Total Classics 1951

On August 11, 1951, the New York Giants were 13 games behind the Brooklyn Dodgers in the National League. For all intent and purposes, the National League race was over. Someone forgot to tell that to the Giants, however. On August 12, the Giants kicked off a 16-game winning streak. Led by 20-year old Rookie of the Year Willie Mays and Sal Maglie (2.93 ERA and a league-leading 23 wins), New York won 39 of its last 47 (including the final seven) to pull into a first-place tie with the Dodgers.

A split of the first two playoff contests set up a dramatic deciding game at the Polo Grounds on October 3. The Dodgers took a 4-1 lead into the bottom of the ninth. With Don Newcombe cruising along, three outs did not seem to be a tall order. Al Dark and Don Mueller then opened the inning with singles. After the heavy-hitting Monte Irvin popped out, Whitey Lockman ripped a double to left, scoring Dark and sending Mueller to third and Newcombe to the showers.

Owning a 4-2 lead with the tying run in scoring position, Dodger skipper Chuck Dressen called for the right-hander Ralph Branca. Bobby Thomson stepped up to bat and on the second pitch, lined a game-winning, three-run homer to left - the "Shot Heard 'Round the World" -- giving the Giants the pennant and forever linking himself with Branca as baseball's classic hero-and-goat duo.

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The Total Classics 1951 mod brings you the sights and sounds of the 1951 baseball season. Besides rosters, portraits, uniforms and audios, the mod provides themed menu and loading screens, stadium select screens with actual stadium photos, 1951 jukebox music, 1951 batter walkup music and correct 1950's era stadiums for every team.

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*** INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS ***

- After you download the total_classics_1951.7z file, double-click to open it.

- Extract the contents of the file into a folder.

- Double-click the explodeme.exe file

- Find the location of a CLEAN (or patched) copy of MVP Baseball 2005 and click "Extract".

- Allow the program to extract all of the new content.

- Play the new Total Classics 1951 mod.

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*** VERSION HISTORY ***

v5.0

1. Added DennisJames' new 1951 uniforms

2. Fixed Mickey Mantle player audio

3. Removed logos for post-1951 teams

4. Removed home run fireworks

v4.0

1. Added DennisJames' new 1951 uniforms

2. Added DennisJames' 1951 Forbes Field, Crosley Field and Wrigley Field

3. Added DennisJames' new 1951 jukebox and walkup music

4. Fixed incorrect audio for Shibe Park

v3.0

Added OTBJoel's Legends from the Booth audio mod

v2.0

1. Added new versions of Ebbets Field, 1950's Crosley Field, 1951 Braves Field, 1951 Yankee Stadium

2. Included PaulW's overhauled 1951 rosters which provide even more realistic results

v1.0

Initial release