Let’s go directly to Shibe Park in Philadelphia, September 30, where the Dodgers faced the Phillies in the last regular season game of the ‘51 season. The day’s action began with both the Giants and Dodgers posting records of 95-58.

Preacher Roe started for Brooklyn, a scintillating 22-3 on the year, and was opposed by Bubba Church, a 15-game winner for the Phillies. Both the crafty left-hander and right-handed curveball artist were having their best seasons. But this was not to be either pitcher’s finest hour.

Rookie Preacher Roe with the Cardinals, 1938

Roe was sent to the showers in the second inning, as Philadelphia jumped out to a 4-0 lead. The pennant-winning Whiz Kids of 1950 added two more and led 6-1 in the fourth. Brooklyn bounced Bubba the next inning and closed the gap to 6-5. But the “Fightin’ Phils,” sparked by a Bill “Swish” Nicholson triple, tallied two more and padded the lead to 8-5 at the end of five innings.

Now, the Brooklyns were watching the scoreboard intently. And, as the teams took the field for the sixth inning, the stark reality of the situation hit them right between the eyes: the Giants had beaten the Braves 3-2 behind Larry Jansen. My dad liked Longfellow’s observation, “Life is real! Life is earnest!” I doubt the Dodgers were thinking of Henry Wadsworth at the time but they knew if they didn’t get after it in a hurry the season would be over. The Jints were leading the National League now by a half-game!

Giants fans desperately did not want any part of those bruising guys who played ball southeast of the historic Gowanus Canal. I was one of those fans, never hating Dem Bums, but scared to death of that wrecking crew in a showdown series. If only the Phillies could hold on!

With one gone in the Dodgers’ eighth, Hodges and Cox singled and both came home on a Rube Walker double. Now it was 8-7 and manager Eddie Sawyer brought in his 21-game winner, Robin Roberts, to pitch to Carl Furillo. The Phil’s ace had pitched eight innings the day before in a 5-0 loss to Brooklyn and would log 315 innings that year. But it was no holds barred now. Furillo promptly cracked a single to left to plate pinch runner, Don Thompson, knotting the game at eight. Roberts settled in and retired the side.

Manager Charlie Dressen countered with his workhorse star, Don Newcombe, who had spun a seven-hit shutout only 24 hours earlier. The two 20-game winners held their opponents in check into extra innings, with Roberts retiring 10 consecutive Dodgers at one point. The tension mounted by the minute in the bottom of the 12th as Roberts, hitting for himself, led off with a walk. Eddie Pellagrini laid down a perfect sac bunt and Roberts was safe at second, with Pellagrini aboard at first. On a hit-and-run, always clutch Richie Ashburn lashed a bullet two-hopper to Gil Hodges, who made the unassisted putout at first base. With one out, both runners advanced to third and second, respectively. Willie “Puddin’ Head” Jones was walked intentionally to load the bases. Del Ennis struck out. The stage was set for the Dodger play of the season.

Jackie Saves the Day!

Gil Hodges and jackie Robinson

First baseman, Eddie Waitkus looped a humpback liner to the right of second, headed for center field—to apparently end the ballgame. But Robinson, although notoriously slow going to his right, dove headlong through the air reaching across his body with his glove hand, inches above the ground, landing hard on his right shoulder with the ball incredibly nestled in his glove! He rolled over and curiously tossed the laced spheroid toward second base, as if attempting to get a force play. (He lay motionless for minutes near the outfield grass before moving). Robin Roberts, running from third with the potential winning run, was certain Jackie had trapped the ball. But umpire, Lon Warneke, raised his right hand and called Waitkus out to end the inning. The Phillies bench erupted and screamed as one that the ball had been trapped and not caught cleanly.

Roberts was breezing as the game entered the 14th inning. Reese and Snider both popped out. Jackie Robinson, still in the game miraculously, stepped into the batter’s box and took a ball and a strike. Roberts then unleashed a high fastball on the inside part of the plate. Robinson smashed it into the upper deck in left field and Roberts had yielded his 20th home run of the season. Brooklyn 9, Philadelphia 8. Roy Campanella doubled but stayed at second.

“What did the umpire say?…”

In their last licks, Ashburn clipped Bud Podbielon for a single. However, the game ended as Waitkus lofted a soft fly to Andy Pafko in left field. But did Jackie Robinson really catch that Eddie Waitkus liner in the twelfth inning? The Phillies, to a man, claimed he did not. Roberts believed that Jack’s wild toss from a prone position toward second base showed that Robinson thought he had trapped the ball and was futilely trying for the force play at second. During the off-season, Robin spotted Jackie at a winter banquet. He said, “Jackie you didn’t catch the ball Waitkus hit.” Robinson grinned and asked, “What did the umpire say?”

Had there been instant replay back in the day, things might have been different. Instead of Bobby Thomson being the hero of a historic playoff series with two game-winning home runs—including, The Shot Heard ‘Round the World—he might be remembered as a good player who was part of a memorable pennant race and the only major leaguer to be born in Scotland.