The New York Giants

San Francisco Giants

The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....

 season was the 22nd season in franchise history. They led the National League

National League

The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...

 in both runs scored and fewest runs allowed, on their way to 106 wins and the pennant

Pennant (sports)

A pennant is a commemorative flag typically used to show support for a particular athletic team. Pennants have been historically used in all types of athletic levels: high school, collegiate, professional etc. Traditionally, pennants were made of felt and fashioned in the official colors of a...

.

The first modern World Series

World Series

The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...

 had been played the previous year

1903 in baseball

300px|thumb|1903 [[1903 Boston Americans season|Boston]] vs [[1903 Chicago White Stockings season|Chicago]] at [[Huntington Avenue Grounds]]-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Boston Americans over Pittsburgh Pirates , in the first modern World Series...

, but manager John McGraw

John McGraw

John McGraw may refer to:* John McGraw , , New York lumber tycoon, and one of the founding trustees of Cornell University* John McGraw , , Governor of Washington state from 1893–1897...

 and owner John T. Brush

John T. Brush

John Tomlinson Brush was an American sports executive who was the owner of the New York Giants franchise in Major League Baseball from 1890 until his death. He also owned the Indianapolis Hoosiers in the late 1880s, and the Cincinnati Reds from 1891 to 1902. Under his leadership, the Giants were...

 refused to play the AL champion Boston Americans

1904 Boston Americans season

The Boston Americans season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Americans finishing 1st in the American League with a record of 95 wins and 59 losses...

. They would change their position the following year.

Regular season

The Giants had no offensive firepower in this pitching-dominated era but scored using a balanced lineup and a lot of small-ball tactics formerly employed by manager McGraw in his playing days. The lineup featured three of the top five stolen base leaders in the majors: Bill Dahlen

Bill Dahlen

William Frederick Dahlen , nicknamed "Bad Bill" for his ferocious temperament, was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played as a shortstop in Major League Baseball for four National League teams from to...

, Sam Mertes

Sam Mertes

Samuel Blair Mertes was a former professional baseball player. He was an outfielder over parts of 10 seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Orphans, Chicago White Sox, New York Giants, and St. Louis Cardinals. He led the National League in RBIs in 1903 while playing for New York...

, and Dan McGann.

They also had one of the greatest pitching duos of all-time in Joe McGinnity and Christy Mathewson

Christy Mathewson

Christopher "Christy" Mathewson , nicknamed "Big Six", "The Christian Gentleman", or "Matty", was an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played his entire career in what is known as the dead-ball era...

, who each had arguably the greatest seasons in their Hall of Fame careers. They combined for 68 wins - a 20th century record for two pitchers on the same team.

Notable transactions

• August 7, 1904: Doc Marshall
  Doc Marshall (catcher)
  William Riddle Marshall , is a former professional baseball player who played catcher from 1904-1909....
  
   was purchased from the Giants by the Boston Beaneaters
  Atlanta Braves
  The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
  
  .

Roster

1904 New York Giants
Roster
Pitchers Catchers		Infielders		Outfielders		Manager

Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Pos	Player	G	AB	H	Avg.	HR	RBI
C		86	287	57	.199	1	15
1B		141	517	148	.286	6	71
2B		146	478	121	.253	1	54
3B		130	474	133	.281	1	66
SS		145	523	140	.268	2	80
OF		109	402	114	.284	5	33
OF		150	596	169	.284	4	39
OF		148	532	147	.276	4	78

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Player	G	AB	H	Avg.	HR	RBI
	93	289	67	.232	2	27
	59	203	54	.266	1	26
	64	181	56	.309	1	19
	42	132	37	.280	2	14
	11	17	6	.353	0	2
	5	12	4	.333	0	0
	2	5	0	.000	0	0
	1	4	1	.250	0	0

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player	G	IP	W	L	ERA	SO
	51	408	35	8	1.61	144
	48	367.2	33	12	2.03	212
	36	296.1	21	15	2.34	138
	16	115	4	6	2.27	93

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player	G	IP	W	L	ERA	SO
	24	164.2	13	3	2.84	105
	5	25	0	1	5.40	6
	3	15	0	1	3.00	8

Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player	G	W	L	SV	ERA	SO
	1	0	0	0	4.50	1
	1	0	0	0	9.00	0

League top five finishers

George Browne

George Browne (baseball)

George Edward Browne was a professional baseball player. He was an outfielder over parts of twelve seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Giants, Boston Doves, Chicago Cubs, Washington Senators, Chicago White Sox and Brooklyn Dodgers. He was the National League leader in runs scored...

• NL leader in runs scored (99)

Bill Dahlen

Bill Dahlen

William Frederick Dahlen , nicknamed "Bad Bill" for his ferocious temperament, was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played as a shortstop in Major League Baseball for four National League teams from to...

• NL leader in RBI (80)
• #2 in NL in stolen bases (47)

Christy Mathewson

Christy Mathewson

Christopher "Christy" Mathewson , nicknamed "Big Six", "The Christian Gentleman", or "Matty", was an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played his entire career in what is known as the dead-ball era...

• NL leader in strikeouts (212)
• #2 in NL in wins (33)

Iron Man McGinnity

• NL leader in wins (35)
• NL leader in ERA (1.61)
• NL leader in shutouts (9)

Sam Mertes

Sam Mertes

Samuel Blair Mertes was a former professional baseball player. He was an outfielder over parts of 10 seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Orphans, Chicago White Sox, New York Giants, and St. Louis Cardinals. He led the National League in RBIs in 1903 while playing for New York...

• #2 in NL in RBI (78)
• #2 in NL in stolen bases (47)