The Shot Heard 'Round the World

Two interesting things abouty the Branca/Thomson home run I was never aware of.

Thomson's at-bat might've been due to Gil Hodges's NOT playing back for the double play:

As Bud Greenspan pointed out in Play It Again, Bud (p.78-83), the Dodgers may have made a crucial strategic mistake. First baseman Gil Hodges was playing close to the base. But with a 3-run lead, the normal strategy would have been to position for a possible double play. With a large gap in the right side of the infield, Don Mueller placed a single through that gap, past the diving Gil Hodges, and Dark ran from first to third base. Instead of a possible rally-killing double play, the Dodgers found themselves facing the potential tying run with no outs. But with a chance to drive in a run, Irvin, who led the National League that year with 121 RBI, chased the first pitch and popped out (Greenspan argued that could have been the season-ending third out).

And Sonny Corleone is listening to the game (and into the future, apparently) but gets shredded like swiss cheese before getting to hear the home run:

In the movie The Godfather, Sonny Corleone (played by James Caan) is listening to Russ Hodges' commentary of the playoff in his car just before he is shot dead, half an inning before Bobby Thomson hits the home run. This is an anachronism, as Corleone was killed in 1948.