[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 696 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 696
Honoring the life and legacy of Carl Daniel Erskine.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 16, 2024
Mr. Braun (for himself and Mr. Young) submitted the following
resolution; which was considered and agreed to
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Honoring the life and legacy of Carl Daniel Erskine.
Whereas Carl Daniel Erskine was born on December 13, 1926;
Whereas Mr. Erskine first showed signs of athletic greatness at Anderson High
School in Anderson, Indiana, where he was a 4-year letter winner in both
baseball and basketball;
Whereas Mr. Erskine continued his baseball career at Anderson College in
Anderson, Indiana, before signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1946;
Whereas Mr. Erskine joined the United States Navy in 1945;
Whereas Mr. Erskine played his entire career from 1948 to 1959 with the Brooklyn
and Los Angeles Dodgers, helping the franchise win 5 National League
pennants and the 1955 World Series;
Whereas, in 1953, Mr. Erskine won 20 games and set a then-World Series record
with 14 strikeouts in game 3 of the 1953 Fall Classic;
Whereas, in his career, Mr. Erskine pitched 2 no-hitter games (in 1952 and 1956)
and was selected as a National League All-Star in 1954;
Whereas Mr. Erskine pitched the first nationally televised no-hitter game in
1956 against the Giants;
Whereas, after he retired from Major League Baseball, Mr. Erskine became the
head coach at his alma mater, Anderson University, for over 12 seasons;
Whereas, while Mr. Erskine was the head coach, the Anderson College baseball
team won 4 Hoosier Conference championships and reached the National
Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) World Series in 1965
after a season of 20 wins and 5 losses;
Whereas, in 1979, Mr. Erskine was inducted into the inaugural class of the
Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame;
Whereas Mr. Erskine also enjoyed a successful corporate career as an executive
and board member of a bank and an advisor and trustee for organizations
such as the Special Olympics, Babe Ruth Baseball, Anderson College, and
the Baseball Assistance Team (BAT), a nonprofit organization that
assists former Major League Baseball, Minor League Baseball, and Negro
League Baseball players with financial and medical difficulties;
Whereas Mr. Erskine conducted numerous summer baseball camps and was an active
member of the First Baptist Church of Anderson;
Whereas the Carl D. Erskine Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine Center in
Anderson, Indiana, was named in his honor and has a statue of him at its
facility;
Whereas, in the early 2000s, the Erskine family sold 30 acres of land at a
discounted price for the construction of Anderson Community Schools;
Whereas Erskine Elementary School in Anderson, Indiana, was named in honor of
Mr. Erskine and his family;
Whereas Mr. Erskine's son Jimmy competed in the Special Olympics for over 50
years, leading Mr. Erskine and his wife, Betty, to become active
volunteers with the organization;
Whereas, to recognize Mr. Erskine's legacy, the Special Olympics of Indiana
named its planned giving society, which helps the Special Olympics of
Indiana expand its reach and promote its vision of a more inclusive
world for people with intellectual disabilities, ``The Carl and Betty
Erskine Society'';
Whereas, after more than 4 decades as a volunteer, Mr. Erskine was awarded the
Special Olympics' highest honor, the Spirit of the Special Olympics
Award;
Whereas the Erskine Green Training Center in Muncie, Indiana, is a postsecondary
vocational training program for those with special needs, which was
partially named in his honor;
Whereas Mr. Erskine was a charter member of both the Fellowship of Christian
Athletes and the Baseball Assistance Team;
Whereas Mr. Erskine was added to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Hall of
Champions in 2002;
Whereas, in 2010, Governor Mitch Daniels presented Mr. Erskine with the Sachem
Award, the State of Indiana's highest honor, which recognizes a lifetime
of excellence and moral virtue that has brought credit and honor to
Indiana;
Whereas, in 2022, a documentary about his life, ``The Best We Got: The Carl
Erskine Story'', by Ted Green, was released;
Whereas, known as the ``Last of the Boys of Summer'', Mr. Erskine received the
John Jordan ``Buck'' O'Neil Lifetime Achievement Award from the National
Baseball Hall of Fame in 2023;
Whereas the Hall of Fame presents the John Jordan ``Buck'' O'Neil Lifetime
Achievement Award every 3 years to an individual whose character,
integrity, and dignity has had a positive impact on society; and
Whereas Carl Erskine passed away on April 16, 2024: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) honors the life and legacy of Carl Daniel Erskine,
including the dedication of Mr. Erskine--
(A) in particular, to the game of baseball and fans
in the Hoosier State;
(B) to his work on and off the field in the State
of Indiana; and
(C) to the various lives he improved through his
kindness and compassion in his various philanthropic
endeavors;
(2) recognizes the success of Mr. Erskine as a source of
continuing pride for the entire State of Indiana;
(3) gives a heartfelt thank you to Mr. Erskine for all of
the memories and will continue to remember his legacy; and
(4) respectfully requests that the Secretary of the Senate
transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to the family of
Mr. Erskine.
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