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The San Diego Padres, being a funny team, made us all laugh over the weekend by congratulating Jedd Gyorko for breaking the all-time career record for home runs by a Padres second baseman. That record was 30 and held by Mark Loretta. Which is amazing. I wrote about it here, and it turns out there are even sadder records out there. Brandon Crawford would be tied for fourth on the Mets' all-time shortstop list, for example, if you ignore every season before this one.
I decided to look for the home run leaders for the San Francisco Giants at every position, and came up with a realization: About 10 players in, everything starts getting funny. Players who were around for just a season or two. Players you didn't remember fondly or otherwise. Players who make you laugh in a remember-that-guy? sense. The answer is 10. Ten players in.
As time goes on, this realization will get stretched and stretched. By 2090, you'll have to go 20 deep to get chuckles. For now, though, 10 will do. Which means it's time to list the top-10 home run leaders at every position for the Giants since they moved to San Francisco in 1958.
Note: While I'm doing this just since '58 because I'm both lazy and indifferent to the New York region, there's also a practical reason. The play-by-play logs are spotty before 1940, so it's impossible to search by positional splits back that far. My search for the Yankees told me that Cody Ransom hit more homers as a Yankees first baseman than Lou Gehrig, for example. I didn't follow up with more research, but that seemed incorrect to me.
Catcher
Rank | Player | Split | From | To | G | HR |
1 | Tom Haller | as C | 1961 | 1967 | 689 | 105 |
2 | Bob Brenly | as C | 1981 | 1989 | 650 | 78 |
3 | Buster Posey | as C | 2009 | 2014 | 441 | 61 |
4 | Dick Dietz | as C | 1966 | 1971 | 478 | 58 |
5 | Bengie Molina | as C | 2007 | 2010 | 436 | 56 |
6 | Ed Bailey | as C | 1961 | 1965 | 267 | 47 |
7 | Benito Santiago | as C | 2001 | 2003 | 354 | 33 |
8 | Bob Schmidt | as C | 1958 | 1961 | 286 | 26 |
9 | Bob Melvin | as C | 1986 | 1988 | 239 | 24 |
9 | Brian Johnson | as C | 1997 | 1998 | 143 | 24 |
Three of the most important home runs in franchise history came from this group, though two of them don't count in the rankings. Santiago's dinger in the 2002 NLCS, Posey's grand slam in 2012, and Brian Johnson in 1997.
Whoops. I didn't do that. I have a macro built into the story editor that inserts that whenever I write "Buster Posey grand slam."
Whoops, my bad again, dang it.
First base
Rank | Player | Split | From | To | G | HR |
1 | Willie McCovey | as 1B | 1959 | 1980 | 1747 | 390 |
2 | Orlando Cepeda | as 1B | 1958 | 1966 | 852 | 178 |
3 | Will Clark | as 1B | 1986 | 1993 | 1122 | 174 |
4 | J.T. Snow | as 1B | 1997 | 2005 | 1073 | 123 |
5 | Darrell Evans | as 1B | 1976 | 1983 | 280 | 51 |
6 | Brandon Belt | as 1B | 2011 | 2014 | 337 | 39 |
7 | Dave Kingman | as 1B | 1971 | 1974 | 181 | 30 |
8 | Mike Ivie | as 1B | 1978 | 1981 | 223 | 26 |
9 | Aubrey Huff | as 1B | 2010 | 2012 | 235 | 24 |
10 | Mark Carreon | as 1B | 1993 | 1996 | 156 | 22 |
Mark Carreon: #10. See? that's when things get funny.
Second base
Rank | Player | Split | From | To | G | HR |
1 | Jeff Kent | as 2B | 1997 | 2002 | 845 | 171 |
2 | Robby Thompson | as 2B | 1986 | 1996 | 1264 | 119 |
3 | Ray Durham | as 2B | 2003 | 2008 | 675 | 74 |
4 | Tito Fuentes | as 2B | 1965 | 1974 | 820 | 25 |
5 | Bill Madlock | as 2B | 1977 | 1979 | 182 | 22 |
5 | Joe Morgan | as 2B | 1981 | 1982 | 205 | 22 |
7 | Daryl Spencer | as 2B | 1958 | 1959 | 165 | 14 |
8 | Chuck Hiller | as 2B | 1961 | 1965 | 386 | 12 |
9 | Freddy Sanchez | as 2B | 2009 | 2011 | 192 | 11 |
10 | Ron Hunt | as 2B | 1968 | 1970 | 349 | 10 |
10 | Juan Uribe | as 2B | 2009 | 2010 | 59 | 10 |
Gyorko would have ranked #4 all time on the San Francisco Giants, so maybe it's not that funny. Notice Freddy Sanchez's inclusion on this list, despite him never hitting a home run in his career. That I remember.
Shortstop
Rank | Player | Split | From | To | G | HR |
1 | Rich Aurilia | as SS | 1995 | 2007 | 942 | 124 |
2 | Chris Speier | as SS | 1971 | 1989 | 897 | 57 |
3 | Juan Uribe | as SS | 2009 | 2010 | 141 | 25 |
4 | Brandon Crawford | as SS | 2011 | 2014 | 443 | 23 |
5 | Eddie Bressoud | as SS | 1958 | 1961 | 240 | 21 |
5 | Johnnie LeMaster | as SS | 1975 | 1985 | 905 | 21 |
7 | Jose Pagan | as SS | 1959 | 1965 | 586 | 19 |
7 | Jose Uribe | as SS | 1985 | 1992 | 951 | 19 |
9 | Royce Clayton | as SS | 1991 | 1995 | 496 | 18 |
10 | Matt Williams | as SS | 1987 | 1991 | 110 | 16 |
Matt Williams is 10th on the all-time Giants list ... as a shortstop. I wonder what he would have been like if the Giants stuck with him there, and whom they would have found to replace him.
Crawford is flying up the charts, already four past Johnnie Lemaster. Excelsior!
Third base
Rank | Player | Split | From | To | G | HR |
1 | Matt Williams | as 3B | 1987 | 1996 | 998 | 228 |
2 | Jim Ray Hart | as 3B | 1963 | 1973 | 674 | 105 |
3 | Pablo Sandoval | as 3B | 2008 | 2014 | 728 | 96 |
4 | Darrell Evans | as 3B | 1976 | 1983 | 686 | 79 |
5 | Pedro Feliz | as 3B | 2000 | 2007 | 576 | 71 |
6 | Jim Davenport | as 3B | 1958 | 1970 | 1021 | 63 |
7 | Dave Kingman | as 3B | 1972 | 1974 | 137 | 36 |
8 | Kevin Mitchell | as 3B | 1987 | 1989 | 169 | 34 |
9 | Chris Brown | as 3B | 1984 | 1987 | 289 | 30 |
10 | Bill Mueller | as 3B | 1996 | 2002 | 537 | 26 |
Bill Mueller is the Freddy Sanchez of this list. Picture him hitting a home run. You can't.
Left field
Rank | Player | Split | From | To | G | HR |
1 | Barry Bonds | as LF | 1993 | 2007 | 1875 | 574 |
2 | Kevin Mitchell | as LF | 1987 | 1991 | 425 | 109 |
3 | Jeffrey Leonard | as LF | 1981 | 1988 | 681 | 83 |
4 | Gary Matthews | as LF | 1972 | 1976 | 571 | 62 |
5 | Willie McCovey | as LF | 1962 | 1964 | 250 | 59 |
6 | Jim Ray Hart | as LF | 1964 | 1971 | 261 | 45 |
7 | Orlando Cepeda | as LF | 1959 | 1966 | 210 | 40 |
8 | Ken Henderson | as LF | 1965 | 1972 | 375 | 35 |
9 | Pat Burrell | as LF | 2010 | 2011 | 140 | 23 |
10 | Terry Whitfield | as LF | 1977 | 1980 | 332 | 20 |
And then you remember that Bonds was a two-time MVP before he even came to the Giants. He's fourth on the Pirates all-time list, too. Not their all-time list for left fielders: All Pirates ever. Only Stargell, Kiner, and Clemente had more.
Center field
Rank | Player | Split | From | To | G | HR |
1 | Willie Mays | as CF | 1958 | 1972 | 1939 | 443 |
2 | Chili Davis | as CF | 1981 | 1987 | 530 | 67 |
3 | Marquis Grissom | as CF | 2003 | 2005 | 316 | 44 |
4 | Marvin Benard | as CF | 1995 | 2002 | 447 | 38 |
5 | Aaron Rowand | as CF | 2008 | 2011 | 420 | 37 |
6 | Bobby Bonds | as CF | 1968 | 1974 | 197 | 32 |
7 | Garry Maddox | as CF | 1972 | 1975 | 376 | 30 |
8 | Randy Winn | as CF | 2005 | 2009 | 178 | 21 |
9 | Angel Pagan | as CF | 2012 | 2014 | 286 | 16 |
9 | Andres Torres | as CF | 2009 | 2013 | 232 | 16 |
9 | Gary Thomasson | as CF | 1973 | 1977 | 163 | 16 |
This is a good list, a mix of greatness, homegrown players, ringz, and Randy Winn. Oh, how I wish the Giants had kept Chili Davis. At least let us look at what they did in the alternate universe.
Right field
Rank | Player | Split | From | To | G | HR |
1 | Jack Clark | as RF | 1975 | 1984 | 956 | 157 |
2 | Bobby Bonds | as RF | 1968 | 1974 | 857 | 153 |
3 | Felipe Alou | as RF | 1958 | 1963 | 466 | 74 |
4 | Ellis Burks | as RF | 1998 | 2000 | 223 | 56 |
5 | Glenallen Hill | as RF | 1995 | 1997 | 317 | 53 |
6 | Hunter Pence | as RF | 2012 | 2014 | 344 | 50 |
6 | Candy Maldonado | as RF | 1986 | 1989 | 414 | 50 |
8 | Willie Kirkland | as RF | 1958 | 1960 | 356 | 49 |
9 | Bobby Murcer | as RF | 1975 | 1976 | 288 | 34 |
10 | Randy Winn | as RF | 2006 | 2009 | 417 | 28 |
10 | Moises Alou | as RF | 2005 | 2006 | 134 | 28 |
The same wish for Candy Maldonado goes for Jack Clark, too. Though without the Clark trade, the Giants don't get Jose Uribe, and they don't trade for Dave LaPoint, who was traded for Scott Medvin, who was traded for Rick Reuschel, who help the Giants win the pennant. Maybe that wasn't such a bad trade.
Pitcher
Rank | Player | Split | From | To | G | HR |
1 | Matt Cain | as P | 2005 | 2014 | 266 | 6 |
1 | Don Robinson | as P | 1987 | 1991 | 106 | 6 |
3 | Madison Bumgarner | as P | 2009 | 2014 | 132 | 5 |
3 | Bobby Bolin | as P | 1961 | 1969 | 186 | 5 |
3 | Jason Schmidt | as P | 2001 | 2006 | 153 | 5 |
6 | Russ Ortiz | as P | 1998 | 2007 | 145 | 4 |
6 | Juan Marichal | as P | 1960 | 1973 | 444 | 4 |
6 | Mike McCormick | as P | 1958 | 1970 | 247 | 4 |
6 | Jim Gott | as P | 1985 | 1987 | 32 | 4 |
6 | John Montefusco | as P | 1974 | 1980 | 176 | 4 |
These are only for at-bats taken when the player is in the game as a pitcher, so Bumgarner's 40 as a pinch-hitter won't count. They'll show up on the next list.
Pinch hitter
Rank | Player | Split | From | To | G | HR |
1 | Willie McCovey | as PH | 1959 | 1980 | 247 | 13 |
2 | Jim Ray Hart | as PH | 1964 | 1973 | 76 | 6 |
3 | Shawon Dunston | as PH | 1996 | 2002 | 82 | 5 |
3 | Candy Maldonado | as PH | 1986 | 1989 | 84 | 5 |
3 | Aaron Rowand | as PH | 2008 | 2011 | 63 | 5 |
3 | Willie Mays | as PH | 1958 | 1972 | 105 | 5 |
3 | Ernie Riles | as PH | 1988 | 1990 | 117 | 5 |
3 | Darrell Evans | as PH | 1976 | 1983 | 61 | 5 |
3 | Mike Ivie | as PH | 1978 | 1981 | 74 | 5 |
3 | Joel Youngblood | as PH | 1983 | 1988 | 233 | 5 |
3 | Armando Rios | as PH | 1998 | 2001 | 70 | 5 |
Aaron Rowand has one of the greatest pinch-hit-to-dinger ratios in franchise history. The Giants never won a game in which Rowand hit a pinch-hit homer, either. Seems like you needed to know that.
The San Francisco Giants have employed some of the greatest players in baseball history. They also employed some players who weren't really close. There are some tables with both kinds. Hope you enjoyed it.