New York Giants - The War Years - WWII (1940-1949)

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1940

Decade

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Titles:

Top Giants Players of the Forties

None

Pitchers:

BallPark:

Larry Jansen (10.73) - 36

Polo Grounds

Dave Koslo (11.26) - 31

Bill Voiselle (6.57) - 28

Team Name:

Hal Schumacher (10.71) - 28

Giants

Carl Hubbell (5.87) - 26

Cliff Melton (7.81) - 25

Owner:

Bill Lohrman (2.49) - 24

Horace Stoneham

Ace Adams (7.05) - 23

Sheldon Jones (7.12) - 19

President:

Harry Feldman (2.73) - 16

None

Monte Kennedy (5.75) - 15

Van Lingle Mungo (3.11) - 11

General Manager:

Clint Hartung (0.11) - 10

Chub Feeney (1948-1949)

Catchers:

Managers:

Harry Danning (6.66) - 27

Bill Terry (1940-1941)

Ernie Lombardi (9.93) - 22

Mel Ott (1942-1948)

Walker Cooper (8.14) - 21

Leo Durocher (1948-1949)

First Basemen:

No Hitters:

Johnny Mize (28.18) - 54

None

Babe Young (9.22) - 20

Hall of Famers:

Second Basemen:

Bill Terry

Billy Jurges (9.37) - 21

Leo Durocher

Mickey Witek (7.58) - 17

Carl Hubbell

Ernie Lombardi

ShortStop:

Joe Medwick

Buddy Kerr (11.38) - 44

Johnny Mize

Bill Rigney (7.38) - 20

Mel Ott

Third Base:

Rookie of the Year:

Sid Gordon (16.74) - 34

None

Dick Bartell (7.54) - 19

MVP

Outfield:

None

Mel Ott (27.68) - 66

Willard Marshall (15.55) - 37

Notable Events:

Bobby Thomson (10.72) - 32

Whitey Lockman (9.54) - 22

1940 - If anyone had any questions as to when the Giants

John Rucker (0.43) - 21

dynasty was officially over, they shouldn't. It was over when owner

Ducky Medwick (5.01) - 15

Charles Stoneham died in 1936. A poster boy for why low

Phil Weintraub (6.26) - 13

inheritance taxes are a disaster for all involved, son Horace, a dunce,

Frank Demaree (1.79) - 7

took over the franchise and immediately began to run it into the

ground, beginning just two years later in 1938, and culminating in

Notable Events:

the Giants move out of New York twenty one years later.

The Forties were a horrific decade for a great franchise like the Giants

1946 - Chub Feeney, 25, Horace Stoneham's nephew, takes over

who had won back to back pennants as recently as 1936-1937.

as team president. This finally gives the Giants front office

someone who knows what he's doing. Feeney had baseball savvy.

1941 - Lefthander Dave Koslo, 21, is a rookie. His career

doesn't take off until he gets back from the war in 1946

1947 - Righthander Larry Jansen, 27, is brought up from San

Francisco and wins twenty one games as a rookie. Like many

1941 - Outfielder Sid Gordon, 23, is brought up from Jersey City

others, the war delayed the start of his big league career by

several years.

1941 - Outfielder Willard Marshall, 21, is brought up from Atlanta

1947 - Catcher Wes Westrum, 26, is brought up from

1942 - Bill Terry is replaced by Mel Ott as manager.

Minneapolis. The war delayed the start of his big league career.

The Giants have a temporary resurgence to third place

1947 - The Giants set a record for most home runs by a team in a

1942 - Slugging first baseman Johnny Mize, 29, is picked up

season with 221. Johnny Mize, Walker Cooper, Sid Gordon and

from the Cardinals in a trade for $50K and three warm bodies.

Willard Marshall were the big sluggers. Despite this display of

Altho' this looked like a terrible deal by the Cards on the

power, the Giants finish fourth

surface, it actually was an astute one. Mize was twenty nine

and eligible for military service. Knowing that Mize would

1948 - Twenty one year old outfielder Don Mueller is brought up

probably miss several prime seasons to the war, Rickey got a

from Jersey City

bundle of cash for him. You'll note that the Cards were a

powerhouse during the war because Rickey was jettisoning

1948 - Leo Durocher takes over as manager during the season.

war eligible players and stockpiling 4F's.

Durocher is a breath of fresh air for a moribund franchise.

He wants to win - badly. He also wanted to win his way - fiesty

1943 - Shortstop Buddy Kerr, 20, is brought up from Jersey City

aggressive baseball, not sit back and wait for a home run baseball.

Durocher was a manager that actually made a difference, those

1943 - Carl Hubbell retires after the season

types were rare. Durocher wore out his welcome as manager in

Brooklyn, criticizing management, and was "dealt" to the Giants

1945 - Outfielder Whitey Lockman, 18, is brought up from Jersey City

by Dodgers GM Branch Rickey. This was a mistake by Brooklyn

as Durocher was much better than the guys who replaced him

1945 - Mel Ott hits career home run number 500

there. It went backwards initially as Durocher went about

dismantling a slow, plodding, power heavy team for one in his

1945 - Righthander Sal Maglie is a twenty eight year old rookie.

image. The team finishes in the second division both in '48 and '49.

He had knocked around in the minors since 1938 and had done

his stint in the army. Frustrated, Maglie would jump to the

1949 - Third baseman Hank Thompson, 23, is signed as a free

Mexican League the following season and be blacklisted from

agent by the Giants. He had been with the Browns who inexplicably

baseball after that for another five years

released him. They were an inept franchise, but that inept?

Thompson had the unique distinction of being the first black player

1946 - Seven Giants players defect to the Mexican League. New York

on two franchises, the Browns and the Giants

was hit harder than any other team. The players don't get back

into the majors, if at all, until 1950 as they are blacklisted. The

1949 - Thirty year old outfielder Monte Irvin is brought up by the

Giants players were Sal Maglie, Danny Gardella, Harry Feldman,

Giants. His debut had been delayed by military service and

George Hausman, Nap Reyes, Adrian Zabala and Roy Zimmerman

playing several years for Newark in the Negro National League.

In order to compete with Brooklyn and the Braves, Feeney and

1946 - Outfielder Bobby Thomson, 21, is brought up from Jersey City

Durocher pursue black players aggressively.