The true story
In 1932, Babe Ruth was the most famous baseball player in the world. He was 37 years old, a little round in the middle, and still hitting home runs like nobody else. In the World Series, his New York Yankees faced the Chicago Cubs.
The two teams did not like each other. During Game 3 at Wrigley Field, the Cubs players yelled insults at Ruth from their dugout, and some fans threw lemons onto the field. In the fifth inning, with the score tied 4–4, Ruth stepped up to bat against pitcher Charlie Root.
Ruth took a strike. Then another. With two strikes on him, he raised his hand and made a pointing gesture. On the very next pitch, he smashed a towering home run deep into the center field bleachers. Lou Gehrig, the next batter, hit a home run too.
Here's the mystery: what was Ruth pointing at? Some people who were there said he pointed to the exact spot where he would hit the ball. Others said he was pointing at the Cubs' dugout, or at the pitcher, to say he still had one strike left. Charlie Root always said Ruth never called it. Grainy home movies of the at-bat exist, and people have studied them for decades. Nobody can say for sure.
Whether he called it or not, the Called Shot became one of the most famous stories in sports. It shows how a great athlete can stay calm when a whole stadium is against him.
Talk about it
- Do you think Babe Ruth really called his shot? What clues would you need to decide?
- Why do you think this story is still told almost 100 years later?
- How do you stay calm when people are trying to make you nervous?
Try this
Be a 1932 sports reporter. Write a short newspaper story about the Called Shot, but pick a side: did he call it or not? Use at least two facts from this page.
Good for: Reading · Writing an opinion · Evaluating evidence
