Divers Seeking Piano Behind 'Curse of the Bambino' Page 76
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DAILY TUESDAY, JUNE 22, 2004 LATE SPORTS 60¢ NEWS SPORTS Keystone/file photo PLAY IT AGAIN,BAM! DIVERS SEEKING PIANO BEHIND ‘CURSE OF THE BAMBINO’ PAGE 76 PLAY IT AGAIN, BAM! By MARK KRAM John Fish, of American Underwa- [email protected] ter Search and Survey Limited. Fish has participa ted in some UDBURY, Mass. — Chris grisly under sea expeditions, in- S Hugo bubbles up from the cluding the search for pieces of tranquil surface of Willis Pond, TWA Flight 800 off the coast of not far from where the legendary Long Island in 1996, and initially Babe Ruth once rented a winter identified “seven or eight magnet- cottage. In full scuba gear and car- ic anomalies” at the bottom of Wil- rying an 11-foot probe, Hugo had lis Pond. While any of them could spent the better part of an hour in have been the piano, Hugo said search of a equally legendary pi- prior to slipping into the pond ano that belong ed to Ruth and is that Sunda y, they could just as supposed to be some where at the easily have been an old wood bottom of the pond. How it ended stove, a bathtub or perhaps some up there is the source of some spent shells from an abandoned specula tion, but the belief in Red nearby Army base. By the end of Sox-crazy New England is that by the day, he would have some good reclaiming it from the watery news and some bad news to re- depths — if indeed it is there — port when he waded back to the the team will be able to finally dock. wriggle free of the so-called The good news? “Curse of the Bambino .” The Red He flips up his mask and says Sox have not won a World Series with a smile, “Well, I didn’t get bit since 1918, the same year the pi- by a snapping turtle.” ano appar ently became sub- merged and the year before Ruth Truth or fiction? was sold to the Yankees. You’re probably thinking at this BETHANY VERSOY/For the Daily News Sudbury was exceptionally cold point: Hey, where’s Geraldo Riv- Diver Ken Hayes is among those attempting to locate piano that belonged to Babe Ruth. and snowy during the winter of era when you need him? Televi- 1917-18. When young Ralph Sheri- sion viewers of a certain age nev- dan and his pals learned that Babe er will forget him standing breath- Ruth had a cottage 20 miles west lessly to one side as jackhammer s of Boston on Willis Pond, they jour- tore into what was supposed to neyed over from adjoining May- be Al Capone’s secret vault and BOSTONTEASEPARTY nard with some frequency to see unearthed nothing but some old him. In a letter to the Babe Ruth wine bottles and a handful of cob- Birthpla ce and Museum in Balti- webs. But you want to believe this Goin’deepinsearchtoendBabe’scurse more in 1989, Sheridan remem- charming piece of lore, if only be- bered that as he walked up to the propert y Ruth was outside gather- cause it conjur es up the spirit of dogs. For years, the story of the pi- of the possibility that the archeo- ing where this leads. On this late ing pieces of wood for the stove. one of the truly irresistible fig- ano has been told again and logical discovery of this young spring Sunda y at Willis Pond, he Ruth greeted the boys warmly and ures in America cultur e: The again, changing in shape and pick- century exists if only they can ze- and three other divers have invited them to ski down the Babe, the wayward son of a Balti- ing up color as it has passed ro in on it. shown up on the dock with their 15-foot slope in front of the cottage. more saloon keeper with that ap- through the generations. No one The fact that Hugo is some- equipment and a carefully plot- ple-barrel torso and a heart as big knows what to believe at this thing of a skeptic has not stopped ted chart, assembled close to 2 as his bottomles s appetite for hot point, but no one is eager to let go him from playing along and see- years ago by the aptly named Continued on Next Page TIMELINE 1918 Babe and Helen Ruth rent cottage near Willis Pond in Sudbury, Mass.; his piano allegedly disappears underwater. 1919 1946 1967 1975 Red Sox owner Red Sox, in Carl Sox lose 3-0 Harry Frazee, a first Series Yastrzemski lead in Game 7 1999 2001 Broadway pro- 1923 1935 appearance and Red Sox and drop Yankees close Expert uses infrared ducer, sells Ruth Ruth leads league Ruth returns to since 1918, lose World World Series out century by camera during December to the Yankees in runs, homers Boston to play for lose in seven Series, again in to Reds. winning their search and identifies for $125,000 in and RBI and helps Braves. At 40, he games to seven games, 25th title. “rectangular shape with cash and a Yankees win their bats .181 and hits Cardinals. again to wiry weeds” at bottom $300,000 loan. first World Series. six home runs. Cardinals. of Willis Pond. 1920s 1930s 1940s1960s 1970s 1990s 2001 SOURCES: New York Times, CIA fact sheet (from the Smoking Gun), FBI, Frontline, Jane’s Intelligence Review. PAGE 76 PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS TUESDAY, JUNE 22, 2004 PLAY IT AGAIN, BAM! Continued from Preceding Page Jim Walker works for called the Restoration points to a Project, which helps the mentally Joyfully, they spent the better part spot in Willis ill lead productiv e lives by emplo y- of the afternoon skiing down the Pond where ing them to restore old furnitur e. hill, when finally the Babe himself divers Ken The organiza tion obtained a state piped up: “If you kids can do it, I Hayes (left) permit to search the pond, and can.” So down the Babe would go, and Chris has been aided by an array of vol- slipping and falling head over Hugo will unteer s. Eloise Newell, director heels, only to get back up again, search for of Restoration Project, says, shake off the snow and try it again. piano. “Symbolically , the piano repre- Helen Ruth then invited the boys sents people who have come up into the cottage and served them from the depths of mental illness hot cocoa and cookies. to become functioning member s “Mrs. Ruth would play the piano of societ y.” Newell says the plan is and we would all sing along, includ- not only to locate the piano but to ing the Babe ,” wrote Sheridan. “get it in playable condition “He loved kids and always liked to again” and auction it off. have them around. And, always Given that the piano has been when we would leave, he would BETHANY VERSOY/For the Daily News submer ged for close to a century, say, ‘Come over again and bring it would appear that Newell and the gang.’ We were thrilled to be a piano at the bottom of the pond? er and play the banjo now and on cold winter evenings. He re- her organiza tion would have a bet- with him.” “I think there is a piano down then,” he says. “And I know he member s that back in the sum- ter chanc e of getting Ruth him- So exactly how did that piano there,” Garfield says. He then adds used to hang out with [jazz pio- mer of 1957 — or so the story goes self in playable condition. Not nec- supposedly end up in Willis Pond? with a laugh. “Of course, there neer] Bix Beider becke. But when — some boys were wading in the essarily so, according to David Eighty-six years later, two theories could be four or five of them there it came to playing the piano, his pond and came upon what Robinson, of the Public Archeolo- have remained in play: One is that — including one that belong ed to ability began and ended with Garfield remember s as a “gold- gy Labor atory, Inc., in Pawtuck et, the Babe , in an inebria ted show of the Babe. I remember years ago a ‘Chopsticks.’ ” colored harp,” quite possibly the R.I. Robinson specula tes the pi- physical strength, threw the piano neighbor told me they yanked one Creamer pauses, then adds plate of the piano in question. ano could well be in “great shape” off the porch, at which it rolled out of there, but who knows if the with a chuckle: “Nahh, the whole When asked why it was not inves- given the conditions in which it down the hill and into the pond. Babe ever played it.” story is hooe y, but what is amaz- tigated then, Garfield replies, “No has been preserved. Says Robin- Theory No. 2: Ruth held a party on Others are less certain the piano ing is this: Ruth is still fun.” one consider ed it that big of a son, who has found American the frozen pond and slid the piano exists. “I think the whole story is Some just simply hope the sto- deal back then.” It was not until Revolutionary War artifacts and out there for a singalong. The sto- bleep,” says Robert W. Creamer, ry is true, including Greg Garfield included a chapter on even a Viking ship from 1125 more ry goes that he simply left it there the author of the superb biogra- Schwalenber g, curator of the the piano legend that it occurred or less intact: “If the piano fell in until it fell through the ice during phy: “Babe: The Legend Comes to Babe Ruth Birthpla ce and Muse- to someone to go into Willis Pond and immedia tely sank in the silt, the inevitable spring thaw.