Larry Jansen
Larry Jansen
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Regarding “Of God and baseball,” May 6, Page 31:

Oregon has a renowned professional baseball player from the past that few may be aware of. Larry Jansen was a friend of my father, Gerald Hermens. Jansen, born in 1920, lived in the Forest Grove/Verboort area.

He played professional baseball and was friends of teammate Willie Mays and actor Bill Cosby. He was winning pitcher in the famous 1951 National League pennant tie-breaker game ending with “the shot heard round the world” when the Giants defeated the Brooklyn Dodgers 5-4 on a three-run homer by Bobby Thomson in bottom of ninth.

Jansen entered the game in the top of the ninth with the Giants trailing 4-1 and struck out two while allowing no hits or runs.

He died in his sleep at age 89.

Larry was a strong Catholic with a large family.

Kenneth Hermens

Beaverton

Editor’s note: Kenneth Hermens’ insight is much appreciated. To learn more, the Sentinel devoted a full page to Larry Jansen in the April 1 issue of 2011: go.sentinel.org/39YkPcX . Go to page 11 after opening the link.