Babe Ruth

George Herman Ruth, (b. February 6, 1895, d. August 16, 1948), better known as Babe Ruth, also commonly known by the nicknames The Bambino and The Sultan of Swat, was an American baseball player and United States national icon. He was one of the first five players elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame and he was the first player to hit over 30, 40 and 50 home runs in one season. His record of 60 home runs in the 1927 season stood for 34 years until it was broken by Roger Maris in 1961. He also was a member of the original American League All-Star team in 1933. In 1998, The Sporting News named Ruth as Number One in its list of "Baseball's 100 Greatest Players."

Last Glory: The Called Shot

The Yankees were back on top in 1932. The team went 107-47, and easily won the pennant under manager Joe McCarthy, who had taken over in 1931 (a job Ruth had eagerly wanted). The Philadelphia Athletics run ended, and soon the team was broken up as difficult economic times made it impossible for the A's to meet their stars salary demands. Since their last pennant four years earlier, the Yankees had rebuilt their team by adding pitchers Red Ruffing and Lefty Gomez, infielder Joe Sewell, and catcher Bill Dickey, all future Hall of Fame players.

Related Topics:
1932 - Joe McCarthy - Philadelphia Athletics - Red Ruffing - Lefty Gomez - Joe Sewell - Bill Dickey

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For Ruth, it was the last year at producing at a high level. He hit .341, with 41 home runs and 137 RBI's, but it was the first time since 1918 that Ruth did not lead the league in home runs when playing nearly a full season of games. Jimmie Foxx nearly equaled Ruth's 60 mark with 58 home runs in 1932, and it was apparent that Ruth was no longer the home run king. Ruth also missed 21 games, and at the end of the year had missed a couple of weeks due to severe abdominal pains that left him weakened before the start of the World Series.

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The Yankees opponents in the 1932 World Series were the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs were playing just a little better than mediocre ball much of the season, but in a weak year in the National League, they were still in first place with a 53-46 record under manager Rogers Hornsby. After a heated argument with Cubs president William Veeck, Hornsby was fired and replaced by Charlie Grimm, the Cubs firstbaseman. Grimm led the Cubs to a 37-18 record the rest the season, and they edged out the Pittsburgh Pirates for the pennant. The Cubs built their team on pitching, and led by Lon Warneke, Guy Bush, and Charlie Root, led the league in ERA. The everyday lineup also had fine players, such as Billy Herman, Kiki Cuyler, and Gabby Hartnett.

Related Topics:
Chicago Cubs - National League - Rogers Hornsby - Charlie Grimm - Pittsburgh Pirates - Lon Warneke - Charlie Root - Billy Herman - Kiki Cuyler - Gabby Hartnett

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The Yankees dispatched of the Cubs in 4 games with one of the greatest offensive displays in a World Series, certainly the best in a 4-game series. The Yankees batted .313, averaged over 9 runs a game, and Lou Gehrig did much of the damage. Gehrig went 9-17, a .529 average, scored 9 runs, drove in 8, and hit 3 home runs. The series however is remembered for one memorable play that occurred in game 3 of the series. It would be Babe Ruth's last great moment on the baseball stage, when he hit a famous home run that became known as Babe Ruth's Called Shot.

Related Topics:
Lou Gehrig - Babe Ruth's Called Shot

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