SAN FRANCISCO -- Alan Gallagher, who created an instant sensation among Giants fans for his San Francisco heritage and his uninhibited playing style, died Thursday. He was 73.
News of Gallagher's death appeared initially on the website of the Kansas City (Kan.) T-Bones, a member of the indepedent Northern League that was one of several ballclubs he managed.
A graduate of Mission High School, Gallagher was the first native San Franciscan to play for the Giants following the franchise's 1958 move west from New York. The right-handed-hitting third baseman also was the club's first-ever Draft choice, selected 14th overall out of Santa Clara University in 1965, the Draft's inaugural year.
With Jim Davenport moving toward retirement and Jim Ray Hart hampered by injuries, Gallagher made the Giants' Opening Day lineup in 1970 and batted .500 (15-for-30) in his first seven games. Gallagher was quickly nicknamed "Dirty Al," owing to his willingness to dive for an extra base or a ground ball.
Gallagher hit .266 in 109 games in 1970 and made the Topps All-Rookie team. But his distinction as a San Franciscan was a mixed blessing.
"When I got to San Francisco, the only thing I ever heard was native born San Franciscan, native born San Franciscan, native born San Franciscan," Gallagher said in Mike Mandel's 1979 book SF Giants: An Oral History. "... I always felt that if I could get away from the pressures of being the hometown boy and go somewhere, I could gain that power ... and play the kind of defense that I sometimes could."
In 1971, Gallagher batted .427 in August to help the Giants win the National League West. He batted a career-high .277 that year. But the Giants wanted more power at third base and replaced Gallagher with Dave Kingman. San Francisco traded Gallagher to the Angels for infielder Bruce Miller early in the 1973 season. Gallagher batted .273 in 110 games for the Angels and never played in the Majors after that, finishing with a lifetime .263 average in 442 games.
Following his playing career, Gallagher managed extensively throughout independent leagues and in the Minor League systems of the Braves, Indians and Angels.