Game Three

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Chicago Tribune, 2 October 1932

HOME RUNS BY RUTH, GEHRIG BEAT CUBS, 7-5
Each Hits Two in 3d Yankee Victory

By Edward Burns.
Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig knocked two homers apiece yesterday as their modest contribution to the third consecutive victory of the New York Yankees over the Chicago Cubs in the current world series. These four lengthy hits drove in the first six of the seven runs by which the American leaguers triumphed 7 to 5.

Even homers by Ruth and Gehrig are poor substitutes for a Cub victory thrill, of course. But after all, if the Cubs had to lose, it was nice for the 49,986 customers that they could see the two great sluggers do their stuff in such gala surroundings.

Babe and Lou did not totally eclipse the Cubs in home run matters, however, for Kiki Cuyler made one in the third inning and Gabby Hartnett knocked another in the ninth. Nice homers they were, too, but somehow homers by the losers never are quite as handsome.

Babe Ruth crossing home plate after hitting his second homer.

Root Is Victim.
Charley Root was the victim of all four of the Yankee home runs. There were many who predicted that Charley’s style of pitching was such that he would be a setup for the two great sluggers. That was the reason he was not used in wither of the first two games.

Ruth’s first homer, with two on in the first inning, was his fourteenth in world series competition. The three runs thus accrued got the Chicagoans off to a rather depressing start. Then to start the third, Gehrig got his first homer of the day, his second of the series and his sixth in the world series business.

Ruth Breaks Tie.
Even these things did not discourage the Cubs, and at the end of the fourth the Chicagoans had the score at 4 all. Thereafter Ruth and Gehrig became bone-crushers for sure, Babe broke the tie in the course of bitter repartee with the Cub bench in the fifth and Lou followed with another on the next pitch after Babe circled the bases. That was the last of Mr. Root.

That tie-breaking second homer of the Babe’s yesterday will go down as one of the classics of baseball razing.

When Babe came up in the fifth the Cubs were feeling pretty pert. They had come from three runs behind to tie the score. They scented victory on dear old Wrigley field. It looked like one of those old August rough houses was in the offing. Yes, the Cubs were very peppery when Mr. Ruth went to bat with the score tied in the fifth.

The Cub bench jockeys came out of the dugout to shout at Ruth. And Ruth shouted right back. Root got a strike past Babe, and did those Cub bench jockeys holler and hiss! After a couple of wide ones, Root whizzed another strike past the great man. More hollering and hissing and no small amount of personal abuse.

Game Three Starting Pitchers
(Left) George Pipgras, New York Yankees
(Right) Charley Root, Chicago Cubs

There It Goes!
Ruth held up two fingers, indicating the two strikes in umpire fashion. Then he made a remark about spotting the Cubs those two strikes. Well, it seems that Charley Root threw another good one. Mr. Ruth smacked the ball right on the nose and it traveled ever so fast. You know that big flag pole just to the right of the scoreboard beyond center field? Well that’s 436 feet from the home plate. Ruth’s drive went past that flag pole and hit the box office at Waveland and Sheffield avenues.

Ruth resumed his oratory the minute he threw down his bat. He bellowed every foot of the way around the bases, accompanying derisive roarings with wild and elegant gesticulations. George Herman Ruth always enjoys a homer under any circumstances, but it is doubtful if he ever cocked one that gave him the satisfaction that accompanied that second one yesterday.

Babe Ruth Taunting the Cubs’ Dugout

Adds to His Records.
Every time the Babe makes a move in this series he adds to a world record. That second homer was his 15th in world series play and brought his new world record to 32 world series runs batted in and 37 runs scored. But that wasn’t what tickled the Babe. His thoughts were on his personal feud with the Cubs, inspired, you know, by what Babe considers a miserly splitting of the Cubs’ world series shares.

The actions of those two marauders, Babe and Lou, obviously placed the world series of 1932 in a very sick condition in so far as Cub aspirations are concerned. Unless Guy Bush can lead to a victory this afternoon the big show will be all over and the Yankees will be chortling about taking their third successive world series in four straight. John Allen, freshman right hander but very tough, will work against Bush.

And now for some detail:

The contest opened in a burst of jitters. Combs bounced a nice easy grounder to Jurges to start the game. Young Bill picked it up with great grace, and then to an amazement of the spectators and distress of Root nd his mates, threw the ball, presumably with the intention of getting it into the hands of his manager first baseman, Grimm. At least Grimm was the fellow who should have been given the ball. But how could he catch it when it was thrown six or eight feet over his head?

Wrigley Field
October 1, 1932

Then a Pass to Sewell.
If you know the temperament of Root, reflect how comforting this maneuver was, coming on the very first play of the home stand. Jurges’ mammoth heave put Combs on second and before Root could regain his sangfroid or an approximation of it he had walked Sewell. It was at this juncture that Ruth functioned for the first time. He knocked the ball into the temporary bleachers built over Sheffield avenue.

Herman threw out Gehrig for the first out and Lazzeri was called out on strikes. Dickey, however, singled along the right field foul line and stopped at second on Chapman’s single to left. Crosotti lined to Stephenson to end the inning.

Pipgras Wild at Start.
Pipgras wasn’t very steady at the outset. He walked Herman on five pitches and threw three wide ones to English before he could settle down. He then threw two strikes to Woody after which the Cubs third baseman flied out. Cuyler drove the ball over Chapman’s head and missed a home by inches. It bounced off the right field screen for a double scoring Herman. Crosetti threw out Stephenson, Cuyler holding second after which Moore walked on four pitches, Crosetti tossed out Grimm.

There was no run making by either in the second inning. Jurges singles with one down and stole second, but Root fanned and Herman flied to Ruth.

Gehrig opened the third with his No. 1 homer of the afternoon. It was a drive which came down near the right end of the right field stands. Jurges made a swell stop and throw to get Lazzeri and Dickey flied to Moore. Chapman was walked and immediately sought to give folks a demonstration of his splendid base running talent. Hartnett, however, didn’t approve of the exhibition and had the ball in Jurgens’ hands way of the fleet Ben.

Cubs Come to Life.
The Cubs came to the bat in the latter half of the third and looked more like themselves than they have in two or three weeks. It was the one bright Chicago inning of the series to date. After Crosetti had thrown out English, Cuyler smashed his homer into the right field stands. Stephenson then dropped a nice single into dead right center. Stevie was forced in one of the infield fadeouts that have so discouraged Moore, but Grimm doubled to right, scoring Moore. Hartnett choked the rally with a foul to Sewell in front of the Cub dugout.

An infield out and the retirement of Pipgras and Combs on called strikes got rid of the Yanks in the fourth and caused Chicago fellows to become ever so sprightly.

Jurges Ties Score.
This happy revival of enthusiasm and courage enabled the National leaguers to tie the score in the latter half of the fourth, although it must be admitted that all of the substantial work was done by Jurges. Bill opened the inning with a double to left, which put Ruth on the short side of the afternoon’s fun for all too short a time. Babe doesn’t do this so well any more. He half trapped the ball and then rolled about on his ample stomach, making grotesque paddlings in an effort to get his hands on the ball.

Root tapped to Sewell and Jurges was held on second. Herman popped to Lazzeri. English followed with a slow roller to Lazzeri. Tony had to play it just right to keep Woody from beating it out and in his eagerness juggled the ball. Jurges had got to third while the ball was rolling toward Lazzeri and as soon as Tony fumbled it he was on his way for home, though the ball was only three feet from Lazzeri and he made a high throw, giving Jurges no trouble in getting home with the tying run. The inning ended when English was caught stealing.

That Sad Fifth.
You’ve been told about the way Ruth and Gehrig behaved in the fifth, but we’ll give you the other details of the inning.

Sewell was first up and was thrown out by Jurges. Then the Babe and Gehrig hit homers. Malone relieved Root and walked Lazzeri and Dickey. The runners advanced while English was throwing out Chapman. Crosetti was given an intentional pass, filling the bases. Then came the third of Pipgras’ series of five successive strikeouts.

Neither team scored after the fifth until the ninth. In the sixth Malone had the great pleasure of striking out Gehrig to retire the side. Combs lined to Grimm and Sewell flied to Moore. Ruth walked. Gehrig ran the count to three balls and two strikes. Pat then fooled him on a third strike. Gehrig made off like he thought he had been passed, but Umpire VanGraflan let him know he had been called out.

One Hit Off Malone.
The only hit off Malone was a single by Crosetti with two out in the seventh. It was Frankie’s first hit of the series and made him very happy, although it dod no harm to the Chicago cause. With one down in the seventh, Dickey was safe on Jurgens’ second throwing error, which pulled Grimm off the bag after a nice catch by the boss. Chapman fanned and Crosetti got that single, Dickey stopping at second. Pipgas then ranfg up his fourth whiff.

After Malone had given way to a hitless pinch hitter, Jackie May came in to pitch the eighth. His first three pitches to Combs were wide. But the next three were good ones and the Kentucky school master fanned. Sewell was hit by a pitched ball, but Ruth hit into a double play.

May didn’t get much help from his supporting cast in the ninth. Gehrig sent a high fly well back of the pitcher’s box and there were eight Cub players on the field who had as much or more claim to the ball than Hartnett. But Gabby apparently was possessed a desire to show off. It was a miracle that English finally got the ball despite Gabby’s interference.

Herman Drops One.
Lazzeri then knocked a popup, almost a duplicate of Gehrig’s effort. And of all things! Here came Gabby again. This time the infielders withdrew in terror of their lives and gave Gabby a chance to put on his show unmolested. But his exhibition flopped because Gabby was unable to keep the ball in his glove. Dickey became a member of the popup trio when he hit the kind of ball Bill Herman had been eating up all year. But this one he dropped.

In a way it was a compliment to May to have the Cubs so crossed up by pop flies, for pitchers of higher rating than Jake have had the Cub fielders accustomed to expecting line drives. But just the same, it was pretty tough on little Jake and he can’t be blamed for letting Chapman sock a double which scored Lazzeri and put Dickey on third. Grimm realized that Jake had received some shabby support and excused him. Tinning came in and made Crosetti pop to Herman, too far out for Hartnett to make a try for the catch. Bud then fanned Pipgras, giving George a perfect record for not hitting the ball.

Game Three Ticket

Gabby Makes Amends.
Gabby got some boos for his fielding lapses in the first of the ninth, which was unjust, for the big boy simply was working hard and besides was contending with a high wind that made judgement of flies difficult. At any rate, Hartnett was not downcast as revealed by the fact that he led off the ninth with his homer which reached half way up the temporary bleachers beyond the left field wall. Jurges then rapped out his third hit, a single to left.

Koenig was sent up to bat for Timming, whereupon Manager McCarthy yanked Pipgras and called in Herb Pennock. This move was met with the withdrawal of Koenig. Hemsley batted for Koenig, and didn’t seem top have much of an idea as to where Pennock was throwing the ball, Rollie fanned.

Herman tapped to Pennock, who threw him out, Jurges taking second. Jurges went to third unmolested, then English ended the game with a bouncer to Gehrig.

THE “CALLED” SHOT

Babe Ruth’s “Called” Home Run
One Journalist’s Opinion That Went Viral

How the Myth was Born
As soon as the ball left Ruth’s bat in the fifth inning, Davis J. Walsh, sports editor of the International News Service, “leaped to his feet and shouted, ‘Hey, he hit it exactly where he had pointed.’”

How the Myth Died
In 1933, Hal Totten, who did the Play-by-Play for WMAQ radio from 1924-1935, asked Babe Ruth if he had pointed to center field. Ruth replied:

Then there was that second strike, and they let me have it again. So I held up that finger again, and I said I still had one left. Now kid, you know damn well I wasn’t pointing anywhere. If I had done that, Root would have stuck the ball in my ear. I never knew anybody who could tell you ahead of time where he was going to hit a baseball. When I get to be that kind of fool, they’ll put me in the booby hatch.

Unfortunately very few people read, or heard, that interview, and the story went on for decades, till it was rediscovered and published on-line.

THE “CALLED” SHOT

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