Winners and Losers

The Justice and More than 80 years later, one of sport’s most debated incidents comes back vividly to a famous—and highly reliable—eyewitness

ow that the headline has Ruthian years. The Cubs were not shy about letting him grabbed your attention, let know it and “razzed” him incessantly, as Stevens puts it. me tell you that this is a Nstory about —specifically, From his box seat, Stevens could hear the chatter, about one of baseball’s most legend- though not necessarily specific words. He does say that the ary moments. The “Justice” is John exchange of words seemed to be the strongest between Paul Stevens, the third-longest-serv- Ruth and Cubs (who started Games 1 ing U.S. Supreme Court justice in and 4), a fact confirmed perhaps the first time Bush faced history (1975–2010). At 93 years old, Ruth after the alleged called shot, in the first inning of Bob Latham he still has plenty of zip on his intel- Game 4. Bush plunked him. lectual fastball, and he is as gracious and dignified a man as you could As for the called shot itself, Justice Stevens is initially ever meet. The “Babe” is George Herman Ruth, who, on very factual—sticking just to the evidence. There is no October 1, 1932, allegedly called his shot in Game 3 of the question in Stevens’ mind that Ruth “pointed towards cen- between the Yankees and Cubs at , ter field, with his bat” (with Stevens emphasizing the last a gesture the intention of which has been debated for eight three words). Interest- decades. Seated about 15 rows behind the Cubs dugout, on ruth’s body ingly, brief film footage the third base side, was 12-year-old . uncovered in the 1990s language seemed shows Ruth gesturing Thanks to the facilitation of a friend and colleague (to to be saying, “here’s with his right hand, with- whom I am now deeply indebted), Justice Stevens agreed to out his bat in it. Thus, it is sit down with me to share his recollections of that day at a what I’m going to possible that Ruth might meeting in Florida on the condition that the conversation was do to you—knock have made two gestures, strictly about baseball and not about the law. Is there anyone you to the moon.” one with his bat and one among us who would not make that deal? without. Stevens is also confident that whatever Despite growing up in ’s Hyde Park, which was words Ruth was uttering were targeted at the Cubs’ dug- much to Comiskey Park than Wrigley Field, Stevens out. Since Supreme Court justices don’t just observe but and his family were Cubs fans. Consequently, Stevens had are called upon to interpret, I asked him to interpret Ruth’s never seen the Yankees of and play. gesture, which he was more than willing to do. He viewed Game 3 of the —after the Yankees had it as “part of the ongoing colloquy” between Ruth and won the first two games at —was the first Bush. According to Stevens, Ruth’s body language seemed and only time he saw those legends in person. And what to be saying, “Here’s what I’m going to do to you—knock did he see? By the end of the fifth inning, Ruth and Gehrig you to the moon,” as he pointed toward center field. each had two home runs. Did the 12-year-old Stevens view these guys as gods after watching that display? “No, they One reason eyewitnesses may have different views of were our enemies,” he says emphatically, albeit with a Ruth’s gesture is that a “called shot” was nowhere in base- characteristic twinkle in his eye. ball’s lexicon before that day. It took a while for anyone present to process what they had just seen. But, called shot Justice Stevens confirms the enmity that pervaded the or not, Ruth’s home was certainly the exclamation series and the fact that it seemed to stem from the Cubs’ point to the “colloquy.” Though it was the last World decision not to give a full share of Series Ruth would , it would become the most each player’s World Series money since he played only discussed. And we are all fortunate that Justice Stevens is part of the season for the Cubs. This slight no doubt still happy to talk about it more than 81 years later. affected Ruth as much as anybody, since he had been Koenig’s roommate on the 1927 Yankees. “Cheapskates” Bob Latham is a partner at the law firm Jackson Walker, L.L.P., and an was the word that Stevens remembers being flung around. International Rugby Board member. A compilation of his best columns, Meanwhile, Ruth was 37—old for a baseball player even titled “Winners & Losers: Rants, Riffs and Reflections on the Worldf o now, ancient in those days—and about 104 in hard-living Sports,” is available in the Media Zone at SportsTravelMagazine.com.

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