Rearview: Babe Ruth challenged Hawaii governor to pitch to him at Honolulu Stadium

Eight years ago, I wrote about Babe Ruth playing baseball in Hilo. My wife’s uncle was a photographer and she came across several photos of the 1933 event, which accompanied my article.

Recently, Iolani Palace historian and docent educator Zita Cup Choy sent me a couple of pages from a former governor’s book, “Lawrence McCully Judd & Hawaii, an Autobiogrphy.”

I hadn’t realized that the Bambino persuaded Judd to pitch a few balls to him at Honolulu Stadium, and Ruth hit one out of the park. It’s a fascinating story.

Judd wrote about it very eloquently in a chapter titled, “Of Princes and Politicians.”

George Herman “Babe” Ruth, his wife, Claire, and daughter, Julia, came to Hawaii aboard the Lurline in 1933. They visited the gravesite of Alexander Cartwright, the father of baseball, and called on the governor.

“When he appeared at a Washington Place reception intended primarily for tourists, I introduced him to the group and then took him aside to talk baseball,” Judd wrote.

“He was willing to talk, but kept switching the conversation to Hawaiian affairs. He wanted to know about the boys’ industrial school in Hawaii. I thought of his own youth in a Baltimore school of much the same kind.”

Ruth was referring to the Waiale‘e Boys’ Industrial School on the North Shore, between Waialua and Kahuku. About 100 boys were housed on 700 acres of land that later became the Crawford Convalescent Home.

Ruth lived at St. Mary’s Industrial School for Boys in Baltimore from 1902-14. He was introduced to baseball there and signed a contract with the Baltimore Orioles while still a resident.

Judd talked with Ruth about a scheduled game for the public on Sunday.

“As we chatted, I looked up suddenly to find that tourist guests, including many women, were gathered around us, listening, unabashed, to the conversation.

“Where will the game be?” asked a sprightly woman in a white dress.

“At the stadium,” I said.

“Will you be there, Governor?” asked the Babe. “Of course. I’ll throw out the ball.”

“Why don’t you pitch on the other team?” He lowered his voice. “You can strike me out. That ought to be a crowd pleaser.”

“I was a catcher, not a pitcher,” I said. “I wouldn’t dare face you on the mound.”

Judd attended Punahou and was a catcher on its baseball team.

“Oh, come on,” Ruth chided. “I’ll swing wild at every thing you put over. It would be a good newspaper story.”

Batter up

“Like a chump, I agreed,” Judd said. “On a bright Sunday at the stadium I appeared in proper uniform. The Babe appeared in his own habit, that of the New York Yankees.

“I took my place on the mound and stared uneasily at Ruth. Even before he was moved to outfield, he was famed as a southpaw pitcher.

“When he came to Hawaii he already held the season record for sixty home runs, which he slugged in 1927.

“The Babe strode to the plate, brandished the bat, and crouched a little. He was more than six feet tall. I was no pitcher. But I could throw a baseball.

“For the sake of the fans I tried to make quite a show of it. I glared at Ruth, wound up in what was intended to be spectacular fashion, and let go the first pitch. It was a foot outside. Ruth made a great swipe at it. He missed. ‘Strike one,’ called the umpire.

“I allowed a triumphant look to spread over my face. I looked at the bleachers significantly, and paused a moment, as though to savor the triumph of making the Bambino miss.

“Then I exploded a second ball, which also missed the plate. Ruth swung lustily again. ‘Strike two,’ called the umpire.

“The Babe looked at his bat in apparent puzzlement, shook it, and resumed his stance.”

Third pitch

“For the third pitch I went into even more complicated contortions and hurled a stinger that by some happy accident was right in the groove.

“Ruth, balanced on his little feet, simply could not resist. He pivoted on his slender legs and smote the sphere straight and true. I gulped and watched it rise and soar to float clear out of the ball park.

“Ruth grinned boyishly and trotted around the bases. I sat out the rest of the game in the grandstand.”

All-Stars vs. Wanderers

About 11,000 fans showed up to watch the game on Oct. 22, 1933.

The grandstand was completely filled and the football bleachers three-quarters filled, William Pett wrote for the Honolulu Advertiser.

Ruth played with a team called the All-Stars. Playing against them were the Wanderers, recognized champions of the Hawaii League.

Three Hawaiian lei were tossed around Ruth’s neck before the game started. He played throughout, wearing the lei, and did everything he was asked to do in addition to autographing hundreds of baseballs.

In batting practice and during the first two innings, Ruth hit about two-dozen balls into the crowd.

Homer

Ruth came to bat in the first inning and had a blistering hit for a single. Earl Vida was pitching. He came to bat again in the third inning and crushed a ball into the right-field bleachers for a home run.

The home run was not hit hard, and he did not catch hold of it as he usually does, but the crowd was thrilled. Everybody stood up and gave the Bambino a mighty cheer as he trotted around the bases.

The dramatic spot for Ruth was the fourth inning when two were out and the bases loaded, but Vida gave him nothing soft to hit, Pett wrote. Babe struck out.

Ruth played right field for the first few innings, but no balls were hit to him. Then he played first, where he handled six putouts.

Ruth pitched in the eight and ninth innings. He gave up five hits and no runs.

Seeing the Sultan of Swat play in person was more exciting than the game itself. The final score was 5 to 2. Babe’s All-Stars won.

The following day, Ruth put on a special exhibition for kids at 2:30 in the afternoon.

The same lineups took the field. Before the game, the Babe put on a special show for the youngsters, who were admitted to the game for 25 cents. Adults accompanying children paid $1.10. Schools on Oahu let out early so those wishing to attend could arrive on time.

Ruth retired from Major League Baseball in 1935 with a lifetime batting average of .342 and 714 home runs.

An afterthought: If Shohei Ohtani, who hit 46 home runs this year for the Los Angeles Angels came to town, would Gov. David Ige pitch to him?

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Have a question or suggestion? Contact Bob Sigall, author of the five “The Companies We Keep” books at Sigall@Yahoo.com.