Bobby Thomson died yesterday.

A baseball legend.

The player responsible for the “…shot heard round the world!”

It was 1951. National League playoff game number 3. Final game of the playoffs. Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants tied at 1 game a piece. Winner to play the New York Yankees in the World Series.

Bottom of the ninth. Dodgers winning by 2 runs. Giants had 2 men on base. Thomson up. Hit a home run! Giants won 5-4!

I was working in McHarris Supermarket at the time in Utica, New York. I was a junior in high school. Some things you remember. I was shelving can goods. Campbell’s tomato soup.

The radio announcer shouted out the home run! And yelled “…The Giants win the pennant!” Four times he said it. Remembered to this day.

Thomson became life long famous for hitting the home run. Ralph Branca threw the pitch. He too became famous, though I am sure he would rather not have had the dubious honor.

My company left yesterday. Donna and Terri. A one week visit which turned into four and a half. No sweat. Loved having them. They return in October when Terri has a gig here in Key West.

I had dinner last night with Lisa and the family. Turned out to be Alley Oop time.

My 5 year old granddaughter and I were chatting. Somehow I came up with the name Alley Oop. Who is alley Oop, she asked. Am I named after him?

I tried explaining that Alley Oop was a cartoon character when Poppa was small. He was a prehistoric caveman. Lived in a hole in a mountain called a cave. Road his pet dinosaur Dinny.

It all went over her head! Caveman, cave and the like.

I took her to the computer. Typed in Alley Oop. Up came his comic strips. Now she understood!

Both Ally and Robert had immediate recognition of the dinosaur Oop rode. Today’s kids know dinosaurs.

Golf today!

I am honored. Kurt asked me to ride with him. He is probably the best golfer in our group. I, the worst. Kurt is a gentleman.

Enjoy your day!

8 comments on “

  1. Received an email from a friend in you hometown of Utica,NY and he states that the bank is about to forclouse on you home there and that you are filling for bankruptcy. Is this true?Also that your "former" wife is bakeing cakes,cookies and pies ans selling them to suplement her income. Sounds strange.

  2. [quote] road his pet dinosaur named Dinny [end quote]
    My God, are we to believe that there is a road somewhere in this world named after a dinosaur or that Alley may have ridden or rode Dinny on that road..
    Patrick and JoAnn

  3. Hey Lou – Loved hearing you remembering where you were when Thompson hit his homerun. I'm reading a great Baseball book right now that I strongly recommend. Teamates by David Halberstam. It details a roadtrip taken by Johnny Pesky and Dom DiMaggio going from Mass. to Florida to visit Ted Williams one last time before he passes. A great baseball book and an even better trip down memory lane when the game was simpler. And this is coming from a Yankees fan!

    Matt
    Boston,MA

  4. I came across this boring site, this old fart posting his boring life,BORING BORING BORING! WHO CARES IF ANOTHER OLD FART NOBODY REMEMBERs DIED!

  5. wow, why all the hatred? Most notably the anonymous hatred. If you're going to trash something at least leave your name, couple of Knights of the Keyboard.

    Matt

  6. I love reading about Lou's life in Key West. His personal life is his personal business. These nasty posting are a shame and those that post them obviously unhappy people. Too bad, as life is too short to be unhappy.

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