New York Yankees History: Babe Ruth Calls His Shot

One of the greatest legends in baseball history occurred on this day in 1932. During the third game of the 1932 World Series, Babe Ruth hit his famed called shot against Chicago Cubs pitcher Charlie Root.

It is a story that could be dreamt up in Hollywood. The mighty Babe Ruth, a slugger the likes of which had never been seen before, was down to his final strike in an at bat in the World Series. The New York Yankees great then held his bat aloft, pointing to the center field bleachers, and on the very next pitch, deposited Chicago Cubs pitcher Charley Root’s offering into that very same spot.

That exact scenario is supposed to have happened on this day in 1932. During the fourth inning of Game Three in the 1932 World Series, Ruth had taken the first two pitches of the at bat for strikes. He then lifted his bat, and sent Root’s pitch to center for a home run.

Of course, given Ruth’s incredible feats with the bat, legends arose about the context. While no one could dispute that he held his bat up, what the intent was is a matter of conjecture. Ruth himself went along with the called shot theory, although the legitimacy of his claims could be considered questionable. After all, the gregarious Ruth loved the limelight, and such a legend only increased his stature.

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For his part, Root disputed that claim. Instead, he said that Ruth held his bat aloft, indicating that he had one strike left. The Cubs bench had been heckling Ruth mercilessly, and Ruth  had held up his hand after the first strike as well. Given how vocal Ruth was as a player, it may not be a surprise that he was responding to the Cubs. He also made a motion as though he was brushing off the Cubs bench as he rounded first, and a two handed pushing motion as he rounded third. There were also reports that he thumbed his nose at the bench, but that part would have been edited out of any footage, as it was considered vulgar at the time. When he crossed home, Ruth was no longer able to contain his smile while enjoying the congratulations of his teammates.

Root also said that had he felt Ruth was calling his shot, he would have fired his next pitch towards his head. Considering that Root was known as a fierce competitor, with a no nonsense approach on the mound and intimidating aura, it is not unlikely that he would have taken offense to the boisterous Ruth daring to call his shot.

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Did New York Yankees great call his shot on this day in 1932? Sometimes, truth can get in the way of a great legend.