"THE SHOT HEARD AROUND THE WORLD"

For the 1951 Bobby Thomson "Shot Heard 'Round the World" display (42 x 35 inches) Thomson himself is the center of attention In his baseball career, Bobby Thomson had the dubious distinction of playing well enough to start on nearly any team in major league baseball, that is, unless the impossible happened. And for Thomson, it did happen. He was a starter on the New York Giants, only to be made expendable by the coming and blossoming of future Hall of Famer Willie Mays. He was then traded to the Milwaukee Braves, where he was again a starter, only to be made expendable by the blossoming of Hall of Famer and Home Run King Hank Aaron. A few more seasons as a journeyman, and Thomson's career was over. But he did have one unforgettable moment in the sun.

In the 1951 season, the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants played to a dead heat at the end of the regular season. As a result, a 3-game playoff was needed to determine which team would go on to play the vaunted New York Yankees in the World Series. With the playoff tied at 1 game apiece, Thomson stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the 9th inning of game 3, with the Giants losing by 2 runs and 1 out already registered. The Dodgers countered by bringing in Ralph Branca from the bullpen. Thomson then went on to hit Branca's second pitch into the stands for a game ending, playoff ending 3-run home run. The hit became known as the "Shot Heard 'Round the World", and made Bobby Thomson's name into a household word, which, nearly 60 years later, it still is.

This display features one of the rarest of all baseball items, an actual ticket stub to Thomson's history making game. Additionally, this piece also contains the almost never seen actual LP record (remember those?) still in its original jacket, featuring Giants announcer Russ Hodges calling the action as Thomson sent the Dodgers home empty handed-"THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT!! THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT!!. Two original wire photos of Thomson celebrating with Giants manager Leo Durocher and waving to an adoring crowd add to the aura of this display, and a modern photo of the home run being hit, signed by Thomson and Branca make the event come alive. A pennant from the Polo Grounds during that time period, and a pin, plus a program of the type used for that game, also signed by Thomson and Branca bring the dimension of the fan into the art as well. A descriptive plaque ties the entire collection together.

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