Walter O'Malley's attempt to build a new stadium in Brooklyn had failed, and he wanted to move his Dodgers to the gold mine that would be Los Angeles. O'Malley needed another National League team willing to relocate in California in order to make this work.
He convinced Horace Stoneham, owner of the New York Giants, to depart the ancient Polo Grounds in Manhattan and move to San Francisco for the 1958 season.
San Francisco did not get the short end when it came to baseball talent. Willie Mays was in his prime. Orlando Cepeda was a rookie in 1958. Willie McCovey debuted in 1959 and pitcher Juan Marichal in 1960.
The Giants defeated the Dodgers in a three-game playoff to win the National League in 1962. They played the Yankees in a seven-game World Series that took 13 days to complete because of rain delays.
The Yankees won the seventh game 1-0 behind Ralph Terry. The Series ended famously with Matty Alou at third, Mays at second and McCovey lining out to second baseman Bobby Richardson.
The game was played was Oct. 16, 1962. It would be 27 years before the World Series would return to Candlestick Park.
The Giants already were trailing 2-0 against the Bay Area competitors, the Oakland A's, when the Series moved to Candlestick for what were supposed to be the middle three games.
The date was Oct. 17, 1989 -- late on a calm and perfectly blue afternoon.