Bobby Thomson
In the three-game playoff against the Brooklyn Dodgers to decide the 1951 National League pennant, Bobby Thomson hit a game-winning homer in Game One for the Giants off Ralph Branca. But it was his three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth, again off Branca, that will live forever as one of the baseball's greatest moments. The homer in the Polo Grounds completed an historic comeback for the Giants and set off a frenzy. Thomson had other great moments - he was a three-time All-Star and drove in 100 runs four times, but the "Shot Heard Round the World" made his name live forever.
Played For
New York Giants (1946-1953)
Milwaukee Braves (1954-1957)
New York Giants (1957)
Chicago Cubs (1958-1959)
Boston Red Sox (1960)
Baltimore Orioles (1960)
Factoids
When Bobby Thomson hit his dramatic homer in Game Three of the 1951 playoffs to win the pennant for the Giants, it was the first baseball game broadcast coast-to-coast.
Born
Robert Brown Thomson was born on October 25, 1923, in Glasgow
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
Primary Position: OF
Primary Team: NY1
Major League Debut
September 9, 1946
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1946
Yogi Berra
Ralph Kiner
Alvin Dark
Carl Furillo
Bobby Thomson
Joe Garagiola
Ellis Kinder
Vic Raschi
Sherm Lollar
Nicknames
Flying Scot, The Staten Island Scot
| Hall of Fame Voting |
| Year |
Election |
Votes |
Pct |
| 1966 |
BBWAA |
12 |
4.0% |
1967 |
BBWAA |
10 |
3.4% |
1967 |
Run Off |
1 |
.3% |
1968 |
BBWAA |
13 |
4.6% |
1969 |
BBWAA |
6 |
1.8% |
1970 |
BBWAA |
4 |
1.3% |
1971 |
BBWAA |
4 |
1.1% |
1972 |
BBWAA |
10 |
2.5% |
1973 |
BBWAA |
3 |
.8% |
1974 |
BBWAA |
6 |
1.6% |
1975 |
BBWAA |
10 |
2.8% |
1976 |
BBWAA |
9 |
2.3% |
1977 |
BBWAA |
10 |
2.6% |
1978 |
BBWAA |
5 |
1.3% |
1979 |
BBWAA |
11 |
2.5% |
|
Post-Season Appearances
1951 World Series
Post-Season Notes
Just prior to Thomson's famous homer in Game Three of the '51 playoffs, Leo Durocher said to him, "Bobby, if you ever hit one, hit it now."
Notes
In the spring of 1952, Thomson adopted a new batting stance, which was basically a right-handed version of Stan Musial's "peek-a-boo" posture.
All-Star Selections
1948 NL
1949 NL
1952 NL
Learn More about Bobby Thomson
Search Amazon.com for Books about Bobby Thomson ⇒
Search for Bobby Thomson at Google ⇒
View a map of his hometown at Mapquest ⇒
