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The Shot Heard Around The World.
No single play in the history of baseball had the effect on the game as did Bobby Thompson's bottom of the ninth 3 run homer off Ralph Branca in a playoff game for the 1951 National League Pennant between inter-city rivals Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants. Voted by The Sporting News as the single greatest play in Baseball history.
This event was even more dramatic than it may seem to the modern sports observer, as league pennants were not routinely decided by playoff until 1969 and only occurred in years in which teams finished the regular season in a tie, as had happened in 1951.
The home run was an exclamation point on a dramatic season for the Giants. Although some had considered them a pre-season favorite to win the pennant, they faltered badly in the early going. By mid-August, they were 13 1/2 games behind the league-leading Dodgers. But the Giants went on a late-season tear, winning 37 of their final 44 games to tie the Brooklyn team on the final day of the season and force the three-game playoff.
The teams split the first two games, forcing the decisive contest on October 3rd at the Polo Grounds. The Dodgers took a 4-1 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning, and the Giants' cause appeared lost. But Thomson's homer turned what looked like a certain defeat into a 5-4 victory.
The moment was immortalized by the famous call of Giants play-by-play announcer Russ Hodges who cried, "The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!"
Waiting to hit behind Thomson in the on deck circle was a young man who would hit a few home runs of his own: rookie Willie Mays.
Oddity: In the M*A*S*H episode, “A War For All Seasons,” Winchester and Klinger lose large bets on the Dodgers. Later, Col. Potter was able to get some filmed highlights of the year and Winchester attacks the screen with a butcher knife.
Hall of Famer Dave Winfield was born on the day of the game October 3rd. 1951.
Books have been written about the home run such as The Echoing Green..
"The Echoing Green follows the reverberations of that one moment–the Shot Heard Round the World–from the West Wing of the White House to the Sing Sing death house to the Polo Grounds clubhouse, where a home run forever turned hitter and pitcher into hero and goat".
No single play in the history of baseball had the effect on the game as did Bobby Thompson's bottom of the ninth 3 run homer off Ralph Branca in a playoff game for the 1951 National League Pennant between inter-city rivals Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants. Voted by The Sporting News as the single greatest play in Baseball history.
This event was even more dramatic than it may seem to the modern sports observer, as league pennants were not routinely decided by playoff until 1969 and only occurred in years in which teams finished the regular season in a tie, as had happened in 1951.
The home run was an exclamation point on a dramatic season for the Giants. Although some had considered them a pre-season favorite to win the pennant, they faltered badly in the early going. By mid-August, they were 13 1/2 games behind the league-leading Dodgers. But the Giants went on a late-season tear, winning 37 of their final 44 games to tie the Brooklyn team on the final day of the season and force the three-game playoff.
The teams split the first two games, forcing the decisive contest on October 3rd at the Polo Grounds. The Dodgers took a 4-1 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning, and the Giants' cause appeared lost. But Thomson's homer turned what looked like a certain defeat into a 5-4 victory.
The moment was immortalized by the famous call of Giants play-by-play announcer Russ Hodges who cried, "The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!"
Waiting to hit behind Thomson in the on deck circle was a young man who would hit a few home runs of his own: rookie Willie Mays.
Oddity: In the M*A*S*H episode, “A War For All Seasons,” Winchester and Klinger lose large bets on the Dodgers. Later, Col. Potter was able to get some filmed highlights of the year and Winchester attacks the screen with a butcher knife.
Hall of Famer Dave Winfield was born on the day of the game October 3rd. 1951.
Books have been written about the home run such as The Echoing Green..
"The Echoing Green follows the reverberations of that one moment–the Shot Heard Round the World–from the West Wing of the White House to the Sing Sing death house to the Polo Grounds clubhouse, where a home run forever turned hitter and pitcher into hero and goat".
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The Giants Win The Pennent!!! (8 minute video of the story).
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Ernie Harwell and Red Barber on the 'shot heard round the world.
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Hmmphh..The key word here is "Impact"..Very tough ....Not like "most memorable"..Aka the The Stanford Cardinal loss with the amazing KO return with the band on the field..Franco Harris immaculate reception etc...those would be memorable...lets see what Websters says about "Impact"..
"To affect or influence, especially in a significant or undesirable manner;"
When used in a sentence.." The large penis left a great "impact" on Jake Thompson`s sphincter muscles":missingte
"To affect or influence, especially in a significant or undesirable manner;"
When used in a sentence.." The large penis left a great "impact" on Jake Thompson`s sphincter muscles":missingte
Heroic acts such as Rick Monday's snatching a flag away from a pair of crackpots before they could burn it was not a play. As admirable and heroic an act as it was it was still an act and not a play during an actual sporting event that effected the outcome of the contest.
Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in baseball while even more heroic (by a long shot) than Monday's act was not a single play. Jackie Robinson was brave enough to do something no one else had done before him which was to be the first African-American to run out onto a major league baseball field in uniform and take his position on the field. That was extremely admirable, heroic and unprecedented in sports. A great moment in American history that transcended sports, but it didn't by itself win or lose that game on April 15th 1947 when Jackie first took the field.
We most certainly should include Pat Tillman for tuning down a multi million dollar contract from the Arizona Cardinals to join the Green Berets and fight for his country in Afghanistan if heroic acts are what this thread is looking for. Surely that was more courageous than what Rick Monday did (not to demean Monday's deed at all).
Also the hundreds of major leaguers that left their resepective teams to fight for the US in World War Two should not be discounted. Players like Joe and Dom Dimaggio, Bob Feller, Charlie Gheringer, Bill Dickey, Early Wynn and many many more.
Then there is the case of Ted Williams who served in two different wars as a fighter pilot, losing 6 years from a Hall of Fame career. How can he not be mentioned if heroic acts are to be considered single important plays.
There were even some major leaguers who took time out from their careers to fight in Viet Nam.
Personally what I think what Jake T. is looking for are great plays on the field that by their sheer greatness carried an importance larger than an ordinary touchdown scored, a catch made, or a home run hit. Something that affected for a period of time the lives of the players and fans that were witness to it.
Bill Mazerowski's walk off game seven homer to win the 1960 World Series electrified a great American city, even to this day almost 50 years later it is ingrained in the history of the city of Pittsburg.
Raefer Johnson winning the Decatholon during the 1960 Olympics in Rome, Italy while serving as captain of the entire US team that year.
During The Summer Olympics of 1968 in Mexico City, Bob Beamon shocked the sporting world when he set a world record for the long jump with a jump of 8.90 m (29 ft. 2½ in.). It was one of the most astounding feats in the history of the Olympics.
These are just some of the most important single plays in sports history.
Just my 2 cents.
wil.
Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in baseball while even more heroic (by a long shot) than Monday's act was not a single play. Jackie Robinson was brave enough to do something no one else had done before him which was to be the first African-American to run out onto a major league baseball field in uniform and take his position on the field. That was extremely admirable, heroic and unprecedented in sports. A great moment in American history that transcended sports, but it didn't by itself win or lose that game on April 15th 1947 when Jackie first took the field.
We most certainly should include Pat Tillman for tuning down a multi million dollar contract from the Arizona Cardinals to join the Green Berets and fight for his country in Afghanistan if heroic acts are what this thread is looking for. Surely that was more courageous than what Rick Monday did (not to demean Monday's deed at all).
Also the hundreds of major leaguers that left their resepective teams to fight for the US in World War Two should not be discounted. Players like Joe and Dom Dimaggio, Bob Feller, Charlie Gheringer, Bill Dickey, Early Wynn and many many more.
Then there is the case of Ted Williams who served in two different wars as a fighter pilot, losing 6 years from a Hall of Fame career. How can he not be mentioned if heroic acts are to be considered single important plays.
There were even some major leaguers who took time out from their careers to fight in Viet Nam.
Personally what I think what Jake T. is looking for are great plays on the field that by their sheer greatness carried an importance larger than an ordinary touchdown scored, a catch made, or a home run hit. Something that affected for a period of time the lives of the players and fans that were witness to it.
Bill Mazerowski's walk off game seven homer to win the 1960 World Series electrified a great American city, even to this day almost 50 years later it is ingrained in the history of the city of Pittsburg.
Raefer Johnson winning the Decatholon during the 1960 Olympics in Rome, Italy while serving as captain of the entire US team that year.
During The Summer Olympics of 1968 in Mexico City, Bob Beamon shocked the sporting world when he set a world record for the long jump with a jump of 8.90 m (29 ft. 2½ in.). It was one of the most astounding feats in the history of the Olympics.
These are just some of the most important single plays in sports history.
Just my 2 cents.
wil.
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