Wally Berger from the Chronology

Sep 19, 2001 - The Cardinals beat the Brewers‚ 8-2‚ as Matt Morris wins his 20th game of the season. Albert Pujols drives in 3 runs for St. Louis to set a new NL rookie mark with 120 for the season. The old mark of 119 was set by Wally Berger of the Boston Braves in 1930.

Oct 23, 1993 - Mike Piazza is the unanimous choice for NL Rookie of the Year. Selected as a favor to a friend of LaSorda's on the 62nd round of the 1988 draft‚ Piazza is the first rookie since Walt Dropo in 1950 to hit .300‚ collect 30 homers‚ and 100 RBIs. No NL rookie has done that since Wally Berger in 1930.

Aug 14, 1987 - Oakland's Mark McGwire slugs his 39th home run of the season‚ off Don Sutton in the 6th inning‚ in a 12-inning 7-6 win over California‚ breaking the ML record for rookies shared by Wally Berger and Frank Robinson. McGwire will finish the season with a whopping 49 homers.

Jul 5, 1940 - The Phils hand Wally Berger his unconditional release.

May 20, 1940 - Behind 7-1‚ the Phils score 7 runs in the 9th inning to edge the Pirates‚ 8-7. Morrie Arnovich‚ with a single his first time up in the 9th‚ walks with the bases loaded to push across the winning run. Wally Berger's two run single had tied the contest at 7-7.

Sep 22, 1939 - the first-place Reds sweep a pair from the Pirates‚ 6-0 and 10-9. Wally Berger has a grand slam in the 3rd inning of game 2.

Jul 27, 1938 - At Boston‚ Reds pitcher Paul Derringer and Wally Berger homer in the 3rd inning‚ off Jim Turner‚ to help beat the Boston Bees‚ 6-2. For Derringer‚ who allows 5 hits‚ it is his first ML homer. His 2nd and last will come this year.

Jul 9, 1938 - The Reds Bucky Walters scatters 6 hits in beating the 3rd-place Cubs at Wrigley Field‚ 11-0. Wally Berger has 4 hits including a HR‚ while Ernie Lombardi drives home 4.

Jun 6, 1938 - The Reds get Wally Berger from the Giants for Alex Kampouris.

Jul 22, 1937 - Wally Berger's homer in the 9th gives the Giants a 6-5 win over the Reds. New York is now a game in back of Chicago‚ which comes into the Polo Grounds tomorrow. Goodman has three hits‚ including a homer for the Reds‚ while Burgess Whitehead collects 3 hits for New York.

Jun 15, 1937 - The Boston Bees sell star OF Wally Berger to the New York Giants for $35‚000 and P Frank Gabler. The former starting All Star has never recovered from a shoulder injury he suffered in 1936.

Jul 26, 1936 - Before a paid attendance of 41‚596 in Boston-the largest crowd in the NL since 1930-the Cards and Bees split. The Bees take the opener‚ 4-3‚ on Wally Berger's two run homer in the 8th inning off Jess Haines. The nitecap is knotted at 2-2 in the 7th‚ when the Cards unload 5 runs. Joe Medwick leads off the frame with a homer‚ Johnny Mize doubles‚ and Virgil Davis homers to knock out Ben Cantwell. After two more reach base‚ Dizzy Dean drives them both home to ensure his 16th win of the year. Dean adds a run-scoring triple in the 3rd as well.

Jul 7, 1936 - The NL‚ having lost the first 3 All-Star Games‚ wins 4-3 at Boston's National League Park with four different Cub players (Galan‚ Herman‚ Hartnett‚ and Demaree) scoring runs. After Dizzy Dean and Carl Hubbell each pitch scoreless 3-inning stints‚ Curt Davis is hammered by the AL‚ including Lou Gehrig's HR‚ but Lon Warneke shuts the door. Meanwhile‚ the NL is helped by Joe DiMaggio's loose fielding and error and Augie Galan's HR. DiMag is the first rookie to play in an All-Star game. NL plays its starting lineup except for 2 late-inning pinch hitters. Local favorite and 3-time starter Wally Berger doesn't appear. Missing from the NL roster are Dolph Camilli and Buck Jordan‚ co-leaders at .348‚ as well as the eventual batting champ Paul Waner.

Sep 16, 1935 - Brown versus Brown as Pittsburgh reliever Mace Brown pitches 5 innings of shutout relief to beat Boston‚ 5-3. Wally Berger's 3rd double of the game in the 9th is the only hit he allows. The Bucs Gus Suhr plays 1B in the last inning to run his streak of consecutive games played to 619‚ a new NL record. The old mark was set by Eddie Brown from 1924 to 1928.

Sep 4, 1935 - The Cards score 4 in the 8th‚ then Dizzy Dean picks up a save in the 9th to beat the Braves‚ 5-3. Jess Haines‚ who fails for the 11th time to win his 200th game‚ is lifted after 7 for Bill Walker who promptly tees up Wally Berger's 30th homer of the year. Walker gives up two hits but is the winning pitcher.

Aug 11, 1935 - Wally Berger hits a HR‚ 2 doubles‚ and a triple‚ to tie the modern ML record for extra-base hits in a game‚ but his Braves lose to the Dodgers‚ 7-5. Berger drives in all of Boston's runs and his homer‚ his 25th of the year‚ puts him one ahead of Ott in the home run race.

Sep 21, 1934 - The Giants give Freddie Fitzsimmons his first run in 34 innings‚ and the pitcher beats Boston‚ 8-1 to stay ahead of the rampaging Cards by 3 games. Wally Berger's 33rd homer is the only Boston score.

Sep 30, 1933 - With the visiting Phillies leading 1-0 in the 4th‚ Boston's Wally Berger clouts a grand slam and the Braves hold on to win‚ clinching 4th place. It is Boston's highest finish in 14 years.

Sep 23, 1933 - The Phils and Braves‚ split a twinbill‚ each winning 5-4. Chuck Klein has three hits in each game‚ including his NL-high 28th homer in the opener. Boston's Wally Berger‚ 2nd in homers with 26‚ is out of action and doesn't play today.

Jul 3, 1932 - At the Polo Grounds‚ the Giants top the Braves‚ 5-2‚ as Carl Hubbell goes all the way for the win. Frank Hogan crashes his 3rd homer‚ off Bob Brown‚ in three days‚ to start the scoring in the 2nd. The Braves get 4 hits in the 6th inning‚ including a leadoff homer by Wally Berger.

May 30, 1931 - Despite the Baker Bowl's reputation as a HR haven‚ no one had hit a ball over the stadium wall since 1922. But Wally Berger‚ Boston Braves slugger‚ clears it in a 10-9 loss to the Phillies.

Apr 27, 1931 - Wally Berger‚ Boston Braves CF‚ ties the modern mark for the outfield by recording 4 assists‚ helping Socks Seibold shut out the Phillies‚ 2-0. Berger is the last outfielder to accomplish this feat.

Sep 27, 1930 - At Ebbets Field‚ the Robins and Braves divide a pair‚ with Brooklyn taking the opener‚ 8-2‚ behind Dazzy Vance. Vance fans 12. Almost overlooked in game 2 is Wally Berger's 38th HR for the Braves‚ as Boston tops Brooklyn 7-1. It is a record for rookies and still stands as an NL record.

Sep 17, 1930 - The Braves Wally Berger adds 3 HRs in a doubleheader against the Reds en route to a rookie record. Berger now has 37. The Braves and Reds divide today's games‚ 6-3 to the Barves in game 1 and 6-4 Reds in game 2.

Aug 31, 1930 - With a chance to pick up a game and a half on the leading Cubs‚ the Giants edge the Braves 4-3 in the opener a doubleheader before 40‚000 fans at the Polo Grounds. In the 2nd game‚ Mel Ott hits a double and 3 consecutive HRs to drive in 6 runs‚ but the Braves counter with a homer by George Sisler and two by slugging rookie Wally Berger among their 18 hits. Ott is the 4th major leaguer to hit 3 straight homers‚ joining Goose Goslin (August 19‚ 1930) Carl Reynolds (July 2‚ 1930)‚ George Kelly (September 17‚ 1923)‚ and Cap Anson (August 6‚ 1884). The final score is Boston 14‚ New York‚ 10.

Jul 24, 1930 - Despite the efforts of Chick Hafey‚ who goes 4-for-4 with 2 homers‚ the Braves edge the Cards‚ 5-4. Bob Smith picks up the win over Jess Haines. Braves rookie Wally Berger hits his 27th homer in going 4-for-4.

Jul 5, 1930 - The Phillies lose a doubleheader to the Braves‚ 17-5 and 7-4‚ to drop into the cellar for the rest of the season‚ despite a team batting average of .315. Wally Berger homers in game 1‚ his 23rd‚ to tie Hack Wilson for the NL lead.

Jun 16, 1930 - The Reds hammer Burleigh Grimes for three innings and coast to an 11-1 win over the Braves. Tony Cuccinello and Wally Berger hit homers and Bennie Frey pitches a complete game win. After the game‚ the Braves send Grimes to the Cardinals for Fred Frankhouse and Wee Willie Sherdel.

May 17, 1930 - The Braves sweep a pair from the Giants by 4-3 scores. In th opener‚ Wally Berger hits a pair of homers as Boston wins in 10 innings. The Giants hit 3 homers in game 2 and Berger adds his 3rd of the day.

May 1, 1930 - At Pittsburgh‚ rookie Wally Berger blasts homers in the 7th and 8th innings to lead the Braves to a 4-3 win over Larry French. After Berger's 1st homer‚ Johnny Neun‚ in his 5th season‚ adds his first ML homer.

Nov 14, 1929 - The Braves send OF George Harper‚ P Art Delaney‚ and cash to Los Angeles (PCL) for OF Wally Berger.