The Big Fella
Page 64
Smith, Red, xxvii, 373, 443, 479
Souden, Oscar M., 63, 73, 385
Sousa, John Philip, 252
South Bend News-Times, 445
Southern California Winter League Baseball, 170
Sowers, George, 49–52
Spalding, Archbishop Martin, 96
Spalding company, 222, 264, 366, 419
Speed Graphic, 81
Speedy (film), 104, 438, 463
Spellman, Francis Cardinal, 475–76
Sponagel & Hermann, 366
Sport, xxix, 307, 412
Sporting Life, 76
Sporting News, xxvii, 76, 162, 170, 437, 467
Sports Illustrated, xxviii, 20, 21, 174, 178, 235, 304, 311
sports marketing, 366–67
Sports Page (Woodward), 76
sportswriting, 75–85, 109, 121, 168, 265–68, 274–77, 285–90, 467, 473
Stagg, A. A., 103
Staples, Bill, Jr., 404
Statz, Arnold “Jigger,” 320, 436
Steinberg, Leigh, 222
Stengel, Casey, xviii, 20, 328
Stevens, Chuck, 456
Stevens, Harry M., 107, 372
Stevens, John Paul, 174–75
Stevens, Julia Ruth (daughter), xxviii, 54–55, 94, 99, 112, 148, 156, 172, 183, 212, 229, 235–36, 241, 253–55, 277, 349, 369–79, 393–94, 413–14, 442–43, 448, 451, 465, 468–69, 476
Babe adopts, 375
Stevens, Tom (grandson), 45, 241, 249, 375, 410
Stevenson, Mrs. Albert, 34
St. James Home for Boys, 148
St. Johns, William Ivan, 65
St. Joseph’s Orphanage, 469
St. Louis Browns, 20, 159, 274, 329, 374, 412, 456
St. Louis Cardinals, 124, 207, 301, 342, 436–37
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 350
St. Louis Star, 98
St. Mary’s Industrial School for Orphans, xvii, xxiv, xxviii, 16–17, 43, 103, 171–72, 182, 210, 280–81, 369, 434, 457–58, 472
Babe and, as adult, 146, 160–62
Babe and, as child, 6–12, 45–49, 93–99
Babe discharged from, 16–17, 154, 160–61, 342
Babe’s daily life at, 142–48
baseball and, 150–54, 302
fire of 1919 and, 45, 161
history of, 96–99, 144–45
Stockton Record, 332
St. Patrick’s Cathedral, 472–75
St. Petersburg spring training, 268, 275, 277, 415, 443, 490
“Strange Case of Babe Ruth, The” (Walsh), 427–28
Strauss, Samuel, 219
Strohmann, George, 160
Strohmann, Martha. See Ruth, Martha E. Sipes
Strong, Nat, 86, 90–91, 114
Stuart, Harry F., 316–17, 326
Stuart, Jack Franklin “Whitey,” 315–17, 322–27
Studebaker Wheel, 193
Stump, Al, 220
St. Vincent’s Home, 185
Sudbury farm, xxviii, 214, 242–48, 255, 284–85, 290, 349, 373
Sudbury Town Crier, 248
Suhr, Gussie, 321
Sullivan, Danny (grandson), 377
Sullivan, Ed, 79, 134, 473
Sunday, Billy, 208
Sunday League, 199
superstars, 103–4, 391
Susman, Warren, 108
Swanson, Gloria, 126, 388
Sweed, Dorothy, 340
Swift, E. M., 174
Sylvester, Johnny, 124–26, 446, 451–52
tabloids, 74–79, 83, 109, 268
Tackle, 383
Tacoma Daily Ledger, 127
Tacoma Ledger, 85
Talbot, Blake, 412
Tangerine (Broadway show), 254
Tarzan of the Apes (Burroughs), 171
Taylor, Cyclone, 104
Ted Williams Trading Card Co., 367
television, 106, 109, 456, 461
Tell It to Sweeney (Chapman), 81–82
Temple, Shirley, 175
Teropterin, 447–48
Terrible Honesty (Douglas), 100
Texas Rangers, 311
Thierry, Edward M., 244
“Things Are in the Saddle” (Strauss), 219
Thomas, Clare, 128
Thomas, Glenn E., 127–28, 130, 193, 462
Thomas, Myles, 222
Thoreau, Henry David, 243
Thorn, John, 494
Through a Diamond (Nakagawa), 403
Tibbets, Paul, 227
Tilden, Bill, 81, 111–12, 126, 382
Time, 111, 195
Tobacco Road (Broadway play), 252
Topps Chewing Gum, 234
Tormollan, Mary, 146
Torriente, Cristobal, 114
Tosetti, Linda Ruth (granddaughter), 177, 212, 283, 377, 378–79, 467
Toshiyuki, Howard “Taizo,” 401–2
Total Player Rankings, 493
Touhey, W. J., 224
Town Talk, 260
trademark law, 230, 234
Traynor, Pie, 28
Trenton, 26–27, 30, 32, 57–58, 60, 85–88, 92, 177
Trenton Evening Times, 57
Trotsky, Leon, 332
Trout, Mike, 494
Truby, William H., 120, 124–25, 140
True Story, 58
Tubman, Harriet, 37
Tunney, Gene, 107
Ulmer, William, 90
Union Race Course, 90–91
United News Service, 46, 70
United Press, 61, 103, 117, 189–90, 405, 414, 419
United Service Organizations, 430
U.S. Air Corps, 327
U.S. Army, 257
U.S. Army Air Corps, 16
U.S. Army Motor Pool, 257
U.S. National Bank, 63, 385
U.S. Seventh Air Force, 327
Valentino, Rudolph, 79, 92–93, 102
Valera, Eamon de, 69
Valley Peach League, 352
Vance, Dazzy, 114
Vancouver Sun, 224
Vanity Fair, 109, 111
van Loon, Hendrik Willem, 71, 289, 409, 420
Van Patten agency, 58, 66–69
Variety, 111, 132
vaudeville, 202, 205–7, 224, 298, 383, 464
Veeck, Bill, xxvii
Verducci, Tom, 311
Veterans of Foreign Wars, 400
Vidmer, Richards, 80, 274
Volstead Act (1920), 64
Wagenheim, Kal, 207, 249, 269, 275
Wagner, Honus, 220
Walker, Jimmy, 133, 214, 341, 371, 475
Walker, Marlborough S. “Lou,” 81–82
Walker, Stanley, 266
Wallace, Frank, 279
Wall Street Journal, 218–19, 448
Walsh, Bob, 63, 70–71
Walsh, Christy, xxvi, xxix, 179, 184, 204, 210, 305, 371
Babe-Gehrig team and, 24–25, 102–3, 122
Babe Ruth Day and, 445–46
Babe’s baseball contracts and, 125, 132, 134–39, 213, 461
Babe’s contract with, ends, 218, 419–21, 506
Babe’s contract with, first signed, 69–73
Babe’s decline and, 409–10, 415–17
Babe’s gastric crisis and, 270–71
Babe’s military association and, 256–59
Babe’s repentance and, 290–91, 293
Babe’s retirement and, 424, 426–28
Babe’s rift with, 444
Babe’s trust fund and overall finances and, 130–32, 135, 292, 384–87, 389, 392–97, 501–11
Baby Ruth candy bars and, 225–26, 229–33
background of, 62–69
barnstorming and, 24–27, 84–87, 120–21, 124, 165, 167–68, 240, 260–61, 264, 294–95, 297, 318, 323, 332, 342, 361, 366, 381, 382, 464
cartooning and, 64–65, 77
celebrity marketing by, 14–16, 58–74, 78, 80, 93, 100–104, 108–13, 122–38, 193–97, 201–2, 216, 221–24, 367, 384, 422
Claire and, 279–80, 421–22
“Daily Ghost” tribute by, 409
death of, 474
death of Babe and, 473
death of Helen and, 343–49, 356–58, 394–95
death of Rockne and, 445
Dempsey and, 82
divorces Mada, 418–20
FBI and, 440
film Babe Comes Home and, 33–34
film Babe Ruth Story and, 440–42
film Pride of the Yankees and, 437–40
final years of, 440–41, 473–74
ghostwriting and, 70–72, 267, 286–89, 420, 424
Helen and, 213–14, 242–43, 291, 394–95
marriage to Mada Souden and, 63–64
marriage to Margaret Merritt and, 420–21
mother’s 75th birthday party, 420
radio and, 298
sportswriting and, 76–77, 80, 82
World’s Fair and, 420–21
Yankee Stadium stampede and, 406
Walsh, Christy, Jr., 63, 73, 291, 327, 418, 419, 420, 445–46
Walsh, Katie, 64
Walsh, Madeline Souden “Mada” (Christy’s first wife), 63, 64, 73, 343, 418, 419–20
Walsh, Matt, 69 (Christy’s brother)
Walsh, Margaret Merritt (Christy’s second wife), 420–21
Walsh, Richard, 440–41, 474 (Christy’s nephew)
Walters, Henry, 3
Wampas Club, 463–64
Wampas Frolic, 134
Wanamaker, John, 388
Waner, Lloyd, 28, 320
Waner, Paul, 28, 320
Warden, Al, 293
Warner, Albert “Truly,” 23
Warner, Glen “Pop,” 62, 103, 126, 294, 361, 380
Warnock, Ellen, 45
War Office, 258
Warren, Earl, 320
Warren, Roman, 128–29
Washington, George, 2
Washington Nationals, xxiv, 312
Washington Post, xxiii, 21, 59, 135, 282, 286, 303
Washington Senators, 20–22, 133, 153, 258–59, 287, 353, 431
Washington Times, 221
Watertown Police, 340, 347
Webb, Del, 431, 575–76
Webb, Melville E., Jr., 243, 490
Weber, Harry, 61, 205
Webster, Daniel, 90
Weiss, George, 176, 422
“We” (Lindbergh), 109
West, George L., 340
West, Mae, 91
West, Nathanael, 79
Westchester Country Club, 422–23
Whalen, Grover, 421
Wheat, Zack, 184
Wheatley-Provident Hospital for Negro Children, 169, 184
Wheeler, John, 72
When It Was a Game 2 (HBO documentary), 241
White, Aloysius, 469
White, E. B., 102
Whiteman, Paul, 289
White Sox, St. Mary’s and, 151
WHO radio, 314
Who’s Who in America, 113
Wilkens, William, 7–9
Wilkes-Barre, 490–92
Willard, Jess, 76
Williams, Jay Jerome, 203, 230
Williams, Joe, 59, 61, 70, 72, 132, 137, 175, 201, 217, 384, 410, 472
Williams, Luke, 363
Williams, Nick, 322, 352–53
Williams, Smokey Joe, 114
Williams, Ted, 301, 307, 309, 313, 327
Wills, Helen, 297
Wills, Maury, 306
Wilson, C. J., xxv
Wilson, Rollo, 172
Winchell, Walter, 64, 79, 104, 284, 421, 443, 473
Windsor, Duke of, 446
Winnipeg Evening Tribune, 33, 35, 55
Wins Above Replacements (WAR), 493
Win Shares metric, 493
WINS radio, 424
WJZ radio, 26–27
Woodfill, Samuel, 259
Woodford, Mrs. William (mother of Helen), 349, 354
Woodford, Nora (sister-in-law), 348–51, 356–57, 394
Woodford, Thomas (brother-in-law), 346, 350–51
Woodford, William (brother-in-law), 346, 350, 354
Woodland Daily Democrat, 331
Woodruff, Hiram, 90, 91
Woodward, Stanley, 76, 265, 290
World Series, xxix, 108, 202–3, 287, 390; (1903), 21; (1911), 266; (1913), 72; (1915), 156; (1916), 116; (1918), 116; (1919), 203; (1920), 81; (1921), 71, 105, 180, 203, 208; (1922), 179, 436; (1923), 101; (1924), 20, 287; (1926), 22, 124–26, 132, 134, 491; (1927), xxii, 14, 24, 26, 28–30, 34, 61, 110, 121, 162, 173, 242, 264, 318; (1928), 338, 437; (1932), 173–75, 233, 267, 415–16, 459; (1936), 424; (1938), 427; (1946), 301; (1947), 329; (1956), 321; (1960), 28
World’s Fair of 1939, 196, 420–21
World War I, 67, 74, 81, 101, 161, 219, 257, 371
World War II, 290, 327–28, 422, 429, 430–32, 440
WOW radio, 197
Wright, George, 220
Wright, Teresa, xxvii
Wrigley, William, 436
Wrigley Field (Chicago), 172, 173, 436–37
Wrigley Field (Los Angeles), 133, 382, 436–39, 441, 458–61, 463
Wulf, Steve, xxviii
WWJ radio, 298
Xaverian Order, 10, 94, 142, 149, 162–63, 471
Yankee Stadium
Babe’s hitting exhibition of 1942, 430
Babe Ruth Day, 1947, 446–47, 470
death of Babe and, 468–72, 476
opening of, 250–52, 391
stampede of 1929, 404–6
25th anniversary of, 452–53
Year Babe Ruth Hit 104 Home Runs, The (Jenkinson), 177, 490
Yoshikawa, Fred, 400, 402
Young, Cy, 493
Zachary, Tom, 20–22, 303
Zaft, Matthew, 395–97, 501, 509–10
Zaharias, Babe, 111
Zenimura, Harvey, 430, 433
Zenimura, Howard, 399–400, 402–3, 430–34
Zenimura, Kenichi, 399–404, 430, 431–34
Zenimura, Kiyoko, 430, 433
Zenimura Field, 433–34
Ziegfeld Follies, 71, 195, 254, 348
Zimmerman, Leonhard Frederick, 38
Zimmerman, Mr. (bookie), 425
Photo Section
Twelve days after rounding the bases for the sixtieth time in 1927—bellowing, “Sixty! Count ’em, sixty. Let’s see some other sonofabitch do that!”—and four days after carrying the New York Yankees to a World Series triumph, Babe Ruth set out for a victory lap across the American heartland with Lou Gehrig in tow. Wherever he went, he carried with him a uniquely American sense of prowess and possibility. After the crash of 1929, he carried a whole country’s sense of itself on his back.
(HERITAGE AUCTIONS)
Autographing a portrait of himself as a child for friends, he wrote: “What a nice Little boy at. Age. 3. But now Wow”—flouting the rules of grammar and punctuation the way he flouted expectation and authority. But there was sadness, even at age three, in his downcast expression that no frilly collar could disguise. The professional portrait sitting gives the lie to the notion that he was an impoverished waif of the Baltimore waterfront.
(PAUL FEARN/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO)
The back page was not created for Ruth, but it was created just in time for him, debuting in America’s first tabloid in November 1919. He demanded space. On July 20, 1920, the day after he broke his 1919 record of twenty-nine home runs, the Daily News reported: “Twenty-eight thousand fans leap up screaming as Chicago pitcher Dick Kerr gives up Babe Ruth’s 30th home run. Ninth inning. Strike one. Strike two. Kerr fires again, and into the bleachers goes Babe’s 31st. Pandemonium. Bedlam.”
(NEW YORK DAILY NEWS ARCHIVE/GETTY IMAGES)
If the twenties roared, it was because of newer, louder, faster ways of knowing. On September 26, 1921, Charles Farbizo’s carrier pigeon was still the fastest way to update anxious fans on the East Side of New York about the Yankee game at the Polo Grounds. The pigeons would soon be an anachronism. Six weeks earlier, radio pioneer Harold Arlin called the first major league game broadcast on radio from Pittsburgh on station KDKA. A year later, th
e World Series was carried by WJZ in New York. By 1927, two rival radio networks, NBC and CBS, broadcast the Series from coast to coast.
(BEN WEINGARTEN OF WEINGARTEN'S VINTAGE)
Ray McNamara, automotive expert and enthusiast, was one of sports agent Christy Walsh’s first clients. His “More Miles per Car” column identified him as having “Motored Farther Than Any Man in the World.” This early example of cross-promotion—which played on Ruth’s need for driving tips—reveals Walsh’s instinct for marketing and public relations.
(BETTMANN/GETTY IMAGES)
Throughout his career, Ruth contended with rumors about his racial makeup, which were embraced by many in the African American community, where he was hailed for barnstorming against Negro Leaguers, for sharing a chaw of tobacco with them, and for praising “their sparkling brilliancy on the field.” When the Yankees re-signed him in 1932, albeit at a reduced salary, New York’s Amsterdam News reported: “Harlem Is Breathing Easier Tonight.”
(MARK RUCKER/TRANSCENDENTAL GRAPHICS/GETTY IMAGES)
Ruth’s first, early marriage to Helen Woodford, a year after he left St. Mary’s Industrial School, would end in discord and tragedy, leaving Dorothy, seen here with her parents at Home Plate Farm in Sudbury, uncertain about her parentage. But it was also an act of conformity by a man hoping for stability and normalcy in the wake of twelve years of institutional life.
(BETTMANN/GETTY IMAGES)
While on a vaudeville tour in January 1927, San Diego sportsman and friend Carl Klindt (far left) arranged an outing on the water with local angling columnists “Doc” Gottesburen and Max Miller (far right). Sportswriters and company executives routinely found reason to entertain the Big Fella as a means of generating copy or good public relations for themselves.
(DEBBY GUMB)
At the end of his barnstorming and vaudeville tour in the winter of 1926–27, Ruth prepared for the coming season by taking his ease on the beach at the Hotel del Coronado. Here Ruth is seen doing something he rarely did: sitting still. He appears to be asleep but it’s possible he was playing possum.
(AUTHOR’S PRIVATE COLLECTION)
In advance of the mother of all barnstorming tours, agent Christy Walsh (center) orchestrated a photo shoot at Yankee Stadium to publicize the upcoming “Symphony of Swat.” He also arranged for smaller, pre-signed photos of Babe and Lou to be handed out at ballparks, banquets, train stations, and hotels. Wherever they went, ballyhoo followed.
(HERITAGE AUCTIONS)
“A Coupla Babes”: that’s how Ruth and his namesake, Lady Amco of Norfolk, the Babe Ruth of Layers, were described in hundreds of papers across the country. Their much-publicized meeting took place at the American Milling Company henhouse, the site of Lady Babe’s triumph in the National Egg Layers’ Association’s annual competition. Her record-smashing total of 173 eggs in as many days was the envy of all, including Ruth, who said, “Gosh, how I wish I could do as well.”