*Babe Ruth Thread*

[SHOELESSJOE3]

When I hear "bare-handed catch" I immediately think of this catch!

That one I did get to see, some catch.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

One more time for the Bam, much older Babe.
Different writeups from some newspapers, NY, Boston, LA. and Washington.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

There was literally just something not normal with the guy. The care-free approach he took with life, carried onto the field. You mix that with his immense talent and showmanship; it resulted into a true masterpiece.

Event after event can be broken down to it's most simplistic form, cutting through the bs, but they way he went about things, and the feats he performed, opened the door for myth to creep in. A dog ran onto the field, he threw his glove at it...it runs away with glove in mouth....the next pitched ball is hit toward Ruth and he makes a barehanded catch. You don't see that in the garbage John Goodman movie but it happened and papers reported on it.

Or the Toronto exhibition game where he told the crowd, while hitting fun-goes, that he could hit the a clock over 400 feet away. They chuckle, he turns, and does that exact thing.

His life and career are literally littered (say that ten times fast) with events such as this. This was Babe Ruth. And it is precisely why people accuse Ruth historians of hero worship when they simply state what happened. Because his true life happenings are bigger than any myth Hollywood could create.

There are failed attempts galore as well. Things he did that seem silly but if results fell the other way, it would add to his legend. The attemtped stealing second base to end the '26 World Series didn't work out. Had he been safe, and Meusel just bloops one, history is re-written. He had three homers in a game, but in his 4th AB he comes up righty, takes two strikes and turns around lefty and strikes out. Love him or hate him, that was Ruth. Had he homered, it would add to his legend and some would call it bs. Same ol' same ol'.

Not to mention the fact, two one hitters.One in the minors and one with the Bosox.

July 11, 1917, one hit in 8th inning, infield hit. Hard drive by Donnie Bush Babe knocks down deflected to SS Scott, Bush beats throw.

July 31, 1916, two hits Tigers this time, two clean singles. His next start against Tigers in 1916, Aug. 24, three hitter. Two days before, July 29, Tigers knocked hoim out, first inning
Check out the team stats, Tigers are first or second in almost every offensive stat, in both league White Sox very close.

Two and three hits not that rare but I look at the one hit in the infield, deflected ball would have been the icing on the cake, all of his offense and a no hitter, wow.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

We do know, that in June of 1920, while playing the White Sox, Ruth was struck by a Buck Weaver throw while running from first to second. He was carried of the field but played the next day. Not sure of the date on that incident.

Seriously 1920 is friekin' incredible when you think of the enormous pressure (like he ever felt any) Ruth was under to perform. Not only did he live up to expectations but surpassed them. This season is his best all things considered imo.

He was constantly sick and hurt. Aside from the previously mentioned drilling in the head, he pulled a rib cage muscle in the home opener during bp and had to come out. He jammed a wrist while sliding and later twisted his knee while sliding. He had an infected sting lanced, battled the flu, jammed a knee in an auto accident, and dealt with a lingering strained hamstring that started in May.

Miller Huggins said this in the winter of 1920 - “Babe is nearly made of iron than any other player I ever saw. I believe he could suffer a broken leg and still go out there and hit home runs. Several times last season he took his place in the field and hit home runs while suffering intense physical pain from a strained back, and later in the season while his mosquito bite was threatening him with blood poisoning. In all my twenty years in the game I never before came upon a player who was even willing to take such risks, much less going through with them.”

What can you say about 1920. The 26 game hitting streak, which isn't your typical hitting streak given how much he was pitched around (he walked twice in "snap" game), is pretty impressive. He was hitting over .390 into August. The first sixteen of his Polo Grounds homers, were either in the upper deck or over the roof. In fact according to Jenkinson, only 5 of his 29 Polo Grounds homers went over the 11 foot wall into the lower section (which includes a 360-ft line drive off Kerr on 8/26). He filled in centerfield when the team needed it and even took the mound for a start. Overall, his best season imo.

After reading hundreds of Babe news articles at Proquest, physically strong as a bull and did often play injured, mostly the legs. But he must have had a weak immune system. You would not believe all the articles in print, his whole career fighting off severe colds, throat infection, viruses.
Some even required a couple or few days in the hospital.

[bluesky5]

According to Dwight Gooden, Mitchell cut the head of Mitchell's girlfriend's cat in front of Gooden and the girlfriend! Mitchell has denied this ever happened.

The entire bizarre story is on this site somewhere. There was another teammate there with the girl and Gooden. The next day Mitchell told Gooden "we won't talk about last night ever again." Or something to that effect.

[Sultan_1895-1948]

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[SHOELESSJOE3]

I see where you're coming from and especially for the casual fan that might mean something extra. I look at no-hitters as a fluky accomplishment. Fun little footnote but rather meaningless. I think Ruth's pitching speaks for itself. I put together some of his gems in this post http://www.baseball-fever.com/showth...340#post656340

I also like your post #111 which deals with run support and how it can be misleading at times.

There may be a bit of fluke but I have seen more than a few no hitters, where it was obvious that on that day, the pitcher had it all over the batters, poor swings and no really hard hit balls.
Of course a dribbler in the infield or a bloop hit can end a no hitter.
So yes, you need some luck but I have to give the pitcher "in many" cases the bulk of the credit. If he can go a whole game making batters miss and not get good wood on the ball, he increases the odds. Strong pitching and a break here or there. Does not always work, some of the greatest have never pitched a no hitter.

I posted the near no hitter by Babe because, it would have really been something, on top of everything else, a no hitter.
He was very stingy with the hits. In the years he was a pitcher only, 1915-16-17.

Average over 1915-1917, both leagues.
Ruth------------6.64
Johnson--------6.94
Alexander------7.12
To be factored in, they both piitched more than 200 inning more than Babe.................but that ain't bad, good company.

Going to take a look at that post #111, run support, that was long ago, if I recall about blowout high scoring games possibly, misleading run support stat.

[Sultan_1895-1948]

There may be a bit of fluke but I have seen more than a few no hitters, where it was obvious that on that day, the pitcher had it all over the batters, poor swings and no really hard hit balls.
Of course a dribbler in the infield or a bloop hit can end a no hitter.
So yes, you need some luck but I have to give the pitcher "in many" cases the bulk of the credit. If he can go a whole game making batters miss and not get good wood on the ball, he increases the odds. Strong pitching and a break here or there. Does not always work, some of the greatest have never pitched a no hitter.

I posted the near no hitter by Babe because, it would have really been something, on top of everything else, a no hitter.
He was very stingy with the hits. In the years he was a pitcher only, 1915-16-17.

Average over 1915-1917, both leagues.
Ruth------------6.64
Johnson--------6.94
Alexander------7.12
To be factored in, they both piitched more than 200 inning more than Babe.................but that ain't bad, good company.

Going to take a look at that post #111, run support, that was long ago, if I recall about blowout high scoring games possibly, misleading run support stat.

The list of those who have thrown no hitters, isn't exactly a who's who of HOFers. It takes a pitcher having a great day along with hitters being off their game AND the defense making an occasional amazing, normally-wouldn't-be-made play. Hard hit balls right at people, a rather forgiving scorekeeper, it's just a fluky event is all.

My point was only this. On top of everything else...Ruth's ERA and shutout title, the HR titles, should be twelve MVPs, BA title, should be gold glove....a no hitter is a one time, fluky event that would be a cool side note, but wouldn't make his career any more impressive. Definitely harder to do back then with larger outfields and the hitters cutting down with two strikes though. The most impressive thing is how young he was and the promise he showed.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

The list of those who have thrown no hitters, isn't exactly a who's who of HOFers. It takes a pitcher having a great day along with hitters being off their game AND the defense making an occasional amazing, normally-wouldn't-be-made play. Hard hit balls right at people, a rather forgiving scorekeeper, it's just a fluky event is all.

My point was only this. On top of everything else...Ruth's ERA and shutout title, the HR titles, should be twelve MVPs, BA title, should be gold glove....a no hitter is a one time, fluky event that would be a cool side note, but wouldn't make his career any more impressive. Definitely harder to do back then with larger outfields and the hitters cutting down with two strikes though. The most impressive thing is how young he was and the promise he showed.

I kind of touched on your opening line in my post but from the other side. You say many of the no hit pitchers are not HOF players add to that a good number are only average talent, some even sub par. No debate there.
What I said in my post, similar to your thoughts, my post #1713...."some of the greatest have never pitched a no hitter."
Both on the same page there, never will I say in most no hitters the pitcher didn't need some things going his way.

For that matter, how many 5-6 7 hitters pitched by pitcher where they had a few great defensive plays behind them, maybe better pitching they could have been knocking on the no hit door.
Bottom line there are almost always a few or more great defensive plays behind any pitcher, no hitter or 10 hitter.
No pitcher has a monopoly on luck, they all get their breaks so I'm' giving the pitcher on that day his due.

Agreed, it wouldn't add that much to Babe's luster, his overall pitching performance would dwarf even a no hitter, but it would look bad either.

[Sultan_1895-1948]

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[SHOELESSJOE3]

Some Babe bits.

[Sultan_1895-1948]

April 20, 1935, LITERARY DIGEST

Apr20,1935literarydigest.jpg

[SHOELESSJOE3]

Don Bradman called the greatest batsman, greatest cricketer ever.

I wonder if there was anything Babe Ruth did not try in life.
He seemed to be everywhere, always on the move, always on the go..
He lived only 53 years but one of his teammates said, the way he lived it was more like 153 years

[Sultan_1895-1948]

Literary Digest, March 29, 1930

Mar29,1930LiteraryDigest.jpg

[SHOELESSJOE3]

Did not follow up this story, don't know how it ended.