Did Babe Ruth call his shot to right field in wrigley field 1932 Oct.1 ?

Answer 1

It is hard to tell.

Many people say that he did, but many doubt it. I have watched the clip of that home run numerous times, and I have still been unable to discover whether Ruth called it.

He did appear to have made some sort of gesture, but it is still a topic of debate whether he was pointing to the Cubs pitcher, Charlie Root (the Cubs were taunting Ruth), or to the stands, where he would hit the home run.

I do, however, know that earlier that week, Ruth went to a hospital and said to a little kid, "I'm going to hit a home run for you." That could be some sort of clue.

Ruth also later said that he did call the shot, but you can't necessarily believe that.

I myself believe that Ruth did call the shot. Anything can happen, and Babe Ruth did a lot of remarkable things.

Answer 2

Babe Ruth was a great hitter, but I don't think this really happened. I read an article one time by a sportswriter named Herbert Simons who did cover that game, and he says Ruth didn't call his shot either.

His explanation went something like this. The Cubs were razzing Ruth on his trip to the plate. This was a common practice that all teams back then employed against their opponents.

After the first strike, the razzing got worse, and Ruth held up two fingers as if to say, "I've got two strikes left".

After the second strike, he wasn't pointing, he was holding up one finger (no, not that one) to say he still had one strike left. Then he hit the homer on the next pitch.

The writer offered a lot of evidence too, indicating that there was not called shot, including...

...Charle Root, the Cubs' pitcher, said that Ruth didn't call his shot. If he had, Root said he would have knocked Ruth down for showing him up

...when asked if Ruth called his shot Joe McCarthy would not say that he had. Instead he gave some lame excuse like, "I didn't see it, I was looking the other way".

...a few months after the Series ended Ruth did claim to call the shot when he gave a speech at a banquet, but then years later he said he wasn't sure if he called his shot or was indicating how many strikes he had left

I think it probably happened the way this writer described it. It just seems more logical that way.

About him visiting a kid in the hospital, I'm pretty sure that happened in the 1926 World Series against the Cardinals. And he didn't actually go to the hospital. The Cardinals and Yankees each sent autographed baseballs, and Ruth wrote "I'll hit a home run for you in Wednesday's game". He actually hit 3 homers which is still the record for most homers in a Series game, although he now shares the record with Reggie Jackson.

Answer 3

We will NEVER know for sure, even Ruth never really said one way or the other.All that is known is that he pointed towards the outfield and smacked the homer.

Answer 4

It's soooo very hard to tell but he did go to the hospital earlier that week so that could be an indicator but no1 will ever kno for sure i don't think

Answer 5

why not he was a hero to a world of baseball fans and made the game fun for everyone if anyone could have done it he's the one and HE DID IT WITHOUT DRUGS just hotdogs lots of hotdogs but he did alot for the kids and the fans yes he did it

Answer 6

The absolute answer died with him. But - what does it hurt to believe the guy did it for the sick child? Nobody is hurt by believing that.

Answer 7

Yes he did. He promised a child in the hospital that he would hit a homerun for him. He pointed to the furthest point away from home plate and smacked it.

Answer 8

I saw video of it a few years ago and he was doing something. You can't really tell what but something was going on.

Answer 9

It's like global warming, no one will ever know for sure.

Answer 10

thats wats said o happen but talk to som1 that was there