Bobby Thomson
From BR Bullpen
Robert Brown Thomson (Flying Scot or The Staten Island Scot)
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 2", Weight 185 lb.
- Debut September 9, 1946
- Final Game July 17, 1960
- Born October 25, 1923 in Glasgow, Scotland
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[edit] Biographical Information
Bobby Thomson hit a game-deciding, three-run home run off of Ralph Branca in the three-game playoff with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1951. A famous radio call of the event was made by Russ Hodges: "The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!"
While still in the minors, Thomson missed the 1943-1945 seasons serving in the miltary. Later in his career he suffered a broken ankle in spring training 1954. He was slated to be the starting left fielder for the Milwaukee Braves. Instead, the Braves started a little known rookie named Hank Aaron.
Thomson was born in the Townhead area of Glasgow. He arrived at Ellis Island on the SS Caledonia, with his mother and five siblings, on 1 July 1926; they joined Thomson's father, who had left Glasgow for Midland Beach, Staten Island just two days after Thomson's birth. Although he was responsible for one of the most famous moments in US sports history - The Shot Heard 'Round the World - he has remained relatively unknown in the country of his birth. In 2004, he was inducted into The Scottish Sports Hall Of Fame in recognition of his accomplishments.
[edit] Notable Achievements
- 3-time NL All-Star (1948, 1949 & 1952)
- NL Triples Leader (1952)
- 20-Home Run Seasons: 8 (1947, 1949-1953, 1956 & 1958)
- 30-Home Run Seasons: 1 (1951)
- 100 RBI Seasons: 4 (1949 & 1951-1953)
- 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 1 (1947)
[edit] Further Reading
- Joshua Prager: The Echoing Green: The Untold Story of Bobby Thomson, Ralph Branca and the Shot Heard Round the World, Pantheon Books, New York, NY, 2006.
