So, why the discrepancies? Michael marrying Kay in ’51 fits the 1958 plot line of II, including Anthony’s approximate age for celebrating his First Communion. But II wasn’t envisioned when GF was written and filmed. As for “The Shot Heard Round the World”: NFI. A guess: someone in the Second Unit production crew was having some fun at the expense of a colleague who’d been a Brooklyn Dodgers fan.
Excellent post, TB.
As for the radio broadcast, recordings of radio programming from that era are rare. Even radio stations and networks themselves did not generally archive their programming. The 1951 playoff was probably chosen as the most easily accessible and recognizable period piece available.
Sidebar: The only reason the "Shot Heard 'Round the World" was preserved was because a Dodger fan, anticipating victory, hooked up a recording device to hear Giant broadcaster Russ Hodges "cry" when the Dodgers won. The day after the game, he offered the tape to Hodges.
