Diunte: Les Layton, 92, New York Giant who homered in first at-bat
From SABR member Nick Diunte at Examiner.com on March 30, 2014:
Getting to the major leagues is a dream for most young men; hitting a home run in their first time at bat is an even greater fantasy. Les Layton, a former outfielder for the New York Giants who made both of those scenarios a reality in his 1948 debut, passed away March 1, 2014 in Scottsdale, Ariz. He was 92.
Layton was eager to contribute to the Giants in his 1948 rookie campaign, but manager Mel Ott only used Layton once within the first month of the season, filling in as a pinch runner during an early season game in Boston.
“I had a hard time,” Layton said in a 2008 interview with the author. “The Giants had so many outfielders. Bobby Thomson was coming on; Sid Gordon was there as was Willard Marshall.”
Read the full article here: http://www.examiner.com/article/les-layton-92-new-york-giants-outfielder-homered-his-first-at-bat
Originally published: April 1, 2014. Last Updated: April 1, 2014.