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)