When it comes to the legends of American athletics, Babe Ruth's face is certainly on the Mount Rushmore of sports. A larger than life figure while alive, Ruth's celebrity has continued to make him one of the most recognizable names in American pop culture -- even 70 years after his playing days ended.
Ruth, a mythic figure in sports history, is remembered in many different ways for many different achievements. His career homerun total of 714 held the major league record for four decades until Hammerin' Hank came along. The Babe's single season homerun, walks, and slugging percentage marks lasted even longer -- until Mark McGwire, and later Barry Bonds, smashed the previously Ruthian-held records.
Ruth is credited with building Yankee Stadium and his ghost is known for tormenting the Red Sox faithful. Some people even think a candy bar is named after him. Even the least devout sports fans know the name "Babe," even if George Herman doesn't ring a bell.
One tale that contributed to Ruth's legend is the story of him calling his shot in the 1932 World Series. Ruth -- America's first true sports celebrity -- came to the plate in the fifth inning in Game 3 of the Series against the Chicago Cubs. Chicago fans proved to be a hostile crowd and were accused of spitting on both Babe and his wife the night before. Lucky for Ruth, the habitants of the Windy City did not have the batteries or cell phones at their disposal that the 21st Century Chicago natives prefer to use.
Having already hit a three-run homer in the first inning, Ruth walked to the plate amidst a cascade of jeers and boos. Before settling in the batter's box, Ruth waved his arm towards centerfield. Although Ruth never confessed what the gesture actually meant, it has gone down in baseball lore as Ruth "calling his shot." On the very next pitch, Ruth crushed the ball over the centerfield fence in Wrigley Field.
Whether Ruth was pointing to the fans, the pitcher or where he was going to hit the ball has been debated since that day. Nevertheless, Ruth's homerun -- the longest Wrigley Field had ever witnessed at the time-- has gone down in history as Ruth's called shot.
While a seemingly supernatural Barry Bonds may one day join the Babe on baseball's Mt. Olympus with the other gods of the game, Ruth received unforeseen company this past weekend from one of the most unexpected of places.
On Sunday, Baltimore Ravens running back Jamal Lewis joined Ruth in the "called shot" club. As a club with a very small membership and names that include Ruth and Larry Bird (for his 1986 Three-Point Shootout declaration in the locker room of "Who is coming in second?"), the addition of Lewis to the list was certainly unpredicted; however, Lewis did predict a record-setting day and he didn't disappoint.
Last week before his game against Cleveland, Lewis spoke with a friend on the Browns roster and told him that he would break Corey Dillon's single game rushing record of 278 yards if he got 30 carries. Although this must have served as easy billboard material for Cleveland --- even before talk of the conversation was made public Sunday morning --- it did not stop Lewis from running over and around the Browns for a record-setting 295 yards on, you guessed it, 30 carries.
Lewis posted an 82-yard gallop in the first quarter and a 63-yard scamper in the fourth --- both for touchdowns. In addition, he had a 60-yard run called back on a holding penalty that would have put Lewis over the 350-yard mark.Nonetheless, Jamal Lewis broke the old record with room to spare and now has his name etched in the record books.
He not only talked the talk but also ran the walk.
Admittedly he may never reach the same sports stratosphere as Ruth, or even Bird, but he will certainly be mentioned in future conversations of "called shots" --- a distinction that will probably last even longer than his current record. Remember, he still gets to play the Browns again this season.
Read More
West Coast woes strike again as men’s basketball gets hammered by Stanford
By Emory Huffman | 6 hours agoVirginia, once again in a lost season, looked aimless on the floor.
ISTVAN: Tony Bennett left Virginia in a hole
By Ben Istvan | 14 hours agoHis decision to retire doomed this men's basketball season.
