|
|
| Brief Background |
San Jose Giants: Brief Background
The San Jose Giants are a Minor League professional baseball team in the Class A Advanced California League. The team has been affiliated with the San Francisco Giants since 1988 which is the longest current working agreement in the League. The San Jose Giants are the 2009 California League Champions and have called San Jose our home for the past 60 years. The San Jose Giants play in historic Municipal Stadium. The team is owned and operated by a group of local investors living in the Bay Area. The Giants afford thousands of San Jose residents the opportunity to bring their families to watch our national pastime at a fraction of the cost of a major league game. San Jose had quite a memorable 2009 season that saw the Giants win a team-record 93 regular season games as the franchise earned their third California League title in the last five years.
San Jose Giants Key Facts
• Over 223,000 fans attended games during the San Jose Giants 2009 record breaking season, setting an all-time attendance record for the fourth consecutive year.
• The San Jose Giants fan base mirrors the Minor League Baseball demographic demonstrated throughout the country. San Jose fans are primarily families with young children ages 1 to 15 as well as members of the senior citizen community.
• SJ Giants have extensive partnerships with local schools, youth sports organizations and the Parks and Recreation Department. Over $300,000 is raised annually for San Jose youth sports organizations through the “Park Packer” program.
• The SJ Giants contribute to the daily quality of life in the City of San Jose by providing every family an opportunity to participate in America’s game through a variety of free programs sponsored by our corporate partners.
• 140 events took place in the stadium last year, including youth and adult baseball games, Cub Scout campouts, community festivals and other non-baseball related activities such as Comcast Free Movie Nights and several corporate outings.
San Jose Giants: FAQ's
Q. Who are the San Jose Giants?
A. The San Jose Giants are a Minor League Baseball team in the high class “A” California League. They have been affiliated with the major league San Francisco Giants since 1988 which is the longest current working agreement in the California League. The San Jose Giants won the California League Championship in 2009, their fifth title since 1988.
Q: What is the California League?
A: The California League is one of three high class "A" minor leagues, along with the Carolina League and the Florida State League. The league is composed of ten teams, five in the south and five in the north. The five southern teams play in the sprawling metropolitan areas of southern California. Four of the five northern teams are located in California's growing Central Valley. The San Jose Giants are the Bay Area's only Minor League Baseball team.
Under the inspirational leadership of California League President, Joe Gagliardi, seven of the ten California League teams play in new or renovated stadiums. Since taking over control of the league, attendance has exploded. In 1982, only one team drew over 100,000 fans and the average team attendance was 72,401 per team. In 2008, eight of the ten teams were over the 100,000 plateau and the average per team was over 168,000.
Northern Division (Affiliate)
San Jose Giants (San Francisco Giants)
Bakersfield Blaze (Texas Rangers)
Modesto Nuts (Colorado Rockies)
Stockton Ports (Oakland A's)
Visalia Rawhide (Arizona Diamondbacks)
Southern Division (Affiliate)
High Desert Mavericks (Seattle Mariners)
Inland Empire 66ers (Los Angeles Dodgers)
Lake Elsinore Storm (San Diego Padres)
Lancaster JetHawks (Houston Astros)
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim)
Q. Where do the San Jose Giants play?
A. Home field for the San Jose Giants is fan friendly, historic San Jose Municipal Stadium. Built in 1942 with $84,000 in WPA funds, San Jose Muni provides her fans with the feeling of baseball as it should be. All seats provide close up viewing where not only can you see all the action, but you can hear it too. Players are accessible nightly for autographs and photos.
Down the left field line is Turkey Mike's Baseball & BBQ. Since its opening in 1988, the food has been acclaimed throughout the baseball world. From an Oakland Tribune article in 2004, the following was written:
"In Turkey Mike's Barbeque..., the Giants offer not only what may be easily the best barbeque venue in the Bay Area, but what many ballpark connoisseurs believe might be the best cuisine at any stadium in America, regardless of size or sport."
Ribs, sausages, chicken dinners and sandwiches, and Philly cheese steaks highlight an appetizing menu. And the beer is always cold!
San Jose Municipal Stadium is located on the corner of Alma and Senter, just minutes from downtown San Jose with easy access to Freeways 101, 280, 680 and 87.
Q. How have the San Jose Giants performed on the field?
A. From the initial campaign when they won ten consecutive games to close the season to make the playoffs, the San Jose Giants have established and maintained a tradition of on-the-field baseball excellence.
Since 1988, their first year in the California League, the San Jose Giants have won more games than any other team in the league. In eighteen of their twenty two seasons, the San Jose Giants have posted a winning record.
In the decade of the 1990's, no Class "A" team, high "A" and low "A" (a total of 60 teams) had a better record than the San Jose Giants.
Seven times in twenty two seasons the San Jose Giants have been in the Top Ten for the best record in Full Season baseball (major and minor leagues): 1988, 1991, 1996, 1998, 2005, 2008 and 2009.
San Jose has won two league championships in the last three seasons and three titles in the last five years. Since 1998, the Giants have won five championships (1998, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2009). The San Jose Giants have compiled the best regular season record in the California League seven times (2009, 2007, 2006, 2005, 1998, 1995 and 1991).
Q. How is San Jose Giants attendance?
A. In their initial year, the San Jose Giants drew 108,386 fans, the first time in fifteen years a San Jose team had gone over 100,000. This represented a 57% increase of the previous year.
The Giants set a franchise attendance record for the fourth consecutive season in 2009. San Jose finished the regular season with a total attendance figure of 211,054 (3,015 per game) – third in the California League. It marked the first time in Giants history that they surpassed the 200,000 mark. San Jose’s combined regular and postseason attendance was 223,107, an average of 3,015 fans per game.
Due to this dramatic increase in fan support, the San Jose Giants have become one of the showcase franchises in the California League.
Q. How are the San Jose Giants viewed in Minor League Baseball?
A. Baseball America honored the San Jose Giants in 2009 and 1990 with the Class "A" Bob Freitas Award. The Freitas Awards are presented annually to one team at the Triple-A, Double-A, Class-A and Short-Season levels. They are named after the late Bob Freitas, a long-time minor league operator, promoter and ambassador who passed away in 1989. Clubs are considered for the award based on a sustained display of excellence, including steady attendance, long-term consistency and contribution to the surrounding community. It marks the second time in franchise history that the San Jose Giants have won the Freitas Award as the club also claimed the top honor after the 1990 season. San Jose is the first Class-A team in the history of the award to have won twice and one of only three California League teams to win this prestigious award.
Q. Where do the San Jose Giants players come from?
A. The majority of the San Jose Giants players have come up through the San Francisco Giants farm system. They were originally drafted by San Francisco out of high school or college. A few players are what are called free agents, players signed by San Francisco who were not drafted, or were released by other major league organizations.
Each year's San Jose Giants roster is a culturally diverse group of players. All regions of the United States have sent players to San Jose. As in the major leagues, Latin American countries have sent players to San Jose. Panama, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Mexico have all been represented on the San Jose Giants roster. In 1992, Rikkert Faneyte from the Netherlands patrolled the outfield for San Jose. After a brief three year major league career, Faneyte has continued to play baseball for the Dutch Olympic team in both Sydney and Athens.
Q. Have San Jose Giants players made it to the major leagues?
A. Fifteen former San Jose Giants have been on World Series rosters since 1988. Ten have played in the Fall Classic. 1991 San Jose Giants shortstop Clay Bellinger was a member of the 1999-2000 New York Yankees juggernaut that won three consecutive World Championships. He was the first San Jose Giants player to win a World Series Ring.
In the 2004 World Series, which saw the Boston Red Sox end the 86 year old curse of the Bambino, former San Jose Giants were instrumental in the Red Sox sweep of the Saint Louis Cardinals. Bill Mueller, 1994 San Jose Giants, was the leading hitter in the World Series with a .429 batting average. Keith Foulke, 1995 San Jose Giants, was on the mound for the final out in all four games, posting a 1.80 ERA with one victory and one save. Doug Mirabelli, 1992-1993 San Jose Giants, was the starting catcher in Game One of the World Series. Mirabelli hit .333 in the World Series.
Besides Bellinger, Mueller, Mirabelli and Foulke, the following former San Jose Giants have also won World Series Rings.
Troy Brohawn 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks (1994-1995 San Jose Giants)
Nate Bump 2003 Florida Marlins (1998 San Jose Giants)
Adam Hyzdu 2004 Boston Red Sox (1992-1993 San Jose Giants)
Mike Myers 2004 Boston Red Sox (1992 San Jose Giants)
Royce Clayton 2007 Boston Red Sox (1989-1990 San Jose Giants)
Q. Have any Hall of Famers played in San Jose?
A. Hall of Famers, Don Drysdale, Reggie Jackson, Rollie Fingers, Don Sutton, Dennis Eckersley, Kirby Puckett, and Joe Morgan are all California League alumni. Future Hall of Famer, Rickey Henderson played in the California League in 1977. Hall of Famer George Brett played for the San Jose Bees. Current major league stars, Pedro Martinez, Mike Piazza, and Tim Lincecum are California League graduates.
Q. Who owns the San Jose Giants?
A. The San Jose Giants are owned by a diverse group of local investors. The majority of them went to Palo Alto High School together in the early 1960's and have remained close friends ever since. The owners feel very privileged to be able to provide affordable family entertainment to the baseball fans of Silicon Valley. They have been very successful in their chosen endeavors: a television station president, owners of fine restaurants, a high ranking military official, an elected union officer, real estate developers, a ten year NBA veteran, and a member of the Tennis Hall of Fame. Their experience and expertise cover the full spectrum to face the challenges confronting a business in the 21st century.
|
|
|