SPORT 1927: Swat: Babe Ruth
Swat
Cheering, screaming frantic fanatics flooded George Herman ("Babe") Ruth with the wildest ovation ever accorded a baseball player. In the eighth inning of a New York game against Washington, Ruth hit a ball pitched by left-handed Thomas Zachary into the right field bleachers. The home run was Ruth's 60th of the season.
Said Frederick G. Lieb, sage baseball writer: "It is doubtful if anyone in that crowd will ever live to see another baseball player hit his 60th home run in a 154-game season. I saw Ruth hit his 59th in 1921 and never thought I would score the game in which that record would be broken."*
Ruth's record this year is chiefly owed to Louis Gehrig. He too is a home-run hitter (47 for 1927). With Gehrig next at bat, pitchers dare not give Ruth a complimentary base on balls, hoping to dispose of his successor easily.
* Anthony Lazzeri, present second baseman for the New York Yankees, hit 60 home runs in the Pacific Coast League in 1925; but the League plays a 200-game season.
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