1. materials characteristic of baseball and the culture of baseball; 2. collectible baseball Americana
1954
In a throwing contest between Jimmy Piersall and Willie Mays before a #RedSox-#Giants charity game, Piersall hurts his arm. He leaves the game midway. He wakes up the next day with a sore arm that stays with him a year, and he will never throw quite as well again.
1933
Carl Hubbell holds the #Braves scoreless through 5 innings to break the National League record for consecutive scoreless innings, set in 1908. But the #Braves score twice in the 6th and the #Giants lose, 3 – 1, as the streak stops at 45 innings.
1954
Brooklyn defeats #Giants stalwart Sal Maglie at Ebbets Field, roughing him up for six runs on 11 hits. Since coming into the National League in 1945, the “Barber” had recorded 10 straight victories in the #Dodgers ballpark.
1944
Cubs Bill Nicholson hits four HR in a doubleheader, including three consecutive shots in the second game. The #Cubs win the first game, 7 – 4, but the #Giants prevail in the nightcap, 12 – 10. Nicholson is walked intentionally with the bases loaded in the 7th inning of the second game.
1948
The Giants remove Mel Ott as manager and replace him with Leo Durocher, who obtains his release from Brooklyn. The Dodgers bring back Burt Shotton, who replaced Durocher once before. In a poll over the previous winter, an overwhelming majority voted for the gentlemanly Shotton to replace The Lip.
1928
Baseball’s largest battery plays, appropriately, for the New York Giants. Garland “Gob” Buckeye, a 260-pound pro football lineman in the off-season, makes his National League pitching debut with 250-pound Shanty Hogan behind the plate. The Giants lose to the Cardinals.
1947
Johnny “The Big Cat” Mize of the New York Giants becomes the first major leaguer to hit three home runs in a game on five different occasions. Mize hits his trio off Johnny Sain of the Boston Braves, but in spite of his barrage, the Giants lose to the Braves, 14 – 5.
1927
In a battle of Irish managers on St. Patrick’s Day, the St. Louis Cardinals of Bob O’Farrell beat the New York Giants of John McGraw, 3 – 0, in a Grapefruit League contest. Cardinals manager O’Farrell also clouts a home run.
1950
With just 11 career HRs, catcher Wes Westrum has three home runs and a triple today, as the Giants beat Cincinnati, 12 – 2. The Giants belt seven home runs total (Hank Thompson, Alvin Dark, Whitey Lockman and Monte Irvin hit the others).
1941
Mel Ott hits a two-run home run, the 400th of his MLB career and his 1,499th and 1,500th RBI, helping the New York Giants to a 3 – 2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. He will hit 511 homers in his Hall of Fame career.
