Ralph Brancas career was defined by that one high-and-inside fastball.The Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher who gave up Bobby Thomsons famed Shot Heard `Round the World still echoing more than six decades later among the most hallowed home runs in baseball history, died Wednesday. He was 90.His son-in-law, former big league manager Bobby Valentine, said Branca died at a nursing home in Rye Brook, New York.Branca was a three-time All-Star and spent 12 seasons in the majors. Brought in from the bullpen in the bottom of the ninth inning during the deciding Game 3 of the National League pennant playoff on Oct. 3, 1951, he gave up a three-run homer to Thomson that gave the rival New York Giants a stunning 5-4 victory.The one-out line drive into the left field lower deck at the Polo Grounds prompted the frenetic call from announcer Russ Hodges, The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant! The team and its fans celebrated wildly as Thomson breezed around the bases while Branca, wearing his unlucky No. 13 jersey, trudged off the mound.You know, Branca told The Associated Press in 1990, If you kill somebody, they sentence you to life, you serve 20 years and you get paroled. ... Ive never been paroled.Thomson, who also homered off Branca in Game 1, capped a sensational comeback for the Giants, who trailed the Dodgers by more than a dozen games heading toward mid-August.For the next 50 years, Branca and Thomson often appeared together at card shows, corporate events and baseball functions, re-telling the story of the home run that grew into a sports legend. They always were friendly at the affairs, sometimes even teaming up to sing about the big moment.I was closer to Ralph than to any other Dodger, Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully said in a statement. He carried the cross of the Thomson home run with dignity and grace.It wasnt until many years later that it was revealed that the Giants had a little extra help.Thats when it came to light that the Giants employed a telescope-and-buzzer system that season to steal signs from opposing catchers. With that advantage, Giants hitters got a boost in their swings.And for years, the question remained: Did Thomson know the high-and-inside fastball from Branca was coming?Thomson firmly asserted that, no, he didnt get a sign in advance. A three-time All-Star himself, Thomson stuck to that claim until he died in 2010 at age 86.Branca, however, wasnt so sure about that.In 2001, the Giants sign-stealing operation was detailed in a story in The Wall Street Journal.A few days after that, Branca and Thomson saw each other for the first time at an event in Edison, New Jersey. They talked in private for five minutes, about a secret theyd both known about but never shared.Later, they spoke about their discussion.Its been a cleansing for both of us, Branca said then. He knew that I knew. Its better this way.To me, it was a forbidden subject, the right-hander said. And I didnt want to demean Bobby or seem like I was a crybaby.Said Thomson: It was like getting something off my chest after all those years. Im not a criminal, although I may have felt like one at first.And then, hours later, Thomson and Branca appeared together in Manhattan at the New York baseball writers dinner. In front of a ballroom full of fans, they took turns singing about the fateful pitch and swing, to lyrics written to the old standard Because of You -- a reprise of the act they performed when the same dinner was held in January 1952.His matchup with Thomson was recounted by Don Delillo in a 1992 Harpers Magazine story Pafko at the Wall, included five years later in the novel Underworld.Yes. It is Branca coming through the dampish glow. Branca who is tall and stalwart but seems to carry his own hill and dale, he has the aura of a man encumbered. The drooping lids, clodhopper feet, the thick ridge across the brow. His face is set behind a somber nose, broad-bridged and looming.One of the last remaining Boys of Summer, Branca was 88-68 with a 3.79 ERA in his big league career. He spent the first 11 years with the Dodgers, then played for Detroit and the Yankees before returning to Brooklyn for a final game in 1956.Branca made his debut as a teen in 1944 and went 21-12 with 15 complete games during Jackie Robinsons first season in 1947. Branca added another win that year at Yankee Stadium in the World Series.Branca to me was a hero, former Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda said in a statement. Ralph and I became very close, my family and his family. I always enjoyed being around him. He was a tough one in every way and I really admired him.Branca co-founded the Baseball Assistance Team, which aids members of the baseball family in need of financial, medical or psychological assistance, and served as its president for 17 years. He was a pallbearer at Robinsons funeral in 1972.Ralphs participation in the `Shot Heard `Round the World was eclipsed by the grace and sportsmanship he demonstrated following one of the games signature moments, baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. He is better remembered for his dedication to the members of the baseball community. He was an inspiration to so many of us.Branca is survived by wife Ann and daughters Patti and Mary -- the latter the wife of Valentine.A funeral is scheduled for Tuesday at the Church of the Resurrection in Rye. Cheap NBA Jerseys . Bryzgalov stopped 25 shots on Saturday in the Oklahoma City Barons 4-1 victory over the Abbotsford Heat. The Oilers signed Bryzgalov to a one-year $2 million contract last Friday after shedding payroll by dealing defenceman Ladislav Smid to the Flames. Cheap Boston Celtics Jerseys China .2 billion agreement with Rogers Communications for the leagues broadcast and multimedia rights. http://www.cheapbasketballchina.com/ . Just not the game. Kyle Palmieri scored two straight goals in the third period to rally the Anaheim Ducks past the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 on Tuesday night. Cheap Chicago Bulls Jerseys China . Kiriasis and brakeman Franziska Fritz finished two runs in one minute 55.41 seconds -- a mere 0.01 seconds ahead of Meyers and Lolo Jones, who likely bolstered her Olympic hopes by helping give USA-1 a huge push in the second heat. Wholesale Basketball Jerseys . -- Running backs Darren McFadden and Rashad Jennings were back at practice for the Oakland Raiders on Wednesday despite being hampered by hamstring injuries. LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- The Chicago Bears keep losing games and quarterbacks.After quarterback Brian Hoyer suffered a broken left arm against the Green Bay Packers in a 26-10 loss Thursday night, Jay Cutlers return as starter appears inevitable.The question is when?When hes cleared medically, well have him out there, Bears coach John Fox said. When exactly thats going to be, I cant answer that. Hes getting closer.The Bears (1-6) could use some good news in whats been a miserable season so far.Cutler has been at practice without a brace or cast on the thumb in recent weeks, but has taken part in only one team workout since suffering the injury against Philadelphia on Sept. 19. With the Bears off until Oct. 31, Cutler will have more time to recover and possibly start ahead of third-string quarterback Matt Barkley.Its not the first quarterback the Bears have lost to a broken bone this year. During preseason, the Bears lost potential third-string quarterback Connor Shaw to a broken leg and signed Barkley on Sept. 4.The personnel people thought that he was a taller guy that stood in the pocket pretty well, a guy that we thought we could work with, that had some experience, Fox said.Barkley was 30 for 50 with four interceptions with Philadelphia in 2013-14 after being drafted in the fourth round in 2013. Against Green Bay on Thursday, he was 6-for-15 passing for 81 yards with two interceptions.Barkley had taken practically no first-team snaps and worked almost entirely with the scout team as he tried to learn a new offense.Its just like learning a new language, Barkley said. My wifes been helping me out. Just spit out plays. It just takes time; its one of those things that takes time. Weve tried to cramm as much in as we could.ddddddddddddarkley said getting used to throwing to receivers hed never worked with even in practice was the biggest obstacle.If Cutler isntready and Barkley must start against Minnesota, hell find a longer period of preparation beneficial.Thursday is pretty rough to get everything crammed in within a few days of not really being able to practice, Barkley said. Thatll be nice to get back a full week and have guys healthy.The health of other players is at least as big an issue for the Bears, who are 1-6 for the first time since 2000.They didnt have starting left guard Josh Sitton due to ankle and shoulder injuries, and Pro Bowl right guard Kyle Long left Thursdays game with an arm issue.Fox had said prior to the loss to Green Bay that his decision on a starting quarterback would be performance-based, and Hoyer had thrown a club-record four straight 300-yard passing games. But Hoyer left early in the second quarter after getting hit by Julius Peppers and Clay Matthews on an incompletion.The defensive secondary has also been wracked with injuries.DeVante Bausby came up from the practice squad Oct. 10 and started against the Packers after injuries at cornerback to Kyle Fuller, Bryce Callahan and Deoindre Hall. The other starting cornerback, Tracy Porter, has played through a knee injury.We just have to dig in and keep working, said guard Eric Kush, who replaced Sitton against Green Bay. No one is going to come and save you. You have to pull your boot straps up and keep working.---Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '