Babe Ruth's famous "called shot" is still up for debate
One of the most famous sporting events ever occurred: In the third game of the 1932 World Series, with the Yankees and Cubs, tied 4-4, Babe Ruth signaled to the crowd, including pitcher Charlie Root, that he was about to hit a ball into the stands by pointing to the centerfield fence at Wrigley Field. On the following pitch, he lived up to his boast. Both the game and ultimately the series was won by the Yankees.
However, there has been a debate for a long time over the gesture's true significance. Ruth claimed the point was him signaling a home run was on the way. Ruth was merely raising up two fingers to represent the number of strikes. In later interviews and testimonies, many of the players and spectators at the game that day sided with Ruth, while others claimed they never understood the controversy. The fact that none of the sportswriters who covered the game, including the illustrious Red Smith, made any mention of it in their articles is the most damning, though. He obviously makes a motion, but the sparse video evidence that is available leaves us guessing as to what he was trying to say.
More evidence of 2020 came from a recently rediscovered radio conversation with Lou Gehrig from a few days after the game. Gehrig said there, "As he stands there, Ruth declares to the world that he would sock the next person." He also tells everyone exactly where he's going to toss the ball: into the center-field stands. A short minutes later, the ball was exactly where he had indicated it would be, in the center-field stands. He called it and made his shot. I want to know what you can accomplish with a person like that."
Although the interview was probably staged, Gehrig biographer Dan Joseph, who found and posted the tape on Twitter, thinks it was genuine. Before hearing the clip, Joseph told MLB.com, "I didn't believe that actually happened. I believed it to be a myth created by sportswriters. Now that I've heard Gehrig, the on-deck batter, I'm inclined to think that he did it."
