"Babe Ruth's Called Shot" with Ed Sherman

The Myth and Mystery of Baseball's Greatest Home Run

Game Three of the 1932 World Series between the Cubs and Yankees. Some 50,000 fans had gathered at Wrigley Field that bright October day, but above their roar Babe Ruth heard insults pouring from the Cubs dugout. He watched a fastball from Cubs pitcher Charlie Root set the count at 2-2.  Agitated, the Bambino made a gesture, holding out two fingers -- but what did it mean? In the on-deck circle, Lou Gehrig heard him call out: “I’m going to knock the next one down your goddamn throat.” Then the game’s greatest showman pounded the next pitch. The ball whizzed past the centerfield scoreboard and began its long journey into history.

In an instant, the legend of the Called Shot was born. The debate about what Ruth actually did still divides fans and sports historians alike more than 80 years later. Deftly placing the homer in the social and economic contexts of the time, veteran sportswriter Ed Sherman gives us the first full-length, in-depth look at one of baseball’s most celebrated, debated, and enduring moments -- including the incredible stories of two handheld films taken by fans and rediscovered decades later -- and answers the question: Did Ruth really call his shot?

Pull up a seat and listen in to our Clubhouse discussion as we learn the answer...

Ed Sherman, a longtime Chicago Tribune writer, reports on sports media for his highly acclaimed website, ShermanReport.com