The legendary radio call from Russ Hodges remains frozen in time, an iconic burst of pure audio joy that will echo through the annals of sports history as long as the game is played. On October 3, 1951, Bobby Thomson stepped to the plate at the Polo Grounds in the bottom of the ninth inning of a deciding Game 3 tie-breaker, staring down Brooklyn Dodgers reliever Ralph Branca as his team trailed by two. With one violent, compact swing, the "Statten Island Scot" launched a line-drive home run into the left-field stands, authoring the walk-off "Shot Heard 'Round the World." That singular blast completed an improbable, historic regular-season comeback—erasing a seemingly insurmountable 13½-game deficit in mid-August to steal the National League pennant right out of their bitter rivals' hands. While the exhausted Giants would ultimately fall to the cross-town Yankees in the ensuing World Series, Thomson’s autumn miracle secured him an unmitigated passport to baseball immortality.

"The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant! Bobby Thomson hits a line drive into the lower deck of the left field stands... and the Polo Grounds is goes wild!" — Russ Hodges, October 3, 1951

Focusing solely on that historic afternoon in Upper Manhattan overlooks Thomson’s extensive playing credentials. Signed as an amateur free agent before the 1942 season, his progress was interrupted by World War II, when he served three years in the U.S. Army Air Forces. After returning, he quickly dominated minor league pitching and made a sensational debut in the majors in 1947, hitting 29 home runs and 154 hits, establishing himself as a powerful new presence in the New York lineup.

Thomson quickly confirmed his impressive debut by establishing himself as a top middle-order hitter, earning consecutive National League All-Star selections in 1948 and 1949. His offensive growth reached its peak during the 1949 summer, when he leveraged his quick wrists to achieve his first 100-RBI season with 109 RBIs and posted his only .300 batting season at .309. Standing 6-foot-2 and lean, Thomson had a highly adaptable athletic build, blending raw power with exceptional foot speed, which made him a valuable defensive player in both the outfield and at third base.

His standout moment on the diamond came during the memorable 1951 season, a summer when he played at a superstar level well before his October heroics. Thomson was a tireless offensive force for manager Leo Durocher, setting career highs with 32 home runs and 108 RBIs, and leading the league with 14 triples. His consistent ability to produce extra-base hits in the expansive Polo Grounds drew praise from national writers, who recognized his excellence by ranking him eighth in the National League MVP voting.

Thomson's impressive offensive performance persisted over the next two winters, with consecutive seasons of 24 and 26 home runs and surpassing 100 RBIs in both years, helping to shape a competitive New York team. However, aware of their strong position and aiming to give young outfielder Willie Mays an opportunity, the Giants’ front office orchestrated a major trade in February 1954, sending Thomson to the Milwaukee Braves for a package that included pitcher Johnny Antonelli. This move turned out to be perfectly timed; just weeks into spring training with his new team, Thomson suffered a fractured ankle that permanently reduced his lower-body explosiveness, preventing him from ever reaching an All-Star game again.

After a productive decade away, including a brief, emotional 42-game return with New York in 1957, Thomson officially retired, ending a 15-year major league career. He left with a .277 batting average, 1,171 hits, and 189 home runs in 1,141 games for the Giants.

Sal Maglie's rise to major-league stardom was one of the most unpredictable and unusual stories of his time. It wasn't until he was 28 that he reached the big leagues, posting a solid 5–4 record with a 2.35 ERA for the New York Giants in the wartime 1945 season. Driven by a need for financial stability, Maglie took a risky move in 1946 by joining the Mexican League for a higher paycheck. This decision led to an immediate and strict ban from Commissioner Happy Chandler, effectively banning him from organized baseball. To make matters worse, his Mexican team soon went bankrupt, leaving Maglie stranded in independent semi-pro baseball for nearly five years during what should have been his physical prime.

When the commissioner finally lifted the ban in 1950, 33-year-old Maglie returned to the Polo Grounds mound, sporting a dark beard, an intimidating glare, and a fierce pitching style that earned him the nickname "The Barber." He used a sharp, sweeping curveball and a bold ability to target the inside corner near a batter’s chin, leading to a remarkable comeback. Maglie swiftly secured the 1950 National League ERA title with a 2.71 ERA and an impressive 18–4 record, establishing himself as the clear ace on Leo Durocher’s team.

"The Barber" was the ultimate big-game engine for the legendary 1951 "Miracle at Coogan's Bluff" squad. He paced the entire National League with 23 victories and a league-best 7.7 hits allowed per nine innings, grinding out 298 innings to carry the Giants to the pennant and finish fourth in the National League MVP voting.

Maglie beautifully sustained that frontline momentum with another All-Star showcase in 1952, winning 18 games with a sharp 2.92 ERA, further solidifying his reputation as one of the most feared competitors in the sport. Despite chronic, agonizing back issues that severely hampered his efficiency and volume over the next two summers, his veteran poise remained an invaluable asset. He made 32 gutsy starts in 1954, winning 14 games to guide the Giants to yet another National League pennant and then helped suppress the powerhouse Cleveland Indians in a four-game World Series sweep.

By 1956, due to his aging and ongoing physical issues, the small-market team had to put him on waivers, after which Cleveland claimed him. He later gained prominence with the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Yankees. During his time with the Yankees, Maglie achieved an impressive 95–42 record, a 3.13 ERA, and 654 strikeouts in 221 games.

If you are a regular visitor at Notinhalloffame.com, you know that we created the Notinhalloffame NBA Cup, where in every regular season game, we award points (5-4-3-2-1) to the top five performers.  This is the third year that we have done this, and Denver’s Nikola Jokic won the first two.

To keep everyone regularly in the loop this time, we have decided to give regular updates, starting at when the first player cracked 100 Points, and tell all of you the top ten.  We will this going forward with every update as the first player breaches the elevated ten-point threshold afterward.

Here is the current top ten, based on the first player to breach 130 Notinhalloffame Cup Points:

1. Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks, 134 Points:  32 Games, 33.6 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 8.8 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 31.5 PER, 6.5 WS.  (#1 on last ranking)

Doncic pulled back as the lone top man in Cup Points, and for our money, he is the current favorite for the MVP.  At present, he is leading the NBA in VORP (3.9), and is second in Points, fourth in Assists, and sixth in Steals per Game.

2. Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets, 133 Points:  34 Games, 29.9 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 5.4 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.5 BPG, 26.8 PER, 5.5 WS.  (#1 on last ranking)

The Nets are on fire, and whether are winning or losing, Durant always shines.

3. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics, 125 Points:  33 Games, 31.1 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.9 BPG, 25.5 PER, 5.2 WS.  (#4 on last ranking)

Tatum continues to get better which should scare the hell out of anybody cheering against the Celtics.  He has never finished a season averaging over 30 Points per Game, and Tatum is over that now.

3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder, 123 Points:  31 Games, 31.5 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 5.8 APG, 1.7 SPG, 1.1 BPG, 27.4 PER, 5.0 WS.  (#3 on last ranking)

Gilgeous-Alexander is going to be an All-Star this year, and is shattering last year’s averages, which were already good.  How great will this Canadian be?

5.  Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks, 122 Points:  29 Games, 31.7 PPG, 11.6 RPG, 5.2 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.9 BPG, 28.1 PER, 3.9 WS. (#5 on last ranking)

Giannis is back where he belongs in the top five and the two-time MVP’s Bucks look ready to win it all.  He is in the top five in Rebounds and Points per Game.

6. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets, 116 Points:  31 Games, 25.7 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 9.4 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 32.3 PER, 6.6 WS.  (#6 on last ranking)

The “Joker” is on fire lately, and we know someone wants to get that third Cup!  He is currently leading the NBA in PER 32.3, Box Plus/Minus (12.2) and Win Shares (6.6).

7. Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics, 115 Points:  33 Games, 27.0 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 20.2 PER, 2.9 WS. (#7 on last ranking)

Brown’s appearance here gives Boston the only team to have two players in the top ten, and he currently has the highest traditional numbers of his career.  

8. Joel Embiid, Phila, 109 Points:  25 Games, 33.7 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 4.3 APG, 1.3 SPG, 1.6 BPG, 30.6 PER, 4.6 WS.  (Not on last ranking)

Embiid makes his 2022/23 top ten debut, and is currently leading the NBA in Points per Game, which is currently higher than last year’s league lead.

9.  Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies, 108 Points:  28 Games, 27.1 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 7.8 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 23.3 PER, 2.8 WS. (#10 on last ranking)

Morant is the face of the Grizzles, and he is posting similar numbers from last year, when he took Memphis to the next level.

10. Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors, 102 Points:  26 Games, 30.0 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 6.8 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 26.7 PER, 4.1 WS. (#7 on last ranking)

Curry is now out with an injury, and just hung on to a top ten spot.  He will be off by the next update.

Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers fell off the top ten.

Our next update will happen after the first player breaches 140 Cup Points.

d Cavaliers fell off the top ten.

Our next update will happen after the first player breaches 140 Cup Points.

Today, we lost the GOAT.

The man known universally by only one name, Pele, passed away at the age of 82 from colon cancer. 

Pele led his home nation of Brazil to the game’s highest pinnacle, the World Cup, to three victories (1958, 1962 & 1970), doing so with class, flair and unequalled skill, and would become a global ambassador.  He was known in every country, a hero to millions and an icon of sport.  Pele scored 95 Goals for his country, and 618 for his Brazilian club team, Santos, where he played from 1956 to 1974.  He would later lend his talent to the New York Cosmos of the NASL until 1977, when he played his final game in front of 77,000; a match between New York and Santos.  Fittingly, he played one half for each team.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the fans, friends and family of Pele.