From the Stick to the Cove: My Six Decades with the San Francisco Giants by Mike Murphy and Chris Haft (review)

Michael Murphy has been associated with the San Francisco Giants since the club moved to the West Coast in 1958. Starting as the bat boy, the same role he had with the minor league Seals the year before, he subsequently was promoted to the visiting club house manager and later moved up to manage the home team’s club house. In that capacity, he oversaw both teams’ club houses. In 2015, when he retired, he was named club house manager emeritus, a position he has held since. The book is largely a memoir on his long tenure with the club and the team’s fortunes he closely observed.

This book is a must read for Giants fans. As one might expect, Murphy is rich with stories from his long occupation with the team, many stemming from the relationships he developed with players. Perhaps the best-known player, Willie Mays, even has a chapter devoted to him. He and Murphy have had a continuous friendship since the club came to town. There is also a chapter focused on Bruce Bochy, the manager who led the team to three World Series championships, ending a drought that dated back to before the club departed from New York. Giant fans will also enjoy the three chapters outlining the playoffs and Series performances during each of those championships.

In other chapters, there are stories about some of the many celebrities Murphy encountered during his many years with the club. Early on, Murphy informs us he is a huge fan of Frank Sinatra. Consequently, you could almost feel his joy when Willie Mays unexpectedly took him to dinner at the singer’s home. It was also interesting to learn about Murphy’s opportunity to “meet” The Beatles as they performed their last mass public performance (unbeknownst at the time) at Candlestick Park. These are two stories of his many encounters over the years with non-baseball celebrities.

In the book, one gets the sense that being the club manager of a Major League baseball team is a challenging job—not only due to the duties, but also to the twenty-five player egos that have to be dealt with during a season, not to mention the manager and coaches. That complexity appears even more challenging when one considers the roster changes that happen during a season. Thus, it was impressive to read the tributes paid to Murphy by many who played for the Giants during his long service. The comment from Mike Krukow, who pitched for the club from 1983–89, indicates how well Murphy was regarded. “He loved his job because he loved the tradition, he loved the politics of the clubhouse, he loved the effort of each player, and he did what he could to make that player’s time go well in San Francisco” (211). Murphy clearly excelled at his job.

In that regard, it would have been helpful for anyone not directly involved in baseball operations to have learned a little more of what Murphy’s daily job entailed. The book could have provided an even better appreciation of what the author had achieved during his long tenure with the club. The book offers bits and pieces of the duties, but never offers a complete, detailed picture.

For the reader looking for a somewhat broader historical scope, not just the ballplayers and the club’s fortunes on the West Coast, the book comes up a bit short. During Murphy’s tenure, the club played in three ballparks under three different ownerships. It would have been interesting to learn how each of the new parks affected the clubhouse, especially as it pertains to space and amenities offered. He does mention how each ownership change ensured the club would remain in San Francisco, preventing two threatened moves. However, there was no discussion of how the changes affected either the...