Flashback: Bobby Thomson helps Giants win the pennant
When a home run is commonly known by a nickname, you know it was huge.
This one is known simply as "The Shot Heard 'Round the World" -- and it is arguably the most famous homer in major-league history.
On Oct. 3, 1951, New York Giants slugger Bobby Thomson hit a walk-off, three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to beat the Brooklyn Dodgers and clinch the NL pennant.
Thomson's homer capped a remarkable late-season surge for the Giants, who trailed the Dodgers by 13 ½ games in mid-August. They went 37-7 down the stretch, including a 16-game winning streak, to catch the Dodgers and force a best-of-three playoff. The teams split the first two games, and Brooklyn led 4-1 in the ninth inning of the decisive Game 3. But with the score 4-2, Thomson connected off reliever Ralph Branca for the win.
Giants radio broadcaster Russ Hodges then delivered the famous, "The Giants win the pennant!" line.
