Lou Gehrig confirmed Babe Ruth’s famous ‘called shot’ in the 1932 World Series in recently found audio clip

Unearthed radio sound from Yankees icon Lou Gehrig helps further one of baseball’s most legendary tales: that Babe Ruth called his shot. The Bambino supposedly pointed to the center field fence at Wrigley Field in Game 3 of the 1932 World Series, calling that he’d hit a home run in that direction. As the legend goes, he made good on his word and broke a 4-4 tie in the fifth inning. The Yankees would go on to win the game and the World Series.

This clip comes courtesy of Dan Joseph, author of the Gehrig biography “Last Ride of the Iron Horse: How Lou Gehrig Fought ALS to Play One Final Championship Season,” who first heard the audio while researching for his book late last year.

Did Babe Ruth call his shot #OTD in 1932? Lou Gehrig offers his view in this radio clip aired just a few days later. Unheard for the last 88 years! #MLB #Baseball #History pic.twitter.com/dEQd7n8SWs

— Dan Joseph (@danjosephauthor) October 1, 2020

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 10-2-2020

New York Herald, October 2, 1920:

“Babe” Ruth had a remarkable escape from death [in Meriden, Connecticut yesterday] when his new $12,000 roadster crashed into a truck and was wrecked. He and a male companion picked themselves out of the debris unhurt save for a few minor scratches and cuts.

With Ruth at the wheel the roadster was traveling to Springfield, Mass. The way led along the New Haven trunk highway and at Yalesville around what has come to be known as “Dead Man’s Curve.” Before he had navigated the curve Ruth say a heavy truck ahead. It was too late to avoid a collision.

The home run hitter next found himself sitting with a broken steering wheel in his hand. His eyes were able to see the roadway warning sign reading “Prepare to meet thy God.”

Ruth led the league in home runs, extra base hits, and wrecked cars.

DORKTOWN: The Secret to Not Allowing Homers to Babe Ruth was Being Bad, Apparently

But take a close look there. Notice anything weird? Specifically, look at the row of dots representing pitchers who Ruth took deep zero times in his Yankee career. More specifically, the two dots in that row chilling in solitary (dual?) confinement. Not one, but two pitchers who he faced approximately 70 times each without ever homering.

One of them was a gentleman by the name of Ed Wells (71 plate appearances), the other was Roy Mahaffey (68 plate appearances). So they both held Ruth homerless despite the fact that he hit at least five homers against 38 of the other 41 pitchers who he faced at least that much (and even the remaining three allowed four, four, and two homers to the Babe)....

For Ruth to have faced one pitcher so much without homering is really bizarre. But two? That’s like bizarre squared. Now granted, Ruth’s Yankee tenure was during an era in which his league was much smaller than it is today. He played just seven teams over and over for a decade and a half. Additionally, relief pitchers weren’t used anywhere near as extensively back then as they are in modern times. So that all meant there were plenty of pitchers Ruth faced a lot of times, but also that he faced a mere 362 overall in 15 years as a Yank.

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 9-8-2020

Washington Evening Star, September 8, 1920:

Babe Ruth Gets $5,000 For Talk to Phonograph

...yesterday a talking machine concern got hold of [Babe Ruth], coaxed him down town, got him to make a base ball talk to one of their records and for that little favor wrote him out a check for $5,000.

You can hear that record here. There’s some disagreement as to whether it’s actually Ruth speaking. The person who posted the video on YouTube says it’s Russell Hunting speaking, while this person insists it’s Ruth. I don’t have an opinion on the matter.