The Atlanta Black Crackers (originally known as the Atlanta Cubs and later briefly the Indianapolis ABCs ) were a professional Negro league baseball team which played during the early to mid-20th century. They were primarily a minor Negro league team; however in the brief period they played as a major Negro league team, they won the second half pennant of the Negro American League in 1938 but lost the play-off for the overall season title.
64-696: The Atlanta Black Crackers were founded as the Atlanta Cubs as a semiprofessional team of black college students. They began to play independently in 1919 and changed their name to the Black Crackers because fans had already begun to call them by that name. They were named after the local white league team, the Atlanta Crackers , of the Class A Southern Association . It was not unusual for white and Negro league teams to have similar names, but in this case " Cracker "
128-834: A National League wild card twice. The Giants won their first world championship in California in 2010, while the Dodgers won their last world title in 2020. As of the end of the 2023 baseball season, the Los Angeles Dodgers lead the San Francisco Giants in California World Series triumphs, 6–3, whereas in 20th-century New York, the Giants led the Dodgers in World Series championships, 5–1. The combined franchise histories give
192-554: A 1908 season-ending matchup in New York of particular note. That historical rivalry was revisited when the Giants beat the Cubs in the 1989 National League Championship Series , in their tiebreaker game in Chicago at the end of the 1998 season, on June 6, 2012, in a "Turn Back The Century" game in which both teams wore replica 1912 uniforms, and in the 2016 National League Division Series in which
256-745: A crowd of around 3,500. For 60 years (until 1961), the Crackers were part of the Class AA Southern Association, a period during which they won more games than any other Association team, earning the nickname the "Yankees of the Minors". In 1962, the Association disbanded. Then, the former Miami Marlins , a Class AAA International League team that had spent 1961 playing in San Juan, Puerto Rico , and Charleston, West Virginia , moved to Atlanta and adopted
320-468: A few organized Negro leagues survived. Atlanta had trouble profiting on their own causing them to go back to playing a league schedule. The NSL was considered the highest quality surviving league and it therefore became the de facto major league for the 1932 season and was the only organized league to complete their full schedule. After the season, the Black Crackers once again played on their own for another two seasons. W. B. Baker brought Atlanta back to
384-400: A fire on September 9, 1923, destroyed the all-wood stadium. Spiller Field (a stadium later also called Ponce de Leon Park), became their home starting in the 1924 season; it was named in honor of a wealthy businessman who paid for the new concrete-and-steel stadium. That new park was unusual because it was constructed around a magnolia tree that became part of center field. Balls landing in
448-444: A friendly rival much lower on the scale. This is most likely due to the A's lack of a historical rival, while the Giants have their heated rivalry with the Dodgers. Some Bay Area fans are fans of both teams. The "split hats" that feature the logos of both teams best embodies the shared fan base. Other Bay Area fans view the competition between the two teams as a "friendly rivalry", with little actual hatred compared to similar ones such as
512-773: A fundraiser for the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum . Atlanta Crackers The Atlanta Crackers were a Minor League Baseball team based in Atlanta , Georgia , between 1901 and 1965. The Crackers were Atlanta's home team until the Atlanta Braves moved from Milwaukee, Wisconsin , in 1966. Atlanta played its inaugural Southern Association game, against the Nashville Baseball Club , on Saturday, April 26, 1902 ( Memorial Day ) in Piedmont Park before
576-592: A two-year hiatus, the NSL re-grouped for the 1926 season and Atlanta was included in the league schedule for 1926 and 1927. When the NSL again went on hiatus in 1928, the Black Crackers returned to barnstorming. In 1929, Atlanta returned to the NSL, this time known as the Grey Sox, however after the season they returned to barnstorming. By 1932, the Great Depression had decimated the profits of most Negro league teams and only
640-624: Is 11,541–10,019–163 (.535). Since moving to San Francisco in 1958, the Giants have an overall win–loss record of 5,474–5,121–6 (.517) through the end of 2024. The team's current manager is Bob Melvin . The Giants originated in New York City as the New York Gothams in 1883, and were known as the New York Giants from 1885 until the team relocated to San Francisco after the 1957 season. During most of their 75 seasons in New York City,
704-564: Is descended from those original settlers of the area. As in several other cities, Atlanta's local Negro league team was named after the local White league team : the Atlanta Black Crackers joined the Negro Southern League in 1920, and existed until the early 1950s. Play-by-play announcer Ernie Harwell called Cracker games on the radio from 1943 to 1949 before being traded to Brooklyn Dodgers for catcher Cliff Dapper ,
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#1732841261311768-582: Is one of the oldest and most successful in professional baseball, with more wins than any team in the history of major American sports . The team was the first major-league organization based in New York City, most memorably playing home games at several iterations of the Polo Grounds . The Giants have played in the World Series 20 times. In 2014, the Giants won their then-record 23rd National League pennant ; this mark has since been equaled and then eclipsed by
832-547: Is paired with an all-orange cap with the "SF" in orange with white trim. The uniforms are usually worn on Tuesday home games. The Giants' rivalry with the Los Angeles Dodgers dates back to when the two teams were based in New York, as does their rivalry with the New York Yankees . The Dodger and Giants rivalry is one of the longest rivalries in sports history. Their rivalry with the Oakland Athletics dates back to when
896-514: The 1962 World Series in seven games to the New York Yankees. The Giants were swept in the 1989 World Series by their cross-Bay rival Oakland Athletics , a series best known for the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake , which caused a 10-day delay between Games 2 and 3. The Giants also lost the 2002 World Series to the Anaheim Angels . One of the team's biggest highlights during this time was
960-541: The 2001 season , in which outfielder Barry Bonds hit 73 home runs , breaking the record for most home runs in a season. In 2007, Bonds would surpass Hank Aaron 's career record of 755 home runs. Bonds finished his career with 762 home runs (586 hit with the Giants), which is still the MLB record. The Giants won three World Series championships in 2010 , 2012 , and 2014 , giving the team eight total World Series titles, including
1024-508: The Atlanta Braves wore 1938 Black Crackers home uniforms and the visiting Philadelphia Phillies wore 1938 Philadelphia Stars road uniforms. The teams wore these same uniforms again for their matchup on May 14, 2011. On April 27, 2013, the Braves sported Black Crackers throwbacks in a game against the Detroit Tigers . On May 3, 2014, the Braves wore the Black Crackers jerseys in a game against
1088-465: The Atlanta Crackers . They were slated to play the 1921 season in the newly formed Negro Southeastern League under the Cubs moniker, however no records have been found of the league playing a season; they instead continued competing as the Black Sox in the NSL. From 1922 through 1925, the Black Crackers played an independent barnstorming schedule and did not participate in any league play. After taking
1152-523: The Baseball Hall of Fame , the most of any franchise. The Giants' rivalry with the Dodgers , one of the longest-standing and most famed rivalries in American sports, began in New York and continued when both teams relocated to California in 1958. Despite the efforts of Mays and Barry Bonds , regarded as two of baseball's all-time best players, the Giants endured a 56-year championship drought following
1216-581: The National Football League (NFL) are named after the team. The Giants, along with their rival Los Angeles Dodgers , became the first Major League Baseball teams to play on the West Coast. On April 15, 1958, the Giants played their first game in San Francisco, defeating the former Brooklyn and now Los Angeles Dodgers, 8–0. The Giants played for two seasons at Seals Stadium (from 1931 to 1957,
1280-583: The New York Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers . The Giants faced the Yankees in six World Series and played the league rival Dodgers multiple times per season. Games between any two of these three teams were known collectively as the Subway Series . The Dodgers-Giants rivalry continues, as both teams moved to California after the 1957 season, with the Dodgers relocating to Los Angeles. The New York Giants of
1344-659: The Philadelphia Phillies dropping off as one of the premier teams of the National League, this rivalry has died down since 2010 and 2011. Another rivalry that has intensified recently is with the St. Louis Cardinals , whom the team has faced 4 times in the NLCS . The rivalry between the New York Giants and Chicago Cubs in the early 20th century was once regarded as one of the most heated in baseball, with Merkle's Boner leading to
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#17328412613111408-711: The San Francisco Giants . On June 20, 2015, the Braves again wore the Black Crackers uniform in a game against the New York Mets , who wore the uniform of the Brooklyn Royal Giants to honor the Negro League. On May 15, 2016, the Braves wore Black Crackers away jerseys while playing against the Kansas City Royals , who wore Kansas City Monarchs jerseys. All game-worn gear from this game was auctioned off as
1472-587: The "City Connect" program, with teams wearing special uniforms that reflect the pride and personality of their community. The Giants' version is a white base with orange accents, featuring the stylized "G" in an orange/white gradient. The gradient represents the San Francisco fog that envelopes the Bay Area many months per year. An orange silhouette of the Golden Gate Bridge is printed on the sleeves. The uniform
1536-447: The "SF" wordmark changed to black with orange trim. In 2015, the Giants unveiled a new black alternate uniform to be used on select Saturday home games. This set has the interlocking "SF" in front along with orange piping and a new sleeve patch containing the Golden Gate Bridge atop the "Giants" wordmark. Initially, the letters were in black with orange trim, but this was changed to orange with black trim and orange drop shadows. Before
1600-447: The 1977 season, the Giants switched to pullover uniforms. "Giants" on the home uniform was changed from serifed block lettering to cursive script, and the color scheme returned to black with orange trim. The road uniform became orange, with letters in black with white trim. Neck and sleeve stripes are in black, orange and white. Both uniforms received chest numbers. The standard cap was changed to feature an orange brim. The 1978 season saw
1664-436: The 2010 season, the Giants unveiled a new orange alternate uniform to be used on Friday home games. Initially, this design was similar to the home uniform save for a trim change to cream, but in 2011, the sleeve patch was changed to the one previously used on the team's road uniform. In 2014, the orange alternate were tweaked slightly, adding black piping and a new sleeve patch featuring the interlocking "SF" logo, and returning to
1728-451: The A's in 1911 & 1913 . After becoming the San Francisco Giants and Oakland A's, they met in a fourth Series in 1989 resulting in the A's last world championship (as of 2024). Though in different leagues, the Giants have also been historical rivals of the Yankees, starting in New York before the Giants moved to the West Coast . Before the institution of interleague play in 1997,
1792-405: The A's) have been fairly evenly divided despite differences in league, style of play, stadium, payroll, fan base stereotypes, media coverage and World Series records, all of which have heightened the rivalry in recent years. The intensity of the rivalry and how it is understood varies among Bay Area fans. A's fans generally view the Giants as a hated rival, while Giants fans generally view the A's as
1856-700: The Crackers name, from " Georgia cracker " (which refers to early white settlers in Georgia) and " cracker ," a pejorative term for poor rural White Southerners. Originally the top affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals , the AAA Crackers spent the 1964 season as the Minnesota Twins ' top affiliate. Then, in 1965, the Milwaukee Braves became the Crackers' parent club. That team had bought the Crackers as part of their planned move to Atlanta in 1965; under MLB rules of
1920-494: The Cubs won. The Giants-Dodgers rivalry is one of the longest-standing rivalries in team sports. The Giants-Dodgers feud began in the late 19th century when both clubs were based in New York City, with the Dodgers based in Brooklyn and the Giants playing at the Polo Grounds in upper Manhattan . After the 1957 season, Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley decided to move the team to Los Angeles primarily for financial reasons. Along
1984-459: The Giants add a black alternate uniform, an inverse of their road orange uniform. All three uniforms now featured the "Giants" script previously exclusive to the home uniform. Before the 1983 season, the Giants returned to a traditional buttoned uniform designed by Sidjakov Berman & Gomez . This design returned to the classic look they wore early in their San Francisco tenure, but with a few exceptions. The lettering became more rounded (save for
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2048-424: The Giants added a road and home alternate black uniform. Each uniform shared the same design as their home and road counterparts, with the exception of the road alternate receiving gold drop shadows. The home design was dropped after only one season, and the road version was retired the following year. Both sets were worn with an all-black cap but with the squatchee in black (the primary cap has an orange squatchee) and
2112-571: The Giants an 8–7 edge in MLB championships, overall. A geographic rivalry with the cross-Bay American League Athletics greatly increased with the 1989 World Series , nicknamed the "Battle of the Bay", which Oakland swept (and which was interrupted by the Loma Prieta earthquake moments before the scheduled start of Game 3 in San Francisco). This dates back to when the Giants and Athletics were rivals, when
2176-704: The Giants played home games at various incarnations of the Polo Grounds in Upper Manhattan . Numerous inductees of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum played for the New York Giants, including John McGraw , Christy Mathewson , Mel Ott , Bill Terry , Willie Mays , Monte Irvin , and Travis Jackson . During the club's tenure in New York, they produced five of the franchise's eight World Series wins ( 1905 , 1921 , 1922 , 1933 , 1954 ) and 17 of its 23 National League pennants. Famous moments in
2240-607: The Giants were in New York and the A's were in Philadelphia and played each other in the 1905, 1911, & 1913 World Series, and was renewed in 1968 when the Athletics moved from Kansas City and the teams again played each other in the earthquake-interrupted 1989 Bay Bridge World Series. The 2010 NLCS inaugurated a Giants rivalry with the Philadelphia Phillies after confrontations between Jonathan Sánchez and Chase Utley , and between Ramón Ramírez and Shane Victorino . However, with
2304-520: The Giants were in New York and the Athletics in Philadelphia. They met in the 1905, 1911, and 1913 World Series. In addition, the introduction of interleague play in 1997 has pitted the two teams against each other for usually six games every season since 1997, three in each city (but only four in 2013, two in each city). Before 1997, they played each other only in Cactus League spring training . Their interleague play wins and losses (63–57 in favor of
2368-499: The Giants' New York history include the 1922 World Series, in which the Giants swept the Yankees in four games, the 1951 home run by New York Giants outfielder and third baseman Bobby Thomson known as the "Shot Heard 'Round the World" , and the defensive feat by Mays during Game 1 of the 1954 World Series known as "the Catch" . The Giants had intense rivalries with their fellow New York teams,
2432-882: The Gwinnett Braves, now the Gwinnett Stripers . Dating back to their time as the Crackers, the Stripers have been the Braves' top affiliate for 57 seasons, the longest-running affiliation agreement in Triple-A. The Crackers won the Dixie Series , a postseason interleague championship between the champions of the Southern Association and the Texas League , in 1938 and 1954. The Crackers played in Ponce de Leon Park from 1907 until
2496-463: The NSL in 1935 and 1936, but the NSL collapsed for the last time after the 1936 season. Some of its member teams folded as well, but the Black Crackers were invited into the newly organized Negro American League . The Atlanta Black Crackers left the NSL having a few solid years, but never finishing above the middle of the pack and finishing last in 1926 and 1927. After W. B. Baker died suddenly, new owner John H. Harden took over in 1937 barnstorming in
2560-713: The Subway Series ( New York Mets vs. New York Yankees ), the Red Line Series ( Chicago Cubs vs. Chicago White Sox ) and the Freeway Series (Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Los Angeles Angels). The Giants and A's enjoyed a limited rivalry at the start of the 20th century before the Yankees began to dominate after the acquisition of Babe Ruth in 1920, when the Giants were in New York and the A's were in Philadelphia. The teams were managed by legendary leaders John McGraw and Connie Mack , who were considered not only friendly rivals but
2624-517: The advent of the balanced schedule format introduced in 2023. In his July 4, 1939, farewell speech ending with the renowned "Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth", Yankee slugger Lou Gehrig , who played in 2,130 consecutive games, declared that the Giants were a team he "would give his right arm to beat, and vice versa". As of 2024, the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame has inducted 66 representatives of
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2688-485: The ancient rivalry. In the wake of the Giants' and Dodgers' leaving New York, a new ballclub was born in 1962 in Queens: The New York Mets. The team's colors (blue and orange) were an homage to the recently departed teams. Both teams' having endured for over a century while leaping across an entire continent, as well as the rivalry's growth from cross-city to cross-state, have led to its being considered one of
2752-511: The day, ownership of a minor league team also carried the major league rights to that city. However, an injunction forced the Braves to play a lame-duck season in Milwaukee. The Braves finally moved to Atlanta in 1966, and moved the Crackers to Richmond, Virginia , as the Richmond Braves . In a return home of sorts, the team moved to Gwinnett County , a northeastern suburb of Atlanta, in 2009 as
2816-426: The five won as the New York Giants. Players inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum as members of the San Francisco Giants include CF Willie Mays , 1B Orlando Cepeda , P Juan Marichal , 1B Willie McCovey , and P Gaylord Perry . Upon moving to San Francisco, the Giants kept the same uniform they wore in New York, save for two changes. The cap logo now had an interlocking "SF" in orange, while
2880-472: The greatest in sports history. The Giants-Dodgers rivalry has seen both teams enjoy periods of success at the expense of the other. While the Giants have more total wins, head-to-head wins, and World Series titles in their franchise histories, the Dodgers have won the National League West 11 more times than the Giants since the start of division play in 1969. Both teams have made the postseason as
2944-418: The last decade of the Southern Association's existence. As an International League team, they were the top affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals (1962–63), Minnesota Twins (1964) and the Braves again (1965). According to Tim Darnell, who wrote The Crackers: Early Days of Atlanta Baseball , the origins of the team name is unknown. Darnell cites several possibilities as to why this name was chosen: During
3008-470: The move west, a stretch that included three World Series losses. The drought finally ended in the early 2010s; under manager Bruce Bochy , the Giants embraced sabermetrics and eventually formed a baseball dynasty that saw them win the World Series in 2010 , 2012 , and 2014 , making the Giants the second team in NL history to win three championships in five years. Through 2024, the franchise's all-time record
3072-606: The north. Harden put together a talented roster and the team started winning quickly. In 1938 the Black Crackers were invited to play in a year-old major league, the Negro American League . They went on to have a very strong year, finishing in first place for the second half of the season, but scheduling problems and umpire controversies caused their Pennant series with the first-half champion Memphis Red Sox to be canceled. Unable to draw sufficient crowds in Atlanta, Harden took
3136-683: The only time an announcer has been traded for a player. San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco . The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division . Founded in 1883 as the New York Gothams , the team was renamed the New York Giants three years later, eventually relocating from New York City to San Francisco in 1958. The Giants play their home games at Oracle Park in San Francisco. The franchise
3200-406: The period of Reconstruction following the American Civil War, there was also a political party of the same name. Organized in Augusta, Georgia, this party's platform was one of "opposition to Catholics and segregation of blacks". While now sometimes used as a derogatory term for a white southerner that promotes racism, it is also used as a term of pride by some white southerners to indicate one that
3264-399: The player's name), the neck stripes were removed, and the interlocking "SF" and black piping was added on the road gray uniform. The caps returned to an all-black design. In 1994, the Giants made a few changes to their uniform. The road uniform reverted to "San Francisco" in front and removed the piping. The front of both uniforms returned to stylized block letters with pointed edges, but kept
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#17328412613113328-414: The premier managers during that era, especially in view of their longevity (Mack for 50 years, McGraw for 30) since both were majority owners. Each team played in five of the first 15 World Series (tying them with the Red Sox and Cubs for most World Series appearances during that time period). As the New York Giants and the Philadelphia A's, they met in three World Series, with the Giants winning in 1905 and
3392-452: The rival Los Angeles Dodgers , who won their 25th NL crown in 2024. The Giants' eight World Series championships are second-most in the NL and fifth-most of any franchise. The franchise won 17 pennants and five World Series championships while in New York, led by managers John McGraw , Bill Terry , and Leo Durocher . New York-era star players including Christy Mathewson , Carl Hubbell , Mel Ott , and Willie Mays join 63 other Giants in
3456-399: The road uniform now featured "San Francisco" in black block letters with orange trim. Neckline, pants and sleeves feature thin black and orange stripes. Changing to double-knit polyester, the Giants made a few noticeable changes to their uniform. The color scheme on the letters was changed to orange with black trim, and player names were added on the back. The cap logo remained the same. For
3520-427: The rounded numbers. The "SF" on the cap was also changed to reflect the lettering change. Coinciding with the move to Oracle Park (then Pacific Bell Park) in 2000, the Giants unveiled new uniforms which were aesthetically close to the style they originally wore in their early years. On each uniform, numbers returned to a block letter style. The base of the home uniform was changed to cream. The "Giants" wordmark kept
3584-445: The same stylized block letter treatment but the arrangement was changed from a vertical to a radial arch. Neck stripes also returned with this uniform. Gold drop shadows were also added. A sleeve patch containing the team logo and the words "San Francisco Baseball Club" was also featured. The gray road uniform returned to the classic "San Francisco" wordmark used in the 1960s, though in 2005 gold drop shadows were also added. This uniform
3648-407: The script "Giants" lettering previously used in the late 1970s. This design is usually paired with a black cap with orange brim featuring the "SF" logo. Between 2012 and 2019, the Giants wore a second gray road uniform. This design was similar to the primary roads, but with the "SF" in place of the city name (a nod to the 1983–1993 road uniforms). In 2021, Major League Baseball and Nike introduced
3712-465: The stadium was the home of the PCL 's San Francisco Seals ) before moving to Candlestick Park in 1960 . The Giants played at Candlestick Park until 1999 , before opening Pacific Bell Park (now known as Oracle Park) in 2000 , where the Giants currently play. The Giants struggled to sustain consistent success in their first 50 years in San Francisco. They made nine playoff appearances and won three NL pennants between 1958 and 2009. The Giants lost
3776-532: The team to Indianapolis following the 1938 season, and played as the fourth team to use the name " Indianapolis ABCs ". At the conclusion of the 1939 season, the team disbanded due to low attendance. The team played their home games at Ponce de Leon Park , along with the white Atlanta Crackers. However, the Black Crackers were not allowed to play at Ponce de Leon Park when the Crackers had a home game. The Black Crackers were then forced to play at either Morehouse College or Morris Brown College . On June 28, 1997,
3840-452: The tree remained in play, until Earl Mann took over the team in 1947 and had the outfield wall moved in about fifty feet. The Crackers played their last season in the newly built Atlanta Stadium (later known as Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium) in 1965. The Crackers were independent of major league farm systems until 1950. They then became a AA affiliate of the Boston/Milwaukee Braves (1950–1958) and Los Angeles Dodgers (1959–1961) during
3904-508: The two teams had little opportunity to play each other except in seven World Series : 1921 , 1922 , 1923 , 1936 , 1937 , 1951 and 1962 , the Yankees winning last five of the seven Series. The teams have met five times in regular season interleague play : In 2002 at the old Yankee Stadium , in 2007 at Oracle Park (then known as AT&T Park), in 2013, 2016, and 2023 at the current Yankee Stadium , and in 2019 at Oracle Park. The teams' next regular season meetings will occur yearly, with
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#17328412613113968-451: The way, he managed to convince Giants owner Horace Stoneham (who was considering moving his team to Minnesota ) to preserve the rivalry by taking his team to San Francisco as well. New York baseball fans were stunned and heartbroken by the move. Given that the cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco have long been competitors in economic, cultural and political arenas, their new California venues became fertile ground for transplantation of
4032-434: Was a term with a complicated history, used sometimes as a colloquial and pejorative nickname for rural southern Whites, but also used affectionately by residents of Florida and Georgia who had long and deep ties to that region. The Black Crackers joined the minor league Negro Southern League (NSL) in March 1920. Their uniforms, bats, baseballs, and other supplies were donated by their white Southern Association counterpart,
4096-419: Was then tweaked to include black piping in 2012. Two sleeve patches were used. Between 2000 and 2010, the patch featured "SF" in orange letters in front of a baseball, with the full name added within a black circle. In 2011, this was changed to the sleeve patch used on the home uniform. Until 2020, only the road uniform featured player names; since 2021, all Giants uniforms have player names on the back. In 2001,
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