The Pecan Park Eagle

The MLB playoff season never fails to remind me of Bobby Thomson’s “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” from the Polo Grounds on October 3, 1951. As the baseball world now long remembers, Thomson’s three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth that day gave the destiny-driven  New York Giants a 5-4 comeback victory over their hated rival club, the Brooklyn Dodgers, a team they had trailed by 13.5 games in August, propelling Leo Durocher’s boys immediately into the World Series they would then lose to the New York Yankees, but not before carving themselves into baseball history as, perhaps, the games greatest iconic legend.

We also well know how Giants radio broadcaster Russ Hodges called the Thomson moment and himself into mythology with his “The Giants Win The Pennant” exclamations times six or seven recitations, but less is known of how that action played out in all the Peorias of this country’s hinterlands the following day. Here’s how the Ironwood (Michigan) Daily Globe handled this major quake in baseball history on October 4, 1951:

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“THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT! ~ THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT! ~ THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT! ~ THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT! ~ THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT! ~ THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT! ~ THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT!” ~ Russ Hodges. (Model in Storage with a Private Protective Service.)

Giant Miracle Men Win National Flag

Thomson Homer Climaxes Drive of Durocher Club

By Jack Hand

New York -(AP)- The Incredible New York Giants Miracle Men of ’51 charge into the World Series today in the familiar but becoming role of 8 to 5 underdogs to the seasoned New York Yankees.

Floating on a pink cloud all their own after the greatest comeback in baseball history, the Giants were to face the stern reality of Allie (double no-hit) Reynolds (17-8) in the Yankee Stadium (World Series) opener at 12 noon, CST.

To meet this challenge of the well-fed Yanks, accustomed to World Series hullabaloo, Manager Leo Durocher has named Dave Koslo (10-9), a journeyman southpaw who hasn’t started in two weeks. It’s another amble by take-a-chance Leo in a series of inspired managerial moves.

SOUTHPAW JINX?

Noting that left-handers gave the Yanks fits all season – and Yogi Berra in particular – Leo reached for the only lefty starter available on his arm-weary staff. Koslo spends at least half his time in the bullpen, except when his “cousins” from St. Louis are in town.

No matter what Leo does, the Yanks who watched the Giants clinch yesterday’s dramatic 5-4 clincher from Brooklyn will not take his club lightly. The records show the Giants often are down – but never out.

Bobby Thomson’s three-run homer into the lower left field seats in the ninth inning was one of the most dramatic blows ever struck. It rescued the Giants from the brink of disaster and wrenched a pennant from the grip of the desperate Dodgers. In dollars and cents it probably meant about $200,000 to the winning athletes in World Series money.

MISERABLE START

To appreciate the full drama of the occasion, you must know the background. How the Giants flopped in a miserable 11-game losing streak in April. How they were given up for dead August 11, trailing the Brooklyn master race by 13 1/2 games. How they clawed back, game by game, until they tied Brooklyn and forced the second National League playoff (in history).

Winning the first playoff game, 3-1, losing the second, 10-0, they were backed up against the wall in the (bottom of) the ninth inning of the final game.

After pulling up to tie in the seventh (1-1), they saw their hard work go down the drain in the eighth when Sal Maglie wild-pitched one run home (1-2) and the Dodgers hammered home two more with their bats (1-4).

DARK STARTS RALLY

Trailing 4-1 n the ninth with big Don Newcombe firing a four-hitter, Al Dark stirred a faint hope with a single off Gil Hodges’ glove. When Don Mueller singled, the Polo Grounds settlement of 34,320 began to stir. But Monte Irvin fouled to Hodges for out No. 1.

Whitey Lockman set the joint jumping with a double off the left field wall to score Dark, narrowing the gap to 4-2. Sliding into third on the hit, Mueller twisted his ankle and was carried from the field. On the way he (Mueller) passed Ralph Branca, striding in to replace the weary Newcombe.

(Clint Hartung replaced Mueller as the runner at third. Bobby Thomson was now the batter for the Giants. Ralph Branca was now pitching for Brooklyn. Willie Mays was in the on-deck circle with one out. The Dodgers still led by 4-2.)

Thomson, the goat on some (earlier) bonehead base running and inadequate fielding, looked at a called strike. The next pitch was a high fastball and the Scot from Staten Island slammed a sinking liner that just cleared the high green wall in front of the lower left field seats. (Giants won, 5-4.)

Ralph Branca, the guy who threw the most famous HR ball in baseball history.
(Model in Storage with a Private Protective Service)

WILD VICTORY

A hoarse roar echoed off Coogan’s Bluff as Thomson rounded the bases with a wide grin. Wild-eyed Giants pounded his back and climbed on his shoulders as they loosened the pent up emotion of weeks of back-bending strain.

The old Polo Grounds which saw the great John McGraw’s teams of years ago never saw any wilder victory celebration than it did yesterday afternoon. Thousands grouped on the center-field grass and raised volleys of cheers toward the clubhouse windows.

They yelled for Thomson. They yelled for Durocher. They yelled for anybody. It didn’t make any difference. No pennant had flown from the Polo Grounds flagpole since 1937 and they were making the most of it.

~ excerpt from an (AP) article by Jack Hand, as it appeared in the October 4, 1951 edition of the Ironwood (Michigan) Daily Globe.

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