something no one else had ever done in the history of the game.
“Sixty!” he yelled. “Count ’em, sixty! Let’s see someone else do that!” Then a reporter asked him if he thought he would break
his own record in 1928. “I don’t know and I don’t care,” he replied with a laugh.
As wonderful as hitting sixty was, Ruth knew that the Yankees needed to win the World Series to make the record truly meaningful.
If the Yankees lost the series, everyone would say he had failed.
He needn’t have worried. The Pittsburgh Pirates, the National League champions, were a good team built around Paul and Lloyd
Waner, a couple of singles hitters. Before the first game Ruth looked at them and quipped, “Why, they’re no bigger than a
couple of little kids. If I was that size I’d be afraid of getting hurt.”
The 1927 Yankees were a machine. They beat the Pirates 5–4 in the first game and 6–2 in the second. In game three, Ruth blasted
his first home run of the series, leading his team to an 8–1 victory. He hit another blast in game four to give the Yankees
a 3–1 lead, but the Pirates rallied to tie the game 3–3. Then in the ninth New York loaded the bases. The Pirates pitcher
uncorked a wild pitch and Yankee outfielder Earle Combs jogged home with the winning run. Combs hadn’t broken a sweat, and
neither did the Yankees in sweeping the Pirates. For the second time in his Yankee career, Ruth was a world champion.
When the 1928 season began, New York let every other team know that they were still the champs by winning thirty-four of their
first forty-two games. Although Ruth didn’t break his home run record, he did come close, slamming fifty-four home runs. The
Yankees won the pennant once again and prepared to face the Cardinals.
On paper, it looked as if the Cardinals would have the edge over the Yankees. After their quick start, New York didn’t really
play very well in the last half of the season. Several New York players would miss the World Series with injuries and Ruth
was bothered by a sore knee.
But it seems that no one bothered to tell the Yankees that they were considered the underdogs. They surged forward to sweep
St. Louis in four straight games. Once again, Babe Ruth was the big story. He ended the series with perhaps the greatest day
of his career.
Ruth wasn’t exactly invisible in the first three games, though. Although Lou Gehrig gathered the headlines with three long
home runs, Ruth collected three hits in game one, two more in game two, and made the play of the game in the thirdcontest, scoring the go-ahead run by dashing home on a ground ball and knocking the ball out of the catcher’s glove.
In game four, however, the legendary player turned in a truly legendary performance. Ironically, he started out as the goat,
for in the first inning he dropped an easy fly ball. When he came to bat in the fourth inning, St. Louis led 1–0. With one
swing —
Boom!
— Ruth tied the game with a home run.
Then St. Louis went up by one. The score was still 2–1 when Ruth came to bat in the seventh inning. With two strikes the St.
Louis pitcher tried an illegal quick pitch. The umpire refused to allow it. Ruth then calmly sent the next offering out of
the ballpark. As the St. Louis crowd booed, Ruth laughed his way around the bases, waving at them. Gehrig followed with a
home run to put the Yankees ahead.
When Ruth next took the field, St. Louis fans booed him. Some threw soda bottles at him. Ruth picked one up, wound up, and
pretended to throw it back. Many fans ducked, but others just laughed as Ruth harmlessly tossed the bottle aside. All of a
sudden, they were on his side.
Ruth came up once more in the eighth and putthe game away with another home run, his third of the game. But he wasn’t done yet.
With two out in the ninth, the Cardinals were down to their last at bat. A St. Louis batter hit a towering fly ball down the
line. Ruth took off,
“Sixty!” he yelled. “Count ’em, sixty! Let’s see someone else do that!” Then a reporter asked him if he thought he would break
his own record in 1928. “I don’t know and I don’t care,” he replied with a laugh.
As wonderful as hitting sixty was, Ruth knew that the Yankees needed to win the World Series to make the record truly meaningful.
If the Yankees lost the series, everyone would say he had failed.
He needn’t have worried. The Pittsburgh Pirates, the National League champions, were a good team built around Paul and Lloyd
Waner, a couple of singles hitters. Before the first game Ruth looked at them and quipped, “Why, they’re no bigger than a
couple of little kids. If I was that size I’d be afraid of getting hurt.”
The 1927 Yankees were a machine. They beat the Pirates 5–4 in the first game and 6–2 in the second. In game three, Ruth blasted
his first home run of the series, leading his team to an 8–1 victory. He hit another blast in game four to give the Yankees
a 3–1 lead, but the Pirates rallied to tie the game 3–3. Then in the ninth New York loaded the bases. The Pirates pitcher
uncorked a wild pitch and Yankee outfielder Earle Combs jogged home with the winning run. Combs hadn’t broken a sweat, and
neither did the Yankees in sweeping the Pirates. For the second time in his Yankee career, Ruth was a world champion.
When the 1928 season began, New York let every other team know that they were still the champs by winning thirty-four of their
first forty-two games. Although Ruth didn’t break his home run record, he did come close, slamming fifty-four home runs. The
Yankees won the pennant once again and prepared to face the Cardinals.
On paper, it looked as if the Cardinals would have the edge over the Yankees. After their quick start, New York didn’t really
play very well in the last half of the season. Several New York players would miss the World Series with injuries and Ruth
was bothered by a sore knee.
But it seems that no one bothered to tell the Yankees that they were considered the underdogs. They surged forward to sweep
St. Louis in four straight games. Once again, Babe Ruth was the big story. He ended the series with perhaps the greatest day
of his career.
Ruth wasn’t exactly invisible in the first three games, though. Although Lou Gehrig gathered the headlines with three long
home runs, Ruth collected three hits in game one, two more in game two, and made the play of the game in the thirdcontest, scoring the go-ahead run by dashing home on a ground ball and knocking the ball out of the catcher’s glove.
In game four, however, the legendary player turned in a truly legendary performance. Ironically, he started out as the goat,
for in the first inning he dropped an easy fly ball. When he came to bat in the fourth inning, St. Louis led 1–0. With one
swing —
Boom!
— Ruth tied the game with a home run.
Then St. Louis went up by one. The score was still 2–1 when Ruth came to bat in the seventh inning. With two strikes the St.
Louis pitcher tried an illegal quick pitch. The umpire refused to allow it. Ruth then calmly sent the next offering out of
the ballpark. As the St. Louis crowd booed, Ruth laughed his way around the bases, waving at them. Gehrig followed with a
home run to put the Yankees ahead.
When Ruth next took the field, St. Louis fans booed him. Some threw soda bottles at him. Ruth picked one up, wound up, and
pretended to throw it back. Many fans ducked, but others just laughed as Ruth harmlessly tossed the bottle aside. All of a
sudden, they were on his side.
Ruth came up once more in the eighth and putthe game away with another home run, his third of the game. But he wasn’t done yet.
With two out in the ninth, the Cardinals were down to their last at bat. A St. Louis batter hit a towering fly ball down the
line. Ruth took off,
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