1951 was a truly magical year for the New York Giants. They started the year 2 and 12 and on August 11th, they trailed their arch rival the Brooklyn Dodgers by 13 games. But then they won 37 of their remaining 45 games to tie the Dodgers and force a 3-game series to determine the National league pennant winner. It took Bobby Thomson's stunning home run in the 9th inning of the final game to win it for the Giants, sending them to the World Series vs. the Yankees.

During spring training preceding the 1951 baseball season, Leo Durocher, the colorful manager of the New York Giants baseball team, was approached by a woman he didn't know who predicted he was going to have the worst first half of a season he would ever have (the Giants DID, in fact, start the season 1-11!). She said that the Giants would hit rock bottom on Leo's birthday, July 27th. But, she counseled, Leo would then have the greatest second half of his managerial career.

Durocher mentioned this uncanny prediction as his birthday approached. Two of his friends bought him a good luck charm, hoping his luck would change after his birthday, as the woman had predicted. The charm consisted of a 14K gold baseball engraved on one side, with the N.Y. Giants name and logo, and "1951", and on the back with "Happy Birthday LEO, Gail and Corny". A gold chain connected the baseball charm and a good luck horseshoe.

Leo, as predicted by the mysterious woman during spring training, then had the best second half of his career as the Giants won 37 of their final 45 games to force a playoff for the pennant with their arch rivals, the Brooklyn Dodgers. It was Bobby Thomson's miraculous "shot heard 'round the world" home run that won the pennant for the Giants in the bottom of the ninth of the final game.

Pictured is the good luck charm that Leo carried with him that magical summer of '51 for the New York Giants.