1951 Brooklyn Dodgers season


The 1951 Brooklyn Dodgers led the National League for much of the season, holding a 13-game lead as late as August. However, a late season swoon and a hot streak by the New York Giants led to a classic three-game playoff series. Bobby Thomson's dramatic ninth-inning home run off Dodger reliever Ralph Branca in the final game won the pennant for the Giants and was immortalized as the Shot Heard 'Round the World.

Offseason

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Opening Day lineup

Notable transactions

Player stats

Batting

Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
PosPlayerGABHAvg.HRRBI
C143505164.32533108
1B158582156.26840103
2B153548185.3381988
SS154616176.2861084
3B142455127.279951
OF150606168.27729101
OF158667197.2951691
OF8427769.2491858

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
PlayerGABHAvg.HRRBI
6715042.280319
6313434.254115
8011827.22906
318020.25015
367418.24329
236012.20015
375014.28004
17369.25018
35317.22603
11254.16001
16130.00000
19102.20000
252.40002
331.33300

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
PlayerGIPWLERASO
402722093.28164
34257.22233.04113
4220413123.26118

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
PlayerGIPWLERASO
46189.216124.4695
1465.1512.2039
1655.2145.3420
1149.1104.5622
929.1125.5216

Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
PlayerGWLSVERASO
4814764.1533
272203.5026
192604.7515
210106.4622
701015.439
300032.401

Shot Heard 'Round the World

One of the more famous episodes in major league baseball history, and possibly one of the greatest moments in sports history, the "Shot Heard 'Round the World" is the name given to Bobby Thomson's walk-off home run that clinched the National League pennant for the New York Giants over their rivals, the Brooklyn Dodgers. This game was the third of a three-game playoff series resulting from one of baseball's most memorable pennant races. The Giants had been thirteen and a half games behind the league-leading Dodgers in August, but under Durocher's guidance and with the aid of a sixteen-game winning streak, caught the Dodgers to tie for the lead on the last day of the season.

Awards and honors

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Montreal, Santa Barbara