San Francisco Seals (Images of Baseball)

Product Description

For more than half a century, San Francisco Seals baseball was a fertile source of future major league players, with a legacy firmly grounded in the annals of Pacific Coast League baseball. Paul and Lloyd Waner, Ping Bodie, Earl Averill, William Kamm, Ferris Fain, Harry Heilmann, Smead Jolley, “Lefty” O’Doul, Frankie Crosetti, the DiMaggio brothers (Joe, Vince, and Dom), Larry Jansen, and others all launched their careers as Seals. From 1903 to 1957, the Seals were the toast of the town, offering tight pennant races and intense games with the Oakland Oaks–their cross-bay rivals–while playing at Recreation Park and Seals Stadium. In almost 6 decades, the Seals won 11 pennants and 4 Governor’s Cups. They survived the earthquake and fire of 1906, the Great Depression, and two world wars. Never forgotten will be Smead Jolley, who in 1928 had what many consider the best all-around season in PCL history by hitting .404 and winning the Triple Crown; Gus Suhr’s record-breaking 51 homeruns in 1929; Joe DiMaggio’s 61-game hitting streak during his 1933 rookie season; and pitcher Bob Joyce’s 31 victories and 35 complete games in 1945.

About the Author

Authors Martin Jacobs and Jack McGuire, both longtime Seals fans, detail the team’s fascinating journey through 200 rare archival photographs as well as statistics that bring this great Seals history to life. This volume is a tribute to the Seals’ most memorable seasons in all their glory, and a keepsake book for generations to come.