SEPTEMBER 8, 1957
Before their departure to play on the West Coast for next season, the Dodgers and Giants face one another for the final time in New York. The Jints beat the Bums at the Polo Grounds, 3-2, to finish the intense 68-year old storied rivalry with a 656-606 advantage over Brooklyn in the battle between the boroughs. (Nationalpastime.com)
SEPTEMBER 7, 1903
A year before the first subway line is completed, the Brooklyn Superbas, later to be known as the Dodgers, play their cross-town rivals in a two-stadium, same-day doubleheader. The first game played in Washington Park begins at 10:30 am with 9,300 fans watching the visiting Giants win the opener, 6-4, and later that afternoon in front of 23,623 patrons at the Polo Grounds in Manhattan, Brooklyn wins the second game, 3-0.(Nationalpastime.com)
SEPTEMBER 7, 1916
The Giants defeat the Dodgers 4-1 to start their major league record 26-game winning streak. The ‘Jints’ start the span two games under .500 and make up nine games in the standings, but remains in fourth place during the entire streak. (Nationalpastime.com)
SEPTEMBER 6, 1912
Jeff Tesreau becomes the third rookie to throw a no-hitter. The 24-year old right-hander holds the Phillies hitless in the Giants 3-0 victory in the first game of a twin bill at the Baker Bowl. (Nationalpastime.com)
SEPTEMBER 6, 1953
With Giants manager Leo Durocher yelling “stick it in his ear”, Rubén Gómez hits Carl Furillo, the National League’s leading hitter, on the wrist by a pitch. After taking first base, the Dodgers right fielder bolts into the opposing dugout to choke ‘Leo the Lip’, but in the melee, the knuckle on his little finger is fractured putting an end to his season. (Nationalpastime.com)
SEPTEMBER 1, 1909
Bill O’Hara becomes the first pinch runner to steal two bases in the same inning in the Giants’ 9-6 victory over St. Louis at the Polo Grounds. The Giants’ outfielder, who will swipe 31 bases this season, will duplicate the feat tomorrow off the same team. (Nationalpastime.com)
SEPTEMBER 1, 1947
The Giants break the 1936 Yankees record for the most home runs hit in a season by a team. The three Polo Grounds homers today raise the total to 185 and New York will finish the season with 221 round-trippers. (Nationalpastime.com)
AUGUST 19, 1957
Citing poor attendance as the reason, Giants’ president Horace Stoneham, ignoring baseball’s edict of banning announcements about relocation of franchises until after the World Series, informs the press the club has signed a lease to play its home games in San Francisco next season. The club’s Board of Directors voted 8-1 approving the shift to the West Coast, with the only dissenting vote cast by M. Donald Grant, who will become the chairman of the Mets, an expansion team located in New York to fill the National League void created by the departure of the Giants and Dodgers to California. (Nationalpastime.com)
AUGUST 16, 1950
At the Polo Grounds, Hank Thompson hits two inside-the-park home runs as the Giants drubbed the Dodgers, 16-7. (Nationalpastime.com)
AUGUST 15, 1951
With one out in the top of the eighth inning and a runner on third base in a 1-1 tied game‚ Willie Mays, running a full speed, makes an incredible catch of Carl Furillo’s drive to deep centerfield. After grabbing the ball, the rookie outfielder turns counterclockwise and throws a perfect strike to home to nail a surprised Billy Cox at home to complete the double play, and some believe, the catch, in the eventual Giants’ 3-1 Polo Grounds victory over the Dodgers, is the impetus for the beginning of the team’s incredible comeback from an 11.5 game deficit to win the National League pennant. (Nationalpastime.com)
AUGUST 11, 1951
Brooklyn manager Chuck Dressen famously declared, “The Giants is dead!” with the Dodgers holding a 13 1⁄2-game lead over the Giants as late as August 11.
AUGUST 10, 1889
At the Seventh Street Park in Indianapolis, future 300 game winner Mickey Welch becomes the first pinch hitter in major league history. Although the Giants right-handed pitcher strikes out in his historic plate appearance, New York prevails beating the Hoosiers, 9-6.(Nationalpastime.com)
AUGUST 1, 1933
Giants’ hurler Carl Hubbell sets a National League record for consecutive scoreless innings with 45 1/3 breaking the 1908 mark of Ed Ruelbach.(Nationalpastime.com)
AUGUST 1, 1945
At the Polo Grounds, Mel Ott hits his historic 500th career home run off Braves’ hurler Johnny Hutchings in the Giants’ 9-2 victory over Boston. Joining Babe Ruth and Jimmie Foxx, ‘Master Melvin’ becomes the third major leaguer to accomplish this career milestone. (Nationalpastime.com)