March 22, 2011

Film Shows Babe Ruth, at Leisure and Up Close

By JOHN BRANCH

HENDERSON, Nev. — Tom Stevens sat at a Starbucks in this Las Vegas suburb and watched his grandfather, Babe Ruth, cavort across the computer screen.

 

“I haven’t seen anything like that,” he said. “It doesn’t mean that there isn’t other stuff out there, but I haven’t seen it.”

 

There are so few moving images of Babe Ruth that even Major League Baseball’s monstrous archive contains less than an hour’s worth. The bulk of Ruth footage may, in fact, still be buried in basements or stashed in attics.

 

One recent discovery, from a cellar in Illinois, might be unlike any other, showing Ruth in his prime and shot from close range, sitting atop a pony while wearing a child’s cowboy hat and muttering into a home movie camera, as a boyish Lou Gehrig, who never had children and was known for his dignified demeanor, held children and framed his smile with big dimples.

 

Story with video at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/23/sports/baseball/23ruth.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha27

pretty cool.

 

my great aunt and uncle were friends with babe ruth's manager. they had a photo of them with babe and his manager at frankie & johnnies steakhouse in times square in like the 1930's. neadless to say it was awesome. i know somebody in the family still has that pic, wish i knew who!