1. materials characteristic of baseball and the culture of baseball; 2. collectible baseball Americana
1962
San Francisco Giants star and all-time great Willie Mays signs the largest contract in MLB, reportedly $90,000 for the 1962 season. Mays will earn it all in 1962, when he hits .304 with 49 home runs and 141 RBI, helping the Giants win the National League pennant.
1959
Mike McCormick of the San Francisco Giants tosses a 3 – 0, five-inning no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies. Richie Ashburn singles in the top of the sixth for the Phillies, but it doesn’t count as the game is stopped by rain.
1961
Willie Mays of the San Francisco Giants hits four home runs against the Milwaukee Braves in the Giants’ 14 – 4 victory at Milwaukee County Stadium. Mays becomes just the ninth player in major league history to hit four homers in one game.
1959
The San Francisco Giants clear space for future Hall of Fame players Orlando Cepeda and Willie McCovey by trading first baseman Bill White to the St. Louis Cardinals. Cepeda won the 1958 National League Rookie of the Year Award after batting .312 with 25 home runs and 96 RBI.
1970
San Francisco Giants trade popular 2B Ron Hunt to the Montreal Expos for 1B Dave McDonald. Hunt will be a solid starter for three seasons in Montreal, while McDonald will be sold back to the Expos less than a year later.
1970
The San Francisco Giants’ star pitcher Juan Marichal beats the Pirates 5 – 1 for his 200th MLB win. Marichal joins Jim Bunning (Phillies) as the only active pitchers with 200 wins.
2010
The Giants sign pitcher Tim Lincecum, the National League Cy Young Award winner in both 2008 and 2009, to a two-year contract worth $23 million, thus avoiding a record-setting salary arbitration hearing.
2015
The San Francisco Giants sign free agent OF Nori Aoki, who faced them in the 2014 World Series as a member of the Kansas City Royals, to a one-year contract. He will hit to a .287/.349/.388 slash line in 93 games.
1961
The Giants’ Juan Marichal fires his first shutout of the year, stopping the Pirates, 2 – 0, on five hits. Manager Alvin Dark says before the game that “Marichal will go all the way” and keeps his relief pitchers in the dugout to emphasis the point.
2010
Rookie Buster Posey hits two homers including his first career grand slam in San Francisco’ 15 – 2 romp over the Milwaukee Brewers. The Giants hit three homers to go up 4 – 0 in the 1st inning and never look back. Tim Lincecum strikes out 10 over 7 innings for the win.
