Ott, Melvin T.
Baseball
b. March 2, 1909, Gretna, LA
d. Nov. 21, 1958
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. McGraw was afraid a minor-league manager might change his stance and ruin him as a hitter.
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. 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.
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.