Shot heard round the world

The teams split the first two games, leaving the third game to decide it all. With this winner take all game tied in the bottom of the ninth, solid hitting Bobby Thomson stepped up to the plate and corked a home run over the left field fence to clinch the game and a trip to the World Series. The home run is stunning and typifies the best of baseball, but the most memorable part of this episode is the Giants announcer yelling "The Giants win the penant! The Giants win the penant! The Giants win the penant! Bobby Thomson's hit a home run, and the Giants win the penant!!!" as he breaks down in tears.

A New York tabloid ran the game story with the headline "The Shot Heard Round the World".

For golf fans, the "shot heard round the world" is Gene Sarazen's double eagle on April 8, 1936 at the 1936 Masters. Sarazen holed a 235-yard shot with his 4-wood on the Par 5 15th hole at Augusta National.

Sarazen came to the 15th trailing by three strokes. He drove to about 230 yards from the green. His caddie suggested he use a 3-wood for his approach. Instead, Sarazen used his 4-wood, and without a practice swing, he struck the ball. The ball landed on a flat spot just beyond the water hazard, bounced onto the green, and veered right to left before finding the hole.

This incredible shot tied him with Craig Wood at six under par, forcing the Masters' only 36-hole playoff, which Sarazen won.

To this day, no one else has double eagled the 15th hole at Augusta in Tournament play.

Info from:
GolfWeb.com. "The Masters Tournament 70th Anniversary: 'Shot heard 'round the world.'" GolfWeb.com website <http://www.golfweb.com/tournaments/masters/story/8209495> (5 April 2005)