Neukom's Legacy Deserves a Final Thank-You

The abrupt departure of Bill Neukom as Managing General Partner and CEO of the San Francisco Giants has been disconcerting for followers of that Major League Baseball franchise. And for good reason. Neukom, in his three years as the Giants' top executive, did what no one else in that chair had been able to accomplish since the team moved west from New York in 1958: Win a World Series. That 2010 feat, by itself, has established Neukom's legacy for all time. For those on the Peninsula, Neukom's place in Giants' lore was unique because of his local background. He grew up in San Mateo Park and attended San Mateo High School in the Class of 1959. He was inducted into the Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame in June. Neukom, though the circumstances of his surprising exit remain in question, at least for public consumption, is regarded as something akin to a sporting savior by West Bay baseball fans. His relatively brief tenure with the Giants will not be forgotten anytime soon. We owe him a final thank-you as he heads out the door at China Basin.