*Babe Ruth Thread*

[SHOELESSJOE3]

I believe a poster mentioned two long home runs that Ruth hit in Cincinatti's Redland Field. I can't find that post but I did find the following info on those two home runs, on one of my CDs.

It was of course an exhibition game, Yanks/Reds July 25, 1921.

In the 5th inning bases loaded first pitch, Ruth drove a ball over the CF wall, never done before.
In the 7th inning with one on Ruth drove a ball into the RF bleachers on the fly, never done before.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

neither exceptionally long

Elmer

No they were not that long probably at least one of them 400+ feet.What made it noteworthy at that time at least to my knowledge that no balls had ever been hit out in those areas and Ruth does so in one game.

[Sultan_1895-1948]

Elmer,

You have any pics or schematics of the Tampa Fairgrounds?

[elmer]

lDHR

Yes, but don't know the landing spot of the 579'-587' home run. Also the diamond is not delineated on the Sanborn map.
I had a photo of the whole area once but sent it to Bill. The diamond the team used was inside the track
with home plate backed up against the inside edge. It was at the middle part of the track. If you had a diamond
ring and the diamond were on the inside instead of the outside that would describe where their diamond was.
there were two other diamonds located in the corners of the track. THere were bleachers behind homeplate on
the OUTside of the 1/2 miletrack.
Photo of Plant field here, it can be significantly enlarged, very high resolution

http://cdm.lib.usf.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/p4048coll7&CISOPTR=772&DMSCALE=50&DMWIDTH=800&DMHEIGHT=600&DMX=662&DMY=300&DMMODE=viewer&DMTEXT=print&REC=20&DMTHUMB=1&DMROTATE=0

Ruth book should mention the actual distance on the Tampa
home run. I would but don't want to preempt what Bill puts
in his book. I can tell you that for me at least what he found
on this is definitive.

Elmer

[SHOELESSJOE3]

Ruth was virtually the only game in town, such was his superiority
over the rest.
I

Elmer

Do you mean by "the only game in town" the fact that Ruth was one of the few swinging for the long ball. Redland Field was in use for many years before Ruth played there in 1921, there had to be some hitters in all those years going for the long ball but to my knowledge no balls were ever hit into those sections on the fly, 380+ to RF and 390+ to CF. Have to check those dimensions there were some changes made around that time but I can tell you that RF at Redland was one of the longest in MLB.

Most of those years were in the deadball era so it was probably more difficult. That is more difficult for most, in the dead ball years, Ruth hit a couple into the CF bleachers at Fenway 488 feet to the wall, a good number over the Polo Grounds roof and out of Sportsmans Park and across Grand Boulevard.

[elmer]

ldhr

"Most of those years were in the deadball era so it was probably more difficult. That is more difficult for most, in the dead ball years, Ruth hit a couple into the CF bleachers at Fenway 488 feet to the wall, a good number over the Polo Grounds roof and out of Sportsmans Park and across Grand Boulevard."
488' mark was at the back end of the notch between outer wall and bleachers.

Ruth was one of a kind and certainly the only full time free swinger
in organized ball when he came up. He is without doubt the most frequent
longest hitter then or now.

"Kluszewski hit a line drive off a building across Western Avenue from Crosley Field."

[SHOELESSJOE3]

"Most of those years were in the deadball era so it was probably more difficult. That is more difficult for most, in the dead ball years, Ruth hit a couple into the CF bleachers at Fenway 488 feet to the wall, a good number over the Polo Grounds roof and out of Sportsmans Park and across Grand Boulevard."
488' mark was at the back end of the notch between outer wall and bleachers.

Ruth was one of a kind and certainly the only full time free swinger
in organized ball when he came up. He is without doubt the most frequent
longest hitter then or now.

"Kluszewski hit a line drive off a building across Western Avenue from Crosley Field."

As a very young boy, taken to a game by my dad I had the pleasure of seeing Ted hit one about a mile, it looked that way. In those days the parent clubs would play an exhibition game in the city of their farm team. The Red's farm team was the Buffalo Bisons. I was very young but even at that age I was amazed at a ball Ted hit here in Buffalo at the old Offerman Stadium. The ball cleared the RF wall and a row of houses across the street, far over the roofs landing on top of the houses behind that first row.

Unfortunate that this is not the practice anymore, not that I know of the parent clubs giving the farm team fans a chance to see the parent club play exhibition in their own city.

[elmer]

ldhr

great shot of that neighborhood you described Klu's homer was hit into.

Click on the photo then click on the little boxes in the next photo

http://fixbuffalo.blogspot.com/2006/08/offerman-stadium-1956.html

then try this one, use the scale below, it is 200 feet long, to measure Klu's home run

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fixbuffalo/15593413/

Elmer

[SHOELESSJOE3]

great shot of that neighborhood you described Klu's homer was hit into.

Click on the photo then click on the little boxes in the next photo

http://fixbuffalo.blogspot.com/2006/08/offerman-stadium-1956.html

Elmer

Thanks for that shot, thats the place. Now that my interest in that grand old park is revived I'll have to look at some pics I have of the park on a CD, some where.

[elmer]

Ldhr

"Unfortunate that this is not the practice anymore, not that I know of the parent clubs giving the farm team fans a chance to see the parent club play exhibition in their own city."


I agree, I know Mantle played in some barnstorming games in the late
50's but have no way of knowing where or when. He did play one in YS
and one in Shibe that I know of....hit a homer over Willy Mays head to RC
at YS.

Elmer

[SHOELESSJOE3]

Babe statue in Japan. This is close to the spot where he hit his first home run on that tour of Japan. I believe it is now a zoo.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

This is .... yes a Tortilla chip with an image of the Babe burnt on to it.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

Babe Ruth grave site, from a distance. Articles left from some fans, young and old.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

Closer view.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

This is a plaque on a rock with an inscription on it describing Babe's first and only home run in the minor leagues, Toronto.