Product Details

• Format: Black & White, Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Polygram USA Video
• VHS Release Date: May 26, 1998
• Run Time: 38 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6304963262
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #612,007 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

From the back cover

The prelude to the 1951 World Series was capped by the unforgettable cries of announcer Russ Hodges, "The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!" But even Bobby Thomson's "shot heard round the world" could not keep the Giant's momentum going against their imperious neighbors, the Yankees. In this classic home video, you'll take a spin back into one of the greatest eras in baseball history and witness the Yankees at their World Series best. After being down two games to one, they regained their poise as Joe DiMaggio, playing in his last season, lead the way with the final home run of his career. In a Series that also featured the debuts of Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays, the Yankees triumphed at last in Game six, finding a hero in Hank Bauer and winning their fourth World Series in five years.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing and Superficial, January 2, 2006

By 

P. Dzienis - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 1951 World Series - New York vs New York [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Six games covered in 38 minutes. It doesn't have the original announcing, not even the famous call, "The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!" when reviewing the famous playoff game between the Giants and the Dodgers. There is no mention of Mickey Mantle being injured in the second game of the World Series, and there is no live action commentary on the tape.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars DiMaggio retires, Mantle injured, Yankees win third straight, May 16, 2003

By 

Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: 1951 World Series - New York vs New York [VHS] (VHS Tape)

The 1951 World Series was one of the most anti-climatic in baseball history since nothing was going to match the drama of the way the New York Giants made it to the Fall Classic. In August the Giants had been 13 1/2 games behind the Brooklyn Dodgers. On the final day of the season the two teams were tied and in the third and deciding game of the National League playoffs Bobby Thomson hit the most famous home run in baseball history (Thomson sent his team to the World Series; Carlton Fisk only staved off defeat for one more game). The Giants were back in the World Series for the first time since 1937. However, their opponents were the New York Yankees of Casey Stengel, at that point the two-time defending World Champions who were going to make it five in a row. Part of the reason was because the Yankees had veteran players like Joe DiMaggio, Allie Reynolds, Vic Raschi, and Yogi Berra, who already had all of those rings on their fingers. But there was also the fact that the miracle pennant drive had worn down Leo Durocher's ace pitchers Larry Jansen and Sal "The Barber" Maglie.

However, there was a sense the Giants were a team of destiny when Dave Koslo pitched them to a 5-1 victory in Game 1 in the Bronx. Ed Lopat evened the series with a 3-1 victory in Game 2, in which Yankee right fielder Mickey Mantle suffered a knee injury when he caught his spikes in a storm drain. The Giants won their final game of the series in their first game at the Polo Grounds behind Whitey Lockman's home run, but then it was all the Yankees as they swept the Giants behind the pitching of Reynold, Ed Lopat, and Raschi. However, the final game ended in rather dramatic fashion. The Yankees led 4-1 in Game 6 after Hank Bauer's sixth inning triple with the bases loaded and two outs. In the ninth the Giants loaded the bases with nobody out. Reliever Bob Kuzava gave up a pair of sacrifice flies to score a pair of runners, but Bauer continued his heroics by catching a sinking liner for the final out of the Series. They did not start giving out a World Series MVP award until 1955, but with two wins in which he gave up only two runs, Lopat would have been the obvious choice.

Historically the 1951 World Series is the changing of the guard. It featured the final came of DiMaggio's storied career and the first World Series appearances for both Mantle and Willie Mays, who would meet again eleven years later. Of course, there is also poignancy over Mantle's injury, which would hamper him the rest of his career as he played in almost constant pain and left baseball fans to wonder what the Mick might have done if he had two good legs. Yankee rookie infielder Gil McDougald hit the third grand slam home run in Series history and the Giants's Monte Irvin hit .458 and stole home in the opener. However, the chief attraction of this videotape has to be the final look at the great DiMaggio. "The Yankee Clipper" had gone 0-for-11 in the first three games and then finished 6-12 with a home run and 5 RBIs.