Bobby Thomson Biography

Robert Brown Thomson came to the United States at age 2 and grew up on Staten Island. After graduating from high school in 1942, he signed on with the New York Giants, receiving a $100 bonus. Known for his power and speed, the "Flying Scot" achieved baseball immortality when he hit a three-run home run for the Giants to win the 1951 National League pennant race against the Brooklyn Dodgers. Thomson was a .270 career hitter with 264 home runs and 1,026 RBIs in 1,779 games, and he was an All-Star selection in 1948, 1949, and 1952. The right-handed outfielder and third baseman played his last game on July 17, 1960. He died at home in Savannah, Ga. of natural causes at age 86.

The United States Postal Service issued a stamp commemorating Thomson's famous homer in 1999.