The 2003 San Francisco Giants season was the Giants' 121st season in Major League Baseball, their 46th season in San Francisco since their move from New York following the 1957 season, and their fourth season at Pacific Bell Park. The Giants entered the '03 season as defending National League champions, aiming to get back to the World Series and win it. They finished in first place in the National League West with a record of 100 wins and 61 losses. They lost the NLDS in four games to the Florida Marlins, marking the 2003 Giants from what many described a failed season.
Offseason
November 15, 2002: Tsuyoshi Shinjo was released by the San Francisco Giants.[1]
December 7, 2002: Marquis Grissom signed as a free agent with the San Francisco Giants.
December 7, 2002: Ray Durham was signed as a free agent with the San Francisco Giants.[2]
March 18, 2003: Clay Bellinger was signed as a free agent with the San Francisco Giants.[3]
Regular season
The Giants only played 161 games. The Giants elected to not make up one game (at New York Mets) that was postponed due to the Northeast Blackout of 2003. Had the Giants made up the game and won, the Giants would've been assured home-field advantage in a potential NLCS meeting with the Atlanta Braves due to the Giants winning the season series if both teams held identical records of 101–61. No Division Series matchups would've been altered due to the Marlins and Braves being restricted from meeting in the Division Series as both teams are from the NL East.
Ray Durham and Benito Santiago became the first pair of Giants teammates to homer in each of the team's first two games of a season since at least 1901.[4]
On June 23 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Barry Bonds stole second in the 11th inning, the 500th steal of his career. He became the first major leaguer to collect 500 home runs and 500 stolen bases in a career.
This was the last playoff series that the Giants lost before winning 11 straight, a streak that ended in the 2016 Division Series against the Chicago Cubs.