At the end of September 1951 the New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers were tied for the National League pennant resulting in a one game playoff at the New York Polo Grounds. In the bottom of the ninth inning with Brooklyn holding a slim lead, the Giants put on a rally. The Dodger manager at the time was Charlie Dressen and he called to his bullpen coach, Clyde Sukeforth, and Ralph Branca was selected to relieve the pitcher on that fateful day. The Giants' Bobby Thomson proceeded to hit Branca's pitch for the Home Run "heard around the world." When interviewed, Dressen could only say "Sukey said he was ready" - presumably laying the blame on his bullpen coach. Dressen's managerial reign in Brooklyn was brief - lasting only three years. His boss was Walter O'Malley whose practice was to grant only one year contracts. This grated Dressen's wife who nagged her husband to complain which probably hastened his departure for greener pastures.
tjs
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