What can be said about Babe Ruth that hasn’t already been stated? He was an All-Star, an MVP, a home run champion, a World Series champion; if there was a baseball title for the Bambino to win, he probably won it.
Of course, Ruth didn’t exclusively deal in highlights – he had his fair share of regrettable decisions on the diamond, and one of those cost him a World Series title in 1926. The 1926 World Series, the 23rd such event in MLB’s history, took place from October 2-10 of that year. The best of seven series was between the New York Yankees and the St. Louis Cardinals; it was the Cardinals’ first World Series appearance and their first National League pennant win that season. The series was taken to a Game 7, which the Yankees lost – when Ruth himself was caught stealing for the final out.
However, the series is perhaps best-remembered for an anecdote about Ruth’s interaction with a young boy from New Jersey, Johnny Sylvester. Sylvester was hospitalized shortly before the start of the series after falling off a horse. After his parents sent urgent messages to the Yankees in St. Louis asking for an autographed ball, Ruth sent a personal message along with his signature, saying, “I’ll knock a homer for you on Wednesday.” He went on to hit three dingers that day, and Sylvester’s condition improved. As the story goes, the following spring saw Sylvester’s uncle visiting Ruth and thanking him for supposedly save the boy’s life – but after the man left, Ruth turned to a group of baseball writers and asked, “Now who the hell is Johnny Sylvester?”
Though it’s unlikely to help anyone’s health, a Ruth-signed baseball is currently at Hake’s Auctions as part of their current lineup of lots in auction #228. The ball has been inscribed “To Jack Jr. From Babe Ruth – November 17, 1926,” dating it to shortly after the conclusion of that World Series. The ball itself is aged and has some scattered soiling, but the inscription and signature are both distinct. This auction will close on November 6, 2019, so interested parties should get their bids in before time runs out.
