Babe Ruth incident with trampled fan: help

[Gregory Pratt]

There's a passage in Jenkinson's 104 Homeruns... where he is talking about the personal strength of Babe Ruth. He recounts a game where the crowd rushed for the exits (I think because of the rain) and Ruth held a woman as she died, to try and comfort this poor victim of a tragedy. Can anyone point me to the scene in the book, and/or give me a summary of this event?

[Brian McKenna]

May 19, 1929

stampede in RF bleachers during downpour - sky opened up as Gehrig was coming to bat (Ruth had just grounded out)

two deaths
17-year-old Eleanor Price
60-year-old John Carter

18 others remained in hospital overnight

A quite lengthy article about the incident from the NY Times on 5/20/1929 makes no mention of Ruth holding Price - though some of the injured were taken to the clubhouse. The article describes in detail the efforts of police to save the injured.

Ruth sent messages and signed balls and visited the injured in the hospital.

There is another article on 5/22 solely about Ruth and the victims but it makes no mention of Price.

32 people sued the Yankees for $960,000 in February 1932. Claims settled in December for $45,000.

[Proctor, CF]

There's a passage in Jenkinson's 104 Homeruns... where he is talking about the personal strength of Babe Ruth. He recounts a game where the crowd rushed for the exits (I think because of the rain) and Ruth held a woman as she died, to try and comfort this poor victim of a tragedy. Can anyone point me to the scene in the book, and/or give me a summary of this event?

Pages 278-279. The passage referred to is used to highlight The Babe's unique skills and psychology under pressure.

In the same discussion is a true story of Ruth shooting a [highly poisonous]water mocassin while alligating hunting in Florida. I can add to this particular story from personal research.

In Jenkinson's account, he accurately describes how Babe shot the snake while it was attacking his companions, while they were "hip deep in swamp muck". True, but one fact uncited was that Ruth actually saved his guide - who was the premier hunter in the area - by reflexively shooting the snake as it was about to bite his [the guide's] neck. That's how amazingly quick The Bambino was, and how confident he was in his own skills. Rare is it that any celebrity character, especially some apparent city-slicker, could save a top-notch guide in the guide's [then rather prehistoric] enviroment.

The original carcass of the famous gator Ruth shot [it was legendary in the St. Petersburg area long before he shot it] was discovered last month, after decades in storage, by an owner unfamiliar with what it was. Below is one photo of The Babe, with both the gator, and the guide he saved.

[Gregory Pratt]

Thank you both.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

May 19, 1929

stampede in RF bleachers during downpour - sky opened up as Gehrig was coming to bat (Ruth had just grounded out)

two deaths
17-year-old Eleanor Price
60-year-old John Carter

18 others remained in hospital overnight
A quite lengthy article about the incident from the NY Times on 5/20/1929 makes no mention of Ruth holding Price - though some of the injured were taken to the clubhouse. The article describes in detail the efforts of police to save the injured.

Ruth sent messages and signed balls and visited the injured in the hospital.

There is another article on 5/22 solely about Ruth and the victims but it makes no mention of Price.

32 people sued the Yankees for $960,000 in February 1932. Claims settled in December for $45,000.

Here is a shot of Babe and Claire visiting young Leon Gassner, one of the injured in that collapse.

[steve rogers]

God I love Babe Ruth.

Scott

[SHOELESSJOE3]

There's a passage in Jenkinson's 104 Homeruns... where he is talking about the personal strength of Babe Ruth. He recounts a game where the crowd rushed for the exits (I think because of the rain) and Ruth held a woman as she died, to try and comfort this poor victim of a tragedy. Can anyone point me to the scene in the book, and/or give me a summary of this event?

Not sure if there is a connection to that collapse, the following. On a Babe Ruth bio, it was old in black and white. A woman told of babe visiting her and some others in a hospital hurt in an accident. She said she spoke to Ruth for some time, she was hospitalized for two days. Upon leaving she was told that Babe would pay for her stay.

[Sultan_1895-1948]

God I love Babe Ruth.

Scott

Yup. Just when you think you've learned nearly everything about his life...something else hits ya. His capabilities, both mentally and physically, in unique situations, continue to astound even me, and I've been researching him for over 15 years.

"I think he's a tremendous mythic figure but I think that history is bigger than the myth. The myth diminishes what he really was and establishes sort of a false Ruth. Its big, but its not the truth, and I think the truth is bigger than the myth." - (Robert Creamer)

[SHOELESSJOE3]

There's a passage in Jenkinson's 104 Homeruns... where he is talking about the personal strength of Babe Ruth. He recounts a game where the crowd rushed for the exits (I think because of the rain) and Ruth held a woman as she died, to try and comfort this poor victim of a tragedy. Can anyone point me to the scene in the book, and/or give me a summary of this event?

Babe and Claire with some other victims of that collapse.