1932 World Series Game 3

Lore & Background

What actually happened in that fifth inning remains baseball's most enduring ghost story. Did Ruth point before the swing to predict a home run, or gesture afterward in defiance? Eyewitnesses disagree, and even Ruth later offered contradictory accounts—sometimes claiming he pointed at the oncoming pitch, other times insisting he merely raised his hand to silence the crowd. What is certain: facing Charlie Root with the Cubs leading 4-2, amidst a wall of jeers from Cubs players and fans, Ruth launched a towering 3-run drive deep into center field that landed precisely where his finger had once aimed (or might have). The ball cleared the bleachers, giving the Yankees a 5-4 lead and turning a moment of tension into an instant myth.

In Their Own Story

The air at Wrigley Field didn't just feel heavy; it felt poisoned. The scent of cut grass was drowned out by the smoke of cigarettes and the acrid taste of vitriol hurled from every angle. As Babe Ruth stepped into the batter's box, the Cubs dugout erupted—a cacophony of slurs and threats that even the deafening wind couldn't mask. His teammates later recalled the manager, Joe McCarthy, shouting warnings from the bench. Ruth paused, his eyes cutting through the chaos to lock onto a distant speck in center field. With a calmness that bordered on supernatural, he raised a gloved hand, pointing straight at the gap between the foul poles. The crowd fell into a stunned hush, holding its breath. Then came the swing: a thunderous crack that echoed off the brick walls, followed by a ball soaring like an arrow through the sky, landing exactly where his finger had aimed.

Reader's Guide

Game 3 of the 1932 World Series unfolded on October 1 at Chicago's Wrigley Field. Already leading the best-of-seven series two games to zero against their bitter rivals, the Cubs, the Yankees faced a stadium buzzing with hostility. Tensions had boiled over in previous games, marked by near-brawls and verbal sparring that left little room for sportsmanship.

The defining moment arrived in the fifth inning with the score deadlocked at 4-4. Facing veteran pitcher Charlie Root, Babe Ruth stepped up to the plate under a barrage of personal insults from Cubs players and fans alike. In a move that would echo through nearly a century of baseball lore, Ruth allegedly pointed toward deep center field—whether before or after his swing remains a matter of fierce historical debate—before crushing a three-run home run to that exact spot. The blast broke the tie and shifted the momentum irrevocably.

The Yankees cruised to a 7-5 victory, taking an insurmountable three-games-to-zero lead. Game 4 would result in a sweep, handing New York its third World Series title in four years. Yet, decades later, the box score matters less than the image of a man pointing at destiny and making it real.

Did You Know?

• While contemporary newspaper accounts described Ruth's gesture, the specific term 'Called Shot' did not appear until years later; Babe Ruth spent the rest of his life offering shifting accounts—sometimes claiming he poin
• This victory in Game 3 put the Yankees one win away from a sweep, but the championship was officially clinched in Game 4 with a 4-0 series victory, securing their fourth World Series crown in franchise history (following
• The taunts from Cubs players were so severe that some teammates later claimed they feared Ruth might be physically attacked if he lingered at home plate after his at-bat; one report suggests a Cubs player threatened to s
• Charlie Root, the pitcher who surrendered the historic home run, finished his career with 201 wins but was never inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, despite numerous discussions by the Veterans Committee.

The Historic Called Shot

Game Three of the 1932 World Series remains etched in baseball lore primarily due to Babe Ruth's legendary home run in the fifth inning. Facing Cubs pitcher Charlie Root, Ruth engaged in a series of pointing gestures before launching the ball into centerfield. While popular culture interprets this as a premeditated declaration of where he would hit the ball, historical evidence suggests he may have been taunting the opposing dugout rather than predicting his trajectory. Regardless of intent, the moment defined the series, shifting momentum decisively to New York. This was Ruth's tenth and final World Series appearance, making the feat even more poignant. The home run was immediately followed by Lou Gehrig hitting a back-to-back shot off Root, who was subsequently removed from the game. These consecutive blows effectively ended Chicago's hopes in this contest, leaving the Yankees just one victory away from securing their championship title.

A Record of Hall of Fame Talent

The 1932 World Series stands as an unprecedented gathering of baseball immortals, featuring a record thirteen future Hall of Famers on the field. This extraordinary concentration of talent included stars like Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig for the Yankees, alongside Cubs legends such as Rogers Hornsby, who managed his team to the NL pennant. The prestige extended beyond the players; umpire Bill Klem and Yankees manager Joe McCarthy were also inducted into the Hall of Fame later in their careers. This assembly created a unique historical snapshot where the game's greatest minds and athletes collided on the diamond. The sheer density of legendary figures contributed to an electric atmosphere, elevating the stakes of every at-bat and strategic decision. Such a convergence of future legends has rarely been matched in professional sports history, marking this specific series as a singular event in the annals of Major League Baseball.

Uniforms and Stadium Upgrades

Beyond the on-field drama, Game Three introduced significant visual changes to the World Series landscape. It marked the first time both competing teams wore uniforms featuring numbers on their backs, a modernization that would soon become standard across professional sports. Additionally, the venue itself underwent temporary expansion to accommodate the fervor of Chicago supporters. Approximately 50,000 fans attended the game at Wrigley Field, a massive crowd for the era made possible by constructing temporary bleachers along Waveland and Sheffield Avenues. This logistical feat highlighted the immense popularity of the Cubs during this period. The atmosphere was further charged by the pre-game batting practice display from Ruth and Gehrig, who bombarded the stands with home runs, showcasing their power before the game even began.

The Road to a Sweep

Although Game Three provided the most famous moments, it served as the pivotal turning point in a four-game sweep for the New York Yankees. The series was characterized by intense friction between the two clubs, with fiery arguments heating up the atmosphere long before the first pitch. In this specific contest, the Cubs managed to tie the game at 4-4 thanks to errors and timely hitting by players like Billy Jurges and Kiki Cuyler. However, the Yankees' offense proved too potent to contain after Ruth's fifth-inning blast and Gehrig's follow-up homer. The final score of 6-5 reflected a tightly contested battle where New York ultimately prevailed through clutch hitting and resilient pitching from Herb Pennock in the ninth inning. This victory set the stage for Game Four, where the Yankees would secure their championship with a decisive 9-5 win.

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