Who said good guys finish last

The phrase was used by Brooklyn Dodgers manager Leo Durocher to describe former New Orleans area baseball great Mel Ott and his Giants team when the Giants were mired in last place during the season. Since then, the saying has been commonly used in non-baseball situations as well. Ott was in his fifth season as the player-manager of the Giants in Going into a doubleheader with the Dodgers on July 4, their record was a dismal , while the Dodgers were seven games ahead of St.

Louis for first place. The Dodgers had held first place since May The Giants won the first game of a twinbill at the Polo Grounds on July 4 but lost to the Dodgers in the second game, despite slamming three home runs. Fred Stein, in his book Mel Ott: The Little Giant of Baseball , described a conversation the next day that led to the now-famous saying. Do you know a nicer guy than Mel Ott? They're all nice guys, but they'll finish last.

Nice guys. Finish last. Graham never took notes, and was reputed to have a photographic memory, which Durocher did not dispute. Effrat quoted him as saying "Nice guys finish eighth". There's more controversy, too. Finish last Give me some scratching, diving hungry ballplayers who came to kill you They remember when their heroes were second division duds six straight years in the thirties. Then I found two news stories from commenting on a recent article Leo Durocher had written.

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