Ex-Giants Executive Peter Magowan Dies at Age 76

Former San Francisco Giants executive Peter Magowan died Sunday at the age of 76.

Henry Schulman and Sam Whiting of the San Francisco Chronicle reported the news, noting Magowan had recently gone into hospice care and underwent surgeries for prostate and liver cancer during the past few years.

Giants legend Willie Mays released a statement on Magowan, via David Lombardi of The Athletic:

Magowan was the CEO of Safeway from 1979 until 1993 and was a managing general partner of the Giants for 15 years. His tenure with the Giants started in March 1993 when his time as the CEO of Safeway ended.

Schulman and Whiting noted Giants fans remember the late executive as one of the most important people involved in keeping the team in San Francisco. Former owner Bob Lurie reached a deal with a group planning on moving the team to St. Petersburg, Florida, in 1992, but the National League rejected the sale.

Magowan and Larry Baer stepped in to organize a collection of partners to buy the club and keep it in San Francisco.

"Peter Magowan did save baseball for San Francisco," former MLB Commissioner Bud Selig said in 2008, per Schulman and Whiting. "He should get credit for that. That's a fact. He got a beautiful ballpark built. When you look back at what he’s done in San Francisco, a town he loves, those are the two overriding things he did."

The ballpark Selig referred to was what is now known as Oracle Park. Magowan helped orchestrate the decision to move from Candlestick Park to a new waterfront stadium, and the team was able to use private funding in the process.

He and Baer threw out the first pitches when the stadium opened in 2000.

Magowan was also instrumental in signing Barry Bonds when the investment group took over the team following the 1992 season. Schulman and Whiting also pointed out he was known for sitting with the fans while wearing a business suit in Candlestick Park rather than in an ownership box.

Magowan will be inducted onto the Giants Wall of Fame on Feb. 9.