| Wally Berger |
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Born in Chicago, Illinois but raised in San Francisco, California , Berger played Third Base in high school, sharing the infield with future Hall Of Fame Shortstop and American League president Joe Cronin , who manned Second Base . Berger's 38 home runs as a 1930 rookie established a major league record that would stand for 57 years until eclipsed by Mark McGwire 's 49 in 1987; his NL record was tied by Frank Robinson in 1956 , but has not been broken. Berger Batted .310 that season, and his 119 runs batted in were also a rookie record. Berger made the NL All-Star team in the first four years the game was held (1933-36), starting in the first two. In 1933 he finished third in the Most Valuable Player voting, behind Carl Hubbell and Chuck Klein , after hitting 27 home runs (half the Braves team total), second in the league behind Klein's 28. In 1935, he led NL outfielders in Putout s with 458. Eddie Mathews broke his Braves franchise record of 38 home runs in 1953 , the team's first year in Milwaukee, and surpassed his mark of 199 career home runs in 1957 . After a 1936 shoulder injury, Berger was traded to the New York Giants in June 1937; his first home run for the team was the 200th of his career. In the 1937 World Series , he made only three pinch-hitting appearances, going hitless. In June 1938 he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds , where he would remain until 1940; his 1939 World Series performance was even more dismal than in 1937, going 0 for 15. He ended his career in 1940 with the Philadelphia Phillies . In an 11-season career Berger posted a .300 batting average with 242 home runs and 898 RBI in 1350 Games Played . Following his retirement as a player, he was a Scout for the New York Yankees and Managed their Manchester, N.H. Minor League team in 1949. Berger died of a Stroke in Redondo Beach, California at age 83. FACT
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