A Giant Blog

• 1951 Eddie Stanky (.247, 14 HR, 127 walks)

• 1954 Davey Williams (.222, 9 HR)

• 1962 Chuck Hiller (.276, 94 runs scored)

• 1971 Tito Fuentes (.273, 28 doubles)

• 1987 Robby Thompson (.262, 10 HR)

• 1989 Robby Thompson (.241, 13 HR, 91 runs scored)

• 1997 Jeff Kent (.250, 29 HR, 121 RBI)

• 2000 Jeff Kent (.334, 33 HR, 125 RBI)

• 2002 Jeff Kent (.313, 37 HR, 108 RBI)

• 2003 Ray Durham (.285, 30 doubles)

• 2010 Freddy Sanchez (.292, 22 doubles)

• Willie McCovey missed part of the year with an injury, but he was a dangerous hitter when he was in there. Willie batted .277 with 18 HR and 70 RBI in 105 games during the regular season.
• McCovey was 6 for 14 (.429) with 2 HR during the 1971 National League Championship Series
• On May 2 against the Cincinnati Reds McCovey went 2 for 6 with two HR and 3 RBI. His solo home run in the top of the 13th inning was the eventual game-winner.
• Willie played in his last All Star Game in 1971 and was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

• Another Phoenix Municipal Stadium picture
• Hal Lanier batted .233 in 109 games in 1971.
• Lanier started 41 games at 3B and was a defensive replacement in most of his other games.
• Hal went 0 for 1 in the 1971 NLCS.

• Tito Fuentes batted .273 in 152 games in 1971. 
• Fuentes was 5 for 16 (.313) in the NLCS.

• Steve Huntz didn't play for the Giants in 1971.
• Huntz was traded to the Chicago White Sox on March 23, 1971 for Steve Hamilton

• Bob Heise was hitless in 11 at bats for the Giants in 1971.
• On June 1 Heise was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for Floyd Wicker

• Alan Gallagher batted .277 with 5 HR and 57 RBI in 136 games. 
• Gallagher was 1 for 10 (.100) in the NLCS.

• Jim Ray Hart batted .256 in 39 AB. 
• He didn't play until June 18 and was used mostly as a pinch hitter during the season.
• Hart went 0 for 5 with two strikeouts in the NLCS.

• Willie McCovey missed about six weeks with an injury and struggled in 1972. He batted .213 with 14 HR and 35 RBI in 81 games.

• Tito Fuentes batted .264 with 7 HR and 53 RBI in 152 games in 1972.

• Chris Speier had a solid year for the Giants in 1972. He batted .269 with 15 HR, 71 RBI, and 82 walks in 150 games.

• Alan Mitchell Edward George Patrick Henry Gallagher split time with Dave Kingman at third base in 1972. He batted .223 with 2 HR and 18 RBI in 82 games. Gallagher was traded to the California Angels in April of 1973 and retired after the 1973 season.

• Jim Hart batted .304 in 79 at bats in 1972. Jim had injury problems in 1972 -- he played for about two weeks in May and then didn't play again until September. He ended up starting 20 games at third base and was sold to the New York Yankees early in the 1973 season.

• Chris Arnold batted .226 in 84 at bats as a utility player. Arnold bounced between AAA Phoenix and the SF Giants from 1971-1976. He had some great years for Phoenix (.343 in 120 games in 1971 and .302 in 139 games in 1977) but never could stick in the majors. Arnold went to Japan and played for three years after the 1977 season.

• Willie McCovey (# 410) hit 29 homers and knocked in 75 runs in the last year of his first tenure with the Giants. He was traded with Bernie Williams to the San Diego Padres for Mike Caldwell after the season. Willie was 4th in the NL with 105 walks.
  
  

• Chris Arnold (# 584) batted .296 in 54 AB as a utility player.
  
  
  

• Chris Speier (# 345 and # 273) batted .249 with 11 home runs and 71 RBI in 153 games. He was the starting shortstop for the NL in the All Star Game.
  
  
  
  

• It looks like Tito (# 236) just decked that guy. He batted .277 in 160 games in 1973.
  
  
  

• Ed Goodson (# 197) had his best year in 1973. He batted .302 in 102 games as the Giants' third baseman.
  
  
  

• Dave Kingman (# 23) batted .203 with 24 homers and 55 RBI in 305 AB in 1973. He played 3B when Ed Goodson wasn't in the lineup and 1B when Willie McCovey wasn't playing.

Others who played infield but didn't receive a 1973 Giants' card:

• Mike Phillips (.240 in 104 AB)
• Steve Ontiveros (.242 in 33 AB)
• Bruce Miller (.143 in 21 AB)
• Damaso Blanco (.000 in 12 AB)
• Al Gallagher (.222 in 9 AB)
  
  
  
  

• Willie McCovey (# 250) followed up his 1969 MVP season with another good year. He batted .289 and led the team in homers (39) and RBI (126). He finished 9th in MVP voting in 1970.
  
  

• Hal Lanier (# 583) batted .231 in 134 games as the Giants' starting shortstop
  
  
  

• Bob Heise (# 478) batted .234 in 67 games as a utility infielder.
  
  
  
  

• Willie McCovey (# 450) was 1 for 2 with one RBI in the 1970 All Star Game. He was a six-time NL All Star.
  
  
  
  

• Jim Davenport (# 378) batted .243 in 37 at bats in 1970. He was released on July 13, 1970.
  
  
  

• Ron Hunt (# 276) batted .281 in 117 games at 2B for the Giants in 1970. Ron had a .394 on base percentage. He was hit by a pitch a league-leading 26 times.
  
  
  
  

• Bobby Etheridge (# 107) didn't play for the Giants in 1970. He was traded to the San Diego Padres after the 1969 season. The Padres sent him to AAA Salt Lake City. He played in the minors through the 1973 season but never made it back to the majors.
  
  
  

• Tito Fuentes (# 42) played in 123 games in 1970 at 2B, SS, and 3B. He batted .267 in 435 at bats.

• Others who played infield for the Giants in 1970 but didn't get a Giants' card:

• Al Gallagher -- 3B (.266 in 282 AB)
• John Stephenson -- UT (.070 in 43 AB)
• Don Mason -- 2B (.139 in 41 AB)
• Ed Goodson -- 1B (.273 in 11 AB)

• Dave Kingman didn't have one of his better years in 1974. He played in 121 games and batted .223 with 18 homers and 55 RBI.

• Steve Ontiveros started 72 games at third base in 1974. As a 22-year-0ld rookie he batted .265 with 4 HR and 57 walks (.375 OBP).
  
  
  

• Mike Phillips batted .219 in 100 games (283 AB) as a utility infielder.
  
  
  
  

• Ed Goodson started 67 games at 1B and played some 3B as well in his last good season. He batted .272 with 6 HR and 48 RBI in 298 AB. Ed would never bat above .229 for the rest of his major league career.
  
  
  

• Chris Arnold is listed as a catcher on this card because he caught in nine games in 1973. In 1974 he was a utility infielder, starting 30 games at 2B, six games at 3B, and one game at SS. Chris batted .241 in 174 AB.
  
  
  

• Tito Fuentes missed over a month of the season. He played on opening day (April 5) and didn't play again until May 7. He struggled to a .249 average in 108 games and was traded to the San Diego Padres after the season.
  
  
  
  

• Chris Speier batted .250 in 141 games as the starting shortstop and was the Giants' representative in the 1974 All Star Game.
  
  
  
  

• Gary Thomasson batted .244 in 315 AB as an outfielder and occasional first baseman.
  
  Others who played infield in 1974 but didn't get Topps Giants' cards:
• Bruce Miller (.278 in 198 AB as a utility infielder). He batted .357 in 33 games at Phoenix in '74 but couldn't duplicate it at the major league level.
• Glenn Redmon batted .235 in 17 late-season at bats. 1974 was his only season in the majors. Glenn batted .312 for Phoenix before his September call-up.