"Ralph Branca is famous for throwing the pitch to Bobby Thompson that won the pennant for the New York Giants in 1951. The “Shot Heard Round the World” was a sad day for Brooklyn fans. Jackie Gleason, a Giants fan,  was in the stands and missed seeing the homer when he dropped his hotdog at the appropriate moment.  The Dodgers,  a cinch to go to the World Series,  blew a 13 ½ game lead in August that year, and ended up in a three game playoff with the Giants at the end of the regular season. The failure of the Dodgers was carried on Ralph Branca’s shoulders. I remember seeing Ralph on Milton Burle’s show the following evening. Burle was dressed as a witch who goes to the moon and finds Ralph Branca there, in hiding. I got the opportunity to meet Ralph Branca, a true gentleman. Branca should be famous however, for winning 21 games at the age of 21, an uncommon feat. "