INTRODUCING RAY SAVAGE AND "THE SHOT HEARD ROUND THE WORLD"

My first read each morning is Mack’s Mets.  Sometimes I feel compelled to share my contrarian views and I have posted comments under rds900.  However, I have a longing to share my thoughts on all things Mets and asked if I could become a writer for Mack’s Mets.  My goal is to provide unbiased opinions on the hot issues involving the Mets and to inspire reasonable discussions.

My name is Ray Savage and I will be hitting my 80^th birthday in December.  Grew up in Greenpoint as an avid Dodger fan, with Gil Hodges as my favorite player.  My second favorite team was anyone who played the Yankees.  I happily jumped aboard the Mets bandwagon when they entered the league in 1962.

When I retired 12 years ago, my wife and I moved to New Bern, NC.  Prior to that we lived in Franklin Lakes, NJ for 35 years.  Willie Randolph lived not too far away. 

I would like to share my story about attending one of the most important baseball games of the 20^th century.

It was a little more than 69 years ago that my life was upended for good.  It was a typical fall afternoon, that Wednesday, October 3^rd 1951.   I was sitting in the right field grand stands at the Polo Grounds.   This was an event that never should have happened.

The Brooklyn Dodgers, under Charlie Dressen, managed to surrender the13 ½ game lead they held in mid-August which forced a three game playoff with the New York Giants.  The first game was at Ebbets Field and the Giants won by a score of 3-1.  What people tend to forget is that the losing pitcher was Ralph Branca with Bobby Thomson hitting the decisive 2 run homerun?  What I remember is that Thomson owned Branca.  Also, Branca had a terrible couple of months coming into these playoffs.

Game 2 moved to the Polo Grounds and this time the Dodgers prevailed 10-0 with Clem Labine pitching the shutout.  I remember Rube Walker hitting a home run and Gil Hodges hit # 40. 

The final playoff game was at the Polo Grounds.  I was ten years old at the time and I believe I came out of the womb a Dodger fan.  What a team these Bums were.  Robinson, Campanella, Furillo, Reese, Snyder, Hodges, Newcombe, Erskine and more.  I had forgotten that Andy Pafko hit 30 homers for the ‘51 team.  I was a huge Gil Hodges fan and still cannot understand why he is not in the Hall of Fame.

I was in the fifth grade at St. Stanislaus in Greenpoint.   I decided to play hooky on this fine day.  Initially thought the game was being played at Ebbets Field and took the bus there.  Unfortunately, I found out that I was at the wrong venue.  Even at ten years old, I knew my way around the city.  I was able to catch a train to the Polo Grounds.  I got there shortly before the game was scheduled to begin.  The price of a grandstand ticket was $1.25 and I found myself short of funds.  As I stood outside the ballpark, I put my hand out to raise the 25 cents needed.  The first person I hailed initially turned me down and then came back and gave me a quarter. 

My grandstand ticket got me a seat in right field.  I was one of 34,320 to attend the game.  Don Newcombe vs Sal “The Barber” Maglie.   It was a perfectly enjoyable game with the Dodgers leading 4-1 going into the bottom of the ninth and then the bottom fell out.  Newcombe runs out of steam and there’s a call to the bullpen.  I remember saying to myself.   “Anybody but Branca, Anybody but Branca”.   Dressen, of course brings in Branca to face Thomson and the rest is history. 

“The shot heard round the world” certainly took the stuffing out of me.  My best friend was a Giants fan and I dreaded having to face him.

Ironically, had the Giants simply beaten the Dodgers in any other manner, Branca and Thomson would have been relatively anonymous players.  Instead, their celebrity probably earned them more money than they made during their baseball careers.

I wonder how many of us who were in the ballpark that day (other than Mays and Erskine) are still around?