Beschreibung:

RUTH, GEORGE HERMAN ("Babe"). Photograph with autograph inscription, dated 25 December l947. 1 page, 4to, 230 x 177mm. (9 x 7 in.). Boldly inscribed in fountain-pen ink in broad lower margin: "To Domenico Facci From Babe Ruth Dec. 25 l947," the photograph showing the Babe at the plate in full swing, looking up to watch the course of his ball. One of the most famous of all baseball photographs, showing Ruth's legendary "called shot," at Wrigley Field, Chicago, in the fifth inning of the third game of the l932 World Series. The Yankees had taken the first two games which were played in New York, and in the first Chicago game the Chicago crowd became unruly and abusive, taunting Ruth as he stepped up to the plate to face pitcher Charlie Root. When the count reached two and two, Ruth pointed meaningfully to the center field fence. The crowd's jeers grew even louder and more insulting, but were silenced when Ruth drove Root's next pitch over the fence for a home run, at precisely the place he had indicated. Grudgingly, the crowd began to applaud as Ruth rounded the bases. Later, Ruth confessed that his "called shot" was a terrible gamble; if he'd failed, he'd have "looked like an awful fool" (-- Bill Mazer, Stan and Shirley Fischler, Bill Mazer's Baseball Book (New York, l990), pp.125-126). The present owner, Mr. Facci, an artist and well-known sculptor, was commissioned to execute a statue of Ruth, small reproductions of which were sold as part of the promotion of the movie The Babe Ruth Story. Ruth personally inscribed the photo at Mr. Facci's request.