Heart breaking news: The san francisco giants all time player has officially announced his departure .
The Giants’ dynastic years came to an end last month when Brandon Crawford played what was probably his last game in a Giants uniform. One of the last players still playing and the last member of those teams still with the Giants was Crawford. The fact that that era of Giants history was coming to an end made it much more painful to see Crawford go.
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To be honest, it made me a little nostalgic—especially given the status of the series right now. It also led me to wondering if Crawford’s number would be retired by the Giants after his playing career ends. The larger question is obvious, too, as Crawford signals the conclusion of the best era in the team’s history since moving West: How many members of the dynasty years will be granted that honor as opposed to merely being inducted into the Giants’ Wall of Fame.
The Giants had been quite rigid about the Hall of Fame or bust requirements for retiring a number until a few years ago. That changed with Barry Bonds, who belong in the Hall, and, more recently, with Will Clark, who was honored for transforming the organization’s culture in the 1980s. That’s significant because, more World Series championships than Hall of Famers will have been produced during the dynasty years.
Considering this, I made my best estimate of the players whose numbers would be most likely to be hanging in Oracle Park’s left field corner in the upcoming years. Six names immediately sprang out, and here they are, in order of possibility of number retirement:
Keystone Cold Lock
Bully Posey, #28: The face of the team, a legend, and a strong contender to be the most significant player to ever don a San Francisco Giants jersey. Posey was the cornerstone of the dynasty teams (as well as the record-setting squad in 2021) and his presence altered the trajectory of Giants history. The Giants should not retire his number based on his HOF status, even if he is the only certain Hall of Famer from the dynasty years. He was that significant and that good. Nothing further has to be said regarding his case. Retiring his number is a matter of when, not if.
Number fifteen, Bruce Bochy: Not a player, but Bochy is about as reliable as Posey. the only manager in San Francisco history to win a ring, much less three. If Bochy isn’t leading the Giants, there just isn’t a dynasty to discuss. The Giants have already honored managers by retiring their “number,” and Bochy’s achievements rank him beside McGraw in the annals of team history. His Cooperstown plaque will have a Giants cap and his number between Carl Hubbell and Monte Irvin, unless he wins a couple more rings in Texas.
Madison Bumgarner, number forty Chances are good that your number will be retired when you nearly single-handedly win your club the World Series. Not only did Bumgarner accomplish this in 2014, but he also ranks as the best postseason pitcher of all time—his two shutouts in Wild Card games, his 2.11 career postseason ERA, and his 36 World Series innings with only one earned run allowed seem like video game statistics. A ceremony might only be delayed if there is any unresolved grievance between Bumgarner and the Giants over how his tenure here ended. Though the whole narrative of how that all happened is never completely known, surely time cures all wounds? Though they might not be enough to get Bumgarner into the Hall, the Giants should be very satisfied with his postseason exploits.
No. 55, Tim Lincecum: With all due respect to Juan Marichal and Bumgarner, Lincecum might be the most significant pitcher in Giants history. The Giants were buried in indifference for years before he arrived, frantically attempting to put together a competitive team around Bonds near the twilight of his career. They had seen prospect after potential fall short of the expectations, and then Lincecum appeared. He not only lived up to the expectations, but beyond them, thrilling the fan base, taking home the Cy Young, and promising brighter times ahead. He was the Clark of this generation, and it is impossible to exaggerate his influence on the fan base and the team. His number will probably be retired eventually. But would Lincecum—who appears to cherish his privacy—actually desire the ceremony and the prestige that go along with it? It is difficult to contend that he doesn’t deserve it, but the Giants will undoubtedly comply with his desires.
