running full speed. Fans in the stands threw paper to try to distract him. It didn’t work. Still running,
Ruth reached into the stands and snagged the ball without breaking stride. He held it over his head, whooping, “There’s the
ball! The one that says it’s all over!”
For the Cardinals, it was. The Yankees were champions again.
Babe Ruth was at his peak. The Yankees had won three straight pennants and two World Series since he’d taken control of his
life. Now he was more beloved than ever.
But Babe Ruth was almost thirty-four years old, ancient for a ballplayer. It would soon be time for him to look to the future.
CHAPTER SEVEN
1929–1932
The Called Shot?
The last three seasons had been the best of Ruth’s career, and the happiest. He was again the greatest player in the game,
and the Yankees were the greatest team in baseball. But the next few seasons would not be quite so enjoyable.
In January of 1929, Ruth received some tragic news. Helen Ruth had been killed in a fire. Although they hadn’t been together
for years, he was still saddened by her loss. He asked the press to respect her privacy. In April, he married Claire Hodgson.
It was clear to everyone that Ruth had settled down.
But no ball club can stay on top forever, and in 1929, the Yankees were in transition. Although Ruth and Gehrig still formed
a potent combo, New York’s pitching staff wasn’t as strong. The Yankees wereshaken even further by the death of Miller Huggins late in the 1929 season. Although Ruth and Huggins had clashed, after Ruth’s
1925 suspension he and the manager had grown close.
All of a sudden, the Philadelphia Athletics were the best team in baseball. Sluggers Jimmie Foxx and Al Simmons were almost
as powerful as Gehrig and Ruth, and fireballing pitcher Lefty Grove led a terrific pitching staff. The A’s took off in 1929
and didn’t look back. Philadelphia won three straight pennants and two world championships.
Still, Ruth remained one of the most dangerous hitters in baseball. As he grew older, he managed to make small adjustments
at the plate to adapt to his slowing reflexes, using a lighter bat and standing a bit further away from the plate. In 1929
he became the first man in the history of baseball to hit 500 home runs in his career, and in 1931 he became the first man
to hit 600.
But Ruth and the Yankees really wanted another championship. Ruth realized that at age thirty-six his career as a player would
soon come to an end. As early as 1929, after Huggins’s death, Ruth hoped to be named Yankee manager. But the ball club wasn’tconfident that he had the self-discipline for the job. Ruth held onto his hope of becoming the manager sometime in the future.
He knew that helping the Yankees win another world championship would help.
In 1932 the Yankees were invigorated by the performance of some younger players, such as catcher Bill Dickey and the emergence
of pitcher Lefty Gomez. For the first time in three years, the team finally had enough pitching depth to overtake the A’s
and win the pennant.
At age thirty-seven, few people expected Ruth to be the star of the World Series against the Cubs. Ruth had hit in only forty-one
home runs, far fewer than league leader Jimmie Foxx, who was closing in on Ruth’s record with fifty-eight. The Babe’s legs
were giving him trouble, too, and in September he had been hospitalized with stomach trouble. Before the World Series there
was even some speculation that Ruth wouldn’t be in the Yankees’ starting lineup.
When the series began, however, Ruth was in his usual spot in the right field and hitting third in the Yankee lineup. Although
Lou Gehrig had awonderful World Series, hitting over .500 as the Yankees swept Chicago, all the headlines, as usual, went to Babe Ruth. He
did something even he found hard to believe — if he even did it at all.
Former Yankee Mark Koenig had joined the Cubs in mid-season and keyed
Ruth reached into the stands and snagged the ball without breaking stride. He held it over his head, whooping, “There’s the
ball! The one that says it’s all over!”
For the Cardinals, it was. The Yankees were champions again.
Babe Ruth was at his peak. The Yankees had won three straight pennants and two World Series since he’d taken control of his
life. Now he was more beloved than ever.
But Babe Ruth was almost thirty-four years old, ancient for a ballplayer. It would soon be time for him to look to the future.
CHAPTER SEVEN
1929–1932
The Called Shot?
The last three seasons had been the best of Ruth’s career, and the happiest. He was again the greatest player in the game,
and the Yankees were the greatest team in baseball. But the next few seasons would not be quite so enjoyable.
In January of 1929, Ruth received some tragic news. Helen Ruth had been killed in a fire. Although they hadn’t been together
for years, he was still saddened by her loss. He asked the press to respect her privacy. In April, he married Claire Hodgson.
It was clear to everyone that Ruth had settled down.
But no ball club can stay on top forever, and in 1929, the Yankees were in transition. Although Ruth and Gehrig still formed
a potent combo, New York’s pitching staff wasn’t as strong. The Yankees wereshaken even further by the death of Miller Huggins late in the 1929 season. Although Ruth and Huggins had clashed, after Ruth’s
1925 suspension he and the manager had grown close.
All of a sudden, the Philadelphia Athletics were the best team in baseball. Sluggers Jimmie Foxx and Al Simmons were almost
as powerful as Gehrig and Ruth, and fireballing pitcher Lefty Grove led a terrific pitching staff. The A’s took off in 1929
and didn’t look back. Philadelphia won three straight pennants and two world championships.
Still, Ruth remained one of the most dangerous hitters in baseball. As he grew older, he managed to make small adjustments
at the plate to adapt to his slowing reflexes, using a lighter bat and standing a bit further away from the plate. In 1929
he became the first man in the history of baseball to hit 500 home runs in his career, and in 1931 he became the first man
to hit 600.
But Ruth and the Yankees really wanted another championship. Ruth realized that at age thirty-six his career as a player would
soon come to an end. As early as 1929, after Huggins’s death, Ruth hoped to be named Yankee manager. But the ball club wasn’tconfident that he had the self-discipline for the job. Ruth held onto his hope of becoming the manager sometime in the future.
He knew that helping the Yankees win another world championship would help.
In 1932 the Yankees were invigorated by the performance of some younger players, such as catcher Bill Dickey and the emergence
of pitcher Lefty Gomez. For the first time in three years, the team finally had enough pitching depth to overtake the A’s
and win the pennant.
At age thirty-seven, few people expected Ruth to be the star of the World Series against the Cubs. Ruth had hit in only forty-one
home runs, far fewer than league leader Jimmie Foxx, who was closing in on Ruth’s record with fifty-eight. The Babe’s legs
were giving him trouble, too, and in September he had been hospitalized with stomach trouble. Before the World Series there
was even some speculation that Ruth wouldn’t be in the Yankees’ starting lineup.
When the series began, however, Ruth was in his usual spot in the right field and hitting third in the Yankee lineup. Although
Lou Gehrig had awonderful World Series, hitting over .500 as the Yankees swept Chicago, all the headlines, as usual, went to Babe Ruth. He
did something even he found hard to believe — if he even did it at all.
Former Yankee Mark Koenig had joined the Cubs in mid-season and keyed
Similar Books
