roger Bresnahan and Jack Cronin , all of whom promptly signed with the Giants. Cincinnati Reds owner John T. Brush , who was also a minority owner of the Giants, was in on the deal; he signed Kelley as manager of the Reds and also outfielder Cy Seymour , both released by the Orioles. Baltimore was left with so few players it had to forfeit its next game;
10235-452: The rival Los Angeles Dodgers , who won their 25th NL crown in 2024. The Giants' eight World Series championships are second-most in the NL and fifth-most of any franchise. The franchise won 17 pennants and five World Series championships while in New York, led by managers John McGraw , Bill Terry , and Leo Durocher . New York-era star players including Christy Mathewson , Carl Hubbell , Mel Ott , and Willie Mays join 63 other Giants in
10350-399: The road uniform now featured "San Francisco" in black block letters with orange trim. Neckline, pants and sleeves feature thin black and orange stripes. Changing to double-knit polyester, the Giants made a few noticeable changes to their uniform. The color scheme on the letters was changed to orange with black trim, and player names were added on the back. The cap logo remained the same. For
10465-427: The rounded numbers. The "SF" on the cap was also changed to reflect the lettering change. Coinciding with the move to Oracle Park (then Pacific Bell Park) in 2000, the Giants unveiled new uniforms which were aesthetically close to the style they originally wore in their early years. On each uniform, numbers returned to a block letter style. The base of the home uniform was changed to cream. The "Giants" wordmark kept
10580-445: The same stylized block letter treatment but the arrangement was changed from a vertical to a radial arch. Neck stripes also returned with this uniform. Gold drop shadows were also added. A sleeve patch containing the team logo and the words "San Francisco Baseball Club" was also featured. The gray road uniform returned to the classic "San Francisco" wordmark used in the 1960s, though in 2005 gold drop shadows were also added. This uniform
10695-407: The script "Giants" lettering previously used in the late 1970s. This design is usually paired with a black cap with orange brim featuring the "SF" logo. Between 2012 and 2019, the Giants wore a second gray road uniform. This design was similar to the primary roads, but with the "SF" in place of the city name (a nod to the 1983–1993 road uniforms). In 2021, Major League Baseball and Nike introduced
10810-466: The season appearing in AL cities seeking to sign players, much to the discomfiture of the local team's management. The Giants finished last, and at the end of the season, Freedman sold the team to Brush (who had sold his interest in the Reds). With his knee injury robbing him of much of his skill, McGraw batted .286 in 20 games with Baltimore and .234 in 35 games with the Giants. It would be his last season as
10925-467: The season, but hit .369 in 96 games, with 61 stolen bases and 110 runs scored. McGraw again went to St. Bonaventure, returning to Baltimore when the fall term ended in mid-December. During 1896 spring training, McGraw fell ill with typhoid fever in Atlanta. By the time he had convalesced, in late August, the Orioles had nearly secured their third straight pennant, this time winning the Temple Cup over
11040-477: The season; he was also injured early in the year by a ball thrown by Taylor that broke McGraw's nose. The cartilage did not heal properly, contributing to respiratory problems that plagued McGraw for the rest of his life. During spring training, McGraw took pains to cultivate the team's star, pitcher Christy Mathewson , and the two men (with their wives, Blanche McGraw and Jane Mathewson) became so close that they shared an apartment in New York City. McGraw also forged
11155-431: The series to the AL champions, as the Pirates had in 1903. The Giants won the pennant, setting a major league record for victories (to that point) with 106. McGraw continued building his team in the 1904–1905 offseason, purchasing Sammy Strang from Brooklyn. As well as playing nearly every position, Strang pioneered a McGraw innovation, the pinch hitter ; part of his job was to bat for other players. He schooled them in
11270-513: The stadium was the home of the PCL 's San Francisco Seals ) before moving to Candlestick Park in 1960 . The Giants played at Candlestick Park until 1999 , before opening Pacific Bell Park (now known as Oracle Park) in 2000 , where the Giants currently play. The Giants struggled to sustain consistent success in their first 50 years in San Francisco. They made nine playoff appearances and won three NL pennants between 1958 and 2009. The Giants lost
11385-508: The two teams had little opportunity to play each other except in seven World Series : 1921 , 1922 , 1923 , 1936 , 1937 , 1951 and 1962 , the Yankees winning last five of the seven Series. The teams have met five times in regular season interleague play : In 2002 at the old Yankee Stadium , in 2007 at Oracle Park (then known as AT&T Park), in 2013, 2016, and 2023 at the current Yankee Stadium , and in 2019 at Oracle Park. The teams' next regular season meetings will occur yearly, with
11500-451: The way, he managed to convince Giants owner Horace Stoneham (who was considering moving his team to Minnesota ) to preserve the rivalry by taking his team to San Francisco as well. New York baseball fans were stunned and heartbroken by the move. Given that the cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco have long been competitors in economic, cultural and political arenas, their new California venues became fertile ground for transplantation of
11615-456: Was a diphtheria epidemic in the area. The disease killed Ellen McGraw and four of the McGraw children, including John's older half-sister. John Sr. never fully recovered from the trauma of the deaths. Father and son argued over the time young John spent on baseball, especially since the father had to pay for windows the son broke while playing. Later in 1885, after young John broke another window,
11730-552: Was a Native American, but Charles Comiskey , owner of the AL Chicago White Sox , was undeceived, thus ending McGraw's only attempt to break the baseball color line —McGraw, like many of the time who grew up in the rural North, had no strong views about African Americans. Thereafter, McGraw kept a file on talented African-American ballplayers, seeking to be prepared if the major leagues integrated, which did not happen in his lifetime. McGraw batted leadoff and managed
11845-524: Was a city official. McGraw and the Orioles both had seasons that disappointed them in 1897, McGraw hitting .325, and the team plagued by injuries as Baltimore lost the pennant to the Beaneaters, though the Orioles won the final iteration of the Temple Cup. In 1898, McGraw hit .342, but the Orioles finished second again, six games behind the Beaneaters. The Orioles' success on the field had not translated to increased attendance, which fell substantially as
11960-468: Was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) player and manager who was for almost thirty years manager of the New York Giants . He was also the third baseman of the pennant -winning 1890s Baltimore Orioles teams, noted for their innovative, aggressive play. McGraw was born into poverty in Truxton, New York . He found an escape from his hometown and a bad family situation through baseball, beginning
12075-457: Was born in Truxton on April 7, 1873. The family was poor, with eight children, and there was no public assistance available. Young John had a love of baseball from an early age. By doing odd jobs, he was able to save a dollar and send off for one of the Spalding company's cheaper baseballs, which he used to practice his pitching . Tragedy struck the family in the winter of 1885, when there
12190-430: Was convinced Johnson planned to discard him in the process. According to Solomon, "so McGraw struck first. Any true Oriole would." On June 18, 1902, with the Orioles on a western road trip with Robinson as acting manager, McGraw (who was recuperating from the spiking) traveled to New York and met with Andrew Freedman , owner of the Giants. The two came up with a scheme not only for McGraw to switch leagues but to cripple
12305-413: Was insufficient to revive the finances of the National League, and before the 1900 season, four NL teams (including Baltimore) were ended. McGraw and Robinson were sold to the St. Louis Cardinals . They did not report until the season had begun, having secured increases in salary and a concession that their contracts would not contain the then-standard reserve clause that bound them to the signing team for
12420-432: Was intense pressure on McGraw and Brush to agree to a postseason series against the AL champions, what would later come to be known as the World Series , like the Pirates had the previous year. Both men refused, McGraw stating that there was nothing in the league rules requiring its champions to play a series against "a victorious club in a minor league". According to Alexander, both men disliked Ban Johnson and feared losing
12535-419: Was named Olean's player/manager, responsible for selecting and signing players. When approached by McGraw, Kenney doubted the boy's curveball would fool professional ballplayers. Persuaded by the assurance McGraw could play any position, Kenney signed him to a contract on April 1, 1890. McGraw would never return to live in Truxton, the place of his birth. Olean was 200 miles (320 km) from Truxton, and this
12650-501: Was often only a single umpire. One baserunner, anticipating that McGraw would hold him by the belt, loosened it and when he broke for home, McGraw was left holding the belt in his hand as the runner scored. McGraw usually batted leadoff for the 1894 Orioles, batting .340 and stealing 78 bases, second in the league. He would foul off pitch after pitch—a valuable talent in the pre-1901 era in which foul balls generally did not count as strikes —and, with Keeler, "elevated into an art form"
12765-408: Was settled in at third base. Under manager Ned Hanlon, an unerring talent spotter, the Orioles won three straight pennants, making them the second-best team of the decade. Boston, which won five pennants that decade, was better, but it is the Orioles who are remembered as the team of the '90s—not just for their skill, but also for their style. Aggressive and creative, the O's either invented or perfected
12880-453: Was the farthest the youngster had ever traveled from his hometown. He began the season on the bench . After two days, Kenney inserted him into the starting lineup at third base. McGraw later described his first professional game: [F]or the life of me, I could not run to get it. It seemed like an age before I could get the ball in my hands and then, as I looked over to first, it seemed like the longest throw I ever had to make. The first baseman
12995-479: Was the lowest of the minor leagues, and McGraw still struggled with his fielding. But during the 24 games he appeared in for the club, he hit with a batting average of .365, a glimpse of his later hitting prowess. After that first season, McGraw caught on with the offseason team of promoter Alfred Lawson . McGraw joined the team in Ocala, Florida , and the team sailed from Tampa to Havana, Cuba , where they played
13110-575: Was the tallest in the league, but I threw the ball far over his head. Seven more errors in nine more chances followed that day. Both the team and McGraw remained ineffective, and he was fired by Kenney after six games, though the captain gave him $ 70, equivalent to $ 2,374 in 2023, and wished him luck. He signed with a team in Wellsville, New York , who played in the Western New York League . The level of baseball played there
13225-419: Was then tweaked to include black piping in 2012. Two sleeve patches were used. Between 2000 and 2010, the patch featured "SF" in orange letters in front of a baseball, with the full name added within a black circle. In 2011, this was changed to the sleeve patch used on the home uniform. Until 2020, only the road uniform featured player names; since 2021, all Giants uniforms have player names on the back. In 2001,
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