1976 San Francisco Giants season
The 1976 San Francisco Giants season was the Giants' 94th season in Major League Baseball, their 19th season in San Francisco since their move from New York following the 1957 season, and their 17th at Candlestick Park. The team finished in fourth place in the National League West with a 74–88 record, 28 games behind the Cincinnati Reds.
1976 San Francisco Giants | |
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Owner(s) | Horace Stoneham and Bob Lurie |
General manager(s) | Spec Richardson |
Manager(s) | Bill Rigney |
Local television | KTVU (Al Michaels, Gary Park) |
Local radio | KSFO (Al Michaels, Lon Simmons) |
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Offseason
Team movement discussion
During the first half of the 1970s, attendance at cold and windy Candlestick Park plummeted, and Giants owner Horace Stoneham had faced financial hardship. Finally, in 1976, he put the team up for sale. In January 1976, Stoneham agreed to sell the team for $13.25 million to a Toronto group consisting of Labatt's Breweries of Canada, Ltd., Vulcan Assets Ltd., and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. The team would begin play with the 1976 season at Toronto's Exhibition Stadium and be called the Giants.[1] In addition, it was briefly rumored they considered a return to the New York metropolitan area, perhaps to a new baseball stadium in the New Jersey Meadowlands. Instead, Bob Lurie led a group to buy the Giants from Horace Stoneham for $8 million.[2]
Notable transactions
- January 7, 1976: Dennis Littlejohn was drafted by the Giants in the 1st round (2nd pick) of the 1976 Major League Baseball Draft (Secondary Phase).[3]
Regular season
Opening Day starters
Season standings
NL West | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
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Cincinnati Reds | 102 | 60 | 0.630 | — | 49–32 | 53–28 |
Los Angeles Dodgers | 92 | 70 | 0.568 | 10 | 49–32 | 43–38 |
Houston Astros | 80 | 82 | 0.494 | 22 | 46–36 | 34–46 |
San Francisco Giants | 74 | 88 | 0.457 | 28 | 40–41 | 34–47 |
San Diego Padres | 73 | 89 | 0.451 | 29 | 42–38 | 31–51 |
Atlanta Braves | 70 | 92 | 0.432 | 32 | 34–47 | 36–45 |
Record vs. opponents
1976 National League Records Sources: | |||||||||||||||||
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Team | ATL | CHC | CIN | HOU | LAD | MON | NYM | PHI | PIT | SD | SF | STL | |||||
Atlanta | — | 6–6 | 6–12 | 7–11 | 8–10 | 8–4 | 4–8 | 5–7 | 3–9 | 10–8 | 9–9 | 4–8 | |||||
Chicago | 6–6 | — | 3–9 | 5–7 | 3–9 | 11–7 | 5–13 | 8–10 | 8–10 | 6–6 | 8–4 | 12–6 | |||||
Cincinnati | 12–6 | 9–3 | — | 12–6 | 13–5 | 9–3 | 6–6 | 5–7 | 8–4 | 13–5 | 9–9 | 6–6 | |||||
Houston | 11–7 | 7–5 | 6–12 | — | 5–13 | 10–2 | 6–6 | 4–8 | 2–10 | 10–8 | 10–8 | 9–3 | |||||
Los Angeles | 10–8 | 9–3 | 5–13 | 13–5 | — | 10–2 | 7–5 | 5–7 | 9–3 | 6–12 | 8–10 | 10–2 | |||||
Montreal | 4–8 | 7–11 | 3–9 | 2–10 | 2–10 | — | 8–10 | 3–15 | 8–10 | 4–8 | 7–5 | 7–11 | |||||
New York | 8–4 | 13–5 | 6–6 | 6–6 | 5–7 | 10–8 | — | 5–13 | 10–8 | 7–5 | 7–5 | 9–9 | |||||
Philadelphia | 7-5 | 10–8 | 7–5 | 8–4 | 7–5 | 15–3 | 13–5 | — | 8–10 | 8–4 | 6–6 | 12–6 | |||||
Pittsburgh | 9–3 | 10–8 | 4–8 | 10–2 | 3–9 | 10–8 | 8–10 | 10–8 | — | 7–5 | 9–3 | 12–6 | |||||
San Diego | 8–10 | 6–6 | 5–13 | 8–10 | 12–6 | 8–4 | 5–7 | 4–8 | 5–7 | — | 8–10 | 4–8 | |||||
San Francisco | 9–9 | 4–8 | 9–9 | 8–10 | 10–8 | 5–7 | 5–7 | 6–6 | 3–9 | 10–8 | — | 5–7 | |||||
St. Louis | 8–4 | 6–12 | 6–6 | 3–9 | 2–10 | 11–7 | 9–9 | 6–12 | 6–12 | 8–4 | 7–5 | — |
Notable transactions
- June 2, 1976: Von Joshua was purchased from the Giants by the Milwaukee Brewers.[4]
- June 13, 1976: Willie Montañez, Craig Robinson, Mike Eden, and Jake Brown were traded by the Giants to the Atlanta Braves for Darrell Evans and Marty Perez.[5]
- June 14, 1976: Joe Strain was signed as an amateur free agent by the Giants.[6]
- June 21, 1976: Casey Parsons was signed as an amateur free agent by the Giants.[7]
- September 3, 1976: Randy Elliott was signed as a free agent by the Giants.[8]
Draft picks
- June 8, 1976: Jeff Stember was drafted by the Giants in the 26th round of the 1976 Major League Baseball Draft.[9]
Roster
1976 San Francisco Giants | |||||||||
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Roster | |||||||||
Pitchers
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Catchers
Infielders
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Outfielders
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Manager
Coaches
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Player stats
Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
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C | Dave Rader | 88 | 255 | 67 | .263 | 1 | 22 |
3B | Ken Reitz | 155 | 577 | 154 | .267 | 5 | 66 |
SS | Chris Speier | 145 | 495 | 112 | .226 | 3 | 40 |
LF | Gary Matthews | 156 | 587 | 164 | .279 | 20 | 84 |
RF | Bobby Murcer | 147 | 533 | 138 | .259 | 23 | 90 |
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
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Derrel Thomas | 81 | 272 | 63 | .232 | 2 | 19 |
Willie Montañez | 60 | 230 | 71 | .309 | 2 | 20 |
Von Joshua | 42 | 156 | 41 | .263 | 0 | 2 |
Mike Sadek | 55 | 93 | 19 | .204 | 0 | 7 |
Steve Ontiveros | 59 | 74 | 13 | .176 | 0 | 5 |
Chris Robinson | 15 | 13 | 4 | .308 | 0 | 2 |
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
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John Montefusco | 37 | 253.1 | 16 | 14 | 2.84 | 172 |
Jim Barr | 37 | 252.1 | 15 | 12 | 2.89 | 75 |
Rob Dressler | 25 | 107.2 | 3 | 10 | 4.43 | 33 |
John D'Acquisto | 28 | 106 | 3 | 8 | 5.35 | 53 |
Frank Riccelli | 4 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 5.63 | 11 |
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
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Mike Caldwell | 50 | 107.1 | 1 | 7 | 4.86 | 55 |
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
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Charlie Williams | 48 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2.96 | 34 |
Farm system
Level | Team | League | Manager |
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AAA | Phoenix Giants | Pacific Coast League | Rocky Bridges |
AA | Lafayette Drillers | Texas League | John VanOrnum |
A | Fresno Giants | California League | Andy Gilbert |
A | Cedar Rapids Giants | Midwest League | Salty Parker |
Rookie | Great Falls Giants | Pioneer League | Ernie Rodriguez |
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Great Falls[10]
References
- "Giants Moving: Toronto". St. Petersburg Times. January 9, 1976.
- Gordon Sakamoto (February 11, 1976). "Giants will stay in San Francisco". Bryan Times. p. 14.
- Dennis Littlejohn page at Baseball Reference
- Von Joshua page at Baseball Reference
- Darrell Evans page at Baseball Reference
- Joe Strain page at Baseball Reference
- Casey Parsons page at Baseball Reference
- Randy Elliott page at Baseball Reference
- Jeff Stember page at Baseball Reference
- Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, ed., The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, 2nd and 3rd editions. Durham, N.C.: Baseball America, 1997 and 2007