[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1730 Introduced in House (IH)]

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, 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 game- and 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'';
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
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) commends Bobby Thomson on his outstanding baseball 
        career and his famous 3-run home run known as the ``Shot Heard 
        'Round the World''; and
            (2) expresses admiration for the devotion of Bobby Thomson 
        to various charities and nonprofit foundations after his 
        retirement from baseball.
                                 <all>