The 1951 season was one of the New York Giants’ most exciting and dramatic seasons. With 44 games left in the season, the Giants were nearly 14 games behind the Dodgers and the NL pennant seemed far out of reach.  Miraculously, the Giants went on to win 37 of their final games and tied the Dodgers on the last day of the season.  The tie led to a single game to decide the NL champs.

On this day, October 3rd, in 1951, Bobby Thomson hit “The Shot Heard Around the World.”  During the bottom of the ninth inning, the Giants were down 4-1 and hopes of a Cinderella season seemed all but gone.  One run scored, but the Giants were still down two with two on base when Thomson came up to bat.  Thomson blasted a walk-off home run against Ralph Branca, leading Giants announcer Russ Hodges to shout the famous line, “The Giants win the pennant!”

Unfortunately Thomson could not repeat his performance in the World Series.  The Giants were defeated by the New York Yankees, losing the last three games.  Thomson did not hit a home run in the World Series and batted .238.