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Mel Ott
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Mel Ott was born on March 2, 1909 in Gretna,
Louisiana. He was a left-handed batter and outfielder in Major
League Baseball who played his entire career in the National
League for the New York Giants (1926-1947). Armed with a letter
of recommendation from the owner of a semi-pro team he'd played
for, Ott visited John McGraw of the New York Giants in August of
1925 and asked for a tryout. He was a catcher but, when McGraw
saw the 5-foot-9, 170-pounder, he asked if he'd ever played the
outfield. "Only when I was a kid," the sixteen-year-old Ott
replied. After watching the left-handed hitter drive some home
runs over the short right field fence at the Polo Grounds,
McGraw decided to sign him. Ott had an unusual batting style: He
stood with his feet wide apart, lifted his right leg as the ball
was released, then put it down quickly, after a stride of just a
couple of inches, to begin his swing. The minor leagues in
baseball were created to provide an opportunity for young talent
to develop before being called up to the majors. |
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But Gretna, Louisiana native Mel Ott
skipped this step. New York Giants manager John McGraw was
so worried that minor league managers would tamper with
Ott’s perfect swing that he called the young slugger up to
the majors straight out of high school at the tender age of
16. Ott didn't appear in any games in 1925, but he sat next
to McGraw on the bench and got advice on how to hit various
NL pitchers. The following season, he got into just 35
games, batting .383. In 1928, Ott became a regular, mostly
in right field but also playing second and third base at
times. He led the league with 113 walks in 1929, when he
batted .328 with 42 home runs and 151 RBI. Now established
as the team's starting right fielder, Ott hit 38 home runs
to lead the league in 1932 and also had a league-leading 100
walks. |
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He led in walks for a third straight year
with 75 in 1933, when the Giants won the pennant. In his first
World Series game, Ott got 4 hits in 4 at-bats. He hit .389 and
won the fifth and deciding game with a 10th-inning home run, as
the Giants beat the Washington Senators. Ott won his second home
run title with 35 in 1934 and he also took his only RBI
championship with 135 that season. He then led the NL in home
runs three years in a row, with 33 in 1936, 31 in 1937, and 36
in 1938. He also led with a .588 slugging percentage in 1936,
with 102 walks in 1937, and with 116 runs scored in 1938. Named
playing manager in 1942, Ott won his sixth and last home run
title with 30, also leading the league in runs with 118 and in
walks with 109. After slipping to .234 in 1943, he hit .288 with
26 home runs in 1944 and .308 with 21 home runs in 1945. In
1946, he concentrated primarily on managing, appearing in only
31 games. Ott finished his playing career with just 4 at-bats in
1947 and he was replaced as the Giants' manager during the
following season. At the time, he held National League records
for home runs, runs scored, runs batted in, and walks. |
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Ott later managed in the minor leagues and
did some work as a play-by-play radio announcer, both on the
"Game of the Week" broadcasts and with the Detroit Tigers. On
November 14, 1958, he and his wife were seriously injured in an
auto accident. Ott died of his injuries a week later. In 22
major-league seasons, all with the Giants, Ott had 2,876 hits,
including 488 doubles, 72 triples, and 511 home runs, which was
the NL record when he retired. He walked 1,708 times while
striking out only 896 times, and he had 1,859 runs scored and
1,860 RBI. He is one of only eight Giants in history to have had
his number (#4) retired. |
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