1951 "Shot Heard 'Round the World" Game Scorecard
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GUEST:
This is the original official scorecard from the Shot Heard 'Round the World, the Bobby Thomson home run, in the third game of the playoffs of the Subway Series between the Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1951. My dad had been a member of the press corps, and he was in the press booth when the game was being called and announced, when "all bedlam broke out," as he described it. Somehow he ended up with the official scorecard. He actually got, had both of them. One he donated back to the Dodgers, and this one he kept because Thomson's at-bat was never filled in, because all bedlam broke out in the booth.
APPRAISER:
(chuckling): Tell us what happened in the bottom of the ninth, as shown in this photo that culminates all the action.
GUEST:
It's the bottom of the ninth and the winner of this takes it all. So the score now is New York Dodgers four, New York Giants two. Bobby Thomson gets up. Second pitch, high and inside. But Thomson takes it anyway and whacks it right into the left field lower l... bleachers, hitting a, a three-run homer, bringing himself, the winning run, home. It's for the Giants to win the pennant. And the most famous moment was, the announcers, all of the announcers, are all screaming, "The Giants win the pennant. The Giants win the pennant. The Giants win the pennant."
APPRAISER:
So this shot shows Thomson actually hitting the home run off of Ralph Branca. What you've brought in represents one of the greatest moments in sports history. In fact, ESPN has ranked this game as number two on the all-time great games of the 20th century. We've got the Giants and the Dodgers. They're the pure crosstown rivals. And it's one of the greatest rivalries in sports. There are a number of important signatures on this score card, including several of the Giants team that played that day. We have the Hall-of-Famer Monte Irvin, the great outfielder. Then, of course, Bobby Thomson, who hit the Shot Heard Around the World. And then we've got Wes Westrum, was the catcher that day, but then we have Willie Mays, who was just a rookie that year. We have two major broadcasters who are famous for that day. We have Ernie Harwell, and down here, we have Russ Hodges. His call is the best-known because it's the only one that's ever survived. Part of it has, is charm because we understand why it was never filled out. On the other hand, you'd like to see an official scorecard completely filled out. But looking at the provenance, I'm overlooking that. There's two that exist: one is in the Dodgers Hall of Fame, correct? In the Dodgers Museum. This is the only other official that exists, and I believe this is the only one that's signed by all these folks, or was the... So the other one was not signed.
GUEST:
No, they, they were not signed.
APPRAISER:
I would put an insurance value, at least $20,000 to $25,000.
GUEST:
Okay, cool. Dad would be shocked and thrilled. My wife is going to say, "We can pay tuition with that!" That's not happening. (both laughing)
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