Charlie Root's daughter tearfully recounts how he was haunted by "called shot"

[rasnell]

Check out my video interview with Della Root Arnold, 90-year-old daughter of Charlie Root. He won more games than any pitcher for the Cubs, but was haunted by one pitch to Babe Ruth.

Also includes rare video of Howard Ehmke and Charlie Root warming up before start of 1929 World Series.

www.rootforthecubs.com

[SHOELESSJOE3]

Check out my video interview with Della Root Arnold, 90-year-old daughter of Charlie Root. He won more games than any pitcher for the Cubs, but was haunted by one pitch to Babe Ruth.

Also includes rare video of Howard Ehmke and Charlie Root warming up before start of 1929 World Series.

www.rootforthecubs.com

Really felt for this woman, it was her dad. Things like this happen in sports, one event over shadows the career of some athletes, all else they accomplished.

Same deal with Tom Zachary who gave up home run number 60 to Babe Ruth although not as big a deal as the homer Babe hit off of Charlie Root.

[Victory Faust]

I hate it when a fine player's career is defined by one moment -- especially if that moment wasn't his fault.

But that's just fate, I suppose. I know a guy who went to prison for one moment, and it wasn't his fault; he took a ride from a guy who had just robbed a store, and even though he didn't realize a crime had been committed, he got sent to prison anyway. So it's all relative.

And, in the world of baseball, this sort of thing works both ways. Bill Wambsganss (sp?) is forever known as the guy who made the unassisted triple play in a World Series. And Cleon Jones and Sandy Amoros went down in history as guys who made great catches in the World Series.

Still, it's sad when you see the human toll cruel twists of fate can take. I'd be interested to hear from the families of guys like Fred Merkle, or Donny Moore.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

I hate it when a fine player's career is defined by one moment -- especially if that moment wasn't his fault.

But that's just fate, I suppose. I know a guy who went to prison for one moment, and it wasn't his fault; he took a ride from a guy who had just robbed a store, and even though he didn't realize a crime had been committed, he got sent to prison anyway. So it's all relative.

And, in the world of baseball, this sort of thing works both ways. Bill Wambsganss (sp?) is forever known as the guy who made the unassisted triple play in a World Series. And Cleon Jones and Sandy Amoros went down in history as guys who made great catches in the World Series.

Still, it's sad when you see the human toll cruel twists of fate can take. I'd be interested to hear from the families of guys like Fred Merkle, or Donny Moore.

WOW, whats amazing, his last thoughts, he took it to the grave.
I felt for Charlie but so much more for his daughter.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

Some guys just can't let it go. I feel for Charlie but not at all for Tom Zachary. He made a choice, go with the fastball and Ruth hit number 60 off of him, it's history. I'm sure there are loads of pitchers in the games history that would like to take "one pitch" back. How would they ever know the result would be different.
In the 1926 World Series Hornsby went to the mound and told Card pitcher Flint Rhem to feed Babe nothing fast, slow pitch him. Babe hit one on top of the pavillion roof. Next at bat again Hornsby goes to the mound, tells Rhem Ruth was lucky, slow pitch him and this time Babe clears the grandstand and Grand Boulevard, breaking the window of an auto showroom.
You make your pitch and thats it.
Charlie Root has a case, Tom Zachary sour grapes. Here is a letter he wrote speaking of that home run number 60.

"3-2 count, I made a bad mistake. I should have thrown a fast ball ( or fast one) at his big fat head."
In the next season 1928 he joined the Yanks and in 1929 he was 12-0 with the Yanks.

[Victory Faust]

I agree, shoeless -- Zachary is being a crybaby about it.

He should take a page from the book of a pitcher who has had to live with a lot more negative publicity for one pitch: Ralph Branca, who has handled the situation with class (and, BTW, turned it into a positive by teaming up with Bobby Thomson for autograph shows, etc.)

[Paul Wendt]

Babe Ruth's 60th home run, what's the big deal? Why have I read or heard tens of times that "Tom Zachary" served that one. Al Downing surrendered number 715 to Hank Aaron. I mis-remembered that Downing caught it in the bullpen, but I looked it up. There is no infamy in it and not much fame.

Bobby Thomson and Bill Mazeroski hit the two biggest home runs in baseball history. Pitcher Ralph Branca is infamous, why not Ralph Terry? Terry is practically unknown.

[Captain Cold Nose]

Babe Ruth's 60th home run, what's the big deal? Why have I read or heard tens of times that "Tom Zachary" served that one. Al Downing surrendered number 715 to Hank Aaron. I mis-remembered that Downing caught it in the bullpen, but I looked it up. There is no infamy in it and not much fame.

Bobby Thomson and Bill Mazeroski hit the two biggest home runs in baseball history. Pitcher Ralph Branca is infamous, why not Ralph Terry? Terry is practically unknown.

Terry was on the mound when the Yankees beat the Giants two years later. Redemption does a lot for your reputation, especially when a negative is involved.

[KHenry14]

Terry is practically unknown.


He's not unknown to Giants fans. He pitched a complete game to win game 7 of the '62 series and beat the Giants. Perhaps his success post the 1960 Maz HR had something to do with that.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

Babe Ruth's 60th home run, what's the big deal? Why have I read or heard tens of times that "Tom Zachary" served that one. Al Downing surrendered number 715 to Hank Aaron. I mis-remembered that Downing caught it in the bullpen, but I looked it up. There is no infamy in it and not much fame.

Bobby Thomson and Bill Mazeroski hit the two biggest home runs in baseball history. Pitcher Ralph Branca is infamous, why not Ralph Terry? Terry is practically unknown.

Probably because for years, 34 years, it was the bench mark for home runs in a season. It was also a new record for Babe surpassing his number 59. There was always excitement when it was chased, Foxx, Hack Wilson, Greenberg and some others who hit in the 50 homer range, all the way up to 1961 when Maris finally passed that number. For years it was the most recoginized number in baseball, even outside of baseball many were familiar with the number 60.

I doub't anyone is comparing it to Thompson, Maz or some other big home runs in importance, importance is not the issue.

[Beady]

Bobby Thomson and Bill Mazeroski hit the two biggest home runs in baseball history. Pitcher Ralph Branca is infamous, why not Ralph Terry? Terry is practically unknown.

Its more about what it meant to be a Dodgers fan, and a Brooklynite, than anything to do with Terry, I would think. Heartbreaking losses were a central part of the Dodger mystique. For the Yankees, they were just something that happened once in a blue moon to prevent winning from becoming monotonous and losing its savor.

I don't think Branca was ever vilified the way poor Bill Buckner was, though. Dodger fans were a loyal bunch.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

Its more about what it meant to be a Dodgers fan, and a Brooklynite, than anything to do with Terry, I would think. Heartbreaking losses were a central part of the Dodger mystique. For the Yankees, they were just something that happened once in a blue moon to prevent winning from becoming monotonous and losing its savor.

I don't think Branca was ever vilified the way poor Bill Buckner was, though. Dodger fans were a loyal bunch.

Bill Buckner, can't defend him, what happened but after that it was a total team effort in losing that game, terrible relief pitching.
Wild pitch charged to Stanley, look at the video, that was a passed ball. Off the plate but a feeble attempt at best by Rich Gedman, not that it matters in the book, it scored a run.
Thats in the book, if Gedman had caught it or even knocked it down, could have been a different game. Not to play the "what if" game, although I am now caught up in it, the ball should never have gotten by the catcher. Possibility Gedman was crossed up, don't know, Stanley takes the rap.

Bottom line bad play by Bill but the Bosox had some time to right themselves and did not do so.

[rkoch]

As I`ve posted before, I knew Charley Root and played in his golf tournements in Hollister, Ca. Any one who knew Charley, would know this incident never bothered him. He often said, "anyone who knows me, I was ahead in the count, would tell you if I thought he was pointing at the fence, rather than giving me the finger, which I thought it was what he was doing, would have known he`d have been on his ass with that pitch."
Charley was a tough guy, along with Pat Malone, Lon Warneke, Guy Bush on the staff. Charley never let this bother him as his daughter is trying to relate.

[rasnell]

As I`ve posted before, I knew Charley Root and played in his golf tournements in Hollister, Ca. Any one who knew Charley, would know this incident never bothered him. He often said, "anyone who knows me, I was ahead in the count, would tell you if I thought he was pointing at the fence, rather than giving me the finger, which I thought it was what he was doing, would have known he`d have been on his ass with that pitch."
Charley was a tough guy, along with Pat Malone, Lon Warneke, Guy Bush on the staff. Charley never let this bother him as his daughter is trying to relate.

He just simply grew tired of it -- it's all that anyone wanted to ask him about in later years. You've probably seen the family car around Hollister with the "Babewho" license plate, which I think is so funny.

He ended a local newspaper interview in Hollister when the reporter was only asking about Ruth. He was building a porch and the reporter asked him what he was doing: "Building a bird cage." That was pretty much the end of the interview.

But he seems very level-headed and had a great sense of humor about life from what I can gather from my research and all the interviews with Della. Baseball history should be remembering the most career wins in a Cub uniform and not recreating and reenacting with an actor the called shot for MLB TV games in NYC this season.

The Roots are not really bemoaning the one pitch. They're just sick of how baseball refuses to honor the truth, which is a lot more interesting. How can a game so obsessed by statistical accuracy also have Abner Doubleday and the "called shot?"

[rasnell]

As I`ve posted before, I knew Charley Root and played in his golf tournements in Hollister, Ca. Any one who knew Charley, would know this incident never bothered him. He often said, "anyone who knows me, I was ahead in the count, would tell you if I thought he was pointing at the fence, rather than giving me the finger, which I thought it was what he was doing, would have known he`d have been on his ass with that pitch."
Charley was a tough guy, along with Pat Malone, Lon Warneke, Guy Bush on the staff. Charley never let this bother him as his daughter is trying to relate.

I'd love to hear more of your recollections. I love the calls, feedback and additional info that I'm getting from folks who knew Charlie at various stages of life. He's class and his wife, Dorothy, seems to be the real heroine of the story -- refusing to let Charlie quit in 1929 when his arm was blown. She pushed him to pitch through it and not let anyone know at Catalina in spring training. What eventually happens is a nice untold story that makes it into the book, thanks to his family.

[rkoch]

I certainly will get your book. I see something in there about Berle Horne too. He pitched for Oakland in the PCL when I was a Kid.And when I was a kid was one hell of a long time ago.