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View Full Version : Is this the bat Bobby Thomson used for "The Shot"



Tay1038
04-23-2008, 01:14 PM
Thought I might share this question... Maybe somebody can help me out.

I have never been to Cooperstown, I assume they have the actual bat used by Bobby Thompson for the 1951 "Shot heard 'round the world". Can someone clarify this for me?

Sotheby's SCP Auction has a 1951 Bobby Thomson World Series bat up for auction tomorrow. They state to date it is the only 1951 Thompson W.S. bat to surface. Is this the bat used to hit the HR??

What does everyone think?

Bobby Thomson's dramatic "shot heard 'round the world" on October 3, 1951, is perhaps the most famous home run in baseball history. The three-run, ninth-inning homer off Brooklyn pitcher Ralph Branca, capped the Giants' historic comeback to win the NL pennant. The moment was immortalized by the famous call of Giants play-by-play announcer Russ Hodges who cried, "The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!". Just days later, with Thomson still basking in the glow of his newfound celebrity, he and his teammates squared off against the Yankees in the World Series. This bat, manufactured for Thomson for the historic series is his H&B model R16. It remains uncracked with medium use, including ball marks throughout the barrel and rack marks. To date, this is the only known 1951 Thomson World Series bat to surface. LOAs from MEARS (Graded A10) and PSA/DNA (Graded (GU8).
10,000 USD - 15,000 US

Vintagedeputy
04-23-2008, 01:21 PM
Thomson's shot was during a one round playoff game with the Giants and Dodgers to decide who won the pennant and went on to the WS. Therefore, that may be his WS bat but it was not produced until after the homer.

5kRunner
04-23-2008, 01:23 PM
Not the bat.

Thomson's HR got the Giants to the World Series. It wasn't in the World Seriers.

Tay1038
04-23-2008, 01:24 PM
Brain fart!! I was so excited to see something like this arise, I didn't even cross my mind.. I must have blocked my memory on when he actually hit it. Haha!!!

Vintagedeputy
04-23-2008, 03:20 PM
Bobby signed a photo for me once of him hitting the home run. I had him add the famous Russ Hodges quote to his signature...."The Giants win the pennant!"

cjclong
04-23-2008, 04:23 PM
I have seen the bat that Bobby Thompson used to hit the famous home run in '51 playoff with the Dodgers. It is at Cooperstown and was in the Cooperstown Baseball as America tour in Dallas and other cities several months ago. The bat he used to hit the '51 playoff homerun was an Adirondack. The one in the auction is a Louisville Slugger and is not that bat.

cjclong
04-23-2008, 04:26 PM
Misspelled "Thomson" but information correct.

MSpecht
04-23-2008, 05:58 PM
Here is some interesting trivia---

The playoff game between the Giants and Dodgers that produced "The Shot Heard 'Round the World" was played on 10/3/1951. However, World Series bats appear in the Giants records (Thomson R16... Mays F4... Lockman K71...etc) dated 9/28/1951, which generally indicates the date of shipment. The same date of 9/28/1951 appears for shipment of Yankees World Series bats (Mize H117 ... Berra R43...etc)...

The interesting thing, however, is no bats are noted as World Series bats for anyone on the Dodgers... So, on 9/28/1951 bats were manufactured / shipped for the Giants and Yankees World Series, even though the Dodgers had held the National League lead up until the bitter end when the Giants won the last seven regular season games, and took 2 out of 3 in the three game playoff.

Mike jackitout7@aol.com

Vintagedeputy
04-23-2008, 08:08 PM
Here is some interesting trivia---

The playoff game between the Giants and Dodgers that produced "The Shot Heard 'Round the World" was played on 10/1/1951. However, World Series bats appear in the Giants records (Thomson R16... Mays F4... Lockman K71...etc) dated 9/28/1951, which generally indicates the date of shipment. The same date of 9/28/1951 appears for shipment of Yankees World Series bats (Mize H117 ... Berra R43...etc)...

The interesting thing, however, is no bats are noted as World Series bats for anyone on the Dodgers... So, on 9/28/1951 bats were manufactured / shipped for the Giants and Yankees World Series, even though the Dodgers had held the National League lead up until the bitter end when the Giants won the last seven regular season games, and took 2 out of 3 in the three game playoff.

Mike jackitout7@aol.com


Actually, it was October 3rd, but who's counting? :)

MSpecht
04-24-2008, 05:21 PM
Thanks for catching the error, Jim--- I rechecked my source and it was correct...I initially misread the 3 as a 1. The error in the post has been corrected so as to not mislead anyone who reads it in the future.

Mike Jackitout7@aol.com

Vintagedeputy
04-24-2008, 05:35 PM
Thanks for catching the error, Jim--- I rechecked my source and it was correct...I initially misread the 3 as a 1. The error in the post has been corrected so as to not mislead anyone who reads it in the future.

Mike Jackitout7@aol.com


uh oh, editing posts? haha :)