[Congressional Bills 118th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [S. Res. 696 Agreed to Senate (ATS)] <DOC> 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. <all>