In 1951, the year of Bobby Thomson's shot-heard-round-the-world home run at The Polo Grounds, (which ended a tie-breaking three-game playoff with the crosstown Brooklyn Dodgers and sent the Giants to the World Series) major league baseball had sixteen teams. Three were in New York, two in Boston, two in Chicago, two in Philadelphia, and two were in St. Louis. The remaining cities were Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit, Cincinnati, and Washington.

Six of the sixteen teams have since relocated.

The Boston Braves moved to Milwaukee for the 1953 season. The Braves then moved to Atlanta in 1966.

The St. Louis Browns became the Baltimore Orioles in 1954.

The Philadelphia Athletics moved to Kansas City for the 1955 season before moving on to Oakland in 1968.

In 1958, two of New York’s iconic teams, together moved out of their aging homes, and with the promise of new stadiums with plenty of parking, public money, and a vast untapped market, headed west. The New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers moved to San Francisco and Los Angeles.

The Washington Senators moved to Minneapolis and became the Minnesota Twins in 1961.

The ‘51 Giants lost the World Series to the Yankees four games to two.