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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The life of a beloved baseball player and a renowned |
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cardiologist drew to a close with the passing of Robert William |
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Brown of Fort Worth on March 25, 2021, at the age of 96; and |
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WHEREAS, The son of William and Myrtle Brown, Bobby Brown was |
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born on October 25, 1924, in Seattle, and he grew up with a sister, |
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Beverley; he enlisted in the United States Navy in 1943 and played |
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college baseball at Stanford, UCLA, and Tulane while beginning his |
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medical education as part of an officer training program; and |
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WHEREAS, Nicknamed "Golden Boy" for his blond hair and the |
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large bonus he received when he signed to play for the New York |
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Yankees, Mr. Brown made his major league debut in 1946; utilized |
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largely as an infielder and a pinch hitter, he compiled a .300 |
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average in 1947 and 1948 but earned his greatest acclaim for his |
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exceptional postseason play while helping the Yankees win four |
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championships; in the 1947 World Series, he went three for three and |
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delivered a crucial run-scoring double in the decisive Game 7; two |
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years later, he tallied six hits in 12 at bats in the series, and in |
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1950 he scored the only run in Game 1; in eight major league |
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seasons, he tallied 452 hits, 237 runs batted in, and a lifetime |
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batting average of .279; and |
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WHEREAS, During his years with the Yankees, Mr. Brown |
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continued his studies at Tulane University, spending winters in |
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class and often missing spring training; he received his medical |
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degree in 1950 and left the team in the summer of 1952 for service in |
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the Korean War; he was a battalion surgeon near the front lines and |
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later served at an Army hospital in Tokyo before being discharged in |
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1954; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Brown briefly rejoined the Yankees that year but |
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opted to give up his career as a ballplayer to train as a |
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cardiologist; after completing his studies in 1958, he moved to |
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Fort Worth to open a private practice; except for a sabbatical in |
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1974, when he served as the interim president of the Texas Rangers, |
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he worked as a doctor until 1984; he then returned to baseball in |
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his role as president of the American League, holding that post |
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until retiring in 1994; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Brown and his wife, Sara, shared a rewarding |
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marriage that spanned six decades before she passed away in 2012; |
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they were the parents of three children, Pete, Beverley, and |
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Kaydee, and the family later grew to include 10 grandchildren, |
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Geren, Robert, Jeffrey, Rebecca, Jack, Pete, Edward, Jayne, Sara, |
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and Will, and 14 great-grandchildren; and |
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WHEREAS, Revered for his outstanding play on the field and |
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his dedicated service as a cardiologist and baseball executive, |
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Bobby Brown lived a life that was rich in family, friends, and |
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professional accomplishments, and he leaves behind a legacy that |
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will long be treasured by all those who held him dear; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Robert William |
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Brown and extend sincere condolences to the members of his family; |
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and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Bobby |
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Brown. |
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Geren |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 875 was unanimously adopted by a |
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rising vote of the House on April 30, 2021. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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