Today marks the 61st anniversary of Bobby Thompson of the Giants connecting on a three run homer off the Dodgers' Ralph Branca. The homer won the National League Pennant for Thompson's club over their heated rivals and sent radio commentator Russ Hodges off the deep end with his crazed, repeated shouting of "The Giants win the pennant!" The dinger became known as "The Shot Heard 'Round the World" and is one of the most memorable moments in baseball history.
A famous event that should be remembered in the annals of baseball, but I remember it for a reason off the field. Obviously as a Giants fan I love that we beat the Dodgers, but I remember the event for what happened next. Thompson and Branca became great friends. Their names would forever be linked by history, but they put their team loyalties aside and spent many years even making appearances together.
The Giants/Dodgers rivalry is arguably the most heated and bitter rivalry in sports (with honorable mentions to Yankees/Sox, Lakers/Celtics, and Packers/Bears). Players for both teams were expected to hate each other which makes the Thompson/Branca friendship all that more special. It reminds me of the relationship I have with my best friend.
My friend and I are on opposite sides of this same line, he being a die hard Dodger supporter. We are constantly sending barbs back and forth, whether baseball is in season or not. We have the argument over who had the greater players. We argue about his team not winning a ring since 1988 and my team finally winning their first ring in San Francisco in 2010. I'm sure the rivalry will even get passed on to our sons who are only a month apart in age.
Even with our rivalry, he is my closest friend. We do life together. We not only talk about sports, but our kids, our wives, our jobs, what the future holds, etc. And in baseball, our similarities and agreements far outweigh our disagreements. Mickey Mantle is our favorite player. We agree with Crash Davis that astro turf should be outlawed. We think that the National League is where real baseball is played and that it takes more managerial skill without the DH. Even our all-time lineups are similar: Gehrig at first, Hornsby at second, Wagner at short, etc.
Raise your hand if you have been guilty of using this sentence: "I hate (insert team) fans." I did. For the longest time, I would use this sentence to refer to Dodger fans and Red Sox fans. The reason I stopped was because of a trip to Fenway Park that was one of the greatest experiences I've had in baseball.
I share this story to hopefully bring baseball fans together. Stop the hate (ok, cheesy civil rights reference, but you get my point). Baseball is a great game that should be enjoyed regardless of where our loyalties lie. I pick a team to root for in the World Series every year, whether or not my team is in it. Some may argue that I'm not a true fan because of this, but I don't care. I love baseball and will choose to enjoy it no matter who is playing.
