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Baseball legend Bobby Thomson poses underneath a statue of Atlas Tuesday, April 7, 1998, in New York. All these years later, Thomson is still amazed at the attention surrounding his home run in 1951. By next season there will be a U.S. postal stamp commemorating the event.Associated Press

Bobby Thomson leaves his stamp on history

Web posted April 8, 1998

By Bert Rosenthal
Associated Press

NEW YORK -- Bobby Thomson had just hit perhaps baseball's most memorable home run -- ``the shot heard 'round the world'' -- when he was congratulated by his brother, Jim.

``I didn't know what to say,'' Thomson told him. ``All I could say was the good Lord must have had something to do with that.''

Jim insisted.

``Bob, do you realize what you did?'' Jim said.

``I said, `Yes, of course, I was there,''' Bobby said.

``No, Bob, something like that might never happen again,'' Jim said.

It never has.

Thomson's home run capped the New York Giants' astonishing run to the National League pennant in 1951 and has not been duplicated in baseball annals. The blow came 47 years ago and remains part of the game's lore.

Now the event will be commemorated on a U.S. postage stamp to be issued in April 1999. Since a person must be dead for at least 10 years before his or her face can be depicted on a stamp, Thomson himself will not be shown. The precise picture on the stamp has not been decided.

``It's nice to be remembered,'' Thomson, 74, said Tuesday. ``I continue to be amazed that this home run thing has continued to be so well received ... I've tried to keep it in the proper perspective.''

The home run was one of 15 subjects voted on by the public to represent the 1950s in the Celebrate the Century commemorative stamp and education program conducted by the U.S. Postal Service. The program honors the most significant people, places, events and trends of each decade of the 20th century.

Other 1950s subjects include boxing champion Rocky Marciano, the Korean War, U.S. satellite launches and rock 'n' roll.

Thomson's home run came in the third and deciding game of the 1951 NL playoffs.

The Giants had forced the playoffs by storming back from a 13´-game deficit in mid-August and tied the Brooklyn Dodgers for first place. The teams split the first two playoff games, with Thomson hitting a home run off Ralph Branca in Game 1, helping the Giants win 3-1.

The Dodgers won Game 2 10-0 and were leading Game 3 4-1 going into the bottom of the ninth. Don Newcombe, the Dodgers' ace, was pitching, and Brooklyn appeared in command.

Then, Alvin Dark led off with a single and Don Mueller followed with a hit. After Monte Irvin fouled out, Whitey Lockman sliced a double to left field, scoring Dark.

That brought up Thomson, and the Dodgers brought in Branca. With Willie Mays on deck, the Dodgers decided not to walk Thomson.

Thomson took a strike, then slammed the next pitch into the left-field stands, giving the Giants a 5-4 victory and the NL pennant, and triggering a wild celebration in the Polo Grounds. It also elicited broadcaster Russ Hodges' famous call, ``The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant.''

After the pandemonium in the Giants' clubhouse subsided, Thomson was asked to appear on Perry Como's television show for $500. Thomson turned it down, saying, ``I could use the money, but I would rather go home and be with my family.''

The offer was increased to $1,000.

``For $1,000, my family can wait,'' Thomson said.

The World Series against the New York Yankees was considered almost anticlimactic, although not by Thomson.

``That hurt,'' he said. ``Going all the way was what baseball was all about.''

For many years after the home run, Thomson and Branca hardly spoke.

``I don't think anyone can appreciate what he had to go through, considering the rivalry the Giants and Dodgers had,'' Thomson said. ``... It was the Golden Era of baseball -- and the Giants, Dodgers and Yankees were always there at the end of the season.''

Now, Thomson and Branca are the best of friends, sharing appearances at sports events, card shows and charity affairs.

``After a while, we got to know each other better and found out we had a lot in common,'' Thomson said. ``That one day brought us together for the rest of our lives. Without it, you wouldn't be hearing much about Thomson and Branca.''