Shot heard round the world

In August of 1951 the Brooklyn Dodgers had a 13.5 game lead on their crosstown rivals the New York Giants. In a remarkable four week stretch the Giants closed the gap and finished the season tied with the Dodgers. Baseball rules at the time called for a three game playoff.

The teams split the first two games, leaving the third game to decide it all. With this winner take all game tied in the bottom of the ninth, solid hitting Bobby Thomson stepped up to the plate and corked a home run over the left field fence to clinch the game and a trip to the World Series. The home run is stunning and typifies the best of baseball, but the most memorable part of this episode is the Giants announcer yelling "The Giants win the penant! The Giants win the penant! The Giants win the penant! Bobby Thomson's hit a home run, and the Giants win the penant!!!" as he breaks down in tears.

A New York tabloid ran the game story with the headline "The Shot Heard Round the World".

The infamous "shot heard 'round the world" was traditionally, the shot that began the American Revolution. On April 19th, 1775, 70 men of the Lexington Militia met a force of several hundred British troops in an attempt to block their pass. Major John Pitcairn of the British army ordered the militia to lay down their arms. Faced with superior numbers, militia captain John Walker ordered his men to disperse, but they refused. The British then rushed onto the green, and a shot of unknown origin was fired. The British then fired two volleys and the militia responded. The skirmish ended with the deaths of 10 militia men and one British soldier.

For golf fans, the "shot heard round the world" is Gene Sarazen's double eagle on April 8, 1936 at the 1936 Masters. Sarazen holed a 235-yard shot with his 4-wood on the Par 5 15th hole at Augusta National.

Sarazen came to the 15th trailing by three strokes. He drove to about 230 yards from the green. His caddie suggested he use a 3-wood for his approach. Instead, Sarazen used his 4-wood, and without a practice swing, he struck the ball. The ball landed on a flat spot just beyond the water hazard, bounced onto the green, and veered right to left before finding the hole.

This incredible shot tied him with Craig Wood at six under par, forcing the Masters' only 36-hole playoff, which Sarazen won.

To this day, no one else has double eagled the 15th hole at Augusta in Tournament play.

Info from:
GolfWeb.com. "The Masters Tournament 70th Anniversary: 'Shot heard 'round the world.'" GolfWeb.com website <http://www.golfweb.com/tournaments/masters/story/8209495> (5 April 2005)