Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-08-17

baseball-minded youth, even to a
new generation that never saw him
play. IN
Kids were waiting for him at
his home, and they knew him for
his camel's nair coat and cap and
for the grin he forced through pallid
lips. They sent up the old shout:
Hey, Babel" like the kids used to
do when they milled around him
at Yankee Stadium.
! Ruth was under constant medical
care after that He was sustained
largely by his interest in the Babe
Ruth Foundation. devoted to the
encouragement of baseball conScious
youngsters, and his employment by
Henry Ford II as ''consultant' for
the American Legion junior base
ball program.
His last appearance at public
event was at New York theater
July-26 (1948p for the world premier
of the movie. THE Babe Ruth
Story"
Mayor O'Dwyer had proclaimed it
Babe Ruth Day, He called Ruth
the greatest athlete of his time"
. and IAN immortal in the game of
baseball"
The famous slugger appeared at
the theater supported on both sides,
so i'll he could barely smile to the
cheering crowd He called the pic
ture wonderful" but was forced to
leave in the middel of it and a
private showing was arranged at
the hospital.
The movie was based on Ruth's
own life story, as told earlier to Bob
Considine. Ruth presented the
books manuscript to Yale Univer-
sity library.
Visited Stadium in June.
Leaning heavily on his long, yellow
bat, the Babe stood at the plate in
Yankee Stadium June -, for the
last time. The occasion was the
silver anniversary of the huge base
ball plant his tremendous crowd
appeal was credited with building.
All the living members of the 1923
Yankee team, and stars of other
Yankee teams, were on hand for
the ceremonies, high lighted by the
official retirement of Ruth's uniform
and the famous No. 3 on its back
The uniform now is at Coopers-
towns Hall of Fame, never to be
worn by another player
, A deafening roar greeted the Babe
as he strobe from the Yankee dug
out, swinging the bat. Whispering
hoarsely into the microphone, tears
streaming down his face, he said he
was proud to have hit the first home
run in the stadium in 1928 and
proud and happy to be there Is years
later.
On April %, 1e47, Ruth had gone
/ to the stadium for a Babe Ruth
I day and to hear plaudits from Fran
els Cardinal Spellman, from the top
men in baseball and from Brother
Gilbert, who discovered his baseball
talent at Baltimore industrial
school and who was to die six months
later.
The Babe was Shrunken version
of the 225-pounder of old, whose
powerful shoulders topped off an in
verted pyramid of man. set on
spindle legs and delicate ankles. But
under the familiar pug nose was the
infectious grin of old.
Listeners in thousands of homes
and in other ball parks where the
ceremonies were piped were stunned
to hear the weak, hoarse voice.
Thank God for baseball" Ruth
said. He was thankful because it
gave every boy, no matter what his
lowly beginning, chance to reach
the top.
Earlier that day Ruth had a visit
from Johnny Sylvester. Twenty lone
years earlier Johnny Sylvester was
an 1l-year-old Brooklyn boy. suffer-
ing from an almost hopeless spinal
ailment.
At the boys request, Ruth visited
him at his hospital, gave him an au-
, tographed baseball and promised to
hit home run for him. The Babe
made good in triple measure. and
when Johnny recovered, physicians
gave Ruth a bountiful share of the
credit.
Last spring, while pushing the
Junior baseball program, Ruth
, toured the major league training
camps in Florida, re-living the
r,noponrioc If h;e r,x,v, Al S,,,e