Whitey Lockman--1955
Bobby Thomson's 1951 "Shot Heard
Around the World" off Ralph Branca.
He would stomp on home plate with
the tying run as a leaping Thomson
made his way around the bases
amidst the mayhem at the Polo
Grounds.
Leading off from second base,
Lockman watches Thomson's home
run take the Giants to the 1951
World Series.
However, I remember a very nice
gentleman, who in his twilight years
helped advise the Florida Marlins
during their infancy years.
While working for the Marlins in the
1990s, I was privileged to meet and
talk baseball with Whitey Lockman
during the club's semi-annual
organizational meetings. We talked
about the Thomson home run, a
young Willie Mays and his time
managing the Chicago Cubs in the
early 1970s, though the exact
conversations escape me. For
someone who had played in the big
leagues, Whitey was a very humble
person and extremely classy.
Unfortunately we lost Whitey
Lockman in 2009 at the age of 82.
Though I don't really have a good
story to tell here; I just wanted to you
know that baseball lost a really good
man and Whitey was a great guy.
(10/1/11)
Around the World" off Ralph Branca.
He would stomp on home plate with
the tying run as a leaping Thomson
made his way around the bases
amidst the mayhem at the Polo
Grounds.
Leading off from second base,
Lockman watches Thomson's home
run take the Giants to the 1951
World Series.
However, I remember a very nice
gentleman, who in his twilight years
helped advise the Florida Marlins
during their infancy years.
While working for the Marlins in the
1990s, I was privileged to meet and
talk baseball with Whitey Lockman
during the club's semi-annual
organizational meetings. We talked
about the Thomson home run, a
young Willie Mays and his time
managing the Chicago Cubs in the
early 1970s, though the exact
conversations escape me. For
someone who had played in the big
leagues, Whitey was a very humble
person and extremely classy.
Unfortunately we lost Whitey
Lockman in 2009 at the age of 82.
Though I don't really have a good
story to tell here; I just wanted to you
know that baseball lost a really good
man and Whitey was a great guy.
(10/1/11)
Perched atop of the
New York Giants
lineup throughout
the 1950s; Whitey
Lockman swung a
steady line drive bat
with occasional pop.
Most baseball fans
remember Lockman
for his key one-out
double off of
Dodger starter Don
Newcombe to set
the stage for
New York Giants
lineup throughout
the 1950s; Whitey
Lockman swung a
steady line drive bat
with occasional pop.
Most baseball fans
remember Lockman
for his key one-out
double off of
Dodger starter Don
Newcombe to set
the stage for
Lockman hit .279 with 114 homers in 15 big
league seasons
league seasons