San Jose details sale with Giants
In order to further strengthen the baseball pipeline that flows from the minor leagues to the Major Leagues, the San Francisco Giants will purchase 25 percent of the minor league club, with an option to gain controlling interest in 2010. The agreement is subject to the approval of the teams' respective baseball governing bodies and lenders.
"As the landscape of professional sports continues to change, our ownership group concluded that it was time to secure the right strategic partner to help us meet these new challenges," said Dick Beahrs, Chairman of the San Jose Giants. "Given the success of our long term affiliation with the San Francisco Giants, we knew that they would be the perfect partner. We first approached them prior to the 2008 season. At the close of the season we resumed discussions, culminating in the agreement we signed this week."
"During the past 21 years, our goal as an ownership group was to provide the region with an outstanding product on and off the field and to serve the community," continued Beahrs. "We remain committed to Santa Clara County and want to ensure that the record crowds at Municipal Stadium are entertained at an affordable price.
"Our teams have won four California League Championships during the past 11 seasons, thanks to the outstanding players and coaches that have been provided by the San Francisco Giants. Our primary goals are to continue playing San Jose Giants baseball for decades to come and to strengthen our long-term affiliation with the San Francisco Giants. It is with great enthusiasm that we welcome the San Francisco Giants to our ownership group and look forward to the incredible value their organization will bring to our operation and ultimately to the fans."
"We are proud to become a member of the San Jose Giants ownership group," said San Francisco Giants Managing General Partner and CEO Bill Neukom. "We firmly believe in its commitment to providing high quality baseball experience to South Bay Giants fans and to providing our young players with the resources they need to succeed "When our top prospects play for San Jose, they learn first-hand how to play baseball the Giants Way.
"They wear the Giants name on their uniforms and they play before Giants fans just a few miles south of AT&T Park," added Neukom. "Playing in San Jose provides them with a unique preview of what they will experience when they move up to San Francisco - something that cannot be replicated anywhere else."
"If you look at our 2009 Major League starting line up and rotation, it is clear that for our players the road to the big leagues passes through San Jose," said Giants Senior Vice President and General Manager Brian Sabean. "Our investment plays a critical role in our efforts to develop our young talent into Major League players, providing them with the facilities and coaches they need to advance through our system."
Sabean noted that the partnership will enable the two clubs to work more closely together to ensure that the San Jose Giants environment mirrors the baseball environment in San Francisco.
Players in San Jose will benefit from the joint venture because they will gain a stronger grasp of the type of baseball they are expected to play once they reach the majors. The proximity to San Francisco allows for additional collaboration between the clubs.
Since 1988, the San Jose Giants have been the high class-A affiliate to the San Francisco Giants and have boasted one of the best records in the minor leagues since partnering with the big league club, going 1608-1323 (.549). San Jose has won four California League Championships as a Giants affiliate (1998, 2001, 2005 and 2007) and nine overall. The San Jose Giants have graduated 128 Major League players, 92 of whom played or currently play for the San Francisco Giants.
In recent years, the San Francisco Giants have put an added emphasis on building the franchise with home grown talent. The current starting lineup includes four position players, three of five starting pitchers and the closer who have spent time in San Jose. The players include: 2B Emmanuel Burris, OF Fred Lewis, 1B Travis Ishikawa, 3B Pablo Sandoval, RHP Tim Lincecum, RHP Matt Cain, LHP Jonathan Sanchez and RHP Brian Wilson.
Additionally, the team's top prospects - including pitcher Madison Bumgarner, catcher Buster Posey, pitcher Tim Alderson, infielder Nick Noonan and infielder Conor Gillaspie - are projected to play for San Jose this season.
Given the stronghold of Giants fans in the South Bay, the clubs will also partner on promotions and marketing programs to educate fans early on about the Giants stars of tomorrow. This includes cross promotion with retail merchandise, ticket offers, joint sponsor programs, scoreboard player features, among others.