When the baseball world remembers the name Bobby Thompson, it thinks about the 1951 best out of three playoff series between the New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers. Of course, Thomson was the way the man's last name was to be spelled. Bobby Thomson hit the "shot heard around the world." to lead the Giants to the NL Pennant. Rob Thomson is the bench coach for the New York Yankees. Rob Thompson was the San Francisco Giants second baseman from 1986-1996 and served as the bench coach for the Seattle Mariners under manager Eric Wedge. While all of the preceding can be referred to as "Bobby Thom(p)son," there was yet another player with that name that accomplished something that will never be done again.
There was a young man born in the city of Charlotte, NC by the name of Bobby Thompson. After graduating from Harding University High School, he was drafted by the Texas Rangers as an OF in the 1972 MLB player draft. After six seasons in the minors, Thompson made his MLB debut for the Rangers in a game in April 16, 1978. While doing so, he became the first African American from the city of Charlotte to play in the major leagues. In 1978, he would get into 64 games, batting 128 times for the Rangers. He hit .225, 2, 12 with 3 2Bs, 3 3Bs and 7 SB for the season. The Rangers had a logjam in their OF with Al Oliver, Juan Beniquez, Bobby Bonds and Richie Zisk occupying the three OF positions and DH, it left little time for Thompson to get a chance to play.
After the season, he was purchased by the Mariners from the Rangers. He did not make the squad for 1979, so he was released where he spent 1979 in the Inter-American League and 1980 in the Mexican League before calling it quits. He will always be a hero to the athletes in Charlotte as many will remember him being the first African American baseball player to play in the major leagues. Unfortunately, on April 15, 2008, Thompson passed away at his residence in Charlotte, NC.
There was a young man born in the city of Charlotte, NC by the name of Bobby Thompson. After graduating from Harding University High School, he was drafted by the Texas Rangers as an OF in the 1972 MLB player draft. After six seasons in the minors, Thompson made his MLB debut for the Rangers in a game in April 16, 1978. While doing so, he became the first African American from the city of Charlotte to play in the major leagues. In 1978, he would get into 64 games, batting 128 times for the Rangers. He hit .225, 2, 12 with 3 2Bs, 3 3Bs and 7 SB for the season. The Rangers had a logjam in their OF with Al Oliver, Juan Beniquez, Bobby Bonds and Richie Zisk occupying the three OF positions and DH, it left little time for Thompson to get a chance to play.
After the season, he was purchased by the Mariners from the Rangers. He did not make the squad for 1979, so he was released where he spent 1979 in the Inter-American League and 1980 in the Mexican League before calling it quits. He will always be a hero to the athletes in Charlotte as many will remember him being the first African American baseball player to play in the major leagues. Unfortunately, on April 15, 2008, Thompson passed away at his residence in Charlotte, NC.
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