Homer

Homer I was an American black bear (Ursus americanus) donated to the Birmingham Zoo by Boston Red Sox first baseman and former Birmingham Baron Norm Zauchin.

Zauchin won the cub from Maine Governor Edmund Muskie by hitting the first home run for the Sox on "State of Maine Day" at Fenway Park on August 14, 1955. Zauchin's father-in-law was involved in raising funds for the new zoo and his son, David, then three years old, had encouraged his father to try to win the bear.

References

• Holbrook, Bob (August 15, 1955) "Dave Zauchin, 3, Asks for a Bear; Daddy Bags One" The Boston Globe
• Nowlin, Bill (n.d.) "Norm Zauchin" Society for American Baseball Research - accessed October 18, 2013