Thomson "knew what was coming" not because he got catcher Rube Walker's signs, relayed from a man with binoculars in the Giant's clubhouse in center field. Before Thomson came to bat, Leo Durocher told him to look for an inside fastball from Branca. See my posting of Durocher's recounting of the event: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/Zp9yibd7qZq3hIU.html

Oh to have a recording of Vinny calling that home run. But knowing him, he would've called it quickly and then shut up, as he always did. The real question is, why did the Dodgers bring in Branca when Thompson had just homered off of him two days prior? They had no one else whom Thompson hadn't seen recently?

just think how much fascinating baseball history each of us learned from this short video with Vin Scully. what a great illustration of what a fantastic story teller that he is

Not only did he date Branca's wife's roommate, but my aunt because my dad was a pitcher on the Fordham teams Vin was on. Vin said that the strikeouts and walks that my dad threw made it easy for him to practice play-by-play standing out in center without anything to do. One reason that he was close with Branca is that Ralph was a local NY guy as Vin was also. Both Branca and Bobby Thompson were local NY'ers, not brought up too often.

Two of the best ever were there announcing. Ernie Harwell & Vin Scully

Greatest respect for Vince Scully but while sign stealing might have happened in regular season, it didn’t go on in the playoffs. And the great Duke Snider said even if you know what’s coming, you still have to be able to hit it.

Sorry, Vince, the Giants were NOT stealing signals, the WSJ article aside. Did Bobby steal a signal at Ebbets Field when he hit a home run in Game one? Did the Giants steal signals when they lost 10-0 at the Polo Grounds? Branca's first pitch was a fastball. He followed it with another fastball. Players do guess what pitch is coming next. Thompson guessed right and nailed the pitch into the leftfield stands. I met both Bobby Thompson and Ralph Branca a number of times, and on each occasion, Branca still insisted the Giants were stealing signals. Bobby's diplomatic response was, "it didn't happen." The Dodger manager blew it when he decided to play the first game at home, giving up home-field advantage after winning the coin toss. Get over it! The Giants outplayed the "Bums" who blew a 13 1/2 game lead from August 11th on. "The Giants have won the pennant! The Giants have won the pennant!"

It wasn't against the rules to steal signs back then. It was part of the game. And even if the batter gets the sign he still has to hit the ball. Thomson had hit home runs off Branca several times and not always at the Polo Grounds.

"Stealing signs" is baloney. Durocher remembered that Thompson homered off Branca in Game One of the playoff series on a slider and told Thompson when they brought Branca in to pitch to him that Branca wouldn't throw him another slider, to look for a fastball. Branca threw two straight fastballs; the first was in side and Thompson took it. The second pitch was also a fastball but up and over the plate. That's the one Thompson jacked. Durocher has recounted that in more than one interview. He didn't need to steal the sign. He knew Branca. Scully couldn't resist tainting the reality. It's disappointing that he stooped to saying that.

Really cheap of Scully to say "The Giants were stealing signs." While we now know that is true, it is also true that Dodger pitcher Preacher Roe divulged to Sports Illustrated, in a 1955 cover story by S.I., that "The Outlawed Spitter Was My Money Pitch," so that the Dodgers, too, were cheating on the rule book, in 1951. Roe won 22 games and lost just three games that year, draw your own conclusions as to how many games the Dodgers won they would otherwise have lost, had Roe not been breaking the rules. Roe went on to say that Pee Wee Reese was loading the ball for him, between batters, when the infielders were throwing the ball around, and would deliver ready made spitballs to Roe, at the mound. Finally, if you look closely at the film of Bobby Thomson's epic at bat, NOT ONCE does he look down the right field line from where the next pitch indicator was coming from a bullpen coach, who got it from the Polo Grounds scoreboard man. Scully implies that Thomson got a sign re the type of next pitch - that is not supported by the film evidence. All Thomson did was look straight at Branca. Scully could have been a lot more honest and forthcoming, but of course, he would never implicate his employer, the Dodgers, for any wrong doing.