The Shot Heard 'Round the World (1974)

Lore & Background

The dramatic victory was intensified by the cross-town rivalry between the Giants and Dodgers and by a remarkable string of victories in the last weeks of the regular season by the Giants, who won 37 of their last 44 games to catch the first-place Dodgers and force a playoff series. The Giants' late-season rally and 2-to-1-game playoff victory, capped by Thomson's home run, are collectively known as 'The Miracle of Coogan's Bluff.'

Reader's Guide

The game was seen by millions of viewers across America and heard on radio by millions more, including thousands of American servicemen stationed in Korea listening on Armed Forces Radio.

Did You Know?

• The phrase 'shot heard round the world' is from the 1837 poem 'Concord Hymn' by Ralph Waldo Emerson.
• Thomson's home run came in the ninth inning of the decisive third game of a three-game playoff for the pennant, with the Giants trailing 4–2 and two runners on base.
• Dodgers manager Chuck Dressen elected to pitch to Thomson rather than walk him intentionally, a decision that has been second-guessed.