THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, AugusT 16, 2024 Page 15 DIAMOND DUST: Babe Ruth is known for many feats and baseball wizardry... but not THIS one! What he did in the game 7 of the 1926 World series has NEVER been replicated; but was it a blunder or a simple missed opportunity? Here’s the play that ended the 1926 World Series where Babe Ruth (left) of the New York Yankees was caught stealing with a tag of St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Rogers Hornsby (right). The two iconic immortals were involved in one of the most famous endings in World Series history. (Courtesy/ACME Newswire) Editor’s Note: For over a decade, from about 2005 until it closed up shop in January 2017, the late Malden Evening News ran a regular column called DIAMOND DUST about various baseball topics, written by Malden baseball icon the late Bob Rotondi. Today, we attempt to bring back the column, which will publish on as regular a basis as possible. By Steve Freker here is no player more celebrated at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., than the imT mortal Babe Ruth. There are over 50 individual exhibits – virtually the greater part of an entire wing– commemorating the career of the player frequently crowned the greatest of all time. But there was one game, a Game 7 of one of the greatest World Series ever played, for which Babe Ruth was far from the most popular player in the ballyard when it was concluded. The St. Louis Cardinals defeated Ruth’s New York Yankees 4 games to 3 in the bestof-7 series, which took place from October 2 to October 10, 1926, at Yankee Stadium St. Louis Cardinals all-time greatest pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander is followed off the field by teammates at the end of the Game 7, first-ever World Series clinching win. in New York and Sportsman’s Park in St. Louis. This was the first World Series appearance (and first National League pennant win) for the Cardinals, and would be the first of 11 World Series championships in Cardinals history. The Yankees were playing in their fourth World Series in six years after winning their first American League pennant in 1921 and their first world championship in 1923. They would play in another incredible 36 World Series (and remarkably, win 26 of those). The ending of Game 7 ended in rather infamous fashion, in baseball terms. Every baseball aficionado knows this: Never make the first out or third out at third base. The reason is that, with nobody out and a runner at second base – already in scoring position – you have three outs to give the hitter a chance to move the runner over, or drive the runner in with a base hit, and with two outs, you want to give the hitter a chance to drive them in. There is no real baseball “saying” on this one, but what Babe Ruth did to end Game 7 and hand the Cardinals their first-ever World Series was questionable. In Game 7, the Yankees, trailing 3–2 in the bottom of the ninth inning and down to their last out, Ruth walked for the fourth time of the game, bringing up Bob Meusel. Surprisingly, Ruth, a decent baserunner in his own right, took off for second base on the first pitch. Meusel swung and missed, and catcher Bob O’Farrell threw to second baseman and player/manager Rogers Hornsby, who tagged Ruth out, ending Game 7 and thereby crowning his Cardinals World Series DIAMOND DUST | SEE PAGE 16 Historic Fraser Field in Lynn will be the site of the 19th Annual Lynn Invitational Showcase being held on August 13, 14 and 15. For more information, go to www.lynninvitational.com (Courtesy Photo)
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