Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Babe Ruth's Last Game and a Treasure of a.... Firsthand.... Story

On this day in 1935, Babe Ruth hit three homers and a single in a Boston Braves 11-7 loss to the Pirates in Pittsburgh. Many don't know Ruth played his final season with the Boston Braves. His 7th-inning solo shot off Guy Bush - a blast which cleared the ballpark's roof - was to be Ruth's 714th, final home run, and his last at-bat. Amaziing.

My friend, the late Mace Brown, who was from Greensboro, was on the Pirates bench as a rookie pitcher that day in 1935. (He was later a scout in this region).  Mace told a great story many times, and he told me once, personally, during a visit I made to his room in a local hospital when my Mother was on the same hospital floor.  

After Ruth hit the final HR of the day, again, completely out of Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, for his final big league HR and his final at-bat, he took himself out of the game and he made his way to the visitor's locker room. To get there, one had to go through the home team's dugout.  As he made his way, a very tired Ruth, flopped down on the bench to rest next to my friend, rookie Mace Brown. He elbowed Mace in the ribs and said, 'son, that last one felt pretty good.'  With that, he smiled, got up, and made his way to the locker room and shower......for the last time.  A treasure of a, firsthand, baseball story.  

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