Our Alumni

[JOVE23]

Yes, "borrowing" is a word but not the
word. The word is Thunderbird.

Oh? I hadn't heard.

[chinese home run]

Surviving members from other defunct teams have been covered; I thought it was time to post a list of surviving New York Giants. As of April 29th, 2008, fifty-four men who made the Polo Grounds their home field at one time or another still survive. Here is a listing in chronological order of their births, along with the years they played for the Giants.


Some members asked for an updated list; as of November 1st, 2010, we are now down to thirty-seven men who played for the Giants at the Polo Grounds.



Monte Irvin- 2/25/1919 (1949-1955)
Charlie Mead- 4/29/1921 (1943-1945)
Les Layton- 11/18/1921 (1948)
Alvin Dark- 1/7/1922 (1950-1956)
Gil Coan- 5/18/1922 (1955)
Hub Andrews- 8/31/1922 (1947-1948)
Red Schoendienst- 2/2/1923 (1956-1957)
Chuck Diering- 2/5/1923 (1952)
Hal Bamberger- 10/29/1924 (1948)
Wayne Terwilliger- 6/27/1925 (1955-1956)
Windy McCall- 7/18/1925 (1954-1957)
Joe Garagiola-2/12/1926 (1954)
Harvey Gentry- 5/27/1926 (1954)
Mario Picone- 7/5/1926 (1947, 1952, 1954)
George Spencer- 7/7/1926 (1950-1955)
Don Mueller- 4/14/1927 (1948-1957)
Jack Harshman- 7/12/1927 (1952)
Billy Gardner- 7/19/1927 (1954-1955)
Stu Miller- 12/26/1927- (1957)
Al Worthington- 2/5/1929 (1953- 1954;1956-1957)
Daryl Spencer- 7/13/1929 (1952-1953; 1956-1957)
Bill Taylor-12/30/1929 (1954-1957)
Joe Margoneri- 1/13/1930 (1956-1957)
Ron Samford- 2/28/1930 (1954)
Johnny Antonelli-4/12/1930 (1954-1957)
Pete Burnside-7/2/1930 (1955, 1957)
Foster Castleman- 1/1/1931 (1954-1957)
Willie Mays- 5/6/1931-(1951-1952; 1954-1957)
Ray Crone- 8/7/1931 (1957)
Gail Harris- 10/15/1931 (1955-1957)
Ed Bressoud- 5/2/1932 (1956-1957)
Ozzie Virgil,Sr.- 5/17/1933 (1956-1957)
Roy Wright- 9/26/1933 (1956)
Joe Amalfitano- 1/23/1934 (1954-1955)
Bill White-1/28/1934 (1956)
Jackie Brandt- 4/28/1934 (1956)
Mike McCormick-9/29/1938 (1956-1957)

This updates the list, and as I said before, these men are our treasures.

[ribant]

Thanks for posting.

I'm surprised the list is so short, Though maybe I shouldn't be.

FWIW I saw my first baseball and football games in the Polo Grounds. AlthoughI was only 6 in '62 I still remember so many details of the place.

[chinese home run]

Sadly, I just heard about Bill Taylor's passing. Bill passed away on September 15th and was with the Giants from 1954 to 1957, when he was traded to the Detroit Tigers organization. I had talked to him for a book I had written about the 1954 team and he was very gracious to me. My heart goes out to his family.

Now I'M the one with the senior moment- I forgot if we're down to thirty-five or thirty-six former New York Giants. Whichever it is, treasure them, folks. You won't see the likes of people like Monte Irvin, Willie Mays and the like anytime soon.

[chinese home run]

I don't know why I always feel like the Grim Reaper whenever I do this, but I just heard that Don Mueller passed away this past Wednesday. He was 84 years old, and had been in poor health for the past few years. He had to be the National League equivalent of Nellie Fox in the early fifties- both of them struck out about as many times in one season as a power hitter would in a week now. I was lucky enough to meet him 10 years ago at an autograph show in Long Island and he seemed like a nice man with a dry sense of humor.

If I'm not mistaken, that now leaves us with thirty-four men still living that played for the Giants at the Polo Grounds.

[chinese home run]

We are now down to thirty-three former New York Giants with Hub Andrews' passing this past March 11th.

[chinese home run]

I hate to be the grim reaper dressed in Giants' black and orange, but with the recent passings of Gail Harris and Chuck Diering, we are now down to thirty-one former New York Giants.

[philliesfiend55]

Two more recent NY Giants players deaths:

Al Dark SS- age 92 NY Giants 1950-1956. - later Giants Manager in San Francisco - NL All-Star 1951, 1952, & 1954). - died: October 2014.
Stu Miller P - age 87 - NY Giants 1957 plus 1958- 1962 SF Giants. - NL All-Star 1961. died: January 4, 2015.

[icee82]

Actually you are missing a death. Mario Picone has passed away.

http://www.examiner.com/article/mario-picone-pitcher-for-the-new-york-giants-passes-away-at-87

[Cowtipper]

Updated list:

Gil Coan- 5/18/1922 (1955)
Red Schoendienst- 2/2/1923 (1956-1957)
Wayne Terwilliger- 6/27/1925 (1955-1956)
Windy McCall- 7/18/1925 (1954-1957)
Harvey Gentry- 5/27/1926 (1954)
Billy Gardner- 7/19/1927 (1954-1955)
Al Worthington- 2/5/1929 (1953- 1954;1956-1957)
Daryl Spencer- 7/13/1929 (1952-1953; 1956-1957)
Joe Margoneri- 1/13/1930 (1956-1957)
Ron Samford- 2/28/1930 (1954)
Johnny Antonelli-4/12/1930 (1954-1957)
Pete Burnside-7/2/1930 (1955, 1957)
Foster Castleman- 1/1/1931 (1954-1957)
Willie Mays- 5/6/1931-(1951-1952; 1954-1957)
Ray Crone- 8/7/1931 (1957)
Ed Bressoud- 5/2/1932 (1956-1957)
Ozzie Virgil,Sr.- 5/17/1933 (1956-1957)
Roy Wright- 9/26/1933 (1956)
Joe Amalfitano- 1/23/1934 (1954-1955)
Bill White-1/28/1934 (1956)
Jackie Brandt- 4/28/1934 (1956)
Mike McCormick-9/29/1938 (1956-1957)

Only 22 left by my count.

[philliesfiend55]

Witness the recent updating of the surviving NY Giants players list. It was originated by Chinese Home Run and maintained by him for a while, but then it has been neglected for more than the last FOUR YEARS.
Thanks are definitely in order for Cowtipper for taking on the challenge and bringing the list up to date. Great Job!!!!

[Cowtipper]

The New York Giants have a knack for longevity. Only one has died since I updated that list a year ago (Monte Irvin).

[chinese home run]

Witness the recent updating of the surviving NY Giants players list. It was originated by Chinese Home Run and maintained by him for a while, but then it has been neglected for more than the last FOUR YEARS.
Thanks are definitely in order for Cowtipper for taking on the challenge and bringing the list up to date. Great Job!!!!

Thanks to Cowtipper for carrying the torch and going through all the trouble of updating my beloved remaining survivors of the New York Giants. (Boy, that's a mouthful, HUH?) I guess every time I hear about one passing makes me a little sadder, especially since a lot of the players I talked to from the 1954 team for a book I've been working on forever are dwindling away. I still miss talking to Dusty Rhodes even though it's been over six years since he passed, and Whitey Lockman, and Al Dark, and especially Monte Irvin most recently. I spoke with him right before Christmas, and he was still sharp as a tack.

I guess it's different to look at them from afar as heroes as opposed to actually meeting them and talking to them. It's sad to see men you idolized pass, but for the most part, they lived very full and productive lives, so I really shouldn't be sad at all. You could do a lot worse than looking up to Monte Irvin as a role model.

Just wanted to add my two cents- haven't been like Norma Desmond in "Sunset Boulevard" hiding away and waiting for the phone to ring- but I again wanted to thank Cowtipper for maintaining that for all of us.

[philliesfiend55]

Joe Garagiola, a member of the 1954 NY Giants World's Championship team (catcher) and baseball hall of fame broadcaster (ford frick award winner), turns 90 today!

[Cowtipper]

Unfortunately, Joe Garagiola has passed away.