One-Out, Three-Run Homer

It had started out bad, but the end of the season had the makings of a miraculously banner season. The New York Giants had made a come-from-behind run of wins that moved them from a position of oblivion to a spot in the pennant race. The Giants were 13 1/2 games behind the legendary Dodgers by the middle of August, and everyone thought they were finished. But then they won 16 games in a row. By October, they had won 37 of their last 44 games and had tied the Brooklyn Dodgers for the lead…just in time for a playoff.

New York took the first game, but the Dodgers dominated the second with a 10-0 blowout. The third game, played on October 3, 1951, in front of 34,320 fans at the Polo Grounds in Washington Heights, was the shocker. By the ninth inning, it seemed hopeless, with the Dodgers leading 4-1. Fans were already packing up and heading to the subway, because after all, they “knew” the outcome. Then, against all odds, the Giants sparked a comeback. Al Dark and Don Mueller hit solid singles to right field, and after Monte Irvin popped out, Whitey Lockman doubled to left, bringing Dark home. The score was now 4-2, with runners on second and third. The turning point came when third baseman Bobby Thomson hit a one-out, three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to secure the National League pennant for the New York Giants. Thomson’s famous homer capped off an incredible comeback for the Giants and eliminated their inter-borough rivals, the Brooklyn Dodgers, from the World Series. They had achieved the impossible. Although the Giants ultimately lost the World Series to the Yankees, Thomson’s legendary homer remains one of the most iconic moments in sports history.

As Bobby Thomson stepped up to bat, the Dodgers brought in relief pitcher Ralph Branca. Thomson, known for his steady hitting, faced a situation with first base open and rookie Willie Mays on deck. Many expected Branca to issue an intentional walk, but he didn’t. The first pitch was a called strike, and Thomson sent the second pitch soaring into the left-field stands. The crowd went wild. I’ve always wondered how those “give up early” fans felt in situations like that.

The radio announcer couldn’t contain himself, shouting, “The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!” He went on screaming until his voice gave out. At the Polo Grounds, chaos erupted. Fans stormed the field. Thomson took multiple curtain calls. In Manhattan and Brooklyn, so many calls were made after Thomson’s homer that New York Telephone almost lost service in both boroughs.

The next day, the Giants continued their momentum, defeating the Yankees 5-1 in the opening game of the World Series. However, the Yankees bounced back, winning the next three games and taking the series. In 1954, the underdog Giants made history by sweeping the World Series in four straight games. One of those games included Willie Mays’ famous over-the-shoulder catch (known as “The Catch”) in center field during the first game. By the late 1950s, though, both the Giants and the Dodgers had relocated to California, marking the end of an unforgettable chapter in New York baseball history.