1951 Giant-Dodger Playoff
| 1951 Giant-Dodger Playoff Game |
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Tops in SABR Poll In January 1976 the members of the Society for American Baseball Research were asked to select the five outstanding games of the last 100 years in order of rank. A sample listing of 17 games was provided with the invitation to write in others which might be preferred. The members did write in others, as a total of 45 different games were named on the returned ballots. However, about one-half of that number received only 1 vote. Not that they weren't outstanding games, but in a total of 108 ballots returned, the real favorites showed up pretty quickly. The Society selected as the Number 1 game of the last 100 years the Giant-Dodger 1951 playoff game where Bobby Thomson hit the come-from-behind home run. Based on five points for a first-place vote, four for second, etc., that game received 318-1/2 points. In second place was the Don Larsen perfect World Series game with 250'/2, followed by the Toney-Vaughn double no-hit game with 136 points. (The ½ point comes from a tie for fifth place.) There followed in pretty close order the Brooklyn-Boston 26-inning 1-1 tie game in 1920, the Bill Mazeroski Series-winning homer in 1960, the Harvey Haddix 12-inning perfect game, and the 1934 All-Star game featuring the Carl Hubbell strikeout feat and the AL comeback. In 8th place was the sixth game of the 1975 World Series featuring Carlton Fisk's 12th inning homer. Some of the communications media have referred to this game as the greatest ever. Is it just because it is of most recent memory? Or will it stand up under the test of history? SABR balloteers, with their 100-year perspective, apparently were not swept off their feet. They gave the Fisk-homer game 67½ points to 318½ for the Thomson-homer game. Where did the 1908 Giant-Cub play-off game wind up? In 11th place, with 41 votes. Apparently the voters did not feel the game itself was that exciting. Here is a list of the top 26 games in the SABR poll.
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