SABR Digital Library: The Team That Time Won’t Forget: The 1951 New York Giants

Add a pennant-winning book to your collection with the newest e-book from SABR Digital Library:

The Team That Time Won’t Forget: The 1951 New York Giants
Edited by Bill Nowlin and C. Paul Rogers III 
Associate editors: Clem Comly and Len Levin 
Contributing editors: James Forr and Carl Riechers  
Foreword by Monte Irvin  
ISBN (e-book): 978-1-9335-9998-4, $9.99
ISBN (paperback): 978-1-9335-9999-1, $19.95

Because of Bobby Thomson’s dramatic “Shot Heard ’Round the World” in the bottom of the ninth of the decisive playoff game against the Brooklyn Dodgers, the team will forever be in baseball public’s consciousness.

But of course there is much more to the story of that famous team than a dramatic home run (albeit the most famous and probably the most dramatic home run in baseball history) and sign stealing. After all, the team started the year 2-12 and found itself 13 games out of first place with a little more than six weeks left in the season. They soon peeled off 16 wins in a row and went 37-7 down the stretch to force the famous playoff. The ’51 Giants did win 97 games other than the game everyone remembers.

The team is also of historic significance because of its role in the integration of baseball. It was the year Willie Mays first showed his brilliance to major-league audiences, in late May joining black teammates Monte Irvin, Hank Thompson, and Ray Noble. At the time, the Dodgers and Giants had most of the smattering of African-American players in the big leagues, and it is no surprise that those two teams battled down to the wire for the National League pennant.

Fueled by Giants manager Leo Durocher, who had previously managed the Dodgers, the two teams simply did not like each other and they showed it. Beanballs, flashing spikes, and brawls and near brawls were the order of the day. It is, of course, a rivalry that endures today, with both clubs having moved to the West Coast in 1958.

For any number of reasons, the ’51 Giants truly are the team that time won’t forget. It is the aim of this book to assure that to be true by providing an in depth look at and future resource about that historic team.

Includes a foreword by Giants outfielder Monte Irvin, as well as biographies of all players, coaches, executives, and broadcasters. Also included are chapters on the Polo Grounds, recaps of notable games, the integration of the Giants, sign-stealing, the 1951 All Star Game, World Series, and more.

Contributors: Eric Aron, Thomas Ayers, Matt Bohn, Terry Bohn, Maurice Bouchard, Bo Carter, Alan Cohen, Rory Costello, Nicholas Diunte, Alexander Edelman, James E. Elfers, Greg Erion, Charles F. Faber, Scott Ferkovich, Dan Fields, Jeff Findley, James Forr, Rob Garratt, Peter M. Gordon, Don Harrison, Tom Hawthorn, Dr. Lawrence Hogan, Monte Irvin, Bill Johnson, Jimmy Keenan, David H. Lippman, Jeffrey Marlett, Brian McKenna, Rob Neyer, Skip Nipper, Armand Peterson, Janice A. Petterchak, Joe Phillips, C. Paul Rogers III, John T. Saccoman, Curt Smith, David W. Smith, Lyle Spatz, Mark S. Sternman, Andy Sturgill, Rick Swaine, Judith Testa, Stew Thornley, Steve Treder, Clayton Trutor, Gregory H. Wolf.

 

SABR members, get this e-book for FREE!

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About the SABR Digital Library

For more than 40 years, SABR and its members have led the way in publishing the best baseball historical and statistical research. Our publications program is shifting to take advantage of new methods of publishing. Not only will we continue to publish new books like Can He Play? A Look At Baseball Scouts and Their Profession (released in December 2011); Opening Fenway Park in Style: The 1912 World Champion Red Sox (May 2012); Detroit Tigers 1984: What A Start! What A Finish! (December 2012); Sweet ’60: The 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates (April 2013); Inventing Baseball: The 100 Greatest Games of the 19th Century (July 2013); Thar’s Joy in Braveland: The 1957 Milwaukee Braves (May 2014); Detroit the Unconquerable: The 1935 Detroit Tigers (December 2014); Winning on the North Side: The 1929 Chicago Cubs (February 2015); and Scandal on the South Side: The 1919 Chicago White Sox (June 2015), which showcase the best efforts of SABR’s members, chapters and committees, but new technology makes it possible for us to bring out-of-print titles like Run, Rabbit, Run: The Hilarious and Mostly True Tales of Rabbit Maranville (February 2012), Great Hitting Pitchers (March 2012), Nineteenth Century Stars (August 2012); Batting (January 2013); The Fenway Project (September 2013); and ’75: The Red Sox Team That Saved Baseball (April 2015) back again.

Books will be available in digital formats as well as paperbacks produced by “print on demand” (POD).

SABR members will get discounted rates for all Digital Library publications, including many for free. If you’re not a member, click here to join SABR.

Stay tuned throughout the year for new (and old!) titles that we’ll be adding to the SABR Digital Library. To learn more about SABR Publications, contact Publications Editor Cecilia Tan at ctan@sabr.org.

 

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Originally published: December 8, 2015. Last Updated: August 5, 2020.