*Babe Ruth Thread*

[SHOELESSJOE3]

1925 Ruth vs. Grove: 2-5,2-4, 1-3, HR =====5-12, HR
1925 Gehrig vs Grove: 0-1,1-5,1-3,0-4=======2-13
1926 Ruth vs Grove 1-3,2-2,1-4,2-4,0-1====6-14
1926 Gehrig vs Grove 2-4,0-3,0-3,1-4,1-4,=====4-18
1927 Ruth vs Grove 0-3,2-5,1-3,2-4,2-5, HR 7-20, 1 HR
1927 Gehrig vs Grove 1-4,1-4,2-5,0-4,1-4, R 5-21, 1 H
1928 Ruth vs Grove 1-3,0-4,1-4,2-2,1-4,1-2,1-3 HR,====7-22, 1 HR
1928, Gehrig vs grove 2-5,1-4,1-5,1-5,0-3,2-3,1-4,====8-25,
1929 Ruth vs Grove 1-3,0-4,2-4, 2HR, 0-2,===3-13, 2 HR
1929 Gehrig vs Grove 1-3,1-4,2-5,2-3,=======6-15
1930 Ruth vs Grove 1-4,
1930 Gehrig vs Grove 2-4,
1931 Ruth vs Grove 0-5,2-4, HR, 0-3,3-5,======5-17, 1 HR
1931 Gehrig vs Grove 0-4,2-4,1-4, HR,2-5, ====5-17, 1 HR
1932 Ruth vs Grove 2-3, HR, 2-4,1-6,2-5=====7-18, 1 HR
1932 Ruth vs Grove 1-2,1-4,2-6,2-5,1-4======7-21
1933 Ruth vs Grove 2-5, 2HR,0-3,0-4, =====2-12, 2HR
1933 gehrig vs Grove 0-4,0-4,3-3, HR,=======3-11 1 HR
1934 Ruth vs Grove
1934 Gehrig vs Grove 3-5

Total RUth 43-132, 9HR, .326 avg, 36 games
Gehrig 42-145, 3HR .290 avg, 39 games

What I have for Ruth and Gehrig in home runs hit off of Grove. Both with 9 home runs.
Most hit off of Lefty, Ruth, Gehrig and Greenberg with 9 homers.
Consider that Babe never faced Lefty Grove until Babe's 13th year in the game.

Also, Babe would have been alone with most 50 homer seasons except for a lost homer at Shibe on April 15, 1930 when his drive cleared the wall but struck speaker supports and bounded back on to the field. Yanks protested but the ump won out, Ruth sent back to second base. What are the odds, again Sept. 1930 again at Shibe, ball strikes speaker supports, only a double.

A note here, Babe finished with 49 home runs in 1930, two lost would have given him 51 homers, the only player to top 50 in 5 seasons.
Always hear about Ruth feasting off of inferior pitching, this is a small sample but some good hitting off of a very good left hander that Babe faced for the first time when Babe's career was more than half over.

[pheasant]

What I have for Ruth and Gehrig in home runs hit off of Grove. Both with 9 home runs.
Most hit off of Lefty, Ruth, Gehrig and Greenberg with 9 homers.
Consider that Babe never faced Lefty Grove until Babe's 13th year in the game.

Also, Babe would have been alone with most 50 homer seasons except for a lost homer at Shibe on April 15, 1930 when his drive cleared the wall but struck speaker supports and bounded back on to the field. Yanks protested but the ump won out, Ruth sent back to second base. What are the odds, again Sept. 1930 again at Shibe, ball strikes speaker supports, only a double.

A note here, Babe finished with 49 home runs in 1930, two lost would have given him 51 homers, the only player to top 50 in 5 seasons.
Always hear about Ruth feasting off of inferior pitching, this is a small sample but some good hitting off of a very good left hander that Babe faced for the first time when Babe's career was more than half over.

I never knew that Gehrig also tagged Grove for 9 HRs. I only ran the box scores through 1934 since it's a long and tedious process. But Ruth did face Grove's best and hit .326 with 1 HR in 14.8 at-bats. Granted, that's below his career averages. But that's pretty good against a lefty, particularly one of Grove's caliber! Grove did appear to hold Gehrig in check until he started losing his speed. 3 HRs in his first 145 at-bats isn't great. But apparently, Gehrig made up for it.

[csh19792001]

1925 Ruth vs. Grove: 2-5,2-4, 1-3, HR =====5-12, HR
1925 Gehrig vs Grove: 0-1,1-5,1-3,0-4=======2-13
1926 Ruth vs Grove 1-3,2-2,1-4,2-4,0-1====6-14
1926 Gehrig vs Grove 2-4,0-3,0-3,1-4,1-4,=====4-18
1927 Ruth vs Grove 0-3,2-5,1-3,2-4,2-5, HR 7-20, 1 HR
1927 Gehrig vs Grove 1-4,1-4,2-5,0-4,1-4, R 5-21, 1 H
1928 Ruth vs Grove 1-3,0-4,1-4,2-2,1-4,1-2,1-3 HR,====7-22, 1 HR
1928, Gehrig vs grove 2-5,1-4,1-5,1-5,0-3,2-3,1-4,====8-25,
1929 Ruth vs Grove 1-3,0-4,2-4, 2HR, 0-2,===3-13, 2 HR
1929 Gehrig vs Grove 1-3,1-4,2-5,2-3,=======6-15
1930 Ruth vs Grove 1-4,
1930 Gehrig vs Grove 2-4,
1931 Ruth vs Grove 0-5,2-4, HR, 0-3,3-5,======5-17, 1 HR
1931 Gehrig vs Grove 0-4,2-4,1-4, HR,2-5, ====5-17, 1 HR
1932 Ruth vs Grove 2-3, HR, 2-4,1-6,2-5=====7-18, 1 HR
1932 Ruth vs Grove 1-2,1-4,2-6,2-5,1-4======7-21
1933 Ruth vs Grove 2-5, 2HR,0-3,0-4, =====2-12, 2HR
1933 gehrig vs Grove 0-4,0-4,3-3, HR,=======3-11 1 HR
1934 Ruth vs Grove
1934 Gehrig vs Grove 3-5

Total RUth 43-132, 9HR, .326 avg, 36 games
Gehrig 42-145, 3HR .290 avg, 39 games

This is fantastic work here! I know how brutal this particular endeavor can be...awhile back I put dozens of hours into a project trying to get the exact numbers for Ruth and Cobb vs. left handed pitchers primarily using Retrosheet, Proquest, and the NY Times Archives. It was copious, and in the end I gave up on the Cobb endeavor....after combing hundreds of totally incomplete boxes, it became an effort in futility.

Is this Ruth and Gehrig in complete games only vs. Grove? If not how did you get complete info?

That was the main problem I had....in non CG situations, or when Cobb or Ruth came out of the game (or pinch hit, which was very rare). This is why Retrosheet has "vs. LH Starter" AND "vs. LH Pitcher" in their splits for all players prior to 1948 (which is as far back as the complete PBP data goes, currently).

[pheasant]

This is fantastic work here! I know how brutal this particular endeavor can be...awhile back I put dozens of hours into a project trying to get the exact numbers for Ruth and Cobb vs. left handed pitchers primarily using Retrosheet, Proquest, and the NY Times Archives. It was copious, and in the end I gave up on the Cobb endeavor....after combing hundreds of totally incomplete boxes, it became an effort in futility.

Is this Ruth and Gehrig in complete games only vs. Grove? If not how did you get complete info?

That was the main problem I had....in non CG situations, or when Cobb or Ruth came out of the game (or pinch hit, which was very rare). This is why Retrosheet has "vs. LH Starter" AND "vs. LH Pitcher" in their splits for all players prior to 1948 (which is as far back as the complete PBP data goes, currently).

Honestly, there were about 8 games that Grove exited early, so the stats are slightly off. In some of those games, the reliever shut the Yanks down. In others, he got shelled too. However, Retrosheet does list which pitcher gave up the HR and in which inning. Thus, I know that I have the HRs correct. I believe that I accidentally added about 4 extra at-bats to Ruth's total, so the numbers are going to be slightly off. I now realize that this is too big of a task to take on.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

Honestly, there were about 8 games that Grove exited early, so the stats are slightly off. In some of those games, the reliever shut the Yanks down. In others, he got shelled too. However, Retrosheet does list which pitcher gave up the HR and in which inning. Thus, I know that I have the HRs correct. I believe that I accidentally added about 4 extra at-bats to Ruth's total, so the numbers are going to be slightly off. I now realize that this is too big of a task to take on.

Getting the info on what inning home runs were hit can be found a couple of ways. The problem comes in when trying to find which pitcher gave up a walk or hit when relief pitching is involved. Say Grove pitched 6 innings and out, then you would have to go to the game recap in the newspaper archives, I use Proquest, 60 bucks a year and worth every penny.

Even that may not always work. At times in the game recap it may not note which inning a batter was walked, got a hit, hit by pitch, what ever he did

Example Ruth was 2 for 4 in a game that Grove went 6 innings and in the recap it may say Ruth struck out in the 7th and doubled in the 9th. So you know two of his at bats were not against Grove. Again, the problem is it is not always noted in which inning the batter did what. It's a tough job to get all the info.
There are people on this board that really know the game and may have some other methods to get that info.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

Some where in my files I have another article from the 1920s, Babe speaking out on blacks playing MLB.
Neither article appeared in any of the bigger white newspapers.

Here is one article along with a couple of small clips.The first article a description by black star pitcher Dick Redding

[SHOELESSJOE3]

Babe in retirement with wife Claire attend a game.
A disgrace, one season he phoned Yankee Stadium and asked for a few tickets to opening day.
He was told he would first have to send a check........in his own house.....thanks for nothing Babe, what have you done for me lately.

To say they owed him is an understatement, even in exhibition games. One game he was a no show, fans demanded their money back, police called in to settle down the crowd. All was fine, he showed up late.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

Talk about a pitcher losing a tough game. Babe started this game and Walter Johnson came in as a pinch hitter in the 9th inning and pitched the 10th inning. Give Johnson some credit, his pinch hit sac fly in the 9th tied the game 3-3.
In the 10th inning Babe doubled agianst Johnson, his third double but made the second out attempting to steal third base.
Babe, 5 for 5, single, three doubles and a triple, the losing pitcher.

Another 5 for 5 game later in his career.

[bluesky5]

Is it true Ruth put a cabbage leaf under his hat to keep cool?

[Nimrod]

Is it true Ruth put a cabbage leaf under his hat to keep cool?

At first he used cold frankfurters but he kept eating them!Just joking!I have heard that he did.In a book about Ty Cobb,it mentions Cobb talking to Ruth about some former pitcher(Eddie Plank) who had passed away some months before in 1926,and Cobb asked him why he had a cabbage leaf on his head.Ruth explained that he used it to keep cool and Cobb asked him if it worked and Ruth said it did.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

Is it true Ruth put a cabbage leaf under his hat to keep cool?

I would think he probably did but I doubt he did it often.
I do know the Yankee mascot Ray Kelly said at times over the course of a game Babe would send him to the concession stand for a few hot dogs, maybe more than once during a game. Actually Ray Kelly was Babe's mascot, Babe kept him on the bench for good luck.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

The very young Ray Kelly. Ray sat the bench till age 13.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

One more for the Bam.

[csh19792001]

I'd love to have been lucky enough to talk to Red Faber. This played played for almost 20 years against Ruth!! 1914-1933 AL! Cobb, Speaker, Ruth, Gehrig, Collins, Joe Jackson.... Can you imagine the stories? Does anyone have quotes from this guy?

Or, does anyone have quotes or footage/interviews about guys who played with/against Ruth that they'd like to share? I want to know him as people knew him in real life, as a real living, breathing person, not merely a legend and god to us.

[Nimrod]

I'd love to have been lucky enough to talk to Red Faber. This played played for almost 20 years against Ruth!! 1914-1933 AL! Cobb, Speaker, Ruth, Gehrig, Collins, Joe Jackson.... Can you imagine the stories? Does anyone have quotes from this guy?

Or, does anyone have quotes or footage/interviews about guys who played with/against Ruth that they'd like to share? I want to know him as people knew him in real life, as a real living, breathing person, not merely a legend and god to us.

I like the story that Herb Pennock told of when he and Ruth were dining with a group that included several women.During the course of the meal,Ruth stood up and said "I got to go piss"!As Ruth was heading for the rest room,Pennock took hold of Ruth`s elbow and said "George,that`s no way to talk in front of women"!The Babe agreed.When they got back to the table,Ruth(with his head hung down)said "I`m sorry that I said `piss`!Pennock almost swallowed his fork.