July 16, 1902
At Cincinnati’s Palace of the Fans, John McGraw begins his 30-year tenure as manager of the New York Giants. ‘Little Napoleon’, the team’s third skipper of the season, loses his debut to the Reds, 7-2. (Nationalpastime.com)
July 16, 1948
Former Dodger manager Leo Durocher becomes the Giants’ manager replacing the popular Mel Ott. Burt Shotton takes ‘The Lip’s’ place in Brooklyn. (Nationalpastime.com)
July 15, 1901
Christy Mathewson becomes the first rookie to throw a no-hitter in baseball history in the modern era. The 20-year old right-hander holds the Cardinals hitless in the Giants 5-0 victory at Robison Field in St. Louis.(Nationalpastime.com)
July 15, 1939
National League president Ford Frick orders two-foot screens affixed inside all foul poles after Billy Jurges of the Giants and umpire George Magerkurth spit at each other after a foul ball call down the left field line is disputed at the Polo Grounds. The American League will soon follow the Senior Circuit lead and will also install foul ball screens.(Nationalpastime.com)
July 10, 1934
At the All-Star Game played in New York’s Polo Grounds, Giants pitcher Carl Hubbell faces a starting lineup comprised of nine eventual Hall of Famers. ‘King Carl’ is up to the unique occurrence in baseball history when he fans Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons, and Joe Cronin, in a row.(Nationalpastime.com)
July 8, 1949
Hank Thompson & Monte Irvin becomes the first African-Americans to play for the Giants. When Thompson faces Dodger right-hander Don Newcombe, it marks the first time a pitcher-batter confrontation takes place between black players in the major leagues.(Nationalpastime.com)
July 8, 1956
In an 11-1 rout of the Pirates at the Polo Grounds, the Giants go deep for a franchise record seven home runs. Willie Mays, Daryl Spencer and Wes Westrum each connect for a pair and Hank Thompson adds another.(Nationalpastime.com)
July 6, 1953
In his first major league start, Al Worthington blanks the Pirates, 6-0. The Giants’ rookie will repeat the feat in his next start blanking the Dodgers to tie a major league mark.(Nationalpastime.com)
July 5, 1945
At the Polo Grounds‚ Giants’ 18-year old rookie Whitey Lockman homers in his first major league at bat. The lefty-swinging center fielder goes deep off George Dockins in the 7-5 loss to the Cardinals.(Nationalpastime.com)
July 3, 1912
Giants’ southpaw Rube Marquard wins his 19th consecutive game from the start of the season beating the Dodgers, 2-1. The 25-year old future Hall of Famer will complete the campaign with a 26-11 record.(Nationalpastime.com)
June 29, 1905
With the Giants leading the Superbas, 11-1, Archibald ‘Moonlight’ Graham makes his major league debut in the bottom of the eighth inning as a defensive replacement in right field at Brooklyn’s Washington Park. The career minor leaguer, who will not have a major league at-bat in his only appearance in the big leagues, will become immortalized by W.P. Kinsella’s book Shoeless Joe and the movie based on the author’s work, Field of Dreams. (Nationalpastime.com)
June 26, 1934
Giants’ pitcher Carl Hubbell notches his 200th victory as the Giants defeat the Cubs, 5-1. (Nationalpastime.com)
June 26, 1944
At the Polo Grounds with over 50,000 fans looking on, the New York major league teams play against each other in a six inning three-team game (a team played consecutive innings against the other two teams then sat out an inning). The contest, which was played to raise money for war bonds, ends with the final score of Dodgers 5, Yankees 1, Giants 0. (Nationalpastime.com)
June 26, 1946
Mel Ott retires as a player but continues his job as Giants manager. (Nationalpastime.com)
June 24, 1950
Giants’ catcher Wes Westrum, a low average, high power defensive catcher, hits three home runs and a triple. The 27-year old backstop’s fifteen total bases help New York defeat Cincinnati at the Polo Grounds, 12-2. (Nationalpastime.com)
June 24, 1950
Willie Mays makes his professional baseball debut playing centerfield for Trenton, the Giants’ farm team in the Class B Inter State League. The 20-year old outfielder from Alabama goes hitless in the game against Hagerstown in Maryland, but will hit .353 in 81 games, before being promoted to the Minneapolis Millers, the Triple A affiliate of the parent club. (Nationalpastime.com)