It’s not all fun and games for the San Francisco Giants. Serving the community is much more sustainable than winning World Series titles every season. Giants CEO and President Larry Baer understands how his team should function in the community.
“We can’t promise to be in the World Series every year,” says the SF Giants CEO, “but we can promise to provide excellence, strive for excellence on and off the field, and in service of the community.”
The San Francisco Giants are dedicated to enriching their community through innovation. Their local work translates into a variety of unique and progressive programs dedicated to addressing some of the most pressing needs of Northern California children and their families, including health, violence prevention, youth fitness and recreation, education, and literacy.
Mission Rock
The Giants have a long list of initiatives that are close to the organization’s heart. One of the first to bring a beaming smile to Baer is Mission Rock, a real estate development currently under construction. When completed, Mission Rock will be a mixed-use waterfront neighborhood overlooking the Giants home stadium, Oracle Park. Phase One is scheduled to open in 2023. It features two office buildings, two residential buildings, and a huge public park. All of this is about 100 yards from the ballpark, with 40% being allocated as affordable housing.
“We think that’s going to be fantastic. We’re essentially creating a new neighborhood. We think that’s important because we have a ballpark that we’re going to be in hopefully forever,” says Baer. “We’re 20 years into a 66-year initial lease. So we’re very invested in San Francisco.”
Mission Rock is closest to the ballpark, but also nearby is the University of California San Francisco Medical Center. UCSF Health is a huge resource for the community, one of the best hospitals and research institutions in the world, and ranked No. 1 for neurology and neurosurgery.
On the other side of the hospital is the Chase Center, home to the Golden State Warriors basketball team and host to concerts and corporate events.
“All of that feels good,” says Giants CEO Larry Baer. “We have tremendous support from the business community. We’re involved, the Giants are involved in a couple of things that are really promoting the greater San Francisco, the greater community, which we think will be long-term important.” Under the Giants CEO’s direction, the organization gets involved in social issues. Last season, the team created a campaign around opening day addressing a rash of anti-Asian hate incidents and violence with the hashtag #StopAsianHate. The organization has taken a leadership role concerning issues of equity and racism in the community.
Advance San Francisco
The San Francisco Giants are a huge part of Advance San Francisco. Advance SF is about the business community rallying around quality-of-life issues, which became more troubling during the pandemic. Whether it’s homelessness, crime, affordability, or education, businesses are partnering to be part of the solution. Larry Baer serves as co-chair of the organization’s board.
Larry Baer says he is successful because he knows how to put things in perspective. He doesn’t want his front office and baseball operations teams to hoist trophies while throwing away the community. He sees the community as partners in the process.
“I think one of the reasons we’ve been able to have some success is that that’s been our North Star. We don’t just focus on winning on the field; we want to win off the field,” he says.
Baer and the organization are working to create value in the community that everyone can benefit from — not just fans of the San Francisco Giants, but all citizens within the organization’s reach.
Leading by Example
The SF Giants CEO and Giants franchise are leading by example — and people are taking notice. It is providing a level of excellence and service to the community that’s extremely important to the overall success of the organization. The ideal of winning championships isn’t lost on the San Francisco Giants front office; they just clearly understand that some things in life are bigger than baseball.