View Full Version : o/t bobby thomson dies
Peter_Spaeth
08-17-2010, 12:22 PM
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/17/bobby-thomson-dead-shot-h_n_685037.html?ref=twitter
Needless to say, deepest sympathies to friends family teammates and fans. Arguably the greatest game yet played.
ethicsprof
08-17-2010, 12:24 PM
a sad day, indeed
my deepest sympathies to family,friends,fans
barry
Chris Counts
08-17-2010, 12:33 PM
Rest in peace, Bobby
barrysloate
08-17-2010, 12:34 PM
Branca and Thomson lived nearly sixty years after their famous moment. A sad day for baseball.
Rob D.
08-17-2010, 12:36 PM
The world was a better place yesterday.
Condolences to the New York Giants family and Scots worldwide.
bigtrain
08-17-2010, 12:39 PM
Mr. Thomson lived for many years in the neighboring town of Watchung, New Jersey and I used to see and speak to him from time to time. He was a fine gentleman.
Anthony S.
08-17-2010, 12:41 PM
Thank you, Bobby.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrI7dVj90zs
HRBAKER
08-17-2010, 01:00 PM
What a class act. I met Bobby a couple of times and he was always generous with an autograph or two through the mail over the years. RIP Bobby and my thoughts to his family on this sad day.
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s172/hrbaker/AUTOS/bobbyt.jpg
tedzan
08-17-2010, 01:03 PM
I guess we posted simultaneously. I'll transfer my post to this one.
TED Z
RichardSimon
08-17-2010, 01:16 PM
One of the nicest guys of his or any era, always a gentleman.
My condolences to his family.
tedzan
08-17-2010, 01:17 PM
I wll never forget October 3rd 1951. My two Brooklyn Dodger buddies and I ran from school at 3 PM to my house and
turned on the TV to catch the final play-off game of the season. It was the 9th inning and my Dodger buddies were
excited, as the Dodgers were leading 4-1. In the bottom of the 9th, Alvin Dark scored the 2nd RUN. Don Mueller and
Whitey Lockman were on 2nd and 3rd base, respectively. Dodger Manager Dressen replaced Don Newcombe with Ralph
Branca.
Bobby Thomson came to bat and the rest is history....as Bobby hit "the shot heard around the world" to win the NL
Pennant for the Giants. In August of 1951 the Dodgers were 13 games ahead of the Giants, so Thomson's Home Run
was a very sweet ending to a very exciting season.
Bobby was a real gentleman when signing at BB card shows. He'd always have a friendly conversation with everyone.
GOD Bless Bobby Thomson's soul and comfort his family.
TED Z
Peter_Spaeth
08-17-2010, 01:31 PM
It's a good thing Bobby came through cause the next hitter didn't stand a chance -- some kid named Mays.
HRBAKER
08-17-2010, 01:36 PM
It's a good thing Bobby came through cause the next hitter didn't stand a chance -- some kid named Mays.
Yes Peter by Bobby taking the pressure off it allowed young Willie to go on and have a productive career in the bigs.
mr2686
08-17-2010, 01:51 PM
I find it odd that the Dodgers chose to go with Branca against a hot Thompson (Thompson already had 2 hits that day and had hit a homer off of Branca in their preivous meeting). Anyway, Mr. Thompson was a fine gentleman who's name will live on as a baseball legend. My condolences go out to his family.
Peter_Spaeth
08-17-2010, 01:52 PM
In the ensuing World Series you had Dimaggio in his final games and Mays and Mantle as rookies. Not only that, they came together on one fateful play: Mays hit the fly ball where Dimaggio called for it at the last minute and a charging Mantle had to get out of his way, catching his foot in a drain and ripping up his knee.
M's_Fan
08-17-2010, 01:52 PM
I recommend "The Echoing Green" by Joshua Prager. It tells the untold story about the shot heard around the world, and how the Giants were stealing their opponents signals and signaling them to the batter. Bobby actually admitted this to Branca and apologized just a few years ago. I admire Bobby for many reasons. May he rest in peace.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51T29CKVJGL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg
http://www.amazon.com/Echoing-Green-Untold-Thomson-Branca/dp/0375421548#_
tedzan
08-17-2010, 01:57 PM
What's strange about Charlie Dressen's choice to bring in Branca is that in the 1st play-off game (of the 3), Bobby Thomson
hit a HR off Branca.
Obviously, Branca was devastated.....but, he and Thomson became great friends and were paired together at many signing
sessions throughout the years.
TED Z
I doubt if any baseball player had to endure the numbing pain and tragedy that Ralph Branca had to endure. In that era, baseball was king and no sport came close. I haven't read the book but I wonder how Branca felt all these years later when it was revealed that Thomson knew what was coming thanks to the signs having been stolen all day long.
Father Pat Rowley, was a priest. When Branca asked: "Why me?" Father Pat told him, "Because God knew your faith would be strong enough to bear this cross."
Peter_Spaeth
08-17-2010, 02:21 PM
If the signs were stolen all day why did they scratch out one run through 8 innings?
BillyCoxDodgers3B
08-17-2010, 02:27 PM
RIP Bobby. We all could take a lesson on classiness from his example.
Funny, I just happened upon the tape of the 1993 interview I conducted with him.
If the signs were stolen all day why did they scratch out one run through 8 innings?
Well, Peter, you might know a fastball is coming but you still have to hit it! ;)
cubsguy1969
08-17-2010, 02:38 PM
Anyone ever read Don DeLillo's "Underworld"? The prologue, "Pafko at the Wall," is a fictionalized account of a bunch of people (Sinatra, Hoover, Gleason, Toots Shor, Russ Hodges, along with a black kid from Harlem who somehow snags the ball) at the scene of Thomson's shot. Brilliant piece of writing.
Also, here's a delightful clip from Ernie Harwell about "The shot." What a charming man he was.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiZuVXYa43E
Peter_Spaeth
08-17-2010, 02:40 PM
Anyone ever read Don DeLillo's "Underworld"? The prologue, "Pafko at the Wall," is a fictionalized account of a bunch of people (Sinatra, Hoover, Gleason, Toots Shor, Russ Hodges, along with a black kid from Harlem who somehow snags the ball) at the scene of Thomson's shot. Brilliant piece of writing.
Also, here's a delightful clip from Ernie Harwell about "The shot." What a charming man he was.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiZuVXYa43E
It is a superb piece, truly brilliant.
I first met him in regards to an article I was writing about the whereabouts of the ball for a horrible weekly publication.
A year later, DeLillo would dedicate the first 10% of his book to the event and throughout as a collector who was enthralled by the event.
A few weeks after the publication of Underworld, I get a phone call and it's Bobby, asking what this "Underworld" was? I explained to him, and he noted that he would very much like to meet the author, who is quite private.
I contacted DeLillo, who I knew a little at the time, and the two had lunch a few weeks later. A few months later I met up with Thomson for lunch.
His health had been bad the last few years and he will be missed. He was one of my favorite athletes as he treated everyone with kindess.
DanC
cubsguy1969
08-17-2010, 06:30 PM
Cool story, DanC. That would have been some lunch. Would love to know what all they talked about.
I wonder if there is a corner in Heaven where you can sit down and talk to Ernie Harwell and listen to his stories :) He was class personified. I watched the Costas interview on TV a year or so ago when he was asked about the next World Series and he turned to Costas and told him he wouldn't be there to see it. Made your eyes water. Maybe Buck O'Neill is in that corner too. :D
iggyman
08-24-2010, 09:19 AM
Found this article relating to Bobby Thomson, "The Giants win the pennant", and a tape recorder. Thought I would include it in this thread.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/08/19/thomson.memories/index.html?hpt=C2
Lovely Day...
Great story, yep...the old reel to reel :)
.
iggyman
08-24-2010, 09:39 AM
I believe it predates iPAD and even youtube...