The Pecan Park Eagle

Hornsby tags out Ruth on attempted steal to end 1926 World Series.

(1) Why Did Babe Ruth Run the Yankees out of Their Last Shot in the 1926 World Series?

This one haunts forever, drawing an occasional column mention such as this one, but it will probably never go away or get put to bed in a way that puts to rest all the questions that never seem to die about it? W are talking, of course, about the fact that Babe Ruth ended the 1926 World Series his Yankees were playing against the Cardinals when, with two outs and Ruth on first from a walk in the bottom of the 9th, and slugger Bob Meusel at bat, with New York down 3-2, the Bambino decides to steal 2nd base against catcher John O’Farrell as he had done in Game Six. It wasn’t even close. Ruth reportedly got off to a slow start. By the time he slid into 2ns, fellow future Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby was there with ball in plenty of time to nail the Babe with a clear tag and end the Series.

Many home club fans at Yankee Stadium that day blamed Ruth for losing the World Series on bad judgment to run in the first place, based upon the circumstances. It’s still hard for many fans today who only have read about it in dusty old and shiny new books and articles not to lay it all on “George Herman” as well.

The perplexing “last out” event in 1926, of course, is far overshadowed by the legendary call in the 7th from Cards manager Hornsby to bring Old Pete Alexander into the game in the bottom of the 7th to face Tony Lazzeri of the Yankees with the bases loaded and two outs – and St. Louis nursing even then their 3-2 lead that hold up over time to be the final score. Alexander struck out Lazzeri in a performance that would even be recorded on his later Hall of Fame plaque as one of the great moments in World Series history.

Still, Alexander striking out Lazzeri in the 7th inning of Game 7 wasn’t the last out of the game. That one happened quietly on a decision by Ruth to put himself in scoring position in the 9th, even at the risk of killing the hope that the the Yankees had, by attempting an ill-advised attempted steal of 2nd base with two outs.

What was Babe Ruth really thinking – if at all?

Colten Wong of the Cardinals demonstrates wrong way to tag runner in 2014 NLDS against Dodgers.

(2) Colten Wong of the Cardinals Guilty of Classic Little League Mistake  in the 2014 NLDS.

When second baseman Colten Wong of the Cardinals blew that “upon further review” double play tag in Los Angeles the other day, I almost swiveled out of my swivel chair at home. Wong had been guilty of a mental error that was always an excusable teaching moment for me when I was coaching 6 to 8 year old players years ago. – “That’s OK, Johnny! Don’t cry! You just have to remember next time to either tag the runner with the ball to get him out, or else, have the ball in the glove when you tag him with the glove. – Anytime you hold the ball in your bare right hand, but only tag the runner with an empty gloved hand, the umpire is going to call him safe – just as he did here a few moments ago.

It’s too bad that political correctness now deprives us of the obvious irony that accompanied this particular situation, but you sort of had the feeling that the telecasting crew was thinking it, even if they couldn’t say it. I know I did – and my dear wife of a thousand years just happens to be Asian too. There just happen to be some broadcast people in this world who do not wish to turn their careers into an instant train wreck with a careless playful remark about the baseball acuity of Cardinal second baseman Wong.

Hopefully, Mr. Wong will remember what we constantly used to tell the 6-8 year old championship club members of the 1976 Shadow Oaks Indians in Spring Branch: On the tag of a base runner, we all have to remember: “There’s a right way and a wrong way!”

What’s the quirkiest thing you remember from a World Series or Playoff Game? And please share it with the rest of us, if you have a favorite anecdote in mind. You may likely find that you are not alone in that particular memory.