Buster Posey starts the All-Star Game today as the lone Giants representative in the game, which is weird.
(reads anything about the 2017 Giants)
CORRECTION: This is emphatically not weird.
Since Buster is the latest Giants All-Star starter, I figured it would be relevant content if I made a table of how every Giants All-Star starter has done since the team moved to San Francisco. This is that table:
Year | Player | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | PA | Other |
2016 | Posey | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
2015 | Posey | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
2012 | Melky | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | HR |
2012 | Posey | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | |
2012 | Sandoval | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3B |
2007 | Bonds | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
2004 | Bonds | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | |
2003 | Bonds | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
2002 | Bonds | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | HR |
2001 | Bonds | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
2001 | Kent | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2B |
2001 | Aurilia | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
2000 | Kent | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
1998 | Bonds | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | HR |
1997 | Bonds | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
1996 | Bonds | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | CS |
1995 | Bonds | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | |
1994 | Bonds | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | SF |
1994 | Williams | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | |
1993 | Bonds | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 2B |
1991 | Clark | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | |
1990 | Clark | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
1990 | Mitchell | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
1989 | Clark | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
1989 | Mitchell | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | |
1988 | Clark | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
1973 | Speier | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
1971 | Mays | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
1971 | McCovey | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
1970 | Mays | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | |
1969 | McCovey | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 HR |
1968 | Mays | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | |
1968 | McCovey | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | GIDP |
1967 | Marichal | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
1966 | Mays | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | |
1966 | McCovey | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | IBB |
1965 | Mays | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | HR |
1965 | Marichal | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
1964 | Mays | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | SB |
1964 | Cepeda | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
1963 | Mays | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 SB |
1963 | Bailey | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
1962 (2) | Mays | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
1962 (2) | Cepeda | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | GIDP |
1962 (1) | Mays | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | SB |
1962 (1) | Cepeda | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | |
1961 (2) | Mays | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | |
1961 (2) | Cepeda | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | HBP |
1961 (1) | Mays | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2B |
1961 (1) | Cepeda | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
1960 (2) | Mays | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | HR, SB, CS |
1960 (1) | Mays | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3B, 2B |
1959 (2) | Mays | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
1959 (1) | Mays | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3B |
1959 (1) | Cepeda | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | GIDP |
1958 | Mays | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | SB |
TOTAL | 152 | 27 | 35 | 24 | 15 | 25 | 169 |
Just a few notes before we get to the #analysis. Willie Mays started in 1972, but even though he started the year in San Francisco, he was a Met at the time and therefore his line is not included here. Also, there were a couple starting pitchers in NL ballparks (Tim Lincecum in 2009 and Vida Blue in 1978) who were in the starting lineups but didn’t actually get an at bat, so I haven’t included them. Otherwise, this is comprehensive, other than the people I forgot.
So you might be thinking, "Hey, the hitters don’t seem to have done too well." And you’re right! If you calculate it out, Giants All-Star starters have a combined slash line of .230/.302/.441, and that’s heavily buoyed by the early years of Willie Mays. Since 2000, Giants starters are hitting .185/.267/.519 in the All-Star Game, with most of that damage coming in 2012, in what Matt Kemp accurately called "The San Francisco Giants show."
Four of the players listed above were All-Star Game MVPs: Willie Mays in both 1963 and 1968, Willie McCovey in 1969, Melky Cabrera in 2012, and Juan Marichal in 1965. Marichal’s MVP selection was mostly because he pitched three scoreless innings and allowed just one hit, but don’t discount his offensive contributions too. The man went 1 for 1 and scored a run, making him the only San Francisco pitcher to get a hit in the All-Star Game. Bobby Bonds was also named MVP in 1973, but he didn’t start the game, so he’s not included here. If you’re wondering why I only included starters, it’s because this table was enough damn work, thank you very much.
Anyway, this is the history of Giants position players starting the All-Star Game. It would be good if Buster Posey finally got a hit in this game this year.