“The giants win the pennant”/ “The shot heard round the world”/ Boby Thompson:
With the Giants trailing 4-2 with one out and two on in the bottom of the ninth, Dodgers pitcher Don Newcombe removed himself from the game in favor of reliever Ralph Branca. Thomson drilled an 0-1 pitch to left field and jumped onto home plate to put an exclamation on "The Miracle of Coogan's Bluff," as called by legendary Giants announcer Russ Hodges.
"Brooklyn leads it, 4-2. Hartung down the line at third, not taking any chances. Lockman without too big of a lead at second, but he'll be running like the wind if Thomson hits one. Branca throws. There's a long drive. It's gonna be, I believe -- The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant! Bobby Thomson hits into the lower deck of the left-field stands! The Giants win the pennant! And they're going crazy! They're going crazy! Oh-ho!"
The momentum seemed to carry over to the next day for the opener of the World Series as Monte Irvin stole home in the first inning to register the first swipe of home since the Yankees' Bob Meusel did it in 1928. The Giants' left fielder finished the contest 4-for-5 and spearheaded a 5-1 victory.
Ralph Branca:
gave up the home run that lost the pennant for the Brooklyn Dodgers on October 3, 1951. The Shot Heard 'Round the World by the New York Giants' Bobby Thomson completed a monumental collapse by the Dodgers who were leading the league by 13 1/2 games on August 11. Branca and Thomson eventually became friends. In 1991 and 2001, they toured the country for the 40th and 50th anniversaries of "The Shot". It could be said giving up the homer, could be the best thing that ever happened to Branca.
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