Books and articles about Bobby Thomson

Thomson hit what is perhaps the most famous home run in baseball history. His dramatic "shot heard 'round the world" on October 3, 1951, a three-run, ninth-inning homer off Brooklyn pitcher Ralph Branca, capped the Giants' historic comeback to win the NL pennant. Thomson also hit a sixth-inning homer off Branca in the opening game of the playoffs, which erased a 1-0 Dodger lead.

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RELATED LINKS » 1951: Red Smith on The Shot Heard 'Round the World Photos » Photo: Bobby Thomson's three-run homer (1951) » Photo: The "Shot Heard 'Round The World" » Photo: Thomson in the Polo Grounds, 1957 Book Excerpts » Land of the Giants by Stew Thornley » "Two "seeing eye" base hits brought the potential winning run to home plate in the person of Bobby Thomson": Carl Erskine Submissions » Bobby Thomson's Famous Homer Lives On by Harvey Frommer Ask The Experts » Who was the first player to wear batting gloves? » Who was on deck when Bobby Thomson hit "The Shot Heard 'Round the World"? » : Can you give me the team roster for the 1955 Milwaukee Braves? » Did Bobby Thomson wear #23 during his brief return to the Giants in 1957? » Which players have hit walk-off grand slams? Around the Web » At Least He Wasn't in a World of Hurt from latimes.com Jump directly to Library content from any website!

Born in Glasgow, Scotland, the Staten Island Scot hit 24 or more homers six times in his seven full seasons with the Giants. A key to the 1951 pennant was Thomson's switch to third base, allowing Willie Mays to take over centerfield. Following the 1953 season, Thomson was sent to the Milwaukee Braves in a trade that brought future 20-game winner Johnny Antonelli to the Giants. Thomson broke his ankle in spring training with the Braves in 1954, and that injury kept Hank Aaron from being sent to the minors. Later that year, when Thomson was in the lineup, Aaron pinch ran for him and broke his ankle.

A nice , likable guy, known as a good low-ball hitter, Thomson had a comeback season for the Cubs in 1958, when he hit 21 homers and collected 82 RBI while batting .283. In 1969, Thomson was named to the Giants' all-time outfield along with Mel Ott and Willie Mays. (RTM)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » April 18, 1947: The Giants shell the Dodgers, 10–4, with Jackie Robinson hitting his first home run, off Dave Koslo, in the loss. The Giants counter with six homers—2 apiece by Bobby Thomson and Bill Rigney, and one apiece by Johnny Mize and Willard Marshall. Scout Burt Shotton is the surprise choice to replace Leo Durocher: he watches but does not manage the game. » May 30, 1947: The Giants cop a pair from the Phils, 7–1 and 5–3. Monty Kennedy allows just four hits in the first game, while Dave Koslo is the winner in game 2. Koslo, backed by two-run homers from Bobby Thomson and Joe Lafata, hands Schoolboy Rowe his first loss after six wins. » August 2, 1947: The Giants hit five homers and set a club record of 144 in a split with the Pirates. The Ottmen take the lidlifter, 10–2, then lose, 5–4. Bobby Thomson has a pair of homers. The Pirates also tie a club record for homers with 86 as Hank Greenberg and Frankie Gustine go deep. » August 25, 1947: The Cubs Billy Jurges, shifted from coach to active player two days ago, smashes a two run homer in the 10th to give Chicago a 9–7 win over the Giants. Also homering are Bob Scheffing and Andy Pafko for Chicago and Willard Marshall (31) and Bobby Thomson (24) for the Giants. » September 1, 1947: Jack Lohrke hits a homer off the Braves, number 183 for the season for the Giants, breaking the 1936 team record held by the Yankees. Mel Ott's club had hit 5 HRs in a doubleheader against the Cubs August 24 to break Chicago's 1929 NL record. The Giants will finish with 221 HRs, led by Johnny Mize, Walker Cooper, Willard Marshall, and rookie Bobby Thomson. » July 17, 1948: At Pittsburgh, a Bobby Thomson pinch single drives home the winning run in the Giants' managerial debut of Leo Durocher. The Giants win, 6–5, overcoming a three-run homer by Ralph Kiner. » September 27, 1950: The Phils rally for five runs in the eighth to tie, but the Giants win in 10 innings 8–7. Monte Irvin, sliding across the plate with the winning run, injures catcher Andy Seminick, limiting his effectiveness. He will play the next day and all through the WS, later to find out that he has a bone separation. In the nitecap, Bobby Thomson first inning inside-the-park grand slam is all the Giants need as Jim Hearn wins 5–0. The Dodgers split with the Braves cutting the Phillies lead to two games. » July 4, 1951: In a wild doubleheader featuring a double ejection of manager Charlie Dressen, the first-place Dodgers sweep the Giants, winning 6–5 in 11 innings, and 4–2. The Dodgers drive out Sal Maglie in the opener after the Giants built a lead on homers by Mueller and Mays. Brooklyn counters in the eighth with a pinch homer by Campanella, a homer by Reese, and a tying single from Hodges. Bobby Thomson's homer in the 11th puts the Giants ahead by one, but Preacher Roe wins it with a squeeze bunt. Ralph Branca wins the nitecap with homer help from Hodges and Snider. Dressen is tossed in the second inning of game two for protesting pitch calls; after he takes a seat behind the dugout umpire Robb tosses him a second time. The victories put Brooklyn six 1/2 games up. » July 20, 1951: In a move that will aid their pennant drive, the Giants put OF Bobby Thomson at 3B to replace the slumping Hank Thompson, out with a spike injury. Thomson, who's been riding the bench since losing his starting job to the rookie Mays, will hit .357 for the rest of the season. » August 7, 1951: In a day-night doubleheader the Dodgers sweep a pair from the Giants, taking the first game 7–2 behind the solid relief of Carl Erskine. Gil Hodges, Duke Snider and Carl Furillo homer. Brooklyn takes the nitecap, 6–5, in 10 innings after jumping on Maglie for a 5–1 lead. Snider and Furillo homer again, while Bobby Thomson goes deep for the Giants. Cox's RBI single wins it, giving the Dodgers an 11 1/2 game margin, the greatest lead in Brooklyn history. » August 16, 1951: Sal Maglie outpitches Don Newcombe, 2–1, to cut the Dodger lead over the Giants to nine 1/2 games. Maglie allows four hits, including Billy Cox's 300-foot homer, in winning his 17th. The Giants score the winner in the 7th when Bobby Thomson scores on a wild pitch. Reese goes hitless, ending his 22-game streak. » August 19, 1951: In Philadelphia, the Giants overcome a 4-run deficit to win, 5–4, and cut Brooklyn's lead to eight games. Al Corwin wins in relief, after Bobby Thomson's 2-run homer gets the Giants on the board. The Giants have won nine in a row, with tomorrow a day off. » August 24, 1951: At the Polo Grounds, the Giants tie the Cards in the 9th on three singles, and with the bases loaded, Bobby Thomson scores the winner on a fielder's choice play at the plate. New York wins, 6–5, its 12th in a row and 4th in a row in coming from behind. » September 2, 1951: Don Mueller hits two more home runs, giving him five in two days, to tie an ML mark. His 2nd homer, again off Phil Haugstad, comes a minute after he learns he is a new father. Bobby Thomson adds his 25th homer and Jim Hearn beats the Dodgers 11–2. After Mueller's 2nd homer, Haugstad decks Thomson and hits Mays with a pitch, evoking a warning from Al Barlick. Barlick had earlier thumbed Branca and Dick Williams in the 5th inning, Newcombe in the 6th when he objected to a call, and Jackie Robinson and rookie Clem Labine. Dressen then clears his bench to avoid any more thumbings. The Giants move to five games behind Brooklyn. The Dodgers are suspicious of the losses at the Polo Grounds, and later there are revelations about signs being flashed to Giant batters from the CF scoreboard. Did it happen? Sal Yvars later said, "yes," while Mueller remarked, "as for my home runs and the sign stealing, this has been much talked about and I would prefer not to comment." On the Dodgers side, Buzzie Bavasi denied it occurred, but Clyde Walker concluded, "it did happen." » September 7, 1951: Bobby Thomson goes 5-for-5 against the host Braves, as the Giants win 7–3. Larry Jansen is the winner, scattering 10 hits, over Max Surkont. Monte Irvin drives in the first three runs, hitting a homer estimated at 500 feet. He now has 101 RBIs. » September 9, 1951: Sal Maglie wins his 20th game to give the Giants a 2–1 win over the Dodgers' Ralph Branca. Monte Irvin's two-run homer in the 4th gives New York all its scoring, The Dodgers score in the 8th on a double by Snider and a triple by Jackie Robinson. But 3B Bobby Thomson snags a ground, tags Robby, and throws to first for a DP. The Dodgers still lead the Giants by five 1/2 games. » September 11, 1951: In St. Louis, New York's Dave Koslo wins the opener of a twinbill, 10–5, ending the Cards' 7-game win streak. Bobby Thomson has three hits and Monte Irvin has a double and his 5th steal of home this year. He has 13 steals overall. Leading 6–4 in the 9th, Wes Westrum breaks an 0-for-20 skein and delivers a grand slam. The Cards win the nitecap, 4–3, behind Cliff Chambers to leave the Giants six games in back of the Dodgers. » September 30, 1951: Larry Jansen of the Giants holds on to defeat the Braves 3–2 in Boston as Bobby Thomson hits his 30th home run of the year, and Don Mueller and Monte Irvin each drive home a run. » October 1, 1951: In the National League's first best-of-three play-off since 1946, Ralph Branca of the Dodgers loses to Jim Hearn and the Giants 3–1. Branca serves up home runs to Bobby Thomson and Monte Irvin. It is the first game ever to be broadcast live coast-to-coast. With both the Dodgers and Giants tied 96–58 at the end of regulation, Brooklyn wins the coin toss and elects to play the first game of the playoffs at home. The next two games will be played at the Polo Grounds. » October 3, 1951: The Giants' Bobby Thomson hits the most famous home run in history, off Ralph Branca. His "shot heard round the world" with two runners on and trailing 4–2 in the bottom of the 9th defeats Brooklyn 5–4 and sends the jubilant Giants into the World Series. For Branca, it is his 6th loss of the season against the Giants, who have now hit 11 home runs off him this year. Whitey Lockman sets up Thomson's blast by hitting a double off Don Newcombe with Al Dark on 3B and Don Mueller on 1B. Mueller breaks his ankle sliding into 3B and is carried off the field. » October 4, 1951: In the opening game of the World Series, Monte Irvin steals home in the first inning and collects four hits. The Giants defeat Allie Reynolds and the Yankees 5–1 with Dave Koslo going all the way at Yankee Stadium. With the injured Mueller missing the World Series, Bobby Thomson switches to 1B and the Giants field the first black outfield of Hank Thompson, Monte Irvin and Willie Mays. » May 13, 1952: Bobby Thomson has a home run and double to drive in five runs to power the Giants to a 7–4 win over the Reds. Bob Elliott and Willie Mays also homer as Larry Jansen wins his 10th straight over the Reds going back to August 29, 1948. » May 14, 1952: Despite eight interruptions by Reds manager Luke Sewell asking the umps to examine the ball, Sal Maglie records his 6th straight win, 6–3, at the Polo Grounds. After the last play stoppage, an angry Maglie heaves the ball over the umps head, but manager Leo Durocher calms the sizzling Sal down. Bobby Thomson starts the scoring with a triple and a steal of home in the 1st. » July 18, 1953: 1B Whitey Lockman, 3B Hank Thompson, and CF Bobby Thomson hit first inning HRs, as the Giants beat the Cubs 12-7 to move into fourth place. » February 1, 1954: The Milwaukee Braves send pitchers Johnny Antonelli, Don Liddle, infielder Billy Klaus, and C Ebba St. Claire to the New York Giants for OF Bobby Thomson and C Sam Calderone. Giant fans will howl in protest at the loss of Thomson, but will quiet down when Antonelli posts a sparkling 21–7 record. » March 13, 1954: Newly acquired Bobby Thomson of the Braves breaks his ankle sliding into 2B under Woodie Held in an exhibition game with the Yankees at Al Lang Field. The injury, a trimalleor fracture, will keep Thomson out of action until July 14th, but it will open the way for Henry Aaron to start in the left field. Ironically, Aaron will suffer a fracture in September. » May 30, 1956: The wind is still blowing out at Wrigley as Braves Eddie Mathews, Hank Aaron and Bobby Thomson hit consecutive first-inning home runs against the Cubs Russ Meyer. Meyer then hits the next batter, Billy Bruton, with a pitch, and when Bruton charges the mound, both he and Meyer are ejected in the ensuing fight. The Cubs plate three in the 1st and reliever Turk Lown homers in the 2nd for his first ML roundtripper. Thomson adds another home run, but the Braves lose the first game 10–9. They hold on to win the 2nd, 11–9. Fifteen home runs in the two games, including four by Thomson, sets a ML-record in a doubleheader. All but three of the homers are solo. » May 28, 1957: Reds pitcher Don Gross has his no-hitter snapped in the 8th inning when Milwaukee's Bobby Thomson triples. Frank Torre singles home Thomson and the Braves win, 1–0. » March 22, 1962: A former Giant—requesting anonymity—reveals that Bobby Thomson's home run in the 1951 playoffs against the Dodgers was helped by a sign-stealing clubhouse spy. The spying is claimed to have gone on for the last three months of the season. Thomson, along with former manager Leo Durocher, vehemently deny that he received help, but a source close to the team confirms the spy operation.