BRANCA VS.

THOMSON, ROUND 1
October 1, 1951
New York Giants 3, Brooklyn Dodgers 1 | Game One National League Playoff
by Andrew Milner

A t 9:30 on the evening of September 30, 1951,

the New York Giants, having clinched a tie
for the National League pennant that afternoon
Sunday evening’s game, giving up two runs in
1⅓ innings. From August 12, when the Giants’
comeback started, Hearn had a 7-2 record, while
in Boston by winning their seventh straight game, Branca went 3-9.4
arrived at Grand Central Station to a welcoming Thirteen-year-old Dodger fan Sheldon
crowd of approximately 2,500. Forty minutes Goodman got the festivities started in Brooklyn
earlier the Brooklyn Dodgers, who salvaged a overnight by scaling the Ebbets Field fence and
tie for first on the strength of Jackie Robinson’s evading the Dodger security.5 Then, “(t)he girl at
14th-inning home run at Shibe Park, returned to the switchboard downstairs said she had to fight
an estimated 11,000 at Penn Station. A three-game her way through a mob to get into the park at
playoff would begin the next afternoon at Ebbets 7:45 a.m.”6 Things grew only more hectic later
Field. “It’s a new season,” Giants vice president that morning: “Up McKeever Place, down
Chub Feeney said. “We eliminated six teams and Sullivan Place and along Bedford Ave. the fans
now we play for the championship. Just like hockey pushed and pulled in the obviously doomed
and basketball.”1 attempt to squeeze what some estimated to be
Giants manager Leo Durocher chose sinker- 50,000 persons into a ball park designed for fewer
baller Jim Hearn as his starting pitcher for Game than 35,000. Within two hours after tickets went
One, adding, “I’ll have everybody in the bullpen on sale at 9 A.M., all 17,400 reserved seats were
today except Sal Maglie and Larry Jansen.”2 sold out.”7 One Dodger rooter from Youngstown,
Durocher’s rival manager, Charlie Dressen, chose Ohio, said, “Me, I’m the only Dodger fan in
between youth and age: “It might have been Clem town, in the county. Why? Guess it’s them
Labine, the youngster, but in the clutch Dressen (Red) Barber and (Connie) Desmond fellas.
preferred (Ralph) Branca’s experience,” observed They won me over.” A Giant fan in line pro-
a sportswriter.3 Branca had already pitched in claimed, “All year I’ve been taking a beating, but

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 EBBETS FIELD

today is my day. We’ll take them in two straight. Lockman flied to center, third baseman Bobby
Then Yankees – look out!”8 Thomson came to bat. In John Drebinger’s
The Ebbets Field crowd of 30,707 included words, “Thomson arched a powerful drive into
General and Mrs. Douglas MacArthur, five the left-field stand and though it was a beautiful
months after returning to the United States from Indian summer afternoon the Flatbush horde was
Asia. The five-star general, who had attended plunged into gloom deeper than a moonless night
Yankee, Giant and Dodger games throughout the on the Gowanus.”13
1951 campaign, said, “I have shooed three teams Thomson, Frank Conniff declared in the
along this year and here they are all under the following afternoon’s Journal-American, “has
wire. I can’t lose.“9 suddenly smelled money, or been bowled over by
New Yorkers unable to get a ticket could the idea that he can become a big wheel around
watch the game on WOR-TV, while fans across this town, or been hit over the head by some
the United States could watch on the NBC occult occurrence that finally opened the way
network in a TV milestone. Twelve years after to greatness for him.”14
the first major-league baseball game was The Giants extended their lead in the eighth,
telecast from Ebbets Field, the Dodgers’ ball- when Irvin led off with a home run to left, his
park hosted the first coast-to-coast network 24th of the year and his league-leading 121st
baseball broadcast as microwave relay and RBI. When Lockman then reached second on
coaxial cables transmitted the first playoff game center fielder Duke Snider’s error, the Giants
over the NBC network. “Some of the local threatened to break the game open, but Branca
frenzy over the Dodger-Giant play-off may got out of the eighth without giving up another
rub off on the rest of the country,” the Herald run. The Giants clearly had Branca’s num-
Tribune predicted.10 ber, however – they’d hit 10 of the 18 home
Prior to the game, the Dodgers physician runs Branca had surrendered to that point in
injected Roy Campanella’s right thigh muscle 1951. After Bud Podbielan relieved him in
with Novocain. The Brooklyn catcher had injured the ninth, Branca “wandered about the locker
it during the Phillies game and, according to the room avoiding the waiting newspaper men
Daily News, was“limping at a crab’s pace.”11 and muttering to himself, ‘(O)ne pitch, just
Robinson, in honor of his previous evening’s one pitch.’”15
performance in Philadelphia, received an ovation Hearn held the Dodgers hitless for the final
from the Ebbets Field crowd when he stepped to 4⅓ innings, striking out five and walking two
the plate with two outs in the first – and, when over the course of the game. He was assisted by
Pee Wee Reese ended the frame by being caught the Giants defense, which pulled off four double
stealing, was given a second ovation when he plays in the final six innings. “Jim Hearn, whose
walked to the plate to complete his at-bat to open pitching used to be considered by the Dodgers
the bottom of the second.12 pretty much in the nature of an extension of
The Dodgers got on the board two batters batting practice, came back (Monday) to practice
later, with left fielder Andy Pafko’s two-out solo a bit of five-hit necromancy,” wrote the Herald
home run into the lower left-field stands. It was Tribune’s Harold Rosenthal.16
Pafko’s 17th home run for the Dodgers since Giants coach Herman Franks declared, “For
being traded from the Cubs on June 15. the first time this year, we came through these
With one out in the top of the fourth, Branca doors to play the Dodgers confident of winning.
hit Monte Irvin with a pitch. After Whitey Now we got ’em locked up. They’re dead.”17

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 Gr ea t , His t or ic , and Memor able Games in Br ook l y n’s L os t Ballpar k

A Brooklyn bus driver said the following NO T E S

morning, “That loss yesterday was just to lull
the Giants into a feeling of over-confidence, false 1 Lou Miller, “Giants Over the Shock of That Brook Recov-
ery,” New York World Telegram & Sun, October 1, 1951:
security. We got them just where we want them.” 19.
When a Giants fan on the bus replied that the
2 Leonard Shecter, “But Lippy Always Has That Maglie!”
Dodgers “shoulda stood in Philadelphia,” the New York Post, October 1, 1951: 35.
driver snapped, “You subversive!”18 3 Al Buck, “Giants 6 to 5 Choice in Playoff,” New York Post,
October 1, 1951: 36.

S OUR CE S 4 Baseball-reference.com 1951 season game log pages

for Jim Hearn and Ralph Branca.

In addition to the sources cited in the Notes, the author 5 “Fan, 13, Hoists First One Over Ebbets Fence,” New York
also consulted Baseball-Reference.com. World Telegram & Sun, October 1, 1951.
6 Bill Roeder, “MVP Candidates Out in Open; Playoff Is
Their Election Day,” New York World Telegram & Sun,
October 1, 1951: 18.
7 Julian Fox and Richard J. Roth, “50,000 Mount Big Push
for 35,000 Seats,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle, October 1,
1951: 1.
8 “Faithful Smash Gates in Ticket Run,” New York World
Telegram & Sun, October 1, 1951: 2.
9 Barney Kremenko, “Reese Happy to Delay Trip to Old
Ky. Home,” New York Journal-American, October 1,
1951: 18.
10 “Playoffs Seen on TV 1st Time Coast-Coast,” New York
Herald Tribune, October 2, 1951: 23.
11 Dick Young, “Hearn’s 5-Hitter Chills Dodgers, 3-1,” New
York Daily News, October 2, 1951: 52.
12 Al Laney, “What World Series? Flathush Concerned Only
with Giants,” New York Herald Tribune, October 2, 1951:
24.
13 John Drebinger, “Giant Homers Win from Dodgers, 3-1,”
New York Times, October 2, 1951: 32.
14 Frank Conniff, “Robert Thomson Sees the Light,” New
York Journal-American, October 2, 1951: 19.
15 Ed Sinclair, “Dodger Clubhouse So Quiet One Could Hear
Branca Pound Wall,” New York Herald Tribune, October
2, 1951: 24.
16 Harold Rosenthal, “Giants Beat Dodgers, 3-1, on Home
Runs by Thomson and Irvin in First Play-Off,” New York
Herald Tribune, October 2, 1951: 1.
17 Rud Rennie, “Giants Happy and Confident After Open-
ing Victory Over Dodgers in Play-Off Series,” New York
Herald Tribune, October 2, 1951: 24.
18 J.F. Wilkinson, “Loyal Fans Explain That Loss: “IF–!”
Brooklyn Daily Eagle, October 2, 1951: 3.

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