There may be no more infamous instance of sign-stealing, or at least accused sign-stealing, than Bobby Thomson's legendary "Shot Heard 'Round the Word" that clinched the NL pennant for the Giants on October 3, 1951.
Thomson's walk-off blast to send the Giants to the World Series is regarded as one of the greatest moments in baseball history, and while there is no changing its significance in the game's history, there is some suspicion surrounding it.
Wall Street Journal writer Joshua Prager wrote a book on the home run entitled Echoing Green: The Untold Story of Bobby Thomson, Ralph Branca and the Shot Heard Round the World.
In the book, he reported that Giants position coach Herman Franks was using a telescope from the Giants clubhouse during a number of late-season games, including that one to relay the catcher's signs. A buzzer was set up to alert someone in the Giants bullpen of the pitch call, and he would in turn relay it to the batter.
