Horace Stoneham

Lore & Background

Stoneham's ownership witnessed three separate pennant-contending and -winning eras: the team that he inherited, the 1936–38 Giants with Bill Terry, Carl Hubbell and Mel Ott; the 1949–55 teams of manager Leo Durocher, with Monte Irvin, Sal Maglie, Bobby Thomson and Willie Mays; and the star-studded 1958–71 Giants of Mays, Orlando Cepeda, Willie McCovey, Juan Marichal and Gaylord Perry. In January 1949, the Giants signed their first Black players, pitcher Ford Smith and outfielder Monte Irvin; on July 8, 1949, future Hall of Famer Irvin broke the team's 'color line' and made them the fourth of 16 MLB teams to integrate. Eleven days later, infielder Hank Thompson made his NL debut.

Reader's Guide

Although the Giants won only one pennant () and one division title () in their first 15 years after moving to the Bay Area, they were a consistent contender that featured some of the era's biggest stars. But during the mid-1970s, lacklustre on-field performance and dwindling attendance forced Stoneham to sell the team in .

Did You Know?

• Stoneham inherited the Giants at age 32 upon his father's death on January 6, 1936, becoming the youngest club owner in National League history.
• He briefly attended Fordham University but dropped out after four days and was sent by his father to work in a copper mine in California during the winter of 1923–24.
• On July 16, 1948, Stoneham negotiated a deal with Dodgers' president Branch Rickey to release Leo Durocher from his contract to become the Giants' manager.