He'd hit .383 and .282 in his first two seasons with the New York Giants. But he had just one home run.

Ott (1909-58) wasn't satisfied. He wanted to develop into a power hitter, so he put his mind to it.

He began investing hours with Giants hitting coach Lefty O'Doul.

At the time, the left-handed Ott lifted and lowered his right leg slightly as he waited for a pitch. O'Doul told Ott to lift the right leg, which was in front, much higher so as to move his weight forcefully into the pitch and provide more power in the swing.

Ott listened. He knew he needed to exert all possible strength out of his 5-foot-9, 160-pound frame.

He worked on the stance over and over in spring training. He'd keep his feet wide apart, then raise his right leg to knee height as the pitcher was preparing to throw the ball. Just before it arrived, he'd plant the same leg on the ground and lash out at the ball. Upon contact, he put his weight into the ball.

Ott wanted to make sure the high leg kick didn't prevent him from hitting pitches at or near his feet. So he took a steady stream of low, inside pitches every day in practice. He soon mastered hitting low pitches.

Going Deep

Such a commitment to excellence brought rewards. In 1928, Ott hit 18 homers to accompany a .322 batting average. It was a sign of the brilliance he'd show in his 22-year career, when he established himself as one of baseball's greatest sluggers.

Ott belted 511 home runs, a National League record when he retired in 1947. He hit 30 or more homers in eight seasons and won or shared the league's home run crown six times. He also posted a lifetime .304 average with 2,876 hits, 1,860 runs batted in and 1,859 runs scored.

All along, many sportswriters criticized Ott for his unorthodox batting style, arguing that the stance made it harder for him to hit the ball with power. But Ott wasn't deterred.

Pitchers feared Ott's hitting ability so much, they often threw around him. Upon retirement, he held a National League record of 1,708 walks.

Ott grew up in Gretna, La. A talented athlete, he starred on his youth football team and high school basketball team, and excelled at tennis.

Source: Investor's Business Daily