THE ROARING TWENTIES – the SULTAN of SWAT VISITS IRON MOUNTAIN on OCTOBER 28, 1926 by William J
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MENOMINEE RANGE MEMORIES 33: THE ROARING TWENTIES – THE SULTAN OF SWAT VISITS IRON MOUNTAIN ON OCTOBER 28, 1926 By William J. Cummings, Menominee Range Historical Foundation Historian George Herman “Babe” Ruth, New York Yankee outfielder, was dubbed the “Sultan of Swat” in 1922 due to his phenomenal hitting ability. On the afternoon of October 28, 1926, the Bambino demonstrated his batting skills in Iron Mountain, playing an exhibition game with area baseball players at Athletic Park on the West Side to a crowd of over 3,000 enthusiastic fans. 1 MENOMINEE RANGE MEMORIES 33: THE ROARING TWENTIES – THE SULTAN OF SWAT VISITS IRON MOUNTAIN ON OCTOBER 28, 1926 By William J. Cummings, Menominee Range Historical Foundation Historian Ruth and his manager, Christy Walsh, a New York newspaperman, left Des Moines, Iowa, the previous evening, traveling by rail throughout the night to Beloit, Wisconsin, and then on to Oshkosh by automobile, where they were met by Ted Kingsford and Joe Lannan, who brought them to Iron Mountain just in time for the exhibition. Ruth is pictured here with Nello “Fungo” Tedeschi, one of the pitchers for the opposing local team who, together with Jones, a Channing pitcher, succeeded in striking him out. [Gene Derwinski] [NOTE: Dates, placed The Yankees were playing in their fourth chronologically, are highlighted in World Series in six years after winning their boldface red letters for easier reading, first American League pennant in 1921 and and names of individuals and places are their first world championship in 1923. highlighted in boldface black letters to On October 6, 1926, in the fourth game facilitate finding information.] of the World Series, Yankee slugger Babe The 33rd installment of Menominee Ruth hit a record three homers against the Range Memories, a series of articles by St. Louis Cardinals. The Yanks won the William J. Cummings, Menominee Range game 10-5, but despite Ruth’s Historical Foundation historian, now unprecedented performance, they lost the available on the Dickinson County Library’s championship in the seventh game. website, is titled “The Roaring Twenties – (On October 18, 1977, Yankee Reggie The Sultan of Swat Visits Iron Mountain on Jackson became only the second player to October 28, 1926.” hit three homers in a single World Series Ninety-two years ago the appearance of game, tying Ruth’s record.) George Herman “Babe” Ruth on Iron Just ten days after the last World Series Mountain’s Athletic Field (today’s Iron game, on Wednesday, October 20, 1926, Mountain High School football field), on the Ruth was signed to play in Iron Mountain afternoon of Thursday, October 28, 1926, a week later in what was termed “the was certainly the most exciting athletic greatest baseball attraction ever to be event to occur on the Menominee Iron staged in the upper peninsula” in an article Range in the 1920s. appearing in The Iron Mountain News the The 1926 World Series, the 23rd playing following day. of Major League Baseball's championship Promoters of the exhibition were series, pitting the National League George Zieglebauer and Ned Fox. The champion St. Louis Cardinals against the newspaper stated they deserved credit for American League champion New York “a lot of nerve and faith in upper peninsula Yankees, had just finished. The Cardinals fans” to turn out to see Babe Ruth. “The defeated the Yankees four games to three gamble was on the weather and fortunately, in the best-of-seven series, which took they won.” place from October 2 to 10, 1926, at George Ziegelbauer ran a grocery Yankee Stadium and Sportsman's Park. store on the corner of Edsel Street and This was the first World Series Fulton Street in Kingsford Heights in appearance, as well as first National 1925. Ned B. Fox was in partnership with League pennant win, for the Cardinals. Thomas Lieungh in the firm Lieungh & 2 MENOMINEE RANGE MEMORIES 33: THE ROARING TWENTIES – THE SULTAN OF SWAT VISITS IRON MOUNTAIN ON OCTOBER 28, 1926 By William J. Cummings, Menominee Range Historical Foundation Historian Fox, manufacturers and distributors of Kyl- plans” so there would be no hitch in Fyr, located at 207 East Hughitt Street, Thursday afternoon’s proceedings. Iron Mountain, in the 1925 city directory. Ruth played an exhibition game in Des According to the agreement, the Babe Moines, Iowa, during the afternoon of would play here as a member of one of two October 27. Plans were for Ruth to Upper Peninsula all-star teams. One team immediately “climb aboard a plane to be was to be formed from Dickinson County dashed to Chicago,” where he would players while the other team would be spend the night and begin his journey north selected from other “baseball lights” from the morning of the Iron Mountain outside of the county. exhibition. As the promotors of the project Somewhere between Iron Mountain assumed “heavy expenses” in bringing the and Milwaukee “Ted” Kingsford would Yankee star to Iron Mountain, players on meet Ruth’s party and bring them to Iron the two all-star teams were asked to Mountain, arriving in time for the opening of volunteer their services, “hoping that the the game at 2 o’clock. Ruth indicated that opportunity to play with the Babe or against there would be four in his party, including him and the chance of meeting him his secretary. personally” would be enough Also in Wednesday’s edition of The Iron compensation. Mountain News, the following players who In preparation for the exhibition baseball would participate with Ruth in the exhibition game, goal posts were supplanted by game were listed as follows: pitchers – bases at Iron Mountain’s Athletic Park. Jack Rahoi, Jab Murray (Menominee), On Tuesday, October 26, it was Tom Jones, Joe LaForce, “Fungo” announced that “all employees of business Tedeschi, D.E. Lancey; catchers – Frank places who desired to see the Babe in Valenti, Bert Werley, Youngquist action” would be “permitted to leave their (Norway), Charles Crocker; outfielders – jobs during the hours of the game,” Bunzie Rahoi, Soderberg (Norway), although there would be “no general Hayden, George Rahoi, Miller, Si Saxon, suspension of business.” Barber shops of Johnson (Crystal Falls); infielders – the city were closed for the event. Teabault (Marquette); Engblom Several weeks earlier, when the (Marquette); Belanger (Marquette), American League Stars were to have Ashenbrenner, Bud O’Conner (Oconto, played at Iron Mountain, a similar Wis.), Pultz, Web Jacobsen [sic – agreement was reached. Unfortunately the Jacobson], and Saxon. contest was “rained out.” Interest in the game – which had been The majority of public schools “would only lukewarm the first few days following declare a half holiday” Thursday afternoon. the announcement – gradually increased as Other schools would “dismiss their classes the date approached. By Thursday, at 2:00 p.m. so that the students would be October 29, the day of the event, “even the able to attend.” most doubting of ‘Doubting Thomases’ had According to The Iron Mountain News, to admit that the big deal was going to be on Wednesday, October 27, “a telephone pulled off after all.” conversation with the Bambino yesterday The weather conditions were ideal, (Tuesday) completed the last minute detail especially considering the event was held in 3 MENOMINEE RANGE MEMORIES 33: THE ROARING TWENTIES – THE SULTAN OF SWAT VISITS IRON MOUNTAIN ON OCTOBER 28, 1926 By William J. Cummings, Menominee Range Historical Foundation Historian late October. A dry field and warm out into the open spaces which ceased to temperatures were all the promoters could be open spaces as soon as he arrived. The have wanted. throng was good natured, but it absolutely Ticket sales began at noon at Athletic refused to stay back.” Park. The crowd began to gather well The Iron Mountain News sports reporter before 2 p.m. when the affair was to begin. summarized the event as follows which has According to the newspaper article, “the been compiled from two different accounts: ones more confident of the fact that the “Babe Ruth, who has been more or less Babe would actually appear going inside intimately identified with the New York the park and selecting their seats and the Yankees and home runs during the past more dubious remaining outside and few years, dropped over from Des Moines, keeping possession of their coin until their Ia., yesterday afternoon to hoist a goodly doubts had been removed by the sight of number of Mr. Spaulding’s official cork the Bambino. And he did come.” centers over the fence of the Athletic park While the crowd, numbering about and incidentally give an assemblage of 3,000, was not the largest on record to some 3,000 enthusiastic fans their money’s gather at Athletic Park, it was the biggest worth and a bit more. in recent years. It was, however, easily the “Well over a dozen balls were sent most representative gathering of Upper outside the yard by the prodigious Babe, Peninsula athletic fans ever seen in Iron including one clout of the home run variety Mountain. with two on base. But that was while they Copper Country newspapers predicted were still playing something that resembled that their sports lovers would be down “in baseball. In the seventh inning – (or was it large numbers” and Escanaba and the sixth? – who knows, or cares?) the Menominee were also well-represented. Bambino came to the plate and remained Cars bearing name plates of cities from there for 15 minutes or so showering the miles around were seen at the grounds. outfield with horsehide until his brow Ruth’s actual trip to Iron Mountain from became damp in spite of a cool breeze and Des Moines, Iowa, where he played the arm of LaForest began to weary.