Well, let me tell ya ’bout this fella, Babe Ruth, and them Boston Braves. Heard tell of him, big fella, hit the ball a country mile, they say. Don’t know much ’bout this baseball, but I know a thing or two ’bout stories, and this one’s a doozy.
Babe Ruth and the Boston Braves, a real humdinger of a story. Now, this Babe, he played for some other teams before, Yankees and Red Sox, I think they called ’em. Big city teams, fancy pants fellas probably. But in 1935, he come to Boston, signed up with the Braves.
- He was a big hitter, that’s for sure.
- Folks say he hit more home runs than anyone, sixty in one year! Can ya imagine? Sixty!
- He wasn’t just hittin’, he was also a “vice president” and “assistant manager”. Sounded like a big shot to me.
Now, the fella who owned the Braves, Emil Fuchs, he was havin’ a tough time. Money was tight, see? He was tryin’ all sorts of things to get folks to come watch the games. Tried to get them dog races at the field, but that didn’t work. So, he went and got Babe Ruth. Figured that would bring in the crowds. Smart fella, that Fuchs, even if he was a bit short on cash.
Babe, he was gettin’ on in years by then, not the young spring chicken he used to be. But he could still hit that ball, oh yes he could. Folks came from all over to see him play. It was excitin’ times, I tell ya. Even I, old woman that I am, heard the buzz. People talkin’ ’bout Babe Ruth and the Braves, fillin’ up them seats.
He come to Boston on the train, big event it was. February 28, 1935, at 5:40 in the afternoon, he stepped off that train at Back Bay Station. Folks cheerin’, cameras flashin’, it was like a movin’ picture show, I reckon. He was there to play ball, but he also wanted to be a manager, see? Had a dream of leadin’ them boys, tellin’ ’em what to do. That’s what they said, anyway.
He played for the Braves for just a bit, not too long. But it was a big deal, even if it was short. He’d been playin’ ball for a long time, twenty-two years they say. Started out as a young fella, learned to play at a place called St. Mary’s, then went on to play for the Baltimore Orioles in the minor leagues. Worked his way up, that boy did. Then he played for them Yankees, where he hit all them home runs, and the Red Sox before comin’ to Boston again.
This Babe Ruth, he was somethin’ special, alright. He brought excitement to the Braves, even if it was just for a little while. Emil Fuchs, he was hopin’ for a miracle, I guess. Hopin’ Babe would bring in the money and save the team. Don’t know if it worked out exactly how he planned, but it sure was somethin’ to see.
Now, I don’t know all the ins and outs of this baseball business. All them numbers and rules, it’s enough to make your head spin. But I know a good story when I hear one. And this story ’bout Babe Ruth and the Boston Braves, it’s a good one. A story ’bout a fella who could hit a ball a mile, a team tryin’ to make it, and a city that loved its baseball. It’s a story about dreams and trying to make them come true. Even a big fella like Babe Ruth had his dreams.
So, there ya have it. My little tale ’bout Babe Ruth and the Boston Braves. Not the fanciest story, but it’s the truth as I know it. A bit of history, a bit of gossip, and a whole lot of heart. Just like life, I reckon. And this story, just like the stories we tell around the kitchen table, will be told again and again, long after I’m gone.
Babe Ruth’s time with the Braves was short, but it sure was memorable. He left his mark on the team and the city. And that, my friends, is what makes a good story worth tellin’.
