1993_San_Francisco_Giants_season
1993 San Francisco Giants season
Major League Baseball team season
The 1993 San Francisco Giants season was the Giants' 111th season in Major League Baseball, their 36th season in San Francisco since their move from New York following the 1957 season, and their 34th season at Candlestick Park. It was the first season with Dusty Baker as manager, having been promoted from previously serving as the hitting coach under Roger Craig. In the offseason, under new ownership and general manager, Barry Bonds left the Pittsburgh Pirates to sign a lucrative free agent contract worth a then-record $43.75 million over six years with the Giants, with whom his father, Bobby Bonds, spent the first seven years of his career, and with whom his godfather Willie Mays played 22 of his 24 Major League seasons. The deal was, at that time, the largest in baseball history, in terms of both total value and average annual salary.[1] To honor his father, Bonds switched his jersey number to 25 once he signed with the Giants, as it had been Bobby's number in San Francisco (His number during most of his stay with the Pirates, 24, was already retired in honor of Mays).[2] Bonds hit .336 in 1993, leading the league with 46 home runs and 123 RBI en route to his second consecutive MVP award[3] and third overall (of an eventual seven).
As good as the Giants were (winning 103 games), the Atlanta Braves won 104 in what some call the last great pennant race (due to the Wild Card being instituted the following season).[4][5]
In the first half of the season prior to the All-Star Game, the Giants had taken 5 out of the 7 games against the Braves. Prior to the series beginning on August 23, the Giants had only lost 5 series all year long and had not lost more than 4 games in any 7-day period. After leading the National League West by ten games on July 22, and still holding a 7+1⁄2-game lead a month later, the Giants went 6–15 and relinquished the division lead to the Braves. The Giants then went on a 14–2 run, which left them tied with the Braves with one game remaining, which they lost 12–1 to the 80–81 Los Angeles Dodgers to become the only National League team to win 100 or more games and not make the playoffs in the divisional play era.