"Home Run" at Tampa

Sunland Tribune Volume 17 Article 11 1991 Babe Ruth and His Record "Home Run" at Tampa James W. Covington Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/sunlandtribune Recommended Citation Covington, James W. (1991) "Babe Ruth and His Record "Home Run" at Tampa," Sunland Tribune: Vol. 17 , Article 11. Available at: https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/sunlandtribune/vol17/iss1/11 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Sunland Tribune by an authorized editor of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. BABE RUTH AND HIS RECORD "HOME RUN" AT TAMPA By JAMES W. COVINGTON It was during Spring Training in his final Baltimore Orioles. They called him Tarzan year wearing the Boston Red Sox uniform until Babe realized that Tarzan was King of that Babe Ruth hit a home run that may have the Apes. When he was invited to eat in a been the longest one any player ever hit. fine home he set aside asparagus salad Born on February 6, 1895 George Herman untasted. When the hostess asked him why Ruth, the son of a Baltimore saloon owner he had not eaten the salad, he replied that the and bartender was sent to St. Mary's vegetable caused his urine to smell. When Industrial School For Boys by his parents teammates noted that he changed underwear when they found they could not control him. only every two weeks, he refused to wear Within a short time George was taken in the undergarment in the future and no one hand by six-foot three, 250 pound Brother suspected that only bare skin was beneath Matthias of the Xaverian Order who the expensive Suits.3 introduced him to discipline, a limited amount of education, shirt collar stitching During Spring Training at Hot Springs, and helped him become a pitcher in the Arkansas, Ruth made some of the other leagues organized by the school. Both players angry when he wanted to take daily catching and hitting came naturally to the batting practice; thus forcing some to wait left handed Ruth but pitching required much while he batted. Ty Cobb, one of the greatest more sheer strength. Ruth became the of all hitters, claimed that Ruth, being a outstanding all around baseball player in the pitcher, could experiment with his swings at school.1 the ball and not be criticized for pitchers were usually poor hitters. Finally, Ruth When George Herman was twenty years old developed a swing that utilized the full 215 and still at St. Mary's he was signed by a pounds of weight and often when he missed good Catholic and owner of the Baltimore the ball, would fall and land on his knees. It Orioles Jack Dunn to a contract in organized was awkward but effective. When the farm baseball that paid $600 for the season.2 In team at Providence, Rhode Island needed his first year in the minor leagues Ruth won good pitchers, Ruth was sent there and fourteen victories and six defeats as a assisted the team in winning the pitcher and consequently was sold with two championship of the International League. other players to the Boston Red Sox for When the International League completed $20,000. In that year at Baltimore sports its season, Ruth was recalled by the Red Sox followers began to call George Herman Jack and was able to win 2 games and lose one. Dunn's baby or Babe. Ruth's record in his first year in the minors was twenty-three wins and eight losses.4 The huge bulk, heavy features and self-centered inner image propelled Babe With the outstanding hitting and equally into the center of conversation held by outstanding pitching, it was difficult for the students at St. Mary's and members of the Red Sox manager to designate Ruth for one Babe Ruth, celebrating his birthday in St. Petersburg. Photo courtesy of Tampa Tribune position. At first he was in the line-up as brochures to advertise Tampa, providing pitcher and pinch hitter but by May, 1918 he free public band concerts and community was shifted to first base and hit two home "sings" and the luring of the Boston Red Sox runs two days. Within a short time he was from Hot Springs to Tampa was a good shifted to left field; a position where he move. remained for some time. Despite the effects of World War I and a players' strike the Red First of the Red Sox contingent to arrive in Sox won the league championship and Tampa was Dr. M. P Lawler the trainer who World Series. proceeded to the Tampa Bay Hotel and adjacent Plant Field where the practice and During negotiations in salary for the games would be held. The field, located in following year 1919, Ruth secured the the center oval of a race track maintained by services of a part-time agent and set the the South Florida Fair Association and figure for his salary at $15,000 a year - a Tampa Bay Hotel, had been winter quarters raise of $8,000 and second highest in of major league baseball teams since 1913 baseball. When owner Harry Frazee refused when Chicago had trained. Lawler saw that to grant the hefty sum, Ruth became a the infield had been improved and the hot hold-out. He was not with the team when it and cold showers in the clubhouse had been boarded the Clyde steamer at New York reconditioned but he was more impressed by bound for the new training site in Florida or the facilities of the Tampa Bay Hotel.5 when it boarded the Seaboard train at Jacksonville bound for Tampa. When an Despite the holdout Lawler claimed that agreement was signed with the New York Ruth was the most capable baseball player Giants for a series of games at Tampa and in the world. When the team arrived in on the trip northbound, it became absolutely Tampa on March 22, 1919 and eighteen necessary to sign Ruth so that large crowds players began practice at 10:00 a.m. on the could be attracted to watch his home runs following day, manager Ed Barrow observed and Frazee agreed to a contract which paid the rough condition of the infield and $10,000 a year to Ruth. Shortly, Ruth left outfield but he, like Lawler, was pleased New York bound for Tampa on a midnight with the Tampa Bay Hotel.6 train. Plans had been made by manager Barrow Tampa at this time was going through a and owner Frazee to play several practice difficult period. Two hundred and games with the reserves in Tampa, play the thirty-eight persons had died during the two home games with the New York Giants October-November, 1918 influenza who were training at Gainesville and then epidemic and the two shipyards that had travel with the Giants northward playing employed more than five thousand persons games with them in Gainesville; Columbia, in 1918 closed down in 1919 and the former South Carolina; Spartanburg, South employees found it difficult to secure other Carolina; Winston-Salem, North Carolina employment. On May Day of 1919 one and concluding the series in Richmond, hundred special guards were hired to guard Virginia. Barrow was glad to see Ruth when against possible Communist violence but no he arrived saying that the outfielder-infielder disorder at all took place. Yet the city pitcher was needed as a pitcher by the team. council tried to stimulate prosperity in the No one in Tampa was sure about the figure tourist trade by printing free post cards and Ruth had signed for: $15,000 a year or but the ball sailed high above his head $30,000 for three years. beyond the outfield located in the inner part of the race track and into the sand beyond With the players in camp, preparations for the track. After the game reporters were able the long season proceeded at a fast pace. to find Youngs and have him point out the When rain forced a cancellation of exact spot where the ball had landed. The work-outs on one day, two a day practices distance from the landing spot to home plate were scheduled on the following days. Billy was measured but no exact figure has been Sunday, the well known evangelist who was given. Probably the ball was hit a distance presenting crusades against sin in the area, between 500 and 600 feet; manager Barrow took part in the workouts by chasing balls in took a middle ground by estimating the the outfield and bunting at batting practice.7 distance at 579 feet.11 It was the longest The members of the team who had gone to home run that Ruth ever hit and probably the Palma Ceia Golf Club for food and golf longer than any other man had hit at that gave in return a party for the members of the time. The ball was found, signed by Ruth club at the Tampa Bay Hotel. With a reward and Barrow and given to Billy Sunday. of 150 cigars to the winning team, two games were played between the regulars and The Red Sox went on to beat the Giants substitutes. In these two games, Ruth again on the following day and beat them in pitched one inning and played first base the the final game of the series at Baltimore rest of the time.8 where Ruth hit four home runs in one game.

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