» September 15, 1922: C Butch Henline is the first National League player to hit three homers in a game since 1897, as the Phils beat the Cards 10–9. Henline's 3rd home run tied the game in the 9th inning and Cliff Lee then hit the game-winning home run. Lee ends the year with 17 homers—all at Baker Bowl. Only Gavvy Cravath, in 1914, and Mel Ott will have more homers in a season this century coming all at home.

» September 3, 1926: In a 17–3 Giants cakewalk over the Braves, the Giants unload for a National League record 12 runs in the 5th inning. Young Mel Ott plays five innings and goes 3-for-3. He also steals a base. The 17-year-old star will hit .383 in 35 games this year. The Giants blow it open in the 5th inning, scoring 12 runs.

» July 27, 1927: Mel Ott, 18 years old, hits his first major-league HR, an inside-the-park round-tripper. It is the only inside-the-park HR he will hit of his 511 career homers.

» May 10, 1928: The Giants send OF George Harper to the Cards for C Bob O'Farrell. O'Farrell, who managed the Birds in 1927, never regained his effectiveness behind the plate after an arm injury. The trade makes room for 18-year-old Mel Ott to take over the RF position, a spot he will hold for 18 years.

» May 8, 1929: At Pittsburgh's Schenley Park, the Giants Carl Hubbell pitches an 11–0 no-hitter against the Pirates, allowing just one walk. In the 9th, the 1st two batters reached on errors before Hubbell records a strikeout and starts the game-ending DP. It's the first no-hitter by a lefthander since Hub Leonard in 1918. Chick Fullis starts the scoring with a home run in the 2nd, his 3rd in three days, and Mel Ott adds two home runs to take the National League lead.

» May 16, 1929: In Boston, Mel Ott hits for the cycle in New York's 5–4 10-inning loss to the Braves in a doubleheader nitecap. Ott's home run in the 7th lands half-way up in the RF bleachers, the longest home run to that section since 1915. Joe Dugan matches Ott's four hits and scores the winner. The Braves also win the opener, 4–3.

» June 19, 1929: In their second straight doubleheader, The Giants sweep the Phillies, winning 15-14, in 11 innings, and 12-6. Mel Ott has 2 HRs and 4 doubles for the day, while Edd Roush goes 8-for-12. In tomorrow's 11-6 win over the Phils, Ott will have 3 RBI, giving him 11 straight games with at least one ribbie. The 20 year old will have 27 RBI in the 11 games, and will finish the season with 151, second in the NL.

» September 24, 1929: The Giants sweep the Braves, 5-4 and 6­5, as Mel Ott hits a homer in each game, his 41st and 42nd HRs of the year. This ties Rogers Hornsby's NL mark.

» September 27, 1929: Phils OF Chuck Klein hits HR No. 42, tying Mel Ott and equaling Hornsby's NL record. He'll hit one more to top the NL with 43.

» October 5, 1929: Mel Ott and Chuck Klein go into today's Giant-Phils doubleheader tied at 42 home runs apiece. In the opener, a 5–4 Phils victory, Ott manages a single, but Klein homers off Carl Hubbell in his first at bat to take the home run lead. In game 2, Ott singles in his first at bat. After that, manager Burt Shotton orders the Phillies pitchers, rather than give Ott a chance to tie Klein, to semi-intentionally walk him five times. The last (semi) intentional walk comes on a 3-2 count with the bases loaded as the Giants win, 12–3. Phillie Lefty O'Doul gets six hits in the two games for an National League record of 254 hits for the season. In the 5th inning of game 1, Lefty's 3rd hit of the game, a 5th inning home run, is his 251st of the year. He has a 4th hit in game one, then two more in the nitecap. Chuck Klein follows O'Doul's home run with one of his own, his 43rd. For Rogers Hornsby, it was a tough inning, as the two home runs eclipse two of his NL season records: most hits (250) and most home runs (42).

» August 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 three consecutive home runs to drive in six 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 three 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.

» September 18, 1931: In a 4–3 loss to the Cardinals, the Giants' Mel Ott is beaned by Burleigh Grimes in the 5th inning. Ott suffers a brain concussion and, with the Cardinals clinching the pennant, he sits out the rest of the season.

» August 13, 1932: Bill Terry, Mel Ott, and Fred Lindstrom hit HRs on consecutive pitches in the fourth inning, but the Giants lose 18-9 to Brooklyn. In game 2 the Dodgers' Joe Stripp, Lefty O'Doul, and Tony Cuccinello hit first-inning HRs off Waite Hoyt. Brooklyn wins 5-4.

» May 30, 1933: Detroit OF John Stone is the first major leaguer to collect six long hits in a regulation length doubleheader, as he bangs out four doubles and two homers for Detroit in a split with the Browns. National leaguers Chick Hafey and Mel Ott have collected six long hits, but their games ran more than regulation length. The Tigers take the opener, 8–6, then drop the 2nd game, 3–1.

» October 3, 1933: The Giants take the opener of the WS at the Polo Grounds, as Carl Hubbell holds the Senators to 5 hits and 3 unearned runs. Washington unravels when Buddy Myer makes a record-tying 3 errors. Mel Ott is the hitting star, tying a WS record with 4-for-4.

» October 7, 1933: The WS comes to a close when Mel Ott homers in the 10th inning for a 4-3 Giants, victory. Dolf Luque gets the win in relief.

» May 2, 1934: The Giants beat the Dodgers, 6–5, for a series sweep and takes over first place in the National League. Lefty O'Doul, pinch hitting for Travis Jackson in the 8th, homers with two on off reliever Van Lingle Mungo. Charlie Perkins takes the loss against Hal Schumacher. Mel Ott hits his 6th homer of the year in the 3rd with Ott on base.

» June 20, 1934: The first-place Giants score seven runs in the 3rd to crush the Cubs, 12–7. Mel Ott leads the way with two homers —his 16th and 17th—and drives in six runs. Joe Moore has four hits including a homer and Fred Fitzsimmons, who weakened in the 8th, is credited with the win. Charlie Root, who got none out in the 3rd before retiring, is the loser. The Giants now lead the Cards by five games.

» June 27, 1934: The temperature reaches 115 degrees at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. Dizzy Dean leaves the game with two out and the score tied 7–7 in the top of the 9th. Reliever Jim Mooney retires Mel Ott, and when Bill Delancey homers in the bottom of the inning to win the game, Dean is given credit for the win, his 12th of the year, though he wasn't the pitcher of record when the winning run scores. As on the 24th, Mike Haley, the scorer who had been overruled earlier that day, is the scorer and gives the win to Dean. Taking no chances, he asks Heydler to review his decision and Heydler agrees.

» May 30, 1935: The Memorial Day twin bill at the Polo Grounds breaks all National League attendance records when 63,943 see the Giants take a pair from the Dodgers, 8–3 and 6–0. Thousands are turned away and the gates are closed 40 minutes before game time. Roy Parmelee coasts in the opener after Mel Ott hits a grand slam in the first inning. In his first appearance at the Polo Grounds as a Giant, Al Cuccinello also homers in the same inning. Fred Fitzsimmons twirls a 2-hitter in the nitecap.

» June 7, 1935: Behind Roy Parmelee's pitching, the Giants squeeze by the visiting Braves, 3–2, in 10 innings. Mel Ott homers in the 9th to tie, and Bill Terry drives in the winning run in the 10th off Ben Cantwell. Giants LF Joe Moore hits in his 11th straight game.

» April 23, 1936: In the Dodgers 4–3, 10-inning win over the Giants, Dodgers OF Randy Moore breaks his right ankle sliding into 2B and will miss most of the season. He'll return to the active list on July 27 and play in just one more game on the field before August 27. He'll hit .103 next year, his last. A Mel Ott home run gives the Giants the lead in the 10th, but the Dodgers counter with two runs.

» May 11, 1936: Mel Ott drives in eight runs, including a 3-run home run with two out in the 9th inning, to give the Giants a 13–12 win over the Phillies.

» July 17, 1936: Carl Hubbell starts his winning streak, beating Pittsburgh 6–0. The Giants hit a National League record tying four triples in the first inning: Joe Moore, Mel Ott, and Hank Leiber hit them in succession, and Eddie Mayo adds one later in the inning to equal the ML record.

» May 27, 1937: Carl Hubbell (8-0) pitches two innings in relief and wins his 24th straight game when Mel Ott hits a 9th-inning home run for a 3–2 victory over the Reds.

» July 12, 1937: The Phillies score six runs in the seventh inning to beat Hal Schumacher and the Giants 6-3. With the bases loaded in the first, Giants OF Mel Ott starts an unusual 9-2­5 triple play. But the highlight of the game comes when umpire Bill Klem ejects Giants manager Bill Terry for the first time in Terry's 15-year career.

» September 15, 1938: Pirates P Jim Tobin puts Mel Ott in the record book, hitting him with a pitch 3 times. Tobin wins 7-2.

» May 2, 1939: In New York, Mel Ott's three run homer with two out in the 9th gives New York a dramatic 8–7 win over Cincy. Ott's blow is hit off Cincy righty Gene Thompson.

» May 7, 1939: Before 36,005 at the Polo Grounds, the Giants crush the Cubs, 10–3. Mel Ott has a triple double, and two singles, while ex-Cubbies Billy Jurges and Frank Demaree have two hits apiece. Cliff Melton is the winner for the Giants, now 8-8.

» July 10, 1940: Boston Bees OF Max West, a late replacement for Mel Ott, hits a 3-run HR in the first inning to lead the NL to a 4-0 victory over the AL in the All-Star Game at Sportsman's Park. It is the first shutout in All-Star history. Joe Cronin directs the AL when Joe McCarthy steps aside, stating he has "had the honor often enough."

» June 1, 1941: Mel Ott's 2-run homer, the 400th of his career and his 1,500th RBI, gives the Giants a 3-2 win over the Reds.

» December 2, 1941: The Giants name the popular Mel Ott as player-manager replacing Bill Terry, who moves up to the GM spot.

» April 5, 1942: The season will start with Lou Boudreau of Cleveland, Mel Ott of the Giants, and Hans Lobert of the Phillies as new managers.

» August 2, 1942: Carl Hubbell wins his 5th straight, topping the Cardinals 7–1. Mel Ott's two homers, one a grand slam eases the way for the vet. In the nightcap, Dick Bartell's 9th inning error paved the way for Billy Southworth's squeeze bunt, and the Cards win, 3–2. Mort Cooper allows four hits in winning his 13th.

» August 18, 1942: After going 1–6 before the All-star break, Carl Hubbell posts his 8th straight win, beating the Braves 10–2. The 39-year-old veteran is backed by Mel Ott's three hits, including a home run into the LF stands at the Polo Grounds.

» August 30, 1942: The Giants' Mel Ott collects his 2,500th hit in a 5–5 tie in Chicago in game 2. In the opener, the Giants win, 8–6, as Ace Adams beats Hi Bithorn.

» April 22, 1943: Despite going 4-for-4 in a 5-2 win at Ebbets Field, the Giants' Mel Ott declares the new baseballs hit like overripe grapefruits. Reds slugger Frank McCormick adds, "It was like hitting a piece of cement."

» June 17, 1943: Player-manager Mel Ott of the Giants walks five times in a game versus Brooklyn. Ott also received 5 free passes in games in 1929 and 1933. With a base on balls in his last trip to the plate on the previous day and again on his first at bat the next day, Ott garners seven consecutive walks.

» August 7, 1943: The Giants strand 18 runners in a 9-6 loss to the Phillies. Mel Ott's team leaves two runners on in every inning to symbolize their dreary season that will result in 98 losses and the first Giant tailend finish since 1915.

» November 1, 1943: League statistics show the White Sox Luke Appling leading the AL hitters with .328, the lowest since Cobb hit .324 to lead in 1908. Conversely, of course, the pitchers' marks were topped by Spud Chandler's 1.64 ERA, the best since 1919. Spud also has the best percentage at .833, on a 20-4 won-lost mark. The White Sox aging OF Wally Moses stole 56 bases after stealing only 3 two years before. The veteran Mel Ott hits only .234 for his Giants, but he still has 18 homers -- all in the Polo Grounds.

» April 19, 1944: The Giants defeat the Braves 2-1, as Mel Ott hits the first NL HR of the year and the 464th of his career.

» April 30, 1944: Before 58,000 at the Polo Grounds, the Giants pummel the Dodgers 26-8. Player/manager Mel Ott reaches base 7 times, scoring 6 runs for the 2nd time in his career, and Phil Weintraub drives in 11 runs with a homer, triple, and 2 doubles. Dodger pitchers gives up 17 walks, including 6 in a row. But the Dodgers earn a split as Hal Gregg wins the nitecap 5-4.

» May 21, 1944: The Giants split with the Cardinals, losing 10–3 and then winning the 2nd game 7–5. Mel Ott has a home run, triple, two doubles and a single in the two games, and puts himself in at 3B in the nitecap. Billy Jurges moves from 3B to short, replacing Buddy Kerr.

» May 30, 1944: Mel Ott hits three home runs, as the Giants sweep two from the Cubs, 6–5 and 5–4.

» June 2, 1944: Mel Ott hits two HRs in the Giants' 6-4 win over the Pirates. These are Ott's seventh and eighth HRs in his last 10 games.

» June 12, 1944: The Giants defeat the Dodgers 15-9, as Mel Ott and Phil Weintraub each homer twice.

» November 23, 1944: Five groups totaling 23 players, managers, umpires, and writers visit war theaters as part of the USO program. Included are Mel Ott, Dutch Leonard, Frankie Frisch, Bucky Walters, Harry Heilmann, Carl Hubbell, Freddie Fitzsimmons, Bill Summers, Beans Reardon, Johnny Lindell, Tuck Stainback, Steve O'Neill, Leo Durocher, Joe Medwick, Nick Etten, Dixie Walker, Paul Waner, and Rip Sewell.

» April 17, 1945: In Boston, Giants player-manager Mel Ott has a field day by setting six records in his team's 11–6 win. Ott collects a double, two walks and three runs. His records for a player with one team include 1,026 extra-base hits, 2076 total bases, 1,778 RBIs, 1,787 runs, 1,631 walks, and 20 years with one team.

» April 27, 1945: The Giants Bill Voiselle, first citizen of Ninety Six, NC, shuts out the Dodgers, 5–0. Backing him are Mel Ott and Steve Filipowitz, who belt homers in the 6th inning. Filipowitz's drive, which apparently hits the low screen in front of the LF boxes, is first ruled a double by ump George Magerkurth. Home plate ump Bill Stewart overrules him, calling it a homer.

» May 30, 1945: Before the biggest Wrigley crowd—42,565 paid—in seven years, the Giants top the host Cubs, 8–6 in the opener, and Mel Ott passes Honus Wagner's career total of 4,888 total bases to set an National League record. Wagner's has since been adjusted to 4868 and both players' totals have been passed. Slim Emmerich is the winner over Ray Prim. The Cubs take the nitecap, 11–2 behind Bob Chipman's 3-hit win over Bill Voiselle. Andy Pafko clouts a 3-run homer in the 3rd. It's Voiselle's 2nd straight pounding after winning his first eight games.

» August 1, 1945: Mel Ott hits the 500th home run of his career, a total exceeded only by Babe Ruth and Jimmie Foxx. He will hit 10 more this season and one on Opening Day of 1946 to finish with 511. Ott leads the Giants to a 9–2 win over the Braves at the Polo Grounds.

» August 12, 1945: Mel Ott leads the Giants to a pair of wins over the Reds, 3–2 and 6–5. Ott hits a pinch 3-run homer in the 8th of the nitecap after his homer and another by Danny Gardella leads the way in opener. The Reds Bill McKechnie, desperate for hitting, selects P Joe Bowman to pinch-hit for Vern Kennedy in game 1. Bowman is 0-for-42. He will hit .088 for the season.

» April 15, 1946: Manager Mel Ott of the Giants hits his 511th and final HR on Opening Day, an 8-4 home victory over the Phils (now back to their original nickname). The next day Ott will injure his knee diving for a ball and will play only occasionally.

» May 2, 1946: In St. Louis, Giants manager Mel Ott informs C Clyde Kluttz at breakfast that he has been traded from New York to the Phillies. But Cards manager Eddie Dyer calls Kluttz at lunch to tell him not to pack; St. Louis has just made a trade for him. Kluttz is part of the trades that sends Vince DiMaggio from the Phils to the Giants and 2B Emil Verban from St. Louis to Philadelphia. The Giants then beat the Cards, 5–1, scoring four in the 9th. Dave Koslo tosses a 4-hitter for New York, beating Harry Brecheen. Brecheen fans three in the 3rd -- Buddy Kerr, Koslo, and Bill Rigney -- all on called strikes.

» May 26, 1946: Two-for-42 and hitting .048 for the season, Mel Ott stops playing and will only manage the Giants.

» June 9, 1946: In a doubleheader loss in Pittsburgh 2-1 and 5-1, Giants manager Mel Ott is thrown out of each game for protesting calls.

» September 1, 1947: Jack Lohrke hits a homer off the Braves, number 183 for the season for the Giants, breaking the 1936 team record held by the Yankees. Mel Ott's club had hit 5 HRs in a doubleheader against the Cubs August 24 to break Chicago's 1929 NL record. The Giants will finish with 221 HRs, led by Johnny Mize, Walker Cooper, Willard Marshall, and rookie Bobby Thomson.

» July 16, 1948: There are three managerial changes today. Ben Chapman is fired by the Phillies (though owner Carpenter insists he was "not fired" saying "I'd like to make it clear that there is a difference between not firing a man and concluding business with him.") and Dusty Cooke takes over on an interim basis. Eddie Sawyer, with no ML experience as player or manager, will get the job after Cooke goes 8–6. But the big news is from New York. The Giants remove Mel Ott and replace him with Leo Durocher, who obtains his release from Brooklyn. The Dodgers bring back mild-mannered Burt Shotton who replaced Durocher once before. In a newspaper poll over the winter, an overwhelming majority voted for the gentlemanly Shotton to replace The Lip. The changes today portend those at the end of the season: Bucky Harris of the Yankees, Ted Lyons of the White Sox, and Steve O'Neill of the Tigers will be released.

» February 16, 1950: Writers fail to name anyone to the Hall of Fame at Cooperstown. Mel Ott and Bill Terry top the list for enshrinement.

» August 30, 1950: Eddie Stanky of the Giants walks twice in the sixth inning against the Pirates for a total of seven straight times over two games, tying the major-league record set by Billy Rogell and Mel Ott. The Giants win 4–0 behind Sal Maglie.

» December 5, 1950: Mel Ott, who has been working in the Giants farm system, hires on for two years in the Oakland managerial spot vacated by Charlie Dressen.

» January 26, 1951: The baseball writers vote Mel Ott and Jimmie Foxx into the Hall of Fame.

» September 14, 1954: Willie Mays hits a 1st inning double and scores the only run in a 1-0 win over the Cards. It is Johnny Antonelli's 21st win of the year. Mays's hit is his 82nd extra-base hit, breaking Mel Ott's team record.

» August 9, 1960: Ted Williams blasts his 19th home run and 511th of his career, off Perry, but the Red Sox lose to the Indians, 6–3. Ted's 5th inning home run ties him with Mel Ott for 3rd on the all-time list. Francona and Power homer for the Tribe to back Perry (14-5). Power's hit ricochets off the top of the RF fence in Cleveland toward Lu Clinton. The ball hits Clinton's foot and is "kicked" over the fence. Umpire Hal Smith rules the hit a home run, since the ball never touched the ground.

» August 10, 1960: Ted Williams hits a pair of homers and a double to pace the Red Sox to a 6–1 win over the Indians. Ted has 21 homers for the season. The 1st of the two today, #512, moves Ted past Mel Ott into 4th place on the all-time list. After the game, Williams announces that he will retire at the end of the season.

» May 4, 1966: Willie Mays hits a National League record 512th home run -- topping another Giant, Mel Ott -- and the Giants beat the Dodgers 6–1.

» August 24, 1971: At Wrigley Field, Ernie Banks hits his 512th and final home run, connecting off the Reds Jim McGlothin in the 4th inning. Ernie moves past Mel Ott into an 8th place tie with Eddie Mathews on the all-time list. Chicago beats Cincy, 5–4. The Cubs will lose 10 of their next 12, however, to drop out of contention.

» September 14, 1975: The Red Sox top the Brewers 8–6 as Robin Yount breaks Mel Ott's 47-year-old record by playing in his 242nd game as a teenager.

» June 14, 1987: Mike Schmidt hits three home runs in a game for the 3rd time in his career to lead the Phillies to an 11–6 win over the Expos. His 2nd home run is also his 2,000th career hit, and his 3rd gives him 511 career homers, tying him with Mel Ott on the all-time list.

» July 2, 1989: Brewers OF Robin Yount, 33, collects his 2,500th hit in a 10–2 win over the Yankees. Ty Cobb, Rogers Hornsby, Hank Aaron, and Mel Ott are the only players to reach that milestone at a younger age.

» May 21, 1996: At Fenway Park, Seattle pounds out 19 hits to beat Boston, 13–7. Ken Griffey, Jr. becomes the 7th-youngest player to collect 200th homers, when he connects in the M's 6-run 4th inning: Mel Ott, Eddie Mathews, Jimmie Foxx, Mickey Mantle, Frank Robinson and Hank Aaron were all younger. Jay Buhner hits a 2-run shot in the inning, the 5th game in a row he's connected, and Edgar Martinez adds four hits in the game.

» August 12, 1998: Seattle loses to Toronto, 11–5, despite a home run by SS Alex Rodriguez. It is the 100th homer of Rodriguez's career, making his the 4th–youngest player to reach the plateau. The only players to do so at a younger age were Mel Ott, Tony Conigliaro, and Eddie Mathews.

» September 6, 1998: Atlanta OF Andruw Jones hits his 50th career home run in a 4–0 win over the Mets. He becomes the 3rd–youngest player in history to reach that level. Only Mel Ott and Tony Conigliaro did so at a younger age. Atlanta P John Smoltz limits the Mets to just three hits, while fanning an even dozen batters en route to his 14th win.

» September 15, 1998: Ken Griffey Jr. hits homer #52 and drives in the 1,000th run of his career in the Mariners 12–7 win over the Twins. He becomes the 4th–youngest player in history to reach the milestone, after Mel Ott, Jimmie Foxx, and Lou Gehrig. Junior hit his 52nd on this date last year.

» April 2, 2001: The Giants Livan Hernandez beats the Padres, 3–2, with relief help from Robb Nen, who K's the side in the 9th. Barry Bonds homers for the Giants. Tony Gwynn's 8th inning RBI-single is his 3,110th hit, tying him with Dave Winfield. With his start today, Gwynn becomes the 5th player in NL history to spend 20+ years while playing his entire career with one team. The others are: Cap Anson: 1871-97 Cubs (5 years in the NA); Mel Ott: 1926-47 Giants; Stan Musial: 1941-44, 1946-63 Cardinals; Willie Stargell: 1962-82 Pirates.

» September 15, 2002: The Cubs shut out the Reds, 6–0, as OF Sammy Sosa drives in his 100th run of the season on a 3–run home run in the 8th inning. In doing so, he joins Mel Ott and Willie Mays as the only National League players to post eight consecutive 100–RBI seasons.