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Four seasons later, Robinson’s Dodgers had a healthy lead late in the 1951 season. The 13 ½-game cushion over their National League rival New York Giants seemed insurmountable. The Giants, however, found their stride in the final 44 games, winning 37 of them to tie the Dodgers on the last day of the season. The Shot Heard ’Round theWorld

A best-of-three playoff between the two teams came down to game three. In the first major sporting event ever to be televised nationally, things again looked bleak for the Giants. New York trailed 4–1 in the bottom of the ninth. The Giants managed to string together three hits to make the score 4–2 with two runners on base. Giants’ outfielder Bobby Thomson strode to the plate to face relief pitcher Ralph Branca. Thomson watched the first two pitches before driving Branca’s 1-1 offering into the left-field seats for the pennant- winning shot heard ’round the world.

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