If I don't know the answer to that one, I wouldn't be a true Giants fan - the shot heard around the world was hit by Bobby Thomson...he was a NY Giant...and his HR in the bottom of the 9th inning of the rubber-match, 3 game playoffs between the Brooklyn-hated-Dodgers won the NL Pennant for the Giants in 1951!!!!!!!!!
One of the reasons why this was such an important moment in baseball history is b/c it draws attention to that time in baseball where there were 3 teams in one city - NY Giants, Brooklyn Dodgers, and of course the Yanks. That was the "golden era" for baseball in NY, since the Yanks were pretty much there at the end of the season, and usually the Giants or Dodgers were in the playoffs at the end of the season too.
Another reason why this was so big, is b/c we were something like 12 1/2 or 13 1/2 games out by August, and the Dodgers came to play us and swept 3 games from us, giving them some damn record against us, like 12-3 or something (sorry I'm getting rusty here). Then after that, the Dodgers all sang , "the giants are dead, the giants are dead," all so the giants clubhouse (which was next door) could all hear.
Then, OF COURSE
, my giants started going on a tremendous run where we hardly lost...then we found us facing the hated Dodgers for the NL pennant. the controversy, Rob, was about the stealing of signs, which supposedly the giants did...
Branca was the losing Dodger pitcher.
The Shot around the World proved how great baseball was back then...the passion the fans and players BOTH had for the game. And of course, it's the greatest moment in history b/c the
DODGERS WENT DOWN to the hands of the GIANTS!!!! 
Always a great day in Giant-land when the Dodgers go down, especially if it's b/c of us.
Alright, now back to studying...
[This message has been edited by newbie (edited July 23, 2001).]