Bob always said he knew how much I loved him when I bought this photo of the actual moment of "The Shot Heard 'Round the World," Bobby Thomson's pennant-winning home run for the New York Giants against the Brooklyn Dodgers on October 3, 1951. It's one of the most iconic moments in baseball history, capped by legendary broadcaster Russ Hodges' famous call: "The Giants win the pennant!"
That was not a happy moment for a Dodgers girl, since it capped a late season comeback by the Giants, but it was a dramatic moment in baseball history, and so it was a special gift for Bob. Signed by both Bobby Thomson, the batter, and Ralph Branca, the fateful pitcher.
Charleston baseball meant the Riverdogs, a single A farm team in the Carolina league, now an affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, but once a farm club for the Yankees. We watched as Aaron Judge slugged a homer out of the ballpark years ago! The Riverdogs play in wonderful Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park, built while Joe Riley, one of the most serious baseball fans in our recollection, was Mayor of Charleston. Bill Murray, a part owner of the Riverdogs, sometimes threw out the first ball of the season.
Charleston baseball is known for a more infamous history – the exclusion of the 1955 black Little League players, known as the Cannon Street All Stars, who won the local championship by default because their competitors refused to play against black kids, and so they arrived at the nationals, but were never permitted to play in the league. The then fourteen youngsters, narrowed to survivors, waited until 2022 to be honored for their ball playing by Little League.
Because Bob was a close friend of one man who was committed to healing that wound, we supported the Cannon Street All Stars in their eventually successful quest for recognition and created uniforms and emblematic jewelry to honor them.
We never lost our love of the game, and for several years we had a Ben Silver Team playing an annual game before the Charleston Rainbows (the predecessor to the Riverdogs) farm team game. Still in our hearts!
— Sue Prenner