Babe Root

Boston Globe ^ | April 12, 2002 | Stan Grossfeld

[anncoulteriscool]

MILTON - In June 1932, pitcher Charlie Devens went straight from Harvard Yard to the ''House That Ruth Built.''

From Crimson to pinstripes with no stops in between. New York Yankees manager Joe McCarthy was impressed with his young righthanded prospect.

[anncoulteriscool]

Here is a neat column from todays Boston Globe sports sections. This guy played with Babe Ruth. That must have been pretty neat. He was a war hero in WWII and he gave up baseball to marry his wife. What a charmed life! This weekend the yankees play the red sox. Go Red Sox !!!!

[KellyAdmirer]

He sounds just like the Burt Lancaster character in "Field of Dreams."

[CatoRenasci]

He had lenient parents apparently. He's quite right that playing profssional ball wasn't really respectable before WWII.

My father was offered a professional baseball contract in 1926 when he was graduating from high school in San Francisco (yes, he was friendly with all of the DiMaggio brothers).

My father went to my grandfather and said "Papa, the Seals want me to play for them." My grandfather murmered some pleasantry and then my father presented the contract. My grandfather looked at it, said, in horror, "you mean they intend to pay you for playing baseball?" "No, no," he went on, "this won't do, gentlemen do not accept money for playing sports."

I was skeptical of the story, but it was independently verified for my by family and friends. Whooda Thunk?

[nutmeg]

*ping*