Walter Johnson/Babe Ruth

[ruthfan]

Does anyone know where I can find the individual statistics of when Babe Ruth faced Walter Johnson and what happened. Am particularly interested in
finding out how many home runs Ruth hit off Johnson at Washington D.C.
My grandfather caught one of those home runs. But I don't know what year.
Any help will be greatly appreciated. Any good websites, etc. Thanks...

[csh19792001]

Does anyone know where I can find the individual statistics of when Babe Ruth faced Walter Johnson and what happened. Am particularly interested in
finding out how many home runs Ruth hit off Johnson at Washington D.C.
My grandfather caught one of those home runs. But I don't know what year.
Any help will be greatly appreciated. Any good websites, etc. Thanks...

Ruthfan- welcome to The Fever!

Bill Burgess has the exact data. Ruth loved fireball pitchers, hated junkball throwers. ShoelessJoe also has a ton of hard to find info on their matchups.

I do know that Babe hit 10 homeruns off of Johnson overall, not sure about the at bats.

Does he still have the ball he caught? When was he born/die? How much did he get to see Ruth and the other greats of that era play? I think we'd all love you to share here, if you know that info.

[ruthfan]

Thanks. I appreciate that info. My grandfather was born in 1900 and was
a huge Senators fan. He actually caught that ball, got it autographed by
all of the Yankees and Walter Johnson, then gave it to my Dad. The last time
I checked, my dad had the ball in a sock somewhere and the signatures were starting to wear off a little. I recall seeing Ruth and Gehrig's and I think
Earl Combs' signatures, as well as Johnson's and a bunch more. My grandfather was very forward...he also met Will Rogers in Harrisburg, PA. years ago...just walked right into his hotel room and started talking with him!
Anyway, I wish I could remember more, but my dad forgets because he was
so young when he went to Washington with my grandfather. I know...I gotta
find that ball soon. It's in the attic somewhere among many dozens of boxes!

[Bill Burgess]

Ruthfan,

We have a lot of different stuff on the Babe Ruth Thread. I believe one post by ShoelessJoe3 talked about the games Babe pitched against Walter.

Here's an idea. You can determine to a large degree what year the homer was hit by checking the names on the ball and the year they were on the Yankees. For example, Earl Combs didn't join the Yankees until 1924. And Johnson retired following the 1927 season. So we already have a 1924-27 window narrowed down for us. Using the other signatures, you can probably narrow the window even further. Johnson only pitched 6 games in 1927, so we can probably eliminate 1927. So, it's now 1924-26.

Once you have the year determined thusly, you can go through Proquest and find the homer in question. It shouldn't be that hard. If you can call your Dad, and get the list of signatures, I'm sure we here can help you find the exact date. Not that tough a mission.

Bill Burgess

[ruthfan]

THANKS Bill! I'll definitely try that and will let you know what I find...

[SHOELESSJOE3]

Does anyone know where I can find the individual statistics of when Babe Ruth faced Walter Johnson and what happened. Am particularly interested in
finding out how many home runs Ruth hit off Johnson at Washington D.C.
My grandfather caught one of those home runs. But I don't know what year.
Any help will be greatly appreciated. Any good websites, etc. Thanks...

I'll see what I can do. I have a list of all 714 home runs that Ruth hit (708 AL) with the pitcher and the date he hit them. Now it may take a couple of days since you want those he hit at Washington. I might even have the location, parks he hit them in.
Can't promise but give me a couple or few days.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

I'll see what I can do. I have a list of all 714 home runs that Ruth hit (708 AL) with the pitcher and the date he hit them. Now it may take a couple of days since you want those he hit at Washington. I might even have the location, parks he hit them in.
Can't promise but give me a couple or few days.

Here is what I have, on that subject home runs Babe Ruth hit off of Walter Johnson, at Washington.

Date----------------Inning
5/7/18----------------6th
6/30/18---------------10th
5/7/21----------------8th
5/30/23---------------3rd
4/20/24---------------8th
4/20/26---------------1rst

Well, if Gehrig signed that ball while playing with Ruth that seems to narrow it down( the date hit) since Gerhrig's first full season was 1925 the year Ruth did not hit any off of Johnson.

The two hit in 1918 were of course hit while Ruth was a Red Sox.
Gehrig played only 13 games in 1923 and only 10 games in 1924.
Who can say, maybe the ball was autographed at a later date than when the home run was hit.
I would go with 1926, not positive but your best bet he played 155 games.

[Bill Burgess]

Here is what I have, on that subject home runs Babe Ruth hit off of Walter Johnson, at Washington.

Date----------------Inning
5/7/18----------------6th
6/30/18---------------10th
5/7/21----------------8th
5/30/23---------------3rd
4/20/24---------------8th
4/20/26---------------1rst

Well, if Gehrig signed that ball while playing with Ruth that seems to narrow it down( the date hit) since Gerhrig's first full season was 1925 the year Ruth did not hit any off of Johnson.

The two hit in 1918 were of course hit while Ruth was a Red Sox.
Gehrig played only 13 games in 1923 and only 10 games in 1924.
Who can say, maybe the ball was autographed at a later date than when the home run was hit.
I would go with 1926, not positive but your best bet he played 155 games.

I would go with the April 20, 1926 game at Griffith Park as well. I looked up the 1923 & 1924 games on Proquest, and Earl Combs did not play in those. Whitey Witt played CF in those 2 games, but Earl did indeed play in the April 20, 1926 game.

So it appears the last game is the one we are seeking. Voila!! The miracles of today's technology!

Bill Burgess

[SHOELESSJOE3]

I would go with the April 20, 1926 game at Griffith Park as well. I looked up the 1923 & 1924 games on Proquest, and Earl Combs did not play in those. Whitey Witt played CF in those 2 games, but Earl did indeed play in the April 20, 1926 game.

So it appears the last game is the one we are seeking. Voila!! The miracles of today's technology!

Bill Burgess

Thats the truth Bill, today's technology. Wish the computer was around years ago. I spent lots of money and have one room full of books, that was the only way to gather info back then. Now it's to the internet and everything is in front of you in minutes.

I agree with that home run of April 20, 1926 being the most probable but there is one problem, maybe a problem.

At that time there were no bleachers in right field at Griffith. The home run Ruth hit cleared a high wall and the street ( Spruce street) beyond the wall. Also that homer he hit 4/20/24 was also hit out of park in right field.

I'm assuming that the poster who had a relative that retrieved or caught that ball was a spectator in a grandstand. Maybe that poster could give us more details.

This is why I asked in an earlier post... is it possible his grandfather caught the ball at a game that Combs was not playing in but may have had the ball autographed at a later date when Combs was present to sign the ball.

A bit more. On the date 5/30/23 that was a double header and Ruth homered in both games, first game homered off of Johnson, second game not sure who but of course it was not Johnson. No description of where homers were hit over wall in right and right center or to left where there was a grandstand and the posters grandfather may have caught one of those home run balls. The problem again, Combs was not with the Yanks then.

[ruthfan]

I really appreciate all the effort trying to find the date on the ball!!! As far as
my dad knows, he went to the game with my grandfather. My dad was born
in 1924, so he would have been less than two years old at the time. So this
is the only date that would make sense. And yes, it was taken immediately
to the clubhouse for the autographs. My dad says his dad said he actually
caught the ball...that seems unlikely if it was hit out in the street. Hmmm.
Oh...another name on the ball my dad remembers is Joe Judge if this helps.
Still haven't been able to find that ball yet. We DID have some pictures of
the signatures on the ball someplace, if only I can find THOSE. Anyway, I
will keep trying to find more info...wish I had more time to do so. But thanks
again for the help!

[SHOELESSJOE3]

I really appreciate all the effort trying to find the date on the ball!!! As far as
my dad knows, he went to the game with my grandfather. My dad was born
in 1924, so he would have been less than two years old at the time. So this
is the only date that would make sense. And yes, it was taken immediately
to the clubhouse for the autographs. My dad says his dad said he actually
caught the ball...that seems unlikely if it was hit out in the street. Hmmm.
Oh...another name on the ball my dad remembers is Joe Judge if this helps.
Still haven't been able to find that ball yet. We DID have some pictures of
the signatures on the ball someplace, if only I can find THOSE. Anyway, I
will keep trying to find more info...wish I had more time to do so. But thanks
again for the help!

Joe Judge was with Washington in that year. As to how your grandfather caught the ball that the paper said was hit over the wall and on to the street, who can say, there could be an explanation. Is it possible he got that ball by some means other than catching it and the story changed over the years, honest mistakes in interpreting the story.

Obviously he did have a ball signed by those players, keep looking for those pictures.

[ruthfan]

Thanks, Shoelessjoe. Yes, it is possible my grandfather may have enhanced
the story a little. At any rate, somehow he DID come up with the ball. (Hope
he didn't steal it from some little kid. I had that happen to me once in Baltimore at the old Memorial Stadium. Naa...he wouldn't have done that!)
Off hand, do you know what NUMBER home run that was in 1926 that Ruth
hit in Washington? Will try and find out more info on the ball in the next few
days. Thanks again.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

Off hand, do you know what NUMBER home run that was in 1926 that Ruth
hit in Washington?

That was Ruth's first home run in 1926.

[bobp]

While searching to see who replaced Babe Ruth in his final game, I came across this thread. About an hour later, I found this notation, which may solve your questions about bleachers and your father's age, but raises the question of location:

» August 23, 1942: Walter Johnson pitching to Babe Ruth is the pregame attraction that draws 69,000 for the New York-Washington game at Yankee Stadium that provides $80,000 for Army-Navy relief. Ruth hits the fifth pitch into the right-field stands, and then adds one more shot before circling the bases. Sixteen relief games contribute $523,000 during the season. In the doubleheader between the Senators and the Yankees, the Senators win the opener, 7–6 and New York cops the nitecap, 3–0, in five 1/2 innings.

So I joined and posted it for you.

Now, anyone know the answer to MY question?????????

[chapin]

I'll see what I can do. I have a list of all 714 home runs that Ruth hit (708 AL) with the pitcher and the date he hit them. Now it may take a couple of days since you want those he hit at Washington. I might even have the location, parks he hit them in.
Can't promise but give me a couple or few days.

============================================

Would that complete listing be able to tell me in what game it was that Ruth struck out twice and hit one homerun against Walter Johnson? We have just acquired a "Babe" Ruth autograph letter where he mentions upon signing the recipient's old score card in 1940: "I only wish it was for a game we had won. To anyone who remembers, Walter Johnson beat us 3-1. I struck out twice and hit one homerun."

thanks, Bob Volz