The New York Giants were a Major League Baseball team that played in Manhattan, New York until moving to San Francisco in 1958. From 1883 until their move to San Francisco, they played their home games at the Polo Grounds. They played in the National League. The first game of the new baseball season for a team is played on Opening Day, and being named the Opening Day starter is an honor, which is often given to the player who is expected to lead the pitching staff that season, though there are various strategic reasons why a team's best pitcher might not start on Opening Day. The Giants used 33 different Opening Day starting pitchers in their 75 seasons they played in New York. The Giants won 39 of those games against 35 losses in those Opening Day starts. They also played one tie game.
Carl Hubbell had the most Opening Day starts for the New York Giants with six between 1929 and 1942. Mickey Welch, Amos Rusie and Larry Jansen each had five Opening Day starts for the team. Christy Mathewson, Red Ames, Jeff Tesreau and Bill Voiselle all had four Opening Day starts apiece for the Giants. Ed Doheny and Johnny Antonelli each had three Opening Day starts for the New York Giants and Antonelli also had an Opening Day start for the San Francisco Giants in 1959, giving him a total of four Opening Day starts for the franchise. Antonelli is the only player to have an Opening Day start for both the New York and San Francisco Giants.
Other pitchers who had multiple Opening Day starts for the New York Giants were Hal Schumacher with three such starts, and Joe McGinnity, Rube Marquard, Jesse Barnes, Art Nehf, Virgil Barnes, Bill Walker and Sal Maglie with two apiece. Seven Hall of Fame pitchers made Opening Day starts for the New York Giants — Welch, Tim Keefe, Rusie, Mathewson, McGinnity, Marquard and Hubbell.
The New York Giants won the modern World Series five times, in , , , and . Their Opening Day starting pitchers in those years were Joe McGinnity in 1905, Phil Douglas in 1921, Art Nehf in 1922, Carl Hubbell in 1933 and Sal Maglie in 1954. In , the Giants won the National League championship but no World Series was played. Christy Mathewson was the Giants' Opening Day starting pitcher that season. The Giants also won the 19th century World Series twice, in 1888 and 1889. Ledell Titcomb and Mickey Welch were the Giants Opening Day starting pitchers in 1888 and 1889, respectively.
Jesse and Virgil Barnes, who each made two Opening Day starts for the New York Giants, were brothers.
Key
SeasonEach year is linked to an article about that particular Giants season.WWinLLossTTie Game; no decision to starting pitcherND (W)No Decision by starting pitcher; Giants won gameND (L)No Decision by starting pitcher; Giants lost game(W)Giants won game; no information on starting pitcher's decision(L)Giants lost game; no information on starting pitcher's decisionNumber of appearances as Opening Day starter**NL Champions#World Series Champions
Pitchers
YearPitcherDecisionOpponentLocationReference1883(W)Boston BeaneatersPolo Grounds1884 (W)Chicago White StockingsPolo Grounds1885 (W)Boston BeaneatersPolo Grounds1886 (W)Boston BeaneatersPolo Grounds1887(W)Philadelphia PhilliesPolo Grounds1888#(W)Washington NationalsSwampoodle Grounds1889# (L)Boston BeaneatersOakland Park, New Jersey1890(L)Philadelphia PhilliesPolo Grounds1891 (L)Boston BeaneatersSouth End Grounds1892 (W)Philadelphia PhilliesHuntingdon Grounds1893(L)Boston BeaneatersPolo Grounds1894 (L)Baltimore OriolesUnion Park1895 (L)Brooklyn BridegroomsPolo Grounds1896(L)Washington NationalsBoundary Field1897(L)Philadelphia PhilliesBaker Bowl1898 (L)Boston BeaneatersPolo Grounds1899 (L)Baltimore OriolesUnion Park1900(L)Brooklyn SuperbasPolo Grounds1901(L)Boston BravesSouth End Grounds1902(W)Philadelphia PhilliesPolo Grounds1903 (L)Brooklyn DodgersPolo Grounds1904** (W)Brooklyn DodgersWashington Park1905#(W)Boston BeaneatersPolo Grounds1906(W)Philadelphia PhilliesBaker Bowl1907 (L)Philadelphia PhilliesPolo Grounds1908 (W)Philadelphia PhilliesBaker Bowl1909 (L)Brooklyn DodgersPolo Grounds1910 (L)Boston DovesSouth End Grounds1911** LPhiladelphia PhilliesPolo Grounds1912**(W)Brooklyn DodgersWashington Park1913**(L)Boston BravesPolo Grounds1914 (L)Philadelphia PhilliesBaker Bowl1915 (W)Brooklyn DodgersPolo Grounds1916 (W)Philadelphia PhilliesBaker Bowl1917**(W)Boston BravesBraves Field1918 ND (W)Brooklyn DodgersPolo Grounds1919WPhiladelphia PhilliesBaker Bowl1920 LBoston BravesPolo Grounds1921#ND (W)Philadelphia PhilliesBaker Bowl1922#LBrooklyn DodgersPolo Grounds1923**WBoston BravesBraves Field1924**LBrooklyn DodgersEbbets Field1925 LBoston BravesBraves Field1926LBrooklyn DodgersPolo Grounds1927 WPhiladelphia PhilliesBaker Bowl1928WBoston BravesPolo Grounds1929WPhiladelphia PhilliesBaker Bowl1930WBoston BravesPolo Grounds1931WPhiladelphia PhilliesBaker Bowl1932 LPhiladelphia PhilliesPolo Grounds1933# TBrooklyn DodgersEbbets Field1934 WPhiladelphia PhilliesPolo Grounds1935 LBoston BravesBraves Field1936**ND (W)Brooklyn DodgersPolo Grounds1937** WBrooklyn DodgersEbbets Field1938WBoston BeesPolo Grounds1939WBrooklyn DodgersEbbets Field1940 LPhiladelphia PhilliesPolo Grounds1941 ND (W)Brooklyn DodgersEbbets Field1942 LBrooklyn DodgersPolo Grounds1943LBrooklyn DodgersEbbets Field1944WBoston BravesPolo Grounds1945 WBoston BravesBraves Field1946 WPhiladelphia PhilliesPolo Grounds1947 LPhiladelphia PhilliesShibe Park1948LBrooklyn DodgersPolo Grounds1949 LBrooklyn DodgersEbbets Field1950 LBoston BravesPolo Grounds1951** WBoston BravesBraves Field1952WPhiladelphia PhilliesPolo Grounds1953 WPhiladelphia PhilliesShibe Park1954# WBrooklyn DodgersPolo Grounds1955LPhiladelphia PhilliesBaker Bowl1956 WPittsburgh PiratesPolo Grounds1957 LPittsburgh PiratesForbes Field
References