1951 Pennant hero Bobby Thomson dead at 86
Bobby Thomson was found dead at his home at the age of 86. He may be remembered for only one thing despite many career accomplishments, but that one thing is so big it just outshines the rest. Thomson will forever be remembered for his patented “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” referring to his walk-off home run to win the pennant in 1951 for the New York Giants.
Thomson is not a Hall-of-Famer, but he was a good player and he was immortalized with one swing of the bat. His home run in Game 3 of the National League Playoff between the Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers won the pennant for the Giants in the bottom of the ninth with the three-run blast. It is perhaps the sport’s most famous homer of all time.
Russ Hodges’ broadcasting call was simple yet ecstatic and remains a legendary call in baseball’s history with a simple: “The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!”
Ralph Branca gave up that home run and was saddened to hear about the loss of Thomson: "I'll miss him," Branca said. "I mellowed over the years and we became good friends. I enjoyed being around him."
Branca added that he thought the moment would be forgotten in the following season, as Dodgers fans would have liked to forget. Branca said it was amazing how that moment has lived on throughout the years and has remained one of baseball’s greatest moments.
"I never thought it was going to be that big. h**l, no," Branca said "When we went into the next season, I thought it'd be forgotten."
Thomson was a three-time All-Star as an infielder and outfielder. He averaged .270 over his career, hitting 264 home runs and 1,026 RBIs in his 14 year career, from 1946 to 1960. Thomson’s finest moment was indisputably that magical shot that went over the wall at Polo Grounds all those years ago.
There have been many home runs that have rivalled Thomson’s including those of Bill Mazeroski, Kirk Gibson, Carlton Fisk and Joe Carter. For many fans however, Thomson’s shot stands tall among them all.
Thomson always admitted he was shocked that in a line-up featuring Willie Mays and Monte Irvin, that he was the one who won the pennant for the Giants. He called himself the “accidental hero” and was always amazed himself that everyone was still talking about that home run all these years later.
"Bobby Thomson will always hold a special place in our game for hitting one of the signature home runs in baseball history. 'The Shot Heard 'Round the World' will always remain a defining moment for our game, illustrating the timeless quality of the national pastime," commissioner Bud Selig said.
The home run capped one of the most memorable pennant races in history. The Giants overcame a 13 ½ game deficit winning 37 of their final 44 games to force the playoff with the Dodgers. Over 50 years later it was revealed the Giants used a buzzer-and-telescope system to steal signals from opposing catchers. That has left many to wonder whether Thomson knew the high-and-inside fastball was coming. Thomson said he never knew what was coming.
Thomson had his best season in 1951 hitting 32 homers but none bigger than that October 3rd one. The Giants then went to the World Series the next day, but lost in six games to their cross-town rivals the New York Yankees, who were in the midst of winning five straight championships.
Yankees players, including Yogi Berra attended that game to find out who they’d face in the World Series the next day. After the Dodgers took a 4-1 lead in the eighth inning, Berra left trying to beat the afternoon traffic thinking the game was over. In the ninth the Giants pulled to within two before Thomson won the game 5-4 for the Giants.
Thomson eventually went to the Milwaukee Braves, before finishing his career after seasons with the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs and Baltimore Orioles. He has been a New York icon ever since that homer. He stayed in New York for years after he retired, working as a businessman.
Thomson will remain a legend in baseball, maybe not statistically speaking, but for providing perhaps the sport’s greatest moment. He lived out a dream that many kids dream about and that may be the greatest thing of all that can be taken from baseball.
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