First Base
The first chapter I wrote for “Giants Past and Present” was on the team’s storied first basemen. While great Giants have occupied a variety of positions — from Mays in center field to Bonds in left and Matthewson, Hubbell, Marichal and Lincecum on the mound — first base has been one of those hallowed spots that seem to get handed down from one Hall of Famer to another. Like left field on the Red Sox (Williams to Yastrzemski to Rice to Ramirez) or center field on the Yankees (DiMaggio to Mantle to Bernie Williams).
From the team’s earliest days in the 19th century, first base, not third, was the hot corner. Roger Connor was the team’s first slugger in those pre-Ruthian days, and George “Highpockets” Kelly (a San Francisco native) was the first to hit 20 homers.
Memphis Bill Terry anchored first base and later managed the Giants
And then along came Memphis Bill Terry, the last National Leaguer to top .400, and Johnny Mize, the Big Cat. In San Francisco, the Giants were blessed with two outsized talents in Orlando Cepeda and Willie McCovey. Key cogs on the last two Giant World Series teams included Will Clark and J.T. Snow.
All of which is to say, it’s frustrating to see the Giants’ struggling to find a big bat to set up at first. A string of minor leaguers never quite solved big league pitching: Lance Niekro, John Bowker, Jesus Guzman, Travis Ishikawa. Last year’s addition of Ryan Garko wasn’t much better.
So my heart is not exactly soaring at the prospects, outlined by John Shea in this morning’s Chronicle, of the Giants getting either Nick Johnson, Mark DeRosa or Adam LaRoche. Not exactly Albert Pujols, Mark Texeira, Prince Fielder or Adrian Gonzalez. But then again, someone to at least complement Pablo Sandoval in the offense.
And I do hold out a tiny glimmer of hope for Bowker, who I profiled in 2008 for Giants magazine. If he sticks with the Giants, he’ll be re-united with the hitting coach, Hensley Meulens, who helped him to a near-triple crown in Fresno last season.