IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1730 

Commending Bobby Thomson. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 18, 2010 

Mr. KINGSTON (for himself, Mr. BROUN of Georgia, Mr. LINDER, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. SHIMKUS, Mr. CONAWAY, Mr. HARPER, Mr. BARTON

of Texas, Mr. MCMAHON, Mr. HOLDEN, and Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 

RESOLUTION 

Commending Bobby Thomson. 

Whereas Bobby Thomson was born in 1923 in Glasgow, Scotland, the youngest of 6 children and emigrated to the 

United States with his mother and siblings in 1925 to 

join his father in Staten Island, New York; 

Whereas Bobby Thomson grew up in Staten Island and became a baseball standout both in school athletic leagues 

and on the city’s sandlots, signing with the New York Giants for $100 a month after graduating from high school 

in 1942; 

Whereas Bobby Thomson interrupted his professional baseball career in 1943 to enlist in the Army Air Corps, 


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•HRES 1730 IH 

training as a bombardier in Victorville, California, and 

serving through 1945; 

Whereas Bobby Thomson rejoined the New York Giants in 

1946, became a starter by 1947, and played with the Giants through 1953 with a batting average of .279 and an 

average of 25 home runs and 94 runs batted in (RBI) 

each season; 

Whereas Bobby Thomson had a career-best season in 1949, 

compiling a .309 batting average, 27 home runs, and 109 

RBI; 

Whereas, on October 3, 1951, Bobby Thomson stepped up to 

bat in the bottom of the 9th inning of the deciding game 

of a playoff for the National League pennant with the 

New York Giants trailing the Brooklyn Dodgers 2 runs 

to 4 and with runners on second and third and proceeded 

to knock Dodger pitcher Ralph Branca’s second pitch 

down the left-field line and over the fence for a gameand pennant-winning 3-run home run; 

Whereas that home run by Bobby Thomson became known 

as the ‘‘Shot Heard ’Round the World’’ and was so spectacular that it caused WMCA–AM broadcaster Russ 

Hodges to famously exclaim, ‘‘The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the 

pennant! The Giants win the pennant! Bobby Thomson 

hits into the lower deck of the left-field stands! The Giants win the pennant and they’re goin’ crazy, they’re 

goin’ crazy!’’; 

Whereas Bobby Thomson continued his baseball career 

through 1963 and thereafter worked as a sales executive 

in order to, in his own words, ‘‘stay home more with my 

wife and daughter and live a normal life’’; 


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•HRES 1730 IH 

Whereas Bobby Thomson’s integrity, work ethic, and positive 

outlook helped him excel in private business and led him 

to become involved in nonprofit foundations, such as the 

New Jersey Arthritis Foundation, Tomorrow’s Children 

Fund, and the Optimist Club; 

Whereas Bobby Thomson moved to Savannah, Georgia, in 

2006, to be closer to his daughter after losing his wife 

and son and he quickly made friends in that community 

due to his warm demeanor and continued to live the life 

of a humble living legend, father, uncle, and grandfather; 

and 

Whereas Bobby Thomson passed away during the evening of 

August 16, 2010, in his Skidaway Island home in Savannah at the age of 86: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) commends Bobby Thomson on his out3 standing baseball career and his famous 3-run home 

4 run known as the ‘‘Shot Heard ’Round the World’’; 

5 and 

6 (2) expresses admiration for the devotion of 

7 Bobby Thomson to various charities and nonprofit 

8 foundations after his retirement from baseball. 

Æ 


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