Shot Heard ' Round the World ( baseball ) - wikipedia Shot Heard ' Round the World ( baseball ) The Shot Heard ' Round the World : Dotted line represents the approximate track of Thomson 's game - winning line drive home run In baseball, the `` Shot Heard ' Round the World '' was a game - winning home run by New York Giants outfielder and third baseman Bobby Thomson off Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Ralph Branca at the Polo Grounds in New York City on October 3, 1951, to win the National League ( NL ) pennant. Thomson 's dramatic three - run homer came in the ninth inning of the decisive third game of a three - game playoff for the pennant in which the Giants trailed, 4 -- 2. The game -- the first ever televised nationally -- was seen by millions of viewers across America and heard on radio by millions more, including thousands of American servicemen stationed in Korea, listening on Armed Forces Radio. The classic drama of snatching victory from defeat to secure a pennant was intensified by the epic cross-town rivalry between the Giants and Dodgers, and by a remarkable string of victories in the last weeks of the regular season by the Giants, who won 37 of their last 44 games to catch the first - place Dodgers and force a playoff series to decide the NL champion. The Giants ' late - season rally and 2 - to - 1 - game playoff victory, capped by Thomson 's moment of triumph, are collectively known in baseball lore as `` The Miracle of Coogan 's Bluff '', a descriptor coined by the legendary sports columnist Red Smith. The phrase `` shot heard ' round the world '' is from the poem `` Concord Hymn '' ( 1837 ) by Ralph Waldo Emerson about the first clash of the American Revolutionary War. It later became popularly associated with Thomson 's homer and several other dramatic historical moments. Contents 1 Background 2 The game 3 The broadcasts 3.1 Russ Hodges 3.2 Ernie Harwell 3.3 Red Barber 3.4 Gordon McLendon 3.5 Other 4 Aftermath 4.1 Controversy 5 Artifacts 6 Legacy 7 References 8 Further reading 9 External links Background The principal National League ( NL ) contenders in 1951 were the New York Giants, Brooklyn Dodgers, and Philadelphia Phillies. The Dodgers quickly pulled into first place, and widened their lead as the season progressed. On August 11, with a 13 ⁄ - game lead over the second - place Giants, they appeared certain to face the New York Yankees in the World Series. `` Unless ( the Dodgers ) completely fold in their last 50 games '', wrote an Associated Press writer, `` they 're in. '' The Phillies, 14 ⁄ games back, faded from contention ; but the Giants won 16 straight games from August 12 to August 27, cutting the Dodgers ' lead to six games. By September 20, they had pulled to within 4 ⁄ games, still a prohibitive margin with only ten days remaining in the season ; but the Giants won all of their final seven games, while the Dodgers lost six of their last ten. The two teams concluded the regular season deadlocked with 96 -- 58 records. The NL used a three - game playoff at that time to break ties for the pennant. The Dodgers won the coin toss to determine the playoff schedule ; they elected to play the first game at home and the second ( and third if needed ) at the Polo Grounds, reasoning that after a likely win in Brooklyn, they would need to win only one of two at the Giants ' park. Nevertheless, in game one at Ebbets Field, the Giants, with Jim Hearn on the mound, defeated the Dodgers ' Ralph Branca 3 -- 1, thanks to home runs by Bobby Thomson and Monte Irvin. In game two at the Polo Grounds, with the Yankees team in attendance as spectators, the Dodgers tied the series, winning 10 -- 0 on home runs by Jackie Robinson, Gil Hodges, Andy Pafko, and Rube Walker, who was catching in place of an injured Roy Campanella. Clem Labine pitched a six - hit shutout against Sheldon Jones. The 1 -- 1 deadlock set up the deciding third game at the Polo Grounds on October 3. The game Team 5 6 7 8 9 Brooklyn 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 0 New York 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 8 0 WP : Larry Jansen ( 23 -- 11 ) LP : Ralph Branca ( 13 -- 12 ) Home runs : BKN : None NYG : Bobby Thomson ( 32 ) For game three, Sal Maglie was on the mound for New York, while Brooklyn called on Don Newcombe. In the first inning, Robinson singled in Pee Wee Reese for the game 's first run. A Giants rally in the second inning, initiated by Whitey Lockman 's single, fizzled when Thomson, trying to stretch a single into a double, failed to notice that Lockman had not advanced to third base, and was tagged out by Robinson. The score remained 1 -- 0 through the sixth inning. In the seventh inning, Irvin led off with a double for the Giants. He was bunted over to third, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Thomson, tying the score at one run each. In the top of the eighth, the Dodgers came back with three runs. With Reese and Duke Snider on third and first after back - to - back singles, a Maglie wild pitch allowed Reese to score and Snider to advance to second. Robinson was walked intentionally to set up a double play, but Pafko 's ground ball to third bounced off the heel of Thomson 's glove ; Snider scored and Robinson took third. Billy Cox added another single to score Robinson, making the score 4 -- 1 in favor of the Dodgers. Newcombe set down the Giants in order in the bottom of the eighth, while Larry Jansen did the same in relief of Maglie in the top of the ninth. Newcombe had pitched a complete game on September 29, four days earlier, in Philadelphia, followed by 52⁄3 innings in relief the following day during the last game of the regular season. According to some accounts, after eight innings on only two days ' rest he attempted to take himself out of the game, but Robinson demanded that he continue : `` You go out there and pitch until your arm falls off ! '' Newcombe himself insisted that he never asked to be relieved -- a version corroborated by Snider and Pafko. Giants shortstop Alvin Dark singled off Newcombe to start the bottom - ninth rally. At that point, the Dodgers made a crucial defensive mistake : With no outs, a runner on first, and a 3 - run lead, the normal strategy would be to position the infield for a possible double play ; but first baseman Gil Hodges played behind Dark -- apparently guarding against a highly unlikely steal attempt -- leaving a large gap on the right side of the infield. Don Mueller, batting left - handed, hit a single through that gap, advancing Dark from first to third. Instead of a rally - killing double play, the Dodgers found themselves facing the potential tying run at the plate with two runners on base, nobody out, and Irvin -- with 121 regular - season RBIs -- at bat ; but Newcombe got Irvin to chase an outside pitch and foul out to Hodges. ( Sportswriter Bud Greenspan and others have argued that, had the Dodger infield played Mueller at double - play depth, Irvin 's pop - up would in all likelihood have been the season - ending third out. ) Lockman followed with a double down the left field line, driving in Dark and advancing Mueller to third. Mueller slid awkwardly into the base, injuring his ankle, and was replaced by pinch runner Clint Hartung. With Thomson coming up, Dodgers manager Chuck Dressen finally pulled the exhausted Newcombe. In the bullpen, where Branca and Carl Erskine were warming up, coach Clyde Sukeforth noticed that Erskine -- who had been troubled by arm problems all season -- was bouncing his curve balls short of the plate, and advised Dressen to use Branca in relief. That decision has been continually second - guessed by fans, sportswriters, and baseball historians : Branca had lost six of his last seven decisions, and gave up a game - winning home run to Thomson in the first playoff game. Dressen 's options, however, were severely limited : the only other available pitchers with crucial - situation experience were Clyde King, who was sidelined with biceps tendonitis ; Preacher Roe, who was left - handed ; and Labine, who had pitched a complete game the day before. This was the second questionable decision that inning by Dressen. Thomson was now at bat, with first base open and Willie Mays ( soon to be named the NL Rookie of the Year ) on deck. Mays had gone 0 - for - 3 with two strikeouts against Branca in the first playoff game, but Dressen was unwilling to put the winning run on base, and worried that a veteran pinch hitter might be brought in to bat for Mays if he did so. In the third controversial decision, he elected to pitch to Thomson rather than walk him intentionally. Thomson later recalled that as he left the on - deck circle, Giants manager Leo Durocher turned to him and said, `` If you ever hit one, hit it now. '' Branca 's first pitch was a called strike on the inside corner. His second was a fastball high and inside, intended as a setup for his next, a breaking ball down and away ; but Thomson pulled the fastball down the left field line. The ball disappeared into the lower - deck stands near the left field foul line for a game - ending, three - run home run. Thomson ran the bases, then disappeared into a mob of jubilant teammates gathered at home plate. The stunned Dodger players began the long walk toward the visitors ' clubhouse under the center field bleachers ; Robinson turned to watch Thomson, making certain that he touched every base, before following his teammates off the field. Later, after the celebrations had calmed down, a delegation of Dodgers -- Reese, Snider, Roe, and Robinson -- visited the Giants ' locker room to offer their congratulations. `` I just want you to know that we did n't lose the pennant, '' Robinson told them. `` You guys won it. '' The broadcasts Several television and radio broadcasters captured the moment for baseball fans in the New York City area and nationwide. Russ Hodges The best known live description -- `` arguably the most famous call in sports '' -- was delivered by Russ Hodges, who was broadcasting the game on WMCA - AM radio for Giants fans. His call captured the suddenness and exultation of the home run : `` There 's a long drive... it 's gon na be, I believe... The Giants win the pennant ! The Giants win the pennant ! The Giants win the pennant ! The Giants win the pennant ! Bobby Thomson hits into the lower deck of the left - field stands ! The Giants win the pennant and they 're going crazy ! They 're going crazy ! I do n't believe it ! I do n't believe it ! I do not believe it ! Bobby Thomson hit a line drive into the lower deck of the left - field stands and this blame place is going crazy ! The Giants ! Horace Stoneham has got a winner ! The Giants won it by a score of 5 to 4, and they 're picking Bobby Thomson up, and carrying him off the field ! '' Broadcasts were not routinely taped in 1951, and no one at any of the local radio or television stations was recording the game. The WMCA call survives only because a Brooklyn - based fan named Lawrence Goldberg asked his mother to tape - record the last half - inning of the radio broadcast while he was at work. In later years, Hodges told interviewers that Goldberg was a Dodgers fan who made the tape `` so he could hear the voice of the Giants weep when Brooklyn won ''. In fact, Goldberg had been a Giants fan since childhood. Ernie Harwell Hodges ' broadcast partner, Ernie Harwell, called the game for the Giants ' television flagship WPIX ; the independent station 's broadcast was carried nationally on the NBC network, the first coast - to - coast live telecast of a Major League Baseball game. His description was not recorded ; he later recalled saying simply, `` It 's gone ! '' almost at the moment Thomson 's bat struck the ball -- and then watching in dismay as the ball began to sink. `` I said to myself, ' If that ball drops into Pafko 's glove, I 'm in deep trouble. ' '' As the ball disappeared into the lower deck, he recalled, no further commentary was necessary. `` The pictures took over. '' Red Barber Dodgers announcer Red Barber, calling the game for WMGM - AM radio, straightforwardly said, `` Branca pumps, delivers -- a curve, swung on and belted, deep shot to left field -- it is -- a home run ! And the New York Giants win the National League pennant and the Polo Grounds goes wild ! '' Barber was openly critical of Hodges ' famous call, labeling it `` unprofessional ''. Gordon McLendon Only local Giants fans heard the famous Hodges call live. Most listeners heard Gordon McLendon 's call on the Liberty Broadcasting System, which carried the game nationally. McLendon 's account ( complete with a similarly enthusiastic yell of `` The Giants win the pennant ! '' ) -- preserved on Harwell 's `` Audio Scrapbook '' -- remains the only professionally recorded broadcast account of the entire third game. Other The game was also called on radio by Al Helfer for the Mutual network, by Buck Canel and Felo Ramírez for a Spanish language network, and by Nat Allbright in a studio re-creation for the Dodgers ' secondary network in the South. Harry Caray, who had called St. Louis Cardinals games during the season, was in the WMCA booth with Hodges and may have also participated in broadcasting the game. Aftermath On October 4, the New York Daily News ran a front - page game recap under the headline, `` The Shot Heard ' Round the Baseball World ''. The phrase quickly spread to other media, and `` Shot Heard ' Round the World '' soon became the most popular epithet for Thomson 's homer. New York Herald Tribune sportswriter Red Smith titled his October 4 column `` The Miracle of Coogan 's Bluff '', and began it with what has been called `` the greatest lede ever written '' : Now it is done. Now the story ends. And there is no way to tell it. The art of fiction is dead. Reality has strangled invention. Only the utterly impossible, the inexpressibly fantastic, can ever be plausible again. The Giants lost the ensuing World Series to the Yankees in six games. Sukeforth resigned his position as bullpen coach in January 1952, after 19 years with the Dodgers. He denied that his role in the final inning of the Shot game had any bearing on his decision to leave. Some historians have since speculated otherwise, based on Dressen 's post-game reply to why he brought in Branca : `` Sukeforth said he was ready. '' Sukeforth told a journalist in 2000 -- the last year of his life -- that `` everybody knows the manager is responsible for decisions. '' He added, `` It did n't matter what anybody said... Branca was the only one who could come in when that big guy ( Newcombe ) could n't go any further. '' Individual recollections of Thomson 's home run continued to emerge decades after the event. In the 1990s, Thomson received a letter from a Marine who had been stationed in Korea in 1951 : `` I was in a bunker in the front line with my buddy listening to the radio. It was contrary to orders, but he was a Giants fanatic. He never made it home and I promised him if I ever got back I 'd write and tell you about the happiest moment of his life. It 's taken me this long to put my feelings into words. On behalf of my buddy, thanks, Bobby. '' In the fall of 2001, surviving members of the 1951 Giants and Dodgers, including Thomson and Branca, met at Coogan 's Bluff, overlooking the site of the long since demolished ballpark, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the game. Thomson 's baseball legacy rests almost completely on the Shot, despite his other notable accomplishments, such as eight 20 - home run seasons and three All Star selections. `` It was the best thing that ever happened to me '', he told a reporter toward the end of his life. `` It may have been the best thing that ever happened to anybody. '' Controversy In ensuing years, rumors began to circulate that during the second half of the 1951 season, the Giants engaged in the systematic stealing of signs -- the finger signals transmitted from catcher to pitcher that determine the pitch to be thrown. The Associated Press reported the rumor in 1962, but with no specifics, and based on an anonymous source. In 2001, many of the 21 Giants players still alive at the time, and one surviving coach, told the Wall Street Journal that beginning on July 20, the team used a telescope in the Giants clubhouse behind center field, manned by infielder Hank Schenz and later by coach Herman Franks, to steal the finger signals of opposing catchers. Stolen signs were relayed via a buzzer wire connected from the clubhouse to telephones in the Giants dugout and bullpen -- one buzz for a fastball, two for an off - speed pitch. `` Every hitter knew what was coming, '' said pitcher Al Gettel. `` Made a big difference. '' Joshua Prager, the author of the Journal article, outlined the evidence in greater detail in a 2006 book. Although backup catcher Sal Yvars told Prager that he relayed Rube Walker 's fastball sign to Thomson from the bullpen, Thomson repeatedly insisted that he was concentrating on the situation, and did not take the sign. Branca made no public comment at the time. `` I made a decision not to speak about it, '' he said. `` I did n't want to look like I was crying over spilled milk. '' Later he told The New York Times, `` I did n't want to diminish a legendary moment in baseball. And even if Bobby knew what was coming, he had to hit it... Knowing the pitch does n't always help. '' In another interview, Branca pointed out that luck and circumstance were involved as well ; had the coin toss gone the other way, Thomson 's Shot would not have been a home run at Ebbets Field -- nor would the game - winner he hit in the first playoff game have been a homer at the Polo Grounds. Whether the telescope - and - buzzer system contributed significantly to the Giants ' late - season 37 -- 7 win streak remains a subject of debate. Prager notes in his book that sign stealing was not specifically forbidden by MLB rules at the time and, moral issues aside, ``... has been a part of baseball since its inception ''. Sign stealing using optical or other mechanical aids was outlawed by MLB in 1961. Artifacts Some of the artifacts from the historic moment have been preserved. Thomson 's game bat and shoes are the centerpieces of an exhibit dedicated to the Shot at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. The exhibit is one of the Hall 's most popular attractions, according to curators. Thomson 's game jersey is most likely in the collection of Dan Scheinman, a collector who owns a small minority stake in the Giants. In 2005, he bought two 1951 jerseys -- one home and one road -- from Thomson, who told him that he had worn them in the World Series, but could not remember whether he had worn the home jersey for the Shot game. Scheinman has said that he is `` about 90 percent '' confident that the home jersey is indeed the one Thomson was wearing when he hit the Shot : The Giants almost certainly wore the same uniforms for the Series -- which began the day after the Shot game -- that they used during the second half of the season ( as did the Yankees ), and Scheinman 's jersey displays distinct puckering around the numbers, probably as a result of steam pressing, that is visible in photos of Thomson taken during and immediately after the Shot game. According to a professional textile conservator, such puckering can not be mimicked or reproduced, and would not repeat itself in exactly the same pattern on a different jersey. The location of the ball is unknown. Documentary filmmaker and author Brian Biegel attempted unsuccessfully to authenticate a vintage baseball, autographed by several 1951 Giants, that his father had purchased at a thrift store for four dollars, and believed to be Thomson 's home run ball. He chronicled the project in his 2011 book Miracle Ball, followed by a documentary film of the same name. Legacy The Shot game placed second on ESPN 's SportsCentury ranking of the Ten Greatest Games of the 20th Century, behind the 1958 NFL Championship Game. Sports Illustrated ranked Thomson 's home run fifteenth on its list of the 100 Greatest Moments in Sports History. References Jump up ^ Regan, Becky ( August 9, 2007 ). `` No. 756 takes Giants back to 1951 ''. MLB.com. ^ Jump up to : Smith, R. `` Miracle of Coogan 's Bluff ''. New York Herald Tribune, October 4, 1951, p. 1. Jump up ^ Concord Hymn by Ralph Waldo Emerson. poetryfoundation.org archive. Retrieved November 20, 2014. Jump up ^ `` 1951 The Shot Heard ' Round the World ''. thisgreatgame.com. Retrieved February 14, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Brooklyn Seeking Info On Opponent ''. Lawrence Journal - World. August 10, 1951. p. 10. Retrieved June 24, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Robinson Hits Homer, Keeps Team In Race ''. Daytona Beach Morning Journal. October 1, 1951. p. 1. Retrieved June 24, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Reds Defeat Polo Grounders, 3 -- 1, Routing Hearn in 3 - Run Eighth ''. The New York Times. September 21, 1951. p. 38. access - date = requires url = ( help ) Jump up ^ Reichler, Joe ( October 1, 1951 ). `` Larry Jansen Fires 3 -- 2 Win For Amazing Giants ''. Lewiston Daily Sun. p. 12. Retrieved June 24, 2012. ^ Jump up to : Fimrite, R. Side By Side. Sports Illustrated, September 16, 1991. Jump up ^ `` Giants Meet Brooklyn in 1st Playoff ''. Youngstown Vindicator. October 1, 1951. p. 1. Retrieved June 24, 2012. Jump up ^ `` October 1, 1951 : New York Giants at Brooklyn Dodgers Box Score and Play by Play ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 2, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Idle Yankees Watch Rivals Clash Today ''. The Altus Times - Democrat. Associated Press. October 2, 1951. p. 4. Retrieved August 2, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Sheldon Jones To Go Against Clem Labine ''. The Portsmouth Times. October 2, 1951. p. 1. Jump up ^ `` October 2, 1951 : Brooklyn Dodgers at New York Giants Box Score and Play by Play ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 2, 2012. Jump up ^ Reichler, Joe ( October 4, 1951 ). `` Maglie And Newcombe In Last Of Playoffs Today ''. Times Daily. p. 14. ^ Jump up to : `` Retrosheet Boxscore : New York Giants 5, Brooklyn Dodgers 4 ''. Retrosheet. Retrieved December 19, 2012. Jump up ^ `` October 3, 1951 : Brooklyn Dodgers at New York Giants Box Score and Play by Play ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 2, 2012. Jump up ^ Goldblatt, A. The Giants and the Dodgers : Four Cities, Two Teams, One Rivalry. McFarland ( 2003 ), pp. 110 -- 12. ISBN 0786416408 Jump up ^ Greenspan, B. Play It Again, Bud ! New York, Ballantine Books ( 1974 ), pp. 78 -- 83. ISBN 0345241967 Jump up ^ Goldblatt ( 2003 ), p. 114. Jump up ^ Goldblatt ( 2003 ), p. 115. Jump up ^ Regan, B. ( August 9, 2007 ). No. 756 takes Giants back to 1951. MLB.com archive. Retrieved November 20, 2014. Jump up ^ Bobby Thomson launches `` The Shot Heard ' Round The World '' & `` The Giants Win The Pennant ! '' ^ Jump up to : Halberstam, D. ( October 3, 2001 ). Called Shot May Have Set Tone for the Future. Los Angeles Times archive. Retrieved November 18, 2014. Jump up ^ `` The shot heard round the world ''. The History Channel. Retrieved November 19, 2015. ^ Jump up to : Sandomir, Richard ( October 1, 2001 ). `` THE SHOT HEARD ' ROUND THE WORLD ; A Call Is Born, And Saved By a Mom ''. The New York Times. Retrieved August 17, 2010. Jump up ^ Goldberg, Steve ( August 19, 2010 ). `` The man who taped baseball 's `` shot heard ' round the world '' ``. CNN.com. Retrieved August 21, 2010. Jump up ^ Longtime Tigers broadcaster Harwell dies at 92. ( May 4, 2010 ) Jump up ^ Ernie Harwell 's Audio Scrapbook Jump up ^ Prager, Joshua ( 2006 ). The Echoing Green. Pantheon Books. pp. 195 -- 196. ISBN 0 - 375 - 42154 - 8. Jump up ^ Heller, Dick ( March 10, 2003 ). `` Nat Allbright was the Dodgers to many fans in the ' 50s ''. Washington Times. Jump up ^ Prager ( 2006 ), p. 251 Jump up ^ Petchesky, Barry ( August 17, 2010 ). `` Stories That Do n't Suck : The Shot Heard ' Round The World And The Greatest Lede Ever Written ''. Deadspin.com. Jump up ^ 1951 World Series. Baseball Almanac, retrieved June 23, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Sukeforth Quits as Dodger Coach in Surprise Move. '' Nashua Telegraph, January 10, 1952. Retrieved March 7, 2014. Jump up ^ Greenspan, B. Play It Again, Bud ! New York, Ballantine Books ( 1974 ), p. 83. ISBN 0345241967 Jump up ^ `` Late Shot : Brooklyn Bullpen Coach Sukeforth May Not Have Deserved the Heat '' October 3, 2001. Los Angeles Times archive Retrieved March 7, 2014. Jump up ^ Bobby Thomson obituary ( August 19, 2010 ). telegraph.co.uk archive. Retrieved November 20, 2014. Jump up ^ Prager, Joshua Harris ( January 31, 2001 ). `` Inside Baseball : Giants ' 1951 Comeback, The Sport 's Greatest, Was n't All It Seemed ''. Wall Street Journal. p. A1. Jump up ^ Sports Illustrated, Volume 133, No. 24 ( December 27, 2010 ). Page 70. ^ Jump up to : Was the ' 51 Giants Comeback a Miracle, Or Did They Simply Steal the Pennant ? Wall Street Journal, January 31, 2001 ( behind subscription wall ), retrieved October 17, 2016. Jump up ^ Prager, Joshua : The Echoing Green : The Untold Story of Bobby Thomson, Ralph Branca and The Shot Heard Round the World. New York : Pantheon Books, 2006. ISBN 0375421548. ^ Jump up to : Sal Yvars Dies at 84 ; Revealed Baseball Scheme. New York Times ( December 11, 2008 ), retrieved October 17, 2016. Jump up ^ http://poststar.com/sports/f9840904-aa7a-11df-93d9-001cc4c03286.html Jump up ^ `` Bobby Thomson ''. The Daily Telegraph. London. August 19, 2010. Jump up ^ Prager ( 2006 ), p. 162 ^ Jump up to : Wilkie, Jim ( July 17, 2009 ). `` Passionate quest for ' Miracle Ball ' ''. ESPN.com. Retrieved September 23, 2011. ^ Jump up to : Lukas, Paul ( September 21, 2011 ). `` Did collector unearth Thomson history ? ''. Page 2. ESPN.com. Retrieved September 23, 2011. Jump up ^ MacCambridge, Michael ( ed. ). ESPN SportsCentury ( 1951 National League Playoff ). New York : Hyperion ESPN Books. p. 171. Jump up ^ The Shot Heard ' Round the World. si.com archive, retrieved April 7, 2016. Further reading Biegel, Brian, with Peter Thomas Fornatale. ( 2009 ). Miracle Ball : My Hunt for the Shot Heard ' Round the World. New York : Crown Publishing. ISBN 0 - 307 - 45268 - 9. Branca, Ralph, with David Ritz. ( 2011 ). A Moment in Time : An American Story of Baseball, Heartbreak, and Grace. New York : Scribner. ISBN 1 - 451 - 63687 - 3. Kahn, Roger. ( 1972 ). The Boys of Summer. New York : Harper & Row. ISBN 0 - 060 - 12239 - 0. Prager, Joshua. ( 2006 ). The Echoing Green : The Untold Story of Bobby Thomson, Ralph Branca and the Shot Heard Round the World. New York : Pantheon Books. ISBN 0 - 375 - 42154 - 8. Robinson, Ray. ( 2011 ). The Home Run Heard ' Round the World : The Dramatic Story of the 1951 Giants - Dodgers Pennant Race. Mineola, New York : Dover Publications. ISBN 0 - 486 - 48058 - 5. Thomson, Bobby, with Lee Heiman and Bill Gutman. ( 1991 ). `` The Giants Win the Pennant ! The Giants Win the Pennant ! '' : The Amazing 1951 National League Season and the Home Run that Won It All. New York : Zebra Books. ISBN 0 - 821 - 73437 - 7. External links Bobby Thomson 's pennant - winning home run 1951. According to the description at Cleveland Public Library 's site : `` 45 ? min., recorded on tape with Luke Sewell interview / Between 1973 and 1987 historian Eugene Converse Murdock interviewed 76 former baseball players in 22 states. Most had been active in the 1930 's. Murdock was chairman of the history department at Marietta College from 1972 until his retirement in 1986. The interviews were not professionally recorded, and the audio quality is variable. '' Box score at Baseball Almanac Box score at Retrosheet Links to related articles Los Angeles Dodgers Formerly the Brooklyn Robins and the Brooklyn Dodgers. Based in Los Angeles Franchise History in Brooklyn History in Los Angeles Seasons Award winners Records No - hitters Players First - round draft picks Managers Owners and executives Coaches Broadcasters Los Angeles Dodgers Radio Network SportsNet LA Hall of Famers Opening Day starting pitchers Ballparks Washington Park Eastern Park Ridgewood Park Washington Park Ebbets Field Roosevelt Stadium Proposed domed stadium Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Dodger Stadium Spring training : Whittington Park Majestic Park Barrs Field Tinker Field Clearwater Athletic Field City Island Ball Park Gran Stadium de La Habana Holman Stadium Camelback Ranch Culture and lore Dodger Dog Chronicle - Telegraph Cup This is Next Year The First Fernandomania Kirk Gibson Walk - Off Home Run Sandy Koufax 's Perfect Game Flag Burning Chavez Ravine Dodger Blue I Love L.A. Roy Campanella Award Historic Dodgertown 1946 NL tie - breaker series 1951 NL tie - breaker series `` Shot Heard ' Round the World '' 1959 NL tie - breaker series 1962 NL tie - breaker series 1980 NL West tie - breaker game Orel Hershiser 's scoreless innings streak Vin Scully Tommy Lasorda Nancy Bea Hilda Chester 2011 bankruptcy 42 Rivalries San Francisco Giants Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Subway Series / New York Yankees Hall of Fame members Walter Alston Roy Campanella Don Drysdale Leo Durocher Burleigh Grimes Willie Keeler Sandy Koufax Vin Scully Tommy Lasorda Walter O'Malley Pee Wee Reese Branch Rickey Jackie Robinson Wilbert Robinson Duke Snider Don Sutton Dazzy Vance Zack Wheat Key personnel Owner : Guggenheim Baseball Management President : Stan Kasten President of Baseball Operations : Andrew Friedman General Manager : Farhan Zaidi Manager : Dave Roberts World Series Championships ( 6 ) 1955 1959 1963 1965 1981 1988 League pennants ( 22 ) American Association : 1889 National League : 1890 1899 1900 1916 1920 1941 1947 1949 1952 1953 1955 1956 1959 1963 1965 1966 1977 1978 1981 1988 Division titles ( 14 ) 1977 1978 1981 ( first half ) 1985 1988 1995 2008 2009 2013 2014 2015 2016 Wild card berths ( 2 ) 2006 Minors AAA : Oklahoma City Dodgers AA : Tulsa Drillers A Adv. : Rancho Cucamonga Quakes A : Great Lakes Loons Rookie Adv. : Ogden Raptors Rookie : AZL Dodgers DSL Dodgers 1 DSL Dodgers 2 Minor League Rosters Seasons ( 134 ) 1880s 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890s 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900s 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910s 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920s 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930s 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940s 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950s 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960s 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970s 1970 1971 1972 1973 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980s 1980 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 1988 1989 1990s 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1997 1998 1999 2000s 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010s 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 San Francisco Giants Formerly the New York Gothams and the New York Giants Based in San Francisco, California ( Bay Area ) Franchise History in New York History in San Francisco Seasons Records No - hitters Players Managers Owners and executives Opening Day starting pitchers First - round draft picks Broadcasters Ballparks Polo Grounds Oakland Park St. George Grounds Hilltop Park Seals Stadium Candlestick Park AT&T Park Spring training Payne Park Flamingo Field LSU Varsity Baseball Field Al Lang Stadium Phoenix Municipal Stadium Scottsdale Stadium Culture and lore 1894 Temple Cup New York Brickley Giants Merkle 's Boner 1951 NL tie - breaker series `` Shot Heard ' Round the World '' The Catch Curse of Coogan 's Bluff 1962 NL tie - breaker series 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake White Flag Trade The Fan McCovey Cove Willie Mac Award Game 163 ( 1998 ) Do n't Stop Believin ' `` Lights '' ( Journey song ) The Franchise ( Showtime TV series ) Matt Cain 's perfect game 2014 NL Wild Card Game 2016 NL Wild Card Game KNBR Rivalries Los Angeles Dodgers Oakland Athletics Subway Series / New York Yankees Retired numbers NY NY 11 20 24 27 30 36 44 42 Pre-World Series Champions ( 2 ) 1888 1889 Temple Cup Champions ( 1 ) 1894 World Series Champions ( 8 ) 1905 1921 1922 1933 1954 2012 2014 National League Championships ( 23 ) 1888 1889 1904 1905 1911 1912 1913 1917 1921 1922 1923 1924 1933 1936 1937 1951 1954 1962 1989 2002 2012 2014 Division titles ( 8 ) 1971 1989 1997 2000 2003 2012 Wild card ( 3 ) 2002 2014 2016 Minor league affiliates AAA Sacramento River Cats AA Richmond Flying Squirrels A Adv. San Jose Giants Augusta GreenJackets Short A Salem - Keizer Volcanoes Rookie AZL Giants DSL Giants Seasons ( 135 ) 1880s 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890s 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900s 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910s 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920s 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930s 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940s 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950s 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960s 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970s 1970 1971 1972 1973 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980s 1980 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 1988 1989 1990s 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1997 1998 1999 2000s 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010s 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Major League Baseball on NBC Related programs Baseball Night in America ( 1994 -- 1995 ) Major League Baseball : An Inside Look ( 1979 -- 1989 ) Major League Baseball Game of the Week ( 1957 -- 1964 ; 1966 -- 1989 ) Major League Baseball on NBC Radio ( 1927 -- 1938 ; 1957 -- 1975 ) Monday Night Baseball ( 1967 -- 1975 ) Misc. programs Gillette Cavalcade of Sports USA Thursday Game of the Week ( 1979 -- 1983 ) Related articles The Baseball Network World Series television ratings Television contracts NBC 's owned & operated TV stations W2XBS ( later WNBT ) ( New York Yankees, 1939 -- 1945 ) WCAU 10 ( Philadelphia Phillies, 2014 -- present ) KCST 39 ( later KNSD ) ( San Diego Padres, 1971 -- 1972 ; 1984 -- 1986 ) KNTV 11 ( San Francisco Giants, 2008 -- present ) Comcast SportsNet Bay Area ( San Francisco Giants ) California ( Oakland Athletics ) Chicago ( Chicago Cubs & White Sox ) Philadelphia ( Philadelphia Phillies ) New York ( New York Mets ) Sponsors Ford Gillette National Bohemian Commentators The Baseball Network All - Star Game ALCS ALDS NLCS NLDS World Series Key figures Mel Allen Jim Britt Jack Buck Skip Caray Bob Carpenter Bob Costas Dick Enberg Bill Enis Joe Garagiola Curt Gowdy Greg Gumbel Merle Harmon Ernie Harwell Charlie Jones George Kell Jon Miller Monte Moore Bob Neal Lindsey Nelson Bill O'Donnell Jay Randolph Ted Robinson Vin Scully Jim Simpson Chuck Thompson Gary Thorne Pete van Wieren Bob Wolff Jim Woods Color commentators Sal Bando Bucky Dent Larry Dierker Don Drysdale Leo Durocher Joe Garagiola Ken Harrelson Fred Haney Tommy Hutton Jim Kaat Sandy Koufax Tony Kubek Ron Luciano John Lowenstein Mickey Mantle Tim McCarver Joe Morgan Bobby Murcer Wes Parker Pee Wee Reese Al Rosen Tom Seaver Mike Shannon Joe Torre Bob Uecker Bill Veeck Maury Wills Guest commentators Rick Dempsey Barry Larkin Ronald Reagan Mike Schmidt Don Sutton Bobby Valentine Hosts Mike Adamle Marv Albert Len Berman Jimmy Cefalo Gayle Gardner Bryant Gumbel Bill Macatee Keith Olbermann Ahmad Rashād Hannah Storm Field reporters Johnny Bench Jim Gray Jimmy Roberts Craig Sager Bob Wischusen Lore Regular season games # 715 ( 1974 ) `` The Sandberg Game '' ( 1984 ) Tie - breaker games 1951 National League tie - breaker series ( Games 2 - 3 ) 1962 National League tie - breaker series LCS games `` Go crazy folks ! '' ( 1985 ) Jeffrey Maier ( 1996 ) `` Grand Slam Single '' ( 1999 ) World Series games Subway Series `` The Catch ( 1954 ) '' Don Larsen 's Perfect Game ( 1956 ) `` Shoe polish incident '' ( 1969 ) `` Fisk Waves it Fair '' ( 1975 ) Michael Sergio ( 1986 ) `` It gets through Buckner ! '' ( 1986 ) Kirk Gibson 's home run ( 1988 ) All - Century Team ( 1999 ) Music `` Broken Wings '' `` Do n't Let Me Be Misunderstood '' `` Do n't Look in My Eyes '' `` Fame '' `` Limelight '' `` One Moment in Time '' `` The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of '' Instrumentals The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. `` Chase '' `` Do n't Turn Away '' `` Take Me Out to the Ball Game '' The Untouchables World Series 1947 ( Games 1 & 5 ) 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1995 ( Games 2 -- 3, & 6 ) 1997 1999 AL Championship 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1977 1979 1981 1985 1989 1995 ( Games 3 -- 6 ) 1998 2000 NL Championship 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1977 1979 1981 1985 1989 1995 ( Games 3 -- 4 ) 1997 1999 AL Division Series 1995 1997 1998 1999 2000 NL Division Series 1981 1995 1997 1998 1999 All - Star Game 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 : First -- Second 1960 : First -- Second 1961 : First -- Second 1962 : First -- Second 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1977 1979 1981 1985 1989 1994 1998 2000 Seasons Pre-Game of the Week 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 Game of the Week era 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 ( All - Star Game and World Series only ) 1966 ( exclusive coverage begins ) 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 1988 1989 The Baseball Network era 1994 1995 No regular season coverage 1997 1998 1999 2000 Major League Baseball on Mutual Related programs Major League Baseball Game of the Day Related articles Major League Baseball on the radio Commentators All - Star Game World Series Key figures Mel Allen Red Barber Buddy Blattner Jack Brickhouse Jim Britt Dizzy Dean Jimmy Dudley Don Dunphy Bob Elson Gene Elston Earl Gillespie Art Gleeson Gabriel Heatter Al Helfer Fred Hoey Waite Hoyt Gene Kirby France Laux Arch McDonald Bob Neal Van Patrick Bill Slater Bob Wolff Lore `` Slaughter 's Mad Dash '' ( 1946 ) `` Shot Heard ' Round the World '' ( 1951 ) `` The Catch '' ( 1954 ) All - Star Game 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 World Series 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 Major League Baseball on Liberty Related programs Major League Baseball Game of the Day Related articles Major League Baseball on the radio Key figures Buddy Blattner Jerry Doggett Gordon McLendon Lindsey Nelson Wes Wise Lore `` Shot Heard ' Round the World '' Major League Baseball tie - breaker games Three - game series 1946 NL 1951 NL 1959 NL 1962 NL Single game 1948 AL 1978 AL East 1980 NL West 1995 AL West 1998 NL Wild Card 1999 NL Wild Card 2007 NL Wild Card 2008 AL Central 2009 AL Central 2013 AL Wild Card Lore Shot Heard ' Round the World Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Shot_Heard_%27Round_the_World_(baseball)&oldid=801063627 '' Categories : New York Giants ( NL ) Brooklyn Dodgers 1951 Major League Baseball season Major League Baseball tie - breaker games 1951 in New York ( state ) 20th century in New York City October 1951 sports events Hidden categories : Pages using citations with accessdate and no URL Use mdy dates from December 2016 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 17 September 2017, at 12 : 42. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: where did the shot heard around the world happen
Answer: at the Polo Grounds in New York City