The Big Bam: The Life and Times of Babe Ruth (49 page)

The transformation. The sins of 1925 brought about the transformation at Artie McGovern’s Gym that saved the Babe’s career.

Babe with Helen and daughter Dorothy at the 1927 World Series. This was solely for the cameras. Babe and Helen had already split.

Helen’s body is carried from the funeral home in South Boston, Massachusetts, 1929.

Football and fur. The Babe often went to other sporting events, this time with (L–R) Julia, mother-in-law Carrie Merritt, and Claire, everyone dressed for the cold.

Adoption. (L–R) Claire, Dorothy, and Julia watch as Babe signs papers to adopt both girls in 1929.

Artie McGovern rubs down bandleader Paul Whiteman
(L). An unidentified attendant rubs down the Babe. John Philip Sousa himself prepares to ring the bell as the combatants get ready for fisticuffs at Artie McGovern’s Gym.

Members of Murderers’ Row. (L–R) Lou Gehrig, Tony Lazzeri, Mark Koenig, and Joe Dugan.

Waite Hoyt. He kept notes on the famous man’s famous deeds.

Jumpin’ Joe Dugan. A fellow traveler after dark.

The Iron Horse and the Big Bam. They were closest on the ball field, a 1–2 combination of unprecedented power.

The finish of The Called Shot in the 1932 World Series. After the commotion from Ruth’s homer died down, Gehrig (no. 4) unloaded on the next pitch.

The House That Ruth Built, bakery version, was served on his 39th birthday in 1933. Actually, it was his 38th birthday.

The finish of the contract dance was always the contract picture. The Babe signs, Claire watches, Col. Jacob Ruppert smiles again.