Mel Ott
Baseball Player, 1926-47
New York Giants

Inducted: 1971

One of the inaugural members of the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame, Mel Ott, who was born in Gretna is also a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame (elected in 1951 with 87 percent of the vote). Recognized as one of the top power-hitters of all-time, Ott played his entire career with the New York Giants, finishing with 511 career long balls - the first national Leaguer to surpass the 500-mark. He also closed his career with a .304 batting average, 18.60 RBIs, 1,858 runs, 2,876 hits and 488 doubles. Ott led the National League in home runs six times and was the league's all-time leader in round trippers until Willie Mays passed him in 1966. A 12-time All-Star, Ott also played in three World Series, leading the Giants to the title in 1933. His number "4" was retired by the Giants in 1949.