The story as I remember ..............
Dad was 13 at the time. The year was 1931. He lived in Mansfield Ohio, and was a paperboy delivering the Cleveland Plain Dealer in the early mornings. The paper held a contest to see which kid could get the most new subscibers in one month, and the top prize was a trip to Cleveland Stadium to see the visiting New York Yankees. My Dad, and my uncle (pic on right, in uniform) were baseball fanatics, so he helped my Dad get a slew of new sign-ups and won the contest.
He had a few weeks, as I recall, to get ready for that big saturday at the ball park. I never saw the old place, but they told me that Cleveland Stadium was a hard old place, and at times the cold wind off Lake Erie would howl thru there. But this Saturday it was a nice 80 degree day.
Dad had become a pretty good sketch artist by 13, and was also earning a few bucks sketching portraits with charcoal & pencil on parchmant paper. So he took his time and sketched a picture of Babe Ruth in the on-deck circle on one knee, looking keenly out onto the field.
So before the game, they announced my Dads name, & he stepped out onto the field right behind home plate in front of the cameras. George Herman Ruth was waiting there, smiling and extended out a HUGE hand to shake the hand of this nervous 13 year old boy. Dad said he was so scared he could barely talk. Babe sensed this and (as I remember being told) really became kind, and caring, and soft-spoken. The newspaper took a few pictures, then when they said they were done, Babe didnt walk away, he instead talked a minute or two about that little picture.
He asked "Where did you see me in that pose, sonny?"....and my Dad replied.... "in a picture in the paper"...
He said the crowd applauded a long time, and this was their que to walk to the visitors dugout together. My Dad said he couldnt even feel his feet touching the green grass. Babe rested a hand on his shoulder, and said "Come on over here, and meet a friend of mine, Lou Gehrig"...That was when Dad said he started visibly shaking, like when you are cold. Lou and Babe said a few things and then asked him how he was going to get back up into the grandstand. It was either walk all the way back across the field, quickly, but Lou had a better idea. Just lift Pops up over the cement retainer and he could climb up and over the rail from there. So he did that.
When he did, a baseball fell out of Dads left coat pocket (you can see it in the pic, the bulge) And Lou said "wait there, well sign this for you".
My dad said Lou Gehrig had a massive neck and upper body, but the disposition of a meek, humble, and appreciative human being. A real gentleman.
My uncle never did let go of that ball, he took it with him in the army over to Germany, where he was killed in October of 1943. He was flown home, and is buried with it in Mansfield Ohio. Uncle Bill was a star pitcher for his high school team who was on his way to Ohio State University.
Dad passed away in 1989, and left the picture to me to keep, with the agreement that I would share it with others, since I seemed to express the most interest in it.
Thanks for letting me share it with you sports fans.
Dad was 13 at the time. The year was 1931. He lived in Mansfield Ohio, and was a paperboy delivering the Cleveland Plain Dealer in the early mornings. The paper held a contest to see which kid could get the most new subscibers in one month, and the top prize was a trip to Cleveland Stadium to see the visiting New York Yankees. My Dad, and my uncle (pic on right, in uniform) were baseball fanatics, so he helped my Dad get a slew of new sign-ups and won the contest.
He had a few weeks, as I recall, to get ready for that big saturday at the ball park. I never saw the old place, but they told me that Cleveland Stadium was a hard old place, and at times the cold wind off Lake Erie would howl thru there. But this Saturday it was a nice 80 degree day.
Dad had become a pretty good sketch artist by 13, and was also earning a few bucks sketching portraits with charcoal & pencil on parchmant paper. So he took his time and sketched a picture of Babe Ruth in the on-deck circle on one knee, looking keenly out onto the field.
So before the game, they announced my Dads name, & he stepped out onto the field right behind home plate in front of the cameras. George Herman Ruth was waiting there, smiling and extended out a HUGE hand to shake the hand of this nervous 13 year old boy. Dad said he was so scared he could barely talk. Babe sensed this and (as I remember being told) really became kind, and caring, and soft-spoken. The newspaper took a few pictures, then when they said they were done, Babe didnt walk away, he instead talked a minute or two about that little picture.
He asked "Where did you see me in that pose, sonny?"....and my Dad replied.... "in a picture in the paper"...
He said the crowd applauded a long time, and this was their que to walk to the visitors dugout together. My Dad said he couldnt even feel his feet touching the green grass. Babe rested a hand on his shoulder, and said "Come on over here, and meet a friend of mine, Lou Gehrig"...That was when Dad said he started visibly shaking, like when you are cold. Lou and Babe said a few things and then asked him how he was going to get back up into the grandstand. It was either walk all the way back across the field, quickly, but Lou had a better idea. Just lift Pops up over the cement retainer and he could climb up and over the rail from there. So he did that.
When he did, a baseball fell out of Dads left coat pocket (you can see it in the pic, the bulge) And Lou said "wait there, well sign this for you".
My dad said Lou Gehrig had a massive neck and upper body, but the disposition of a meek, humble, and appreciative human being. A real gentleman.
My uncle never did let go of that ball, he took it with him in the army over to Germany, where he was killed in October of 1943. He was flown home, and is buried with it in Mansfield Ohio. Uncle Bill was a star pitcher for his high school team who was on his way to Ohio State University.
Dad passed away in 1989, and left the picture to me to keep, with the agreement that I would share it with others, since I seemed to express the most interest in it.
Thanks for letting me share it with you sports fans.
