Babe Ruth at 1b, Lou Gehrig in RF?

[ACrank]

i've been rereading a book on the history of baseball in my hometown - apparently sometime in August of 32 the Yankees came to Erie to play the hometown team - at the time a Yankee farm club....

what is interesting is the Yankees lineup had Babe Ruth at 1b and Lou Gehrig in RF - now i know enough about baseball to know exhibition games like these routinely have players playing out of position, and its entirely possible the Yankees had Ruth at first just so the local fans could get a better look at him (there is this great shot of Ruth holding what appears to be a frightened out of his wits youngster in the book) - i guess my question is - at the end of Ruth's career with the Yankees, was there ever a discussion of the two players switching positions just to extend Ruth's producitivity with the Yankees?

[Blackout]

"Luckiest Man" (best biography on Lou Gehrig) says that was done just to give Babe's legs a rest

[Sultan_1895-1948]

I think that's about right blackout.

Speaking of first, the first time he appeared in a big league game at a position other than as a pitcher or pinch hitter and at a spot other than ninth in the batting order, was at first bast in 1918. He hit his second homer in two games that day. The next day he played there again, batted cleanup, and hit his third in three games (first homer by anyone in Griffith). Apparently he fielded very well. Doubled the next day and then pitched ten innings the next day.

Seems he initially started out there for the same reasons he would later play there during barnstorming games. To save his legs and energy. Barrow was being extra careful. Eventually he started using him in left field and let McInnis move to first. Really, he had too many physical gifts to just play first base. The same can be said of Gehrig though.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

i've been rereading a book on the history of baseball in my hometown - apparently sometime in August of 32 the Yankees came to Erie to play the hometown team - at the time a Yankee farm club....

what is interesting is the Yankees lineup had Babe Ruth at 1b and Lou Gehrig in RF - now i know enough about baseball to know exhibition games like these routinely have players playing out of position, and its entirely possible the Yankees had Ruth at first just so the local fans could get a better look at him (there is this great shot of Ruth holding what appears to be a frightened out of his wits youngster in the book) - i guess my question is - at the end of Ruth's career with the Yankees, was there ever a discussion of the two players switching positions just to extend Ruth's producitivity with the Yankees?

You may be speaking of a game a mix of Yankee players played a local team from Erie Pa. on August 10 or 11. The locals won 7-4. That local team may have been Chief Benders Sailors.

The Babe did hit a three run homer, the only homer of the game. But it was not the Babe we know of that hit that home run, it was Harold "Babe" Hadder of the local team.

Ruth at times did play first in some exhibition games to save his legs. Some times there was another reason why Ruth played first base. In one exhibition game Ruth was moved from right field to first base in the late innings. The reason was to get Ruth closer to the crowd. Sooner or later one youngster would run over to first for an autograph or a hand shake. It was just a matter of time before a dozen or two would make their way over to first base. Order could not be restored and the game would be called with now a hundred or more kids on the field surrounding Ruth.

That was the strategy that the Yanks used at times to give them an early quit.

[Brian McKenna]

when clark griffith was managing and his team played exhibition games he would sometimes let the other team (or their fans) pick which position they wanted him to play

playing out of position was common in exhibition play

[Sultan_1895-1948]

----------Lou

[Sultan_1895-1948]

--------Lou at Columbia

[Bill Burgess]

While I would not dispute everything that has been said here, I think the notion of playing someone at 1B to 'save their legs' is not a smart move.

Playing 1B involves you in most of the plays! It does not call for explosive motion or fast reflexes, normally. Babe had both. It does call for a lot of expenditure of energy throughout the game. Just the opposite of trying to 'save someone'.

Just shows how little they knew back when in certain regards. If I were manager back then, and wanted to save my player's legs, I'd stick him in RF, where he'd have to run maybe for 3-4 balls per game, if that. Safest place for a Mr. Strangeglove really. But I'm not suggesting Babe wasn't a very good fielder, up until his last stages.

I laud the early managers, and strategists usually, but there were exceptions to the rule, such as using the walking weapon more.

[Sultan_1895-1948]

In these exhibition games though, there had to be more offense than usual. It was for the fans. So they could see both teams put up offense. I think 3-4 balls may be an undershot, but I see your point. In a game like that, there really is no place to save your legs except for a DH position, and even if they had that, Babe wouldn't have done it because then the fans couldn't see him in the field. He loved the constant interaction both verbal and non-verbal. Running out to the outfield between every inning would expend more energy than simply walking from the dugout to first, and I would assume most of the exhibition fields either had monstrous outfields or no fence at all, and rough outfields might be an under-statement. Why risk injury during an exhibition game, when you can trot young Lou out there. Babe's managers knew he'd always go all out. There was no half-speed for him, even in these games, so maybe it was a small combination; injury prevention/energy preserving frame of mind?

[SHOELESSJOE3]

In these exhibition games though, there had to be more offense than usual. It was for the fans. So they could see both teams put up offense. I think 3-4 balls may be an undershot, but I see your point. In a game like that, there really is no place to save your legs except for a DH position, and even if they had that, Babe wouldn't have done it because then the fans couldn't see him in the field. He loved the constant interaction both verbal and non-verbal. Running out to the outfield between every inning would expend more energy than simply walking from the dugout to first, and I would assume most of the exhibition fields either had monstrous outfields or no fence at all, and rough outfields might be an under-statement. Why risk injury during an exhibition game, when you can trot young Lou out there. Babe's managers knew he'd always go all out. There was no half-speed for him, even in these games, so maybe it was a small combination; injury prevention/energy preserving frame of mind?

That was probably one of the reasons why he played first in some exhibition games. Besides we do not know how often Ruth did play first in those type games. Also the game that was mentioned at the start of this discussion was in 1932 and he was 37 years old, those legs were getting weary.

[bluezebra]

The Babe played 32 games at 1B during the regular season, and Lou played nine games in the OF.

Bob