Special Sub-Topic: Bobby Thomson’s "Shot" Revisited Click Here To Play: Bobby Thomson’s "Shot" Revisited

What ballpark was the scene of this event?

Polo Grounds. It was a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 9th inning and the Giants were the home team. The Polo Grounds, in one form or another, served as the Giants’ home from 1891 until after the 1957 season when they moved to San Francisco. It was also home for the Mets during their first two seasons in 1962 and 1963.

Thomson’s home run was known as, “The Shot Heard ‘Round the World.” What other sobriquet did this “shot” earn?

Miracle at Coogan’s Bluff. The Polo Grounds was situated on the Harlem River beneath Coogan’s Bluff. Homer in the Gloamin’ refers to Gabby Hartnett’s pennant-winning home run for the Cubs against the Pirates in 1938.

Who were the opposing managers?

Chuck Dressen and Leo Durocher. Chuck Dressen managed the Dodgers from 1951 to 1953, winning pennants in the latter two years. Leo Durocher, who had led the Dodgers in the '40s, managed the Giants from 1948 to 1955, winning pennants in 1951 and 1954. The other pairings would have been correct in 1947 (Shotton and Ott), 1949 (Shotton and Durocher), and 1956 (Alston and Rigney).

Who was the starting pitcher for the Dodgers that day?

Don Newcombe. Don Newcombe pitched for 8 1/3 innings before being relieved by Ralph Branca, who came in to face Thomson. Branca had started the first game of the three-game playoff, losing 3-1 and giving up a home run to Thomson in that game as well. Clem Labine started the second game of the series, shutting out the Giants 10-0. Carl Erskine was on the Dodgers pitching staff, compiling a 16-12 regular season record, but he did not appear in the playoffs.

Ralph Branca, who threw the fateful pitch, was the losing pitcher. Which Giants pitcher was credited with the win?

Larry Jansen. Larry Jansen came on in relief of Sal Maglie to pitch the top of the 9th inning, setting the Dodgers down in order. Jim Hearn was the winning pitcher in the opening game of the series, while Sheldon Jones was the losing pitcher in the second game.

Branca continued his career afterwards wearing a different uniform number. What was the number he abandoned?

13. Branca’s number had suddenly become unlucky and he wore the number 12 the next season (although he reverted to 13 in 1953). Dodger uniform numbers 4, 39, and 42, were worn by Duke Snider, Roy Campanella, and Jackie Robinson, respectively.

Who led off the bottom of the 9th with an infield single and came around to score the Giants first run of the inning, making the score 4-2 Dodgers (Later in his career, he managed teams in the World Series, both as a winner and as a loser)?

Alvin Dark. All of these Giants players later became managers. Shortstop Alvin Dark managed the Giants, Athletics (twice), Indians, and Padres in his career. He was at the helm of the Giants in 1962 when they went to the World Series and lost, and of the A’s, when they went to the World Series in 1974 and won. Wes Westrum, a good defensive catcher, was the immediate successor to Casey Stengel as manager of the Mets; he also managed the Giants. Bill Rigney pinch-hit for Westrum in the bottom of the 8th inning, striking out. He had a long career in the dugout, managing the Giants (twice), Angels, and Twins. Eddie Stanky, the tempermental second baseman, made the last out in the bottom of the 8th. He managed the Cardinals and the White Sox and, in 1977, was named manager of the Texas Rangers, but abruptly resigned after one game, perhaps realizing that the sport had passed him by.

The single that opened the bottom of the ninth inning glanced off the glove of what legendary Dodger infielder (who later managed a World Series winner)?

Gil Hodges. First baseman Gil Hodges was also unable to reach the ball hit by Don Mueller, which went into right field for a single. Hodges’ exceptional career as a Dodger and his leadership as manager of the Miracle Mets in 1969, merited consideration for the Hall of Fame. Shortstop Reese and second baseman Robinson are already enshrined. Billy Cox was a solid third baseman, but not of Hall of Fame calibre.

The third man up in the bottom of the ninth was RBI leader in the National League that season, but he popped up with runners at the corners to make the first and only out of the inning. Who was he?

Monte Irvin. Left fielder Monte Irvin had been a star in the Negro Leagues and was one of the first black players signed by the Giants. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1973. Right fielder Don Mueller, up immediately before Irvin, had reached on a single. Hank Thompson, sometime third baseman, had grounded out in the bottom of the 8th, pinch-hitting for starting pitcher Sal Maglie. Spider Jorgensen was a reserve outfielder for the Giants who did not enter the game.

Who were on base when Thomson hit his home run?

Clint Hartung and Whitey Lockman. After Irvin popped up with Dark and Mueller on base, Newcombe faced first baseman Whitey Lockman, who doubled down the left field line, driving in Dark. Mueller slid hard into third base, suffering a broken ankle that ended his season. He was replaced by pinch runner Clint Hartung. Hartung, nicknamed the “Hondo Hurricane,” had been a highly-touted prospect, both as a pitcher and a hitter, in the Giants organization, but his career never amounted to much.

Perhaps the best view of the home run was by the left fielder watching the ball sail over his head and into the stands. Who was he?

Andy Pafko. Andy Pafko’s best playing days were with the Chicago Cubs in the years immediately preceding. After a short stint with the Dodgers, Pafko moved on to the Braves, where he was a platoon outfielder on the pennant winning clubs of 1957 and 1958. Duke Snider was in centerfield and Carl Furillo in right. Sandy Amoros, whose famous catch preserved the Dodgers’ first World Series championship in 1955, did not play for the Dodgers until 1952.

When Thomson hit his home run, who was on deck?

Willie Mays. Willie Mays, a rookie in 1951, went hitless that day. Hartung was on base. Ray Noble, a backup catcher, had replaced Westrum after he was lifted for a pinch hitter in the eighth, but did not come to bat. Maglie was already out of the game.

Giant fans listening on the radio heard the play-by-play announcer shouting hoarsely: “The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!” Whose voice were they listening to?

Russ Hodges. Russ Hodges began broadcasting Giants games in 1949 and followed them when they moved to San Francisco in 1958. Ernie Harwell, who went on to fame as the voice of the Tigers, was Hodges’ broadcasting partner, handling the telecast for the Giants that day. Mel Allen was the voice of the Yankees, who waited across the Harlem River to play (and beat) the winner of the playoff in the World Series. Vin Scully began broadcasting for the Dodgers in 1950.

In the opposite radio booth, Red Barber followed his call of the home run in what fashion?

He was silent for the next minute while the crowd roared. He was silent for the next minute while the crowd roared. Red Barber began broadcasting with the Dodgers in 1939 and later joined Allen in the Yankee booth in 1954. According to Stan Isaacs, Barber described the moment: “...Swung on and belted deep out to left field. It is--a home run! And the New York Giants win the National League pennant and the Polo Grounds goes wild.” He was silent for the next 59 seconds while the crowd roared. He then mentioned that a couple of hundred Americans had lost their lives in Korea that week, and said, “The Dodgers will get over this, and so will their fans.”

Fifty years after the fact, a controversy arose over rumors that Thomson had gained what special advantage?

He was the beneficiary of signs stolen from the catcher. Apparently, catchers’ signs had been monitored from the centerfield clubhouse in the Polo Grounds during the 1951 season, and had been relayed to the Giants dugout through an electric buzzer. Thomson, however, maintains that he was not alerted to Branca’s pitch, a fastball, when he came to bat in the ninth inning.