Ralph Branca, Dodgers Legend, Dead at 90

Brooklyn Dodgers pitching great Ralph Branca passed away Tuesday at his home in Rye, N.Y., at the age of 90. Branca was a three-time All-Star who, despite his solid pitching career, became known for giving up a ninth-inning home run to Bobby Thomson in a 1951 National League championship game. The so-called “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” sent the Dodgers packing for the offseason. (Thomson and the New York Giants went on to lose the World Series in six games to the New York Yankees.) No official reason was given for Branca’s passing.