When the Giants tried and failed to convince Giancarlo Stanton to accept a trade to San Francisco last winter, the real driving force behind their effort was not Larry Baer, the team's chief executive officer, nor Brian Sabean, who heads up baseball operations, nor former general manager Bobby Evans. The primary source of enthusiasm seems to have been 85-year-old owner Charles Johnson.
Johnson is well aware of how the signing of Barry Bonds was a turning point in the franchise's history. Bonds reached an agreement with the Giants in 1993, at age 28, and for whatever else is said about Bonds, he delivered power and fans for the team.