Mattie T’s Tribute to Bobby Thomson (1923-2010)
Written by The Go-To-Man Mattie T. on August 17, 2010
Major League Baseball is mourning the man who made the “Shot ‘Heard Round the World” phrase come true, as Bobby Thomson passed away on Tuesday at the age of 86.
Thomson was a native of Glasgow, Scotland and attended high school in Staten Island, NY.
He was signed by the New York Giants as an amateur free agent in 1942, as he officially made his major league debut on September 9th, 1946.
Despite batting just .248 in his 2nd big-league season in 1948, it was good enough for Thomson to make his first of two consecutive All-Star appearences.
The infamous “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” occured on October 3rd, 1951 as Thomson’s homer capped off an incredible run, where the Giants overcame a 13 and a half game deficit to with the NL pennant over the Brooklyn Dodgers.
He then made another All-Star appearence in 1952, where he reached a new career-high with 14 triples while hitting .270 overall with 24 home runs and 108 runs batted in.
Thomson later spent over 3 years with the Milwaukee Braves, as his broken ankle injury in 1954 opened up a spot for Henry Aaron, who wound up becoming the future home-run king.
He later had a 2nd stint with the Giants & got to appear in the final game ever played at Polo Grounds before spending two seasons with the Chicago Cubs.
Thomson’s career ended in 1960, as he finished as a.270 career hitter in 1,779 career games with 264 home runs and 1,026 runs batted in.
