Babe Ruth's called shot

Babe Ruth's called shot was the home run hit by Babe Ruth in the fifth inning of Game 3 of the 1932 World Series, held on October 1, 1932 at Wrigley Field in Chicago. During the at-bat, Ruth made a pointing gesture. Although this is not confirmed, the story goes that Ruth pointed to the center field bleachers during the at-bat. It was supposedly a declaration that he would hit a home run to this part of the park. On the next pitch, Ruth hit a home run to center field.

The dispute

There is no dispute over the general events of the moment. All the reports say that the Cubs "bench jockeys" were riding Ruth mercilessly, and that Ruth, rather than ignoring them, was "playing" with them through words and gestures.

The longtime debate is over the nature of one of Ruth's gestures. Did he point to center field, to the pitcher, or, perhaps to the Chicago Cubs bench? Even the films of the at-bat that emerged during the 1990s have not drawn any definitive conclusions.

Charlie Root's first pitch to Ruth was a called strike. Ruth then looked over at the Cubs dugout and raised his right hand, and extended one of his fingers. Root missed with the next two pitches, but the next pitch was a called strike, and the crowd again cheered loudly. Ruth then waved back at the Cubs dugout and held up two fingers. He began to shout at Root, and it is at this point Ruth made a pointing gesture in the direction of Root, center field, or to the Cubs bench.

Root's next pitch was a curveball that Ruth blasted at least 440 feet to the deepest part of center field near the flag pole (some estimates are as high as 490 feet). Calling the game over the radio, broadcaster Tom Manning shouted, "The ball is going, going, going, high into the center field stands...and it is a home run!" Newsreel footage shows that as he rounded first base, Ruth looked toward the Cubs dugout and made a waving off gesture with his left hand; then as he approached third, he made another mocking gesture, a two-armed "push" motion, toward the suddenly quiet Cubs bench. Many reports have claimed that Ruth "thumbed his nose" at the Cubs dugout, but the existing newsreel footage does not show that (if it occurred, it might have been considered vulgar and would have been edited out). Sitting in a box behind home plate, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, soon to be elected 32nd President of the United States, even had a laugh as he watched Ruth round the bases. When he crossed home plate, Ruth could no longer hide his smile, and he was patted by his exuberant teammates when he reached the Yankees dugout.

On Root's next pitch, Lou Gehrig followed Ruth's homer with his second home run, a shot to right field that knocked Root out of the game. The Yankees won the game 7-5 and, the next day, the Yankees finished off the demoralized Cubs 13-6 completing the four game sweep. The "called shot" homer was Ruth's last World Series hit.

Origins of the called shot story

Ruth's second home run in game 3 probably would have been merely an exclamation point for the 1932 World Series and for Ruth's career, had it not been for reporter Joe Williams. Williams was a respected but opinionated sports editor for the Scripps-Howard newspapers. In a late edition the same day of the game, Williams wrote this headline that appeared in the New York World-Telegram, "RUTH CALLS SHOT AS HE PUTS HOME RUN NO. 2 IN SIDE POCKET." Williams summary of the story included, "In the fifth, with the Cubs riding him unmercifully from the bench, Ruth pointed to center and punched a screaming liner to a spot where no ball had been hit before." Apparently Williams's article was the only one written the day of the game that made a reference to Ruth pointing to center field. It was probably due to the wide circulation of the Scripps-Howard newspapers that gave the story life, as many read Williams article and assumed it was accurate. A couple of days later, other stories started to appear stating that Ruth had called his shot, a few even written by reporters who were not at the game.

At the time, Ruth did not clarify the matter, initially stating that he was merely pointing towards the Cubs dugout to tell them he still had one more strike. In another interview, this one with respected Chicago sports reporter John Carmichael, Ruth said he did not point to any particular spot, but that he just wanted to give the ball a good ride. Soon, however, the media-savvy Ruth was going along with the story that he had called his shot, and his subsequent versions over the years became more dramatic. On one newsreel footage, Ruth voiced over the called shot scene with the remarks, "Well, I looked out at center field and I pointed. I said, 'I'm gonna hit the next pitched ball right past the flagpole!' Well, the good Lord must have been with me." In his 1947 autobiography, Ruth gave another enhanced version by stating he dreamed about hitting the home run the night before the game. Ruth explained he was upset about the Cubs insults during the series, and was especially upset when someone spat on his wife Claire, and he was determined to fix things. Ruth not only said he deliberately pointed to center with two strikes, he said he pointed to center even before Root's first pitch.

Others helped perpetuate the story over the years. Tom Meany, who worked for Joe Williams at the time of the called shot, later wrote a popular but often embellished 1947 biography of Ruth. In the book, Meany wrote, "He pointed to center field. Some say it was merely as a gesture towards Root, others that he was just letting the Cubs bench know that he still had one big one left. Ruth himself has changed his version a couple of times...Whatever the intent of the gesture, the result was, as they say in Hollywood, slightly colossal."

Despite the fact that the article he wrote on the day of the game appears to have been the source of the entire legend, over the ensuing years, Joe Williams himself came to doubt the veracity of Ruth calling his shot.

Nonetheless, the called shot further became etched as truth into the minds of thousands of people after the 1948 film "The Babe Ruth Story", which starred William Bendix as Ruth. The film took its material from Ruth's autobiography, and hence made no doubt of the veracity of the called shot. In the film (by consensus a poorly made film), Bendix is making such an obvious pointing gesture to center field that the called shot scene is almost comical.

Eyewitness accounts

Eyewitness accounts were equally inconclusive and widely vary, with some of the opinions probably skewed by partisanship.

• "If he'd pointed to the bleachers, I'd be the first to say so." — Cubs catcher Gabby Hartnett

• "Don't let anybody tell you differently. Babe definitely pointed." — Cubs radio broadcaster Pat Pieper

• "Ruth's finger just happened to be pointing to center field when he indicated he had one more strike remaining." — Frankie Crosetti, Yankees infielder

• "(Guy) Bush, leading the tirade from our bench, turned a blast on the Babe. Babe pointed straight away and turned toward our dugout-no doubt for Bush's benefit. I hesitate to spoil a good story, but the Babe actually was pointing to the mound. As he pointed, I heard Ruth growl (to Bush), 'You'll be out there tomorrow, so we'll see what you can do with me.'" — Cubs first baseman and manager Charlie Grimm

• "Ruth pointed with his bat in his right hand to right field, not to center field. But he definitely called his shot." — Yankees pitcher Lefty Gomez

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Cubs Pitcher Charley Root, who gave up Ruth's called shot home run. Root always vehemently denied Ruth pointed to center field.

• "Ruth did point, for sure. He definitely raised his right arm. He indicated (where he'd already) hit a home run. But as far as pointing to center -- no, he didn't. You know darn well a guy with two strikes isn't going to say he's going to hit a home run on the next pitch." — Cubs shortstop Mark Koenig

• "Don't let anyone tell you Babe didn't point. In our hotel room last night, Babe told me what a sucker he had been to point. 'Look how many ways they could have gotten me out,' he said." — Yankees coach Cy Perkins

• "What do you think of the nerve of that big monkey. Imagine the guy calling his shot and getting away with it." - Lou Gehrig

The called shot particularly irked Root. He had a fine career, winning over 200 games, but he would be forever remembered as the pitcher who gave up the "called shot" — much to his annoyance. When he was asked to play himself in the 1948 film about Ruth, Root turned it down when he learned that Ruth's pointing to center field would be in the film. Said Root, "Ruth did not point at the fence before he swung. If he had made a gesture like that, well, anybody who knows me knows that Ruth would have ended up on his ass. The legend didn't get started until later."

In 1942, during the making of The Pride of the Yankees, Babe Herman (who was at that time a teammate of Root with the minor league Hollywood Stars) was employed as body double for both Ruth (playing himself, but already too sick to convincingly swing a bat) and Gary Cooper (who played Lou Gehrig). Herman re-introduced Root and Ruth on set and the following exchange (later recounted by Herman to baseball historian Donald Honig), took place:

• Root: You never pointed out to center field before you hit that ball off me did you?
• Ruth: I know I didn't, but it made a hell of a story, didn't it?

Root went to his grave vehemently denying that Ruth ever pointed to center field.

Rediscovered 16 mm films

A still of Ruth pointing during the at-bat.

In the 1970's, a 16 mm home movie of the called shot surfaced and some believed it might put an end to the decades-old controversy. The film was shot by an amateur filmmaker. Only family and friends had seen the film until it appeared on a February, 1994 Fox TV program called "Front Page." Later in 1994, still images from the film appeared in filmmaker Ken Burns documentary film Baseball.

The film was taken from the grandstands behind home plate, off to the third base side. One can clearly see Ruth's gesture, although it is hard to determine the angle of his pointing. Many who have watched the film became believers in the called shot after having previously doubted it; however, others remained unconvinced. Some contend Ruth's extended arm is pointing more to the left field direction, toward the Cubs bench. Others who have studied the film closely assert that in addition to the broader gestures, Ruth did make a quick finger point in the direction of the pitcher or center field just as Root was winding up.

As can be seen in the still and is more evident in the film, Cubs catcher Hartnett actually had his back to Ruth at the time of the gesture.

For a list of publications and media outlets that have featured this rare footage, go to http://www.thecalledshot.com.

In 1999, another 16 mm film of the called shot appeared. This one had been shot by Harold Warp, and coincidentally it was the only major league baseball game Warp ever attended. The rights to his footage were sold to ESPN which aired it as part of the network's Athletes of the Century program in 2000. Warp's film has not been as widely seen by the public as has Kandle's, but those who have seen it and offered a public opinion seem to feel that it shows Ruth did not call his shot.

"The myth is dead," said ESPN producer, Mark Shapiro, "He was clearly pointing at the Cub dugout. He wasn't pointing at center field."

"To me it looks as if he was pointing toward the Cubs dugout. If he were pointing toward the seats, his arm would be elevated a bit more," said the man who brought the film to light, Warp's great nephew, James Jacobs.

The authors of the book Yankees Century also believe the Warp film proves conclusively that home run was not at all a "called shot".

Despite all the abuse from the Cubs players and fans, Ruth would later say he never had so much fun in all his life the day of his famous home run. His longtime friend Ford Frick once tried to get the truth from Ruth. Frick asked him, "Did you really point to the bleachers?" The coy Ruth would answer back, "It's in the papers, isn't it?" Ruth may have not called his home run, but the called shot is probably the most famous moment of his career.

Trivia

The Baby Ruth sign outside Wrigley Field, as seen during the 1935 World Series, three years after the "Called Shot"

Shortly after the called shot, the Chicago based Curtiss Candy Company, makers of the Baby Ruth candy bar, installed a large advertising sign on the rooftop on one of the apartment buildings on Sheffield Avenue. The sign, which read "Baby Ruth", was just across the street from where Ruth's home run had landed. Until the 1970's, when the sign was taken down, Cubs fans at Wrigley Field had to endure this not-so-subtle reminder of the "called shot."

In a 1991 Married with Children episode, Al Bundy points to Center Field like Ruth, holds his hand like the mythic Casey at the Bat and then makes a speech, reminscent of Lou Gehrig's "luckiest man" speech, saying that he is done with baseball. The last scene of the episode is taken from the movie Eight Men Out.

In 2005, there was a Bud Light commercial showing the called shot. Instead of appearing to point to center field, it appears he's pointing to a vendor selling Bud Light.

In the third season (1992) episode of The Simpsons, "Homer at the Bat," Homer points to right field. He then hits a home run straight into left field. After pondering this for a second, he points to left field.

The 2006 movie, The Benchwarmers, showed David Spade pointing to Center Field then moving his finger downward when everyone turns to see what he is pointing at.

References in film

In the 1989 film Major League, the climax of the movie has Indians catcher Jake Taylor pointing towards the outfield, clearly making reference to Ruth's home run. Fittingly, the team Jake was playing against in the movie is the New York Yankees.

Also, the opening sequence of the 1993 film The Sandlot explains the famed Called Shot.

References

• Creamer, Robert W. Babe: The Legend Comes to Life. Simon and Schuster, 1974, 440 pages.
• Stout, Glenn. Yankees Century. Houghton Mifflin, 2003, 478 pages.
• Baseball America by Donald Honig ISBN 0-88365-817-8

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Source of the film