Ten best moments in the Peter Magowan era

October 1, 9:37 PMSan Francisco Giants ExaminerTheo Fightmaster

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Over the past sixteen seasons the Giants Managing General Partner, Peter Magowan, has experienced many ups and downs.  In light of his tenure coming to an end last Sunday, here are the ten best moments from his time at the helm.
                                                                                                                                                       10. Hiring Dusty Baker in 1992.  To borrow a term from the political season it was a "maverick" move.  Everyone insisted that the new owner hire an experienced manager. Instead he went with his instincts, and it resulted in one of the best ten year spans the team ever enjoyed in San Francisco. 
 
9. The 2007 All-Star game.  Despite it taking too long for the game to return to San Francisco, the park was a beautiful backdrop for the entire All-Star week.  The contest itself wasn’t bad either, as the NL rallied in the bottom of the ninth before falling short with the winning run aboard.
 
8. Measure B passes.  This voter approved initiative led to the first privately financed park in 30 years, and laid the groundwork for Pacific Bell Park and the next 100 years of San Francisco Giants baseball.
 
7. Game 5, 2002 World Series. Unfortunately when you’re the Giants you expect more than your fair share of heartache.  But for about 24 hours the Giants were on top of the baseball world after routing the Angels 16-4 and taking a 3-2 lead to Anaheim. That’s where I blacked out.
 
6. Game 5, NLCS 2002.  Kenny Lofton’s single, David Bell’s head first slide, J.D. Drew's wide throw.  And Jon Miller’s call accompanied by a boyish “we’re goin’” from Mike Krukow are seared into the minds of Giant Fans. 

 5. 1997 Pennant Race. It was once again the Giants and the Dodgers fighting for division supremacy.  Brian Johnson and the Giants had the last word with an incredible extra-inning win on the catcher’s walk off homer. The storied blast helped extend the Giants lead in the standings over LA, one they would not relinquish.
 
4. 103 wins in '93.  Bitter sweet as it was, in Magowan’s first season the team won a franchise record 103 games and was a part of the last real pennant race in baseball.  Despite losing on the final day of the season in Los Angeles, the season had many great moments Giants fans will always cherish.
 
3.  Moving into Pacific Bell Park. The Crown Jewel of Magowan’s tenure is quite possibly the most beautiful venue in professional sports.  Nestled onto the shores of “McCovey Cove,” the home of the Giants mixes ambiance with amenities, and assures baseball in San Francisco for years to come.
 
2.  Signing Barry Bonds.  Arguably the best free agent signing in sports history, Bonds went on to put up MVP type numbers nearly every season, and won the award five times in orange and black.  "The Best Player of the ‘90’s" signed a then-record contract for $43 million.  Apparently Magowan has something about breaking contract records with guys named Barry.  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   1. Saving the Giants in 1992.  The Giants were all but the Tampa Bay Giants after Bob Lurie agreed to sell the team to an ownership group in Florida.  Up steps Peter McGowan, Larry Baer and a group of civic minded investors who were determined to keep the Giants in San Francisco.  Their eleventh hour effort will not soon be forgotten by millions of Bay Area baseball fans.  Thank you, Peter.