[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 696 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 696

          Honoring the life and legacy of Carl Daniel Erskine.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 16, 2024

     Mr. Braun (for himself and Mr. Young) submitted the following 
             resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
          Honoring the life and legacy of Carl Daniel Erskine.

Whereas Carl Daniel Erskine was born on December 13, 1926;
Whereas Mr. Erskine first showed signs of athletic greatness at Anderson High 
        School in Anderson, Indiana, where he was a 4-year letter winner in both 
        baseball and basketball;
Whereas Mr. Erskine continued his baseball career at Anderson College in 
        Anderson, Indiana, before signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1946;
Whereas Mr. Erskine joined the United States Navy in 1945;
Whereas Mr. Erskine played his entire career from 1948 to 1959 with the Brooklyn 
        and Los Angeles Dodgers, helping the franchise win 5 National League 
        pennants and the 1955 World Series;
Whereas, in 1953, Mr. Erskine won 20 games and set a then-World Series record 
        with 14 strikeouts in game 3 of the 1953 Fall Classic;
Whereas, in his career, Mr. Erskine pitched 2 no-hitter games (in 1952 and 1956) 
        and was selected as a National League All-Star in 1954;
Whereas Mr. Erskine pitched the first nationally televised no-hitter game in 
        1956 against the Giants;
Whereas, after he retired from Major League Baseball, Mr. Erskine became the 
        head coach at his alma mater, Anderson University, for over 12 seasons;
Whereas, while Mr. Erskine was the head coach, the Anderson College baseball 
        team won 4 Hoosier Conference championships and reached the National 
        Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) World Series in 1965 
        after a season of 20 wins and 5 losses;
Whereas, in 1979, Mr. Erskine was inducted into the inaugural class of the 
        Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame;
Whereas Mr. Erskine also enjoyed a successful corporate career as an executive 
        and board member of a bank and an advisor and trustee for organizations 
        such as the Special Olympics, Babe Ruth Baseball, Anderson College, and 
        the Baseball Assistance Team (BAT), a nonprofit organization that 
        assists former Major League Baseball, Minor League Baseball, and Negro 
        League Baseball players with financial and medical difficulties;
Whereas Mr. Erskine conducted numerous summer baseball camps and was an active 
        member of the First Baptist Church of Anderson;
Whereas the Carl D. Erskine Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine Center in 
        Anderson, Indiana, was named in his honor and has a statue of him at its 
        facility;
Whereas, in the early 2000s, the Erskine family sold 30 acres of land at a 
        discounted price for the construction of Anderson Community Schools;
Whereas Erskine Elementary School in Anderson, Indiana, was named in honor of 
        Mr. Erskine and his family;
Whereas Mr. Erskine's son Jimmy competed in the Special Olympics for over 50 
        years, leading Mr. Erskine and his wife, Betty, to become active 
        volunteers with the organization;
Whereas, to recognize Mr. Erskine's legacy, the Special Olympics of Indiana 
        named its planned giving society, which helps the Special Olympics of 
        Indiana expand its reach and promote its vision of a more inclusive 
        world for people with intellectual disabilities, ``The Carl and Betty 
        Erskine Society'';
Whereas, after more than 4 decades as a volunteer, Mr. Erskine was awarded the 
        Special Olympics' highest honor, the Spirit of the Special Olympics 
        Award;
Whereas the Erskine Green Training Center in Muncie, Indiana, is a postsecondary 
        vocational training program for those with special needs, which was 
        partially named in his honor;
Whereas Mr. Erskine was a charter member of both the Fellowship of Christian 
        Athletes and the Baseball Assistance Team;
Whereas Mr. Erskine was added to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Hall of 
        Champions in 2002;
Whereas, in 2010, Governor Mitch Daniels presented Mr. Erskine with the Sachem 
        Award, the State of Indiana's highest honor, which recognizes a lifetime 
        of excellence and moral virtue that has brought credit and honor to 
        Indiana;
Whereas, in 2022, a documentary about his life, ``The Best We Got: The Carl 
        Erskine Story'', by Ted Green, was released;
Whereas, known as the ``Last of the Boys of Summer'', Mr. Erskine received the 
        John Jordan ``Buck'' O'Neil Lifetime Achievement Award from the National 
        Baseball Hall of Fame in 2023;
Whereas the Hall of Fame presents the John Jordan ``Buck'' O'Neil Lifetime 
        Achievement Award every 3 years to an individual whose character, 
        integrity, and dignity has had a positive impact on society; and
Whereas Carl Erskine passed away on April 16, 2024: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) honors the life and legacy of Carl Daniel Erskine, 
        including the dedication of Mr. Erskine--
                    (A) in particular, to the game of baseball and fans 
                in the Hoosier State;
                    (B) to his work on and off the field in the State 
                of Indiana; and
                    (C) to the various lives he improved through his 
                kindness and compassion in his various philanthropic 
                endeavors;
            (2) recognizes the success of Mr. Erskine as a source of 
        continuing pride for the entire State of Indiana;
            (3) gives a heartfelt thank you to Mr. Erskine for all of 
        the memories and will continue to remember his legacy; and
            (4) respectfully requests that the Secretary of the Senate 
        transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to the family of 
        Mr. Erskine.
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