The Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame (BASHOF) is saddened to hear of the passing of BASHOF 2016 Inductee – Peter Magowan on January 27th, 2019. Some of Mr. Magowan’s accomplishments that significantly impacted sports in the Bay Area include:
- In 1992 led a group of Bay Area investors that purchased the Giants preventing them from moving to Tampa
- In 1992 signed Barry Bonds to a long-term contract with the Giants.
- Led the effort to get a new ballpark built which opened as PacBell Park in 2000.
Reactions to the loss of Peter Magowan:
“Peter was a rare combination in life of a close friend and mentor,” said Larry Baer, president and CEO of the Giants. “We carried on that relationship for three decades. When you really got to know Peter you saw that he had a heart of gold.”
“Look at the success the Giants had in his regime,” said Bruce Bochy, who has managed them on the field since 2007. “We’re one of the most successful franchises in baseball. It’s very impressive what happened here since Peter took over.”
Barry Bonds said Sunday: “I’m extremely saddened by the passing of Peter Magowan. I will never forget our first call about the possibility of me coming home to play. He saved baseball for San Francisco and will be greatly missed.”
The bronze plaque presented to Peter Magowan at his induction into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame in 2016 included the narrative shown below:
No one person has had a greater impact on the San Francisco Giants baseball franchise than Peter Magowan. Peter, a lifelong baseball fan who grew up in New York City, missed his first day of school ever when his father took him to game one of the 1951 world series between the Giants and the Yankees. Following the New York giants was easy. Willie mays, Bobby Thomson, and Leo Durocher were his stars. However things changed as peter witnessed his beloved Giants leave for San Francisco in 1958. He never forgot the feeling of losing his team. As fate would have it, Peter and his family moved west shortly after the Giants relocated. Fast forward to 1992: fans were confronted with potentially losing the Giants to Tampa Bay. Now a successful bay area business executive, CEO/Safeway, and a Giants board member, peter once again faced the prospect of losing his favorite team. He sprang into action and led a group of investors who purchased the Giants at the last moment, saving the franchise from being moved to Florida. During the next 16 seasons, Peter served as the Giants managing general partner (1992-2008). Being a visionary, in 1995 he unveiled a privately financed plan for a new 41,000 seat stadium which would forever change the landscape in San Francisco. Every nuance of AT&T park celebrates the Giants colorful history highlighting Peter Magowan’s respect for baseball tradition. The ball park has glorious views of the bay and reminds everybody of the stadiums we used to enjoy. Whether it is the hall of fame statues, the old fashioned uniforms, or the hand manipulated score board they are there for us to enjoy because of the vision of this outstanding leader, Bay Area Sports Hall of Famer, and most of all, true baseball fan Peter Magowan. (Written by Marti Lurie)
Highlights from Magowan’s career:
https://www.mlb.com/video/remembering-peter-magowan/c-2522389883
https://abc7news.com/sports/former-giants-owner-peter-magowan-dies-at-age-76/5109021/
