The bustle and hum of San Francisco delighted the players... San Francisco, like every other city, threw open her gates for the baseball players. Passes to plays, lavish dining and great hotels catered to the tourists. San Francisco would see three games played in Recreation Park by the touring Giants and White Sox, more games than any other city. - "Matty: A Giant in San Francisco," by James E. Elfers.
Kevin Reichard reports MLB is floating the idea of the Giants and White Sox opening the 2014 season in Sydney. This would mark the 100th anniversary of their tour of the world in the winter of 1913 and spring 1914.
Selig better fess up with some seriously sweet comp. Or perhaps he’ll tell the players to man-up by reminding them the Giants and ChiSox spanned the globe and played each other something like 15 times. And, that came on the heels of 31 games in the states.
Of course, times change and there are good and legitimate reasons for the Giants to balk.
One thing is for sure. This is another reminder of the greatness of John McGraw. I bet he took one look at the proposed tour and said, “We ain’t there yet.”
Additional Reading
"The Tour to End All Tours: The Story of Major League Baseball's 1913-1914 World Tour," by James E. Elfers
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