After being a perennial competitor for years, the Giants headed into 1978 having run off a string of 4 straight sub-.500 seasons. Gone were Marichal, Mays and Perry, although Willie McCovey had been brought back to Candlestick in 1977 after several years in San Diego and a brief stint with the A's. They had a few promising young players, most notably outfielder Jack Clark, but while they had been underperforming, their cross-bay rivals had been winning 5 straight division titles and 3 straight World Series, making them seem almost irrelevant in their own back yard. Wanting to add talent and at the same time bring positive press, the Giants orchestrated a trade with those same A's toward the end of spring training - on March 15, they acquired Vida Blue in exchange for Gary Alexander, Gary Thomasson, Dave Heaverlo, John Henry Johnson, Alan Wirth and Phil Huffman (Mario Guerrero followed as a PTBNL on April 7). Would it help? In 1977, they had finished 75-87, good only for 4th place, 23 games behind the Dodgers. In 1978, with Blue winning 18 games, they were competitive most of the year, setting home attendance records and hanging on to first place into August before sub-par pitching, poor defense, weak hitting and mental mistakes undid them. In the end they finished 89-73, good for 3rd place, just 6 behind L.A.
In the minors, future star Chili Davis was at A Cedar Rapids, and future World Series-winning manager Bob Brenly was at their other A affiliate in Fresno.
Joe Altobelli entered his second year as manager. Having been dubbed "Joe the Juggler" for his frequent use of platoons in 1977, in 1978 he went with a more regular lineup which likely contributed to the team's consistently good play during the first half. He was assisted by Jim Davenport at 1st, Dave Bristol at 3rd, Herm Starrette with the pitchers and Tom Haller in the bullpen.
Opening Day Roster:
Jim Barr, RP:
In the Giant rotation since 1972, Jim was slated to start the year in the pen because of the arrival of Blue. When Ed Halicki went down at the start of the season, Jim instead found himself in the rotation. He went 2-4 with losses in 3 straight starts, but was still upset when he was sent back to the pen when Halicki returned mid-May. After idling in the pen with no appearances (due to the success of the starters) he began starting again in mid-June when the club started using a 5-man rotation. He finished the year at 8-11 witha 4.20 ERA, and was signed by the Angels as a free agent in December.
Vida Blue, SP:
The off-season's most significant trade paid off for San Francisco. Vida was 16-3 through early August, a stretch which included 2 streaks of victories in 5 straight starts. His bid for 20 wins and a possible Cy Young Award fizzled in August and September, when he went 0-5, before winning 2 of his final 3 starts to finish at 18-10 with 171 strikeouts and a 2.79 ERA. As important as his performance on the mound was his impact on the clubhouse - he was a cheerleader for the team, bringing an enthusiasm and veteran presence that allowed the young team to flourish. He was the starting pitcher for the NL squad in San Diego in July.
Ed Halicki, SP:
After leading the team in wins, ERA and Ks in 1977, Ed experienced a disappointing 1978. He missed his first start, and had to go the DL on April 16 with a muscle pull on his left side before seeing any action. He returned on May 14, and was inconsistent the rest of the year. He only managed a 9-10 record, to go with 105 strikeouts and a 2.85 ERA. On June 12 against the Expos, a lead-off single by Ellis Valentine in the top of the 2nd was all that came between Ed and a second career no-hitter.
Bob Knepper, SP:
After an impressive rookie campaign in 1977, Bob turned in an excellent performance his sophomore year despite a personal swoon in July and August. He posted a record of 17-11 with 147 strikeouts and a team-best 2.63 ERA. He 3-hit Cincinnati on April 21, and threw a total 16 complete games, 6 of which were shutouts, the most in the NL. He would go on to be a fixture in the Houston Astros' rotation in the 1980s, winning 17 games for their 1986 division-winning club.
John Montefusco, SP:
John led the Giants with 177 strikeouts and also contributed an 11-9 record and 3.81 ERA. Like most of the rotation, he had a good start to the year, but ran into problems in July and August.
John Curtis, RP:
The former Red Sox and Cardinal starter spent 1978 in the San Francisco bullpen looking for innings. As with most of the Giant relievers, John found appearances hard to come by given the durability of the starting rotation (especially Knepper). His greatest success came in a stretch from early July through late August when he lowered his ERA by a full run, and had a 2-to-1 K to walk ratio. In 46 total appearances, the lefty recorded a 4-3 record and a single save.
Lynn McGlothen, RP:
Hurt for part of 1977, Lynn came into 1978 pain-free, but still had a hard time getting work. With just 2 appearances in April, another 2 in May and 1 in June, he wasn't surprised when he found himself traded to the Cubs on June 15 for Hector Cruz.
Charlie Williams, RP:
With the Giants since 1972, Charlie made 25 appearances, his fewest in 5 years. He posted a record of 1-3 and an ERA of 5.44. His final major league appearance came on September 11 against the Dodgers - he threw 2.2 innings in relief, and gave up 3 runs on 3 hits and 2 walks.
Gary Lavelle, CL:
Gary formed the left-handed half a true closing platoon, with Randy Moffitt his right-handed counterpart. After saving 20 games with a 2.05 ERA in 1977, Gary struggled much of 1978, battling what he described as a "defeatist" attitude. He improved in the season's final 2 months, and wound up recording 14 saves to go with a 13-10 record, a 3.32 ERA and 63 strikeouts. He'd continue to work out of the San Francisco bullpen through 1984.
Randy Moffitt, CL:
The other half of the Giant's closing tandem, Randy saw a slight improvement in 1978 from his previous campaign: he saved 12 games and had an 8-4 record and 3.32 ERA. Randy is the younger brother of tennis great Billy Jean King.
Marc Hill, C:
The Giants' starting catcher, Marc batted .243 and contributed 3 HR and 36 RBI - all down a bit from 1977. However, he took pride in his improved skill handling a pitching staff. On April 30 in Pittsburgh, he went 2-for-4 with a HR, 2 RBI and 2 runs scored.
Mike Sadek, C:
As Marc Hill's back-up, Mike got into just 40 games, hitting .239. On July 19, he collided with Ivan DeJesus of the Cubs and suffered a double fracture of his cheek bone. He was on the DL from July 19 through August 25. On May 19 in L.A., he went 2-for-5 with 3 RBI and 2 runs scored.
Rob Andrews, IF:
The younger brother of former Red Sox second baseman Mike Andrews, Rob spent 1977 as the Giants' regular second baseman. With Bill Madlock's relocation to second for 1978, he spent 1978 in a reserve role, but did see a fair number of starts owing to Madlock's string of nagging injuries. he hit just .220 with 11 RBI, and 3 of those came in one game on April 8 against the Padres. opps)
Darrell Evans, IF:
As the Giants' starting 3rd baseman, Darrell batted just .243, but hit 20 HR and 78 RBI, both second on the team to Jack Clark. Adept at drawing walks, his .360 OBP was second on the team to Madlock and he was second to Clark in runs scored. After playing in the outfield most of 1977, he made the switch back to full-time third baseman look effortless. The former Braves slugger would go on to tally 414 career HR, and was a starter on the Detroit team that won it all in 1984.
Vic Harris, IF:
Vic was used as a middle infield reserve, pinch-hitter and occasional outfielder. He was sent to Phoenix on July 19 in exchange for Greg Minton, and was recalled when rosters expanded in September. On May 24 against the Astros, his 2 RBI pinch single was the difference in the Giants' 2-0 win.
Mike Ivie, IF:
Mike was obtained from the Padres in exchange for Derrel Thomas on February 28 to give the team another right-handed power hitter. The question was where he would play - despite his age McCovey was entrenched at first. There was talk of playing him at third, but that then raised the question of what would they do with Evans. Ivie had a reputation of not being happy if he wasn't starting, so that made it even more awkward. In the end, he was used as relief for McCovey (he started more than 50 games there), an occasional outfielder and pinch hitter (he hit over .400 in that role, and had two grand slams). It was understood that he would inherit first permanently when McCovey hung it up after 1979, though it didn't actually turn out that way.
Johnnie LeMaster, IF:
With the departure of Tim Foli to the Mets, Johnnie was given the starting shortstop job in spring training. His glove was excellent, but although he had hit well in the minors, he had yet to prove he could hit major league pitching (he hit under .150 as a reserve in 1977). Because he was hitting barely .200 when the veteran Roger Metzger arrived in June, he lost the starting gig, and the two platooned for the rest of the year. On July 2 in Atlanta, he went 2-for-3 with a HR, double, 2 RBI and 2 runs scored.
Willie McCovey, IF:
Willie returned to San Francisco in 1977, where he had anchored first base from 1965 through 1973. He played first again in 1978, yielding once or twice a week to Mike Ivie, and sitting for all but a single game in September while nursing a shoulder injury. On June 30 in Atlanta he connected for his 500th career HR off Jamie Easterly to lead off the 2nd. Stretch briefly threatened to quit the team in May over a dispute with ownership regarding who was going to pick up the bill for his hotel suites on road trips.
Larry Herndon, OF:
The Giants' center fielder batted .259 and stole 13 bases. On July 19 in Wrigley, his 4 RBI were the difference in the Giants' 7-4 win. Larry played left field for the 1984 championship Tigers.
In-Season Moves:
Greg Minton, RP:
Greg was brought up from Phoenix on April 18 after Ed Halicki was placed on the DL. He was sent back down when Halicki was activated again on May 14. He came back to stay on July 19 when Vic Harris went down to Phoenix. In just 11 appearances, he posted an 8.04 ERA and an 0-1 record. He stayed with the Giants all the way in 1979 and remained with the club through 1987. For the first half of the 1980s he was an effective closer.
Tom Heintzelman, IF:
Tom was used as a reserve infielder and pinch-hitter. He was sent to Phoenix on June 15 when the Giants acquired Roger Metzger, and was recalled in September. His final major league appearance came October 1st in Houston - he started at 3rd, and went 1-for-4.
Skip James, IF:
Skip was used as a reserve first baseman and as a pinch-hitter and pinch-runner. He was sent to Phoenix on June 16, and was recalled in September. His final major league appearance came as a pinch-hitter on September 23rd against the Astros.
Bill Madlock, IF:
Bill moved from third to second for 1978. A two-time N.L. batting champ with the Cubs, Bill was in the running for a third title most of the season, but settled for .309 and 4th best in the league. It was a slight improvement over 1977, and he credited it to his move to second, and the fact playing there required more movement, hence little chance to get cold between at-bats. His 16 stolen bases topped the team. Nagging injuries, including inflamation behind his left knee, forced him to miss almost 40 games.
Jack Clark, OF:
During his break-out rookie season of 1977, Altobelli had to sit Jack down for a number of "chats" about his attitude and sometimes lackadaisical play. By 1978, those issues had largely disappeared. He was hustling more and was happy not be in a platoon situation. As the team's right fielder, Jack led the club with 25 HR and 98 RBI. His .306 average was second on the club to Madlock. He had all the makings of a superstar but, while he enjoyed a long career, he never had quite the success his first few seasons with San Francisco suggested were in store.
Terry Whitfield, OF:
Terry enjoyed the best year of his career in 1978. Defensively, he was the 3rd-best fielding left fielder in baseball, and he hit .289 with 10 HR and 32 RBI. He was known for his hustle; his uniform was always dirty and he reminded Giants' fans of Alan "Pig Pen" Gallagher from the early 1970s. After 1980, he left the Giants to play in Japan for a few years, and then returned to the States to finish out his career with the Dodgers in the mid-80s.
Roger Metzger, IF:
The long-time Astro shortstop was purchased from Houston on June 15. For the rest of the year, he platooned at short for the Giants with Johnnie LeMaster. His superb defense and his hot hitting against righties paid immediate dividends.
Jim Dwyer, OF:
Jim came to the Giants on June 15 as the PTBNL in a deal that had sent Frank Riccelli to the Cardinals back in October of 1977. He was used by San Francisco as a general outfield reserve and pinch-hitter. On June 18, he hit two doubles in his first start as a Giant. In 1983, he was a key contributor to the Orioles' World Series championship team, doubling and scoring the eventual winning run for the O's in game 4.
Hector Cruz, OF:
Hector was acquired from the Cubs for Lynn McGlothen on June 15. Jose's little brother was used as an outfield reserve, seeing time at all three positions (mostly left and center), and he occasionally replaced Darrrell Evans at third. In his first at-bat as a Giant, on June 16 against the Mets, he hit a pinch HR.
Dennis Littlejohn, C:
Dennis was brought up from Phoenix on July 8. He made his major league debut as a defensive replacement for Marc Hill behind the plate on July 9 in Cincinnati. That was his only appearance before being sent back to Phoenix when John Tamargo arrived from St. Louis on July 18. He was recalled when rosters expanded in September, and got into one game down the stretch.
John Tamargo, C:
John came over from St. Louis for a PTBNL on July 18. He was used as a reserve catcher when Mike Sadek was on the DL, and stayed with the team even after Mike's return. His record of throwing out only 2 of 31 runners trying to steal did not bode well. He spent the next two season with the Giants and Expos before being done for good.
Art Gardner, OF:
As a September call-up, Art made it into 7 games, including his final major league appearance on the 17th against the Reds as a pinch-hitter.
Ed Plank, RP:
Called up in September from Phoenix where he had posted a 1.99 ERA, Ed made his major league debut on the 6th, throwing 2 innings of relief in Los Angeles. He gave up 1 run on 2 hits and a walk.
Terry Cornutt, RP:
Terry was brought up in September and made just one appearance, his last in the major leagues. On the 15th, he threw 3 innings of one-hit, scoreless relief against the Reds.
Phil Nastu, RP:
Phil was called up in September and made his major league debut on the 15th against the Reds - he threw 2 innings of scorless relief to close out the Giants' 6-1 loss. Given a start on the season's final day, he gave up 3 runs in 4 innings and took the loss in Houston.
Other 1978 Giants Stuff:
Candlestick Park
602 Jamestown Ave.
San Francisco, CA
Giants' Coaches:
Owner - Bob Lurie
General Manager - Spec Richardson
Minor League Affiliates:
Rookie: Great Falls Giants (Pioneer League)
33-34, 4th of 8
Manager: Ernie Rodriguez
Future Star: Rob Deer
A: Cedar Rapids Giants (Midwest League)
53-82, 3rd of 4
Manager: Jack Mull
Future Star: Chili Davis
A: Fresno Giants (California League)
59-80, 3rd of 4
Manager: John Van Ornum
Future Star: Bob Brenly
AA: Waterbury Giants (Eastern League)
65-74, 4th of 6
Manager: Andy Gilbert
Future Star: Bob Kearney
AAA: Phoenix Giants (Pacific Coast League)
72-68, 3rd of 5
Manager: Rocky Bridges
Future Star: None..unless Joe Strain counts.
Summary of Roster Moves:
April 16 - Halicki to DL (active roster to 23)
April 18 - Minton from Phoenix (active roster to 24)
May 14 - Halicki from DL, Minton to Phoenix
June 15 - Heintzelman to Phoenix, Metzger from Astros
June 15 - McGlothen to Cubs for Cruz
June 15 - Dwyer from Cardinals (active roster to 25)
June 16 - James to Phoenix (active roster to 24)
July 8 - Littlejohn from Phoenix (active roster to 25)
July 18 - Tamargo from Cardinals, Littlejohn to Phoenix
July 19 - Sadek to DL (active roster to 24)
July 19 - Harris to Phoenix, Minton from Phoenix
August 25 - Sadek from DL (active roster to 25)
September Call-Ups: Cornutt, Gardner, Harris, Plank,
Heintzelman, Nastu, James and
Littlejohn
Dave Bristol
Herm Starrette
Tom Haller
Jim Davenport
Jack Clark safely beats a Jeff Burroughs' throw back to first - Dale Murphy leaps to make the catch
April 19, 1978
