1951_New_York_Giants_(MLB)_season
1951 New York Giants (MLB) season
Major League Baseball team season
The 1951 New York Giants season was the franchise's 69th season and saw the Giants finish the regular season in a tie for first place in the National League with a record of 96 wins and 58 losses. This prompted a best-of-three National League tiebreaker against the Brooklyn Dodgers, which the Giants won in three games, clinched by Bobby Thomson's walk-off home run, a moment immortalized as the Shot Heard 'Round the World.[1] The Giants, however, lost the World Series to the New York Yankees in six games.
| 1951 New York Giants | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National League Champions | ||||
| League | National League | |||
| Ballpark | Polo Grounds | |||
| City | New York City | |||
| Owners | Horace Stoneham | |||
| General managers | Chub Feeney | |||
| Managers | Leo Durocher | |||
| Television | WPIX (Russ Hodges, Ernie Harwell) | |||
| Radio | WMCA (Russ Hodges, Ernie Harwell) | |||
| ||||
Spring training
The Giants had trained in Phoenix since 1947. In 1951, the team swapped spring training sites with the New York Yankees, with the Yankees moving to Phoenix and the Giants training at Al Lang Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. It was a one-year arrangement and the Giants would return to Phoenix in 1952.[2]
Notable transactions
- December 4, 1950: Tom Acker was drafted from the Giants by the Buffalo Bisons in the 1950 minor league draft.[3]
- Prior to 1951 season (exact date unknown)
- Dom Zanni was signed as an amateur free agent by the Giants.[4]
- Don Taussig was acquired by the Giants from the New York Yankees.[5]
Center fielder Willie Mays made his major league debut in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies on May 25.[6] He went on to win the 1951 National League Rookie of the Year Award.
Outfielder Monte Irvin led the league in RBI with 121. Five players on the 1951 Giants team went on to become major league managers.[7] Eddie Stanky (1952), Bill Rigney (1956), Alvin Dark (1961), Wes Westrum (1965) and Whitey Lockman (1972).[7]
In June, future NFL Hall of Famer Andy Robustelli was offered a tryout with the New York Giants. The Giants offered Robustelli a $400 contract to play with Class AA Knoxville.[8]
Opening Day lineup
Season standings
| National League | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Giants | 98 | 59 | 0.624 | — | 50–28 | 48–31 |
| Brooklyn Dodgers | 97 | 60 | 0.618 | 1 | 49–29 | 48–31 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 81 | 73 | 0.526 | 15½ | 44–34 | 37–39 |
| Boston Braves | 76 | 78 | 0.494 | 20½ | 42–35 | 34–43 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 73 | 81 | 0.474 | 23½ | 38–39 | 35–42 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 68 | 86 | 0.442 | 28½ | 35–42 | 33–44 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 64 | 90 | 0.416 | 32½ | 32–45 | 32–45 |
| Chicago Cubs | 62 | 92 | 0.403 | 34½ | 32–45 | 30–47 |
Record vs. opponents
Sources: | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | BOS | BR | CHC | CIN | NYG | PHI | PIT | STL | |||||
| Boston | — | 10–12–1 | 10–12 | 10–12 | 8–14 | 12–10 | 13–9 | 13–9 | |||||
| Brooklyn | 12–10–1 | — | 14–8 | 14–8 | 14–11 | 15–7 | 10–12 | 18–4 | |||||
| Chicago | 12–10 | 8–14 | — | 10–12 | 7–15 | 7–15 | 9–13 | 9–13–1 | |||||
| Cincinnati | 12–10 | 8–14 | 12–10 | — | 5–17 | 11–11 | 12–10–1 | 8–14 | |||||
| New York | 14–8 | 11–14 | 15–7 | 17–5 | — | 16–6 | 14–8 | 11–11 | |||||
| Philadelphia | 10–12 | 7–15 | 15–7 | 11–11 | 6–16 | — | 15–7 | 9–13 | |||||
| Pittsburgh | 9–13 | 12–10 | 13–9 | 10–12–1 | 8–14 | 7–15 | — | 5–17 | |||||
| St. Louis | 9–13 | 4–18 | 13–9–1 | 14–8 | 11–11 | 13–9 | 17–5 | — | |||||
The comeback
After a slow start, the team went 50–12 over their final 62 games to complete one of the biggest comebacks in major league history. Longstanding rumors that the Giants engaged in systematic sign stealing during the second half of the 1951 season were confirmed in 2001. Several players told The Wall Street Journal that beginning on July 20, the team used a telescope, manned by coach Herman Franks in the Giants clubhouse behind center field, to steal the finger signals of those opposing catchers who left their signs unprotected. Stolen signs were relayed to the Giants dugout via a buzzer wire.[9][10] Joshua Prager, the author of the Journal article, outlined the evidence in greater detail in a 2008 book.[11] He noted that sign stealing, then as now, is not specifically forbidden by MLB rules and, moral issues aside, "has been a part of baseball since its inception."[12]
The playoff
At the end of the season, they were tied with their arch-rivals, the Dodgers, for first place in the League, prompting a three-game playoff for the pennant. The Giants had home field advantage for the series.
Game 1
The first game of the series was played at Ebbets Field. Jim Hearn started for the Giants against Ralph Branca for the Dodgers. Monte Irvin and Bobby Thomson homered for the Giants, powering them to a 3–1 win. Andy Pafko hit a home run for the only Dodgers run.[13]
Game 2
The series moved to the Polo Grounds for game two. Sheldon Jones took the mound for the Giants against the Dodgers' Clem Labine. Jones was pulled in the third inning despite giving up just two runs, one of which was a Jackie Robinson homer. However, the game went downhill from there, as the Dodgers abused relievers George Spencer and Al Corwin for eight more runs, while Labine pitched a six-hit shutout for a 10–0 shellacking. Pafko hit his second homer of the series, while Gil Hodges and Rube Walker added home runs of their own.[14]
Game 3
Game three was also held at the Polo Grounds. Sal "The Barber" Maglie was on the mound for New York, while Brooklyn called on Don Newcombe. After Maglie walked two batters in the top of the first, Jackie Robinson singled home the game's first run. The score remained 1–0 until the bottom of the seventh. In that inning, Monte Irvin led off with a double for the Giants. He was bunted over to third, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Bobby Thomson.[15]
In the top of the eighth, the Dodgers came roaring back with three runs off Maglie. A pair of singles, a wild pitch, and two more singles made the score 4–1 Dodgers. Newcombe sat down the Giants in order in the bottom of the eighth, while Larry Jansen did the same in relief of Maglie.[15]
The "shot heard 'round the world"
In the bottom of the ninth, Alvin Dark led off with a single, and Don Mueller followed with another. After Monte Irvin popped out to first base, Whitey Lockman lined a double to left-center field, scoring Dark and putting Mueller on third. Dodger manager Chuck Dressen summoned game 1 starter Ralph Branca in to relieve Newcombe, despite having only had one day's rest. On his second pitch, Bobby Thomson drove a pitch to deep left field for a walk-off home run to clinch the pennant for the Giants.[15] This home run, hit at 3:58 p.m. EST on October 3, 1951, came to be known as the "Shot Heard 'Round the World".
The phrase shot heard 'round the world is from a classic poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson, originally used to refer to the first clash of the American Revolutionary War and since used to apply to other dramatic moments, military and otherwise. In the case of Thomson's home run, it was particularly apt as U.S. servicemen fighting in the Korean War listened to the radio broadcast of the game.
Thomson's homer, and the Giants' victory, are also sometimes known as the Miracle of Coogan's Bluff.
Line score
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 0 | |
| New York | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 0 | |
| WP: Larry Jansen (23–11) LP: Ralph Branca (13–12) | |||||||||||||
Roster
| 1951 New York Giants | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
Pitchers
|
Catchers
Infielders
|
Outfielders
Other batters
|
Manager
Coaches | ||||||
| = Indicates team leader |
Batting
Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Wes Westrum | 124 | 361 | 79 | .219 | 20 | 70 |
| 1B | Whitey Lockman | 153 | 614 | 173 | .282 | 12 | 73 |
| 2B | Eddie Stanky | 145 | 515 | 127 | .247 | 14 | 43 |
| 3B | Hank Thompson | 87 | 264 | 62 | .235 | 8 | 33 |
| SS | Alvin Dark | 156 | 646 | 196 | .303 | 14 | 69 |
| OF | Monte Irvin | 151 | 558 | 174 | .312 | 24 | 121 |
| OF | Willie Mays | 121 | 464 | 127 | .274 | 20 | 68 |
| OF | Don Mueller | 122 | 469 | 130 | .277 | 16 | 69 |
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bobby Thomson | 148 | 518 | 152 | .293 | 32 | 101 |
| Ray Noble | 55 | 141 | 33 | .234 | 5 | 26 |
| Bill Rigney | 44 | 69 | 16 | .232 | 4 | 9 |
| Davey Williams | 30 | 64 | 17 | .266 | 2 | 8 |
| Spider Jorgensen | 28 | 51 | 12 | .235 | 2 | 8 |
| Clint Hartung | 21 | 44 | 9 | .205 | 0 | 2 |
| Sal Yvars | 25 | 41 | 13 | .317 | 2 | 3 |
| Jack Lohrke | 23 | 40 | 8 | .200 | 1 | 3 |
| Artie Wilson | 19 | 22 | 4 | .182 | 0 | 1 |
| Jack Maguire | 16 | 20 | 8 | .400 | 1 | 4 |
| Earl Rapp | 13 | 11 | 1 | .091 | 0 | 1 |
| Hank Schenz | 8 | 0 | 0 | ---- | 0 | 0 |
Pitching
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sal Maglie | 42 | 298.0 | 23 | 6 | 2.93 | 146 |
| Larry Jansen | 39 | 278.2 | 23 | 11 | 3.04 | 145 |
| Jim Hearn | 34 | 211.1 | 17 | 9 | 3.62 | 66 |
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dave Koslo | 39 | 149.2 | 10 | 9 | 3.31 | 54 |
| Sheldon Jones | 41 | 120.1 | 6 | 11 | 4.26 | 58 |
| Al Corwin | 15 | 59.0 | 5 | 1 | 3.66 | 30 |
| Roger Bowman | 9 | 26.1 | 2 | 4 | 6.15 | 24 |
| Jack Kramer | 4 | 4.2 | 0 | 0 | 15.43 | 2 |
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Spencer | 57 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 3.75 | 36 |
| Al Gettel | 30 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4.87 | 36 |
| Monty Kennedy | 29 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2.25 | 22 |
| Alex Konikowski | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 5 |
| George Bamberger | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18.00 | 1 |
| Red Hardy | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.75 | 0 |
Game 1
October 4, 1951, at Yankee Stadium in New York City
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York (N) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 1 |
| New York (A) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 1 |
| W: Dave Koslo (1–0) L: Allie Reynolds (0–1) | ||||||||||||
| HR: NYG – Alvin Dark (1) | ||||||||||||
Game 2
October 5, 1951, at Yankee Stadium in New York City
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York (N) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
| New York (A) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | x | 3 | 6 | 0 |
| W: Ed Lopat (1–0) L: Larry Jansen (0–1) | ||||||||||||
| HR: NYY – Joe Collins (1) | ||||||||||||
Game 3
October 6, 1951, at the Polo Grounds in, New York City
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York (A) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 2 |
| New York (N) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | x | 6 | 7 | 2 |
| W: Jim Hearn (1–0) L: Vic Raschi (0–1) | ||||||||||||
| HR: NYY – Gene Woodling (1) NYG – Whitey Lockman (1) | ||||||||||||
Game 4
October 8, 1951, at the Polo Grounds in, New York City
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York (A) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 12 | 0 |
| New York (N) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 2 |
| W: Allie Reynolds (1–1) L: Sal Maglie (0–1) | ||||||||||||
| HR: NYY – Joe DiMaggio (1) | ||||||||||||
Game 5
October 9, 1951, at the Polo Grounds in New York City
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York (A) | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 12 | 1 |
| New York (N) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 |
| W: Ed Lopat (2–0) L: Larry Jansen (0–2) | ||||||||||||
| HR: NYY – Gil McDougald (1), Phil Rizzuto (1) | ||||||||||||
Game 6
October 10, 1951, at Yankee Stadium in New York City
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York (N) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 1 |
| New York (A) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | x | 4 | 7 | 0 |
| W: Vic Raschi (1–1) L: Dave Koslo (1-1) S: Bob Kuzava (1) | ||||||||||||
- Willie Mays: National League Rookie of the Year
| Level | Team | League | Manager |
|---|---|---|---|
| AAA | Minneapolis Millers | American Association | Tommy Heath |
| AAA | Ottawa Giants | International League | Hugh Poland |
| A | Jacksonville Tars | Sally League | Ben Geraghty |
| A | Sioux City Soos | Western League | Frank Genovese |
| B | Sunbury Giants | Interstate League | Charlie Fox |
| B | Knoxville Smokies | Tri-State League | Jack Aragón |
| C | St. Cloud Rox | Northern League | Harold Kollar |
| C | Idaho Falls Russets | Pioneer League | Red Jessen |
| C | Muskogee Giants | Western Association | Hal Bamberger |
| D | Bristol Twins | Appalachian League | Russ Wein |
| D | Sanford Giants | Florida State League | Richie Klaus |
| D | Springfield Giants | Ohio–Indiana League | Andy Gilbert |
| D | Lawton Giants | Sooner State League | Ray Baker |
| D | Lenoir Red Sox | Western Carolina League | Claude Jonnard, Okey Flowers and John Olsen |
| D | Oshkosh Giants | Wisconsin State League | Dave Garcia |
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Sioux City[16]
- "1951 The Shot Heard 'Round the World". thisgreatgame.com. Retrieved February 14, 2015.
- "Major Leaguers to Start Spring training Feb. 20". The Evening Independent. January 19, 1951. p. 14. Archived from the original on July 13, 2012. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
- Don Taussig at Baseball-Reference
- Willie Mays at Baseball-Reference
- Peterson, Armand. "The Baseball Biography Project: Wes Westrum". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
- Giants Among Men, Jack Cavanaugh, p.7, 2008, Random House, ISBN 978-1-4000-6717-6
- Prager, Joshua (January 31, 2001). "Inside Baseball: Giants' 1951 Comeback, The Sport's Greatest, Wasn't All It Seemed". The Wall Street Journal.
- "ESPN Classic – Hitters knew pitches in stretch drive". ESPN. February 1, 2001. Archived from the original on January 23, 2018. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
- Prager, Joshua: The Echoing Green: The Untold Story of Bobby Thomson, Ralph Branca and The Shot Heard Round the World. New York: Vintage Books, 2008. ISBN 0375713077.
- Prager (2006), p. 162
- Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, ed., The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, 2nd and 3rd editions. Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America, 1997 and 2007
- 1951 New York Giants team at Baseball-Reference
- 1951 New York Giants team at Baseball Almanac