List of New York Giants Opening Day starting pitchers


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. Cannonball 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.
WWin
LLoss
TTie Game; no decision to starting pitcher
ND No Decision by starting pitcher; Giants won game
ND No Decision by starting pitcher; Giants lost game
Giants won game; no information on starting pitcher's decision
Giants lost game; no information on starting pitcher's decision
Number of appearances as Opening Day starter
**NL Champions
#World Series Champions

Pitchers

YearPitcherDecisionOpponentLocationReference
1883Boston BeaneatersPolo Grounds
1884 Chicago White StockingsPolo Grounds
1885 Boston BeaneatersPolo Grounds
1886 Boston BeaneatersPolo Grounds
1887Philadelphia PhilliesPolo Grounds
1888#Washington NationalsSwampoodle Grounds
1889# Boston BeaneatersOakland Park, New Jersey
1890Philadelphia PhilliesPolo Grounds
1891 Boston BeaneatersSouth End Grounds
1892 Philadelphia PhilliesHuntingdon Grounds
1893Boston BeaneatersPolo Grounds
1894 Baltimore OriolesUnion Park
1895 Brooklyn BridegroomsPolo Grounds
1896Washington NationalsBoundary Field
1897Philadelphia PhilliesBaker Bowl
1898 Boston BeaneatersPolo Grounds
1899 Baltimore OriolesUnion Park
1900Brooklyn SuperbasPolo Grounds
1901Boston BravesSouth End Grounds
1902Philadelphia PhilliesPolo Grounds
1903 Brooklyn DodgersPolo Grounds
1904** Brooklyn DodgersWashington Park
1905#Boston BeaneatersPolo Grounds
1906Philadelphia PhilliesBaker Bowl
1907 Philadelphia PhilliesPolo Grounds
1908 Philadelphia PhilliesBaker Bowl
1909 Brooklyn DodgersPolo Grounds
1910 Boston DovesSouth End Grounds
1911** LPhiladelphia PhilliesPolo Grounds
1912**Brooklyn DodgersWashington Park
1913**Boston BravesPolo Grounds
1914 Philadelphia PhilliesBaker Bowl
1915 Brooklyn DodgersPolo Grounds
1916 Philadelphia PhilliesBaker Bowl
1917**Boston BravesBraves Field
1918 ND Brooklyn DodgersPolo Grounds
1919WPhiladelphia PhilliesBaker Bowl
1920 LBoston BravesPolo Grounds
1921#ND Philadelphia PhilliesBaker Bowl
1922#LBrooklyn DodgersPolo Grounds
1923**WBoston BravesBraves Field
1924**LBrooklyn DodgersEbbets Field
1925 LBoston BravesBraves Field
1926LBrooklyn DodgersPolo Grounds
1927 WPhiladelphia PhilliesBaker Bowl
1928WBoston BravesPolo Grounds
1929WPhiladelphia PhilliesBaker Bowl
1930WBoston BravesPolo Grounds
1931WPhiladelphia PhilliesBaker Bowl
1932 LPhiladelphia PhilliesPolo Grounds
1933# TBrooklyn DodgersEbbets Field
1934 WPhiladelphia PhilliesPolo Grounds
1935 LBoston BravesBraves Field
1936**ND Brooklyn DodgersPolo Grounds
1937** WBrooklyn DodgersEbbets Field
1938WBoston BeesPolo Grounds
1939WBrooklyn DodgersEbbets Field
1940 LPhiladelphia PhilliesPolo Grounds
1941 ND Brooklyn DodgersEbbets Field
1942 LBrooklyn DodgersPolo Grounds
1943LBrooklyn DodgersEbbets Field
1944WBoston BravesPolo Grounds
1945 WBoston BravesBraves Field
1946 WPhiladelphia PhilliesPolo Grounds
1947 LPhiladelphia PhilliesShibe Park
1948LBrooklyn DodgersPolo Grounds
1949 LBrooklyn DodgersEbbets Field
1950 LBoston BravesPolo Grounds
1951** WBoston BravesBraves Field
1952WPhiladelphia PhilliesPolo Grounds
1953 WPhiladelphia PhilliesShibe Park
1954# WBrooklyn DodgersPolo Grounds
1955LPhiladelphia PhilliesBaker Bowl
1956 WPittsburgh PiratesPolo Grounds
1957 LPittsburgh PiratesForbes Field