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Another Baseball “Babe”: Babe Herman

Today we learn, thanks to Babe Herman, that “Three’s A Crowd,” even in baseball!

“He wore a glove for only one reason: because it was a league custom!” -Teammate Fresco Thompson, talking about Babe Herman and his “iron” hands.

Over the years, I’ve understandably given a lot of ink to our all-time favorite here on Baseball History Comes Alive, the great Bambino, Babe Ruth. And recently, I wrote about Babe Dahlgren, the ballplayer who replaced Lou Gehrig, after I interviewed his grandson, Matt Dahlgren.

So let’s take a moment to shine our baseball spotlight on another baseball “Babe,” Babe Herman. Even though he has been largely overshadowed by his more noteworthy namesakes, he was a pretty good ballplayer in his own right – at least on the offensive side of the game –  and deserves a bit more attention. In addition, he’s responsible for one of baseball’s oldest jokes:

First Dodger fan: “The Dodgers have three men on base!”
Second Dodger fan: “Oh yeah?…Which base?”

A Great 1930s Slugger

Dubbed “The Headless Horseman of Ebbets Field” by Dazzy Vance for his various basepath and fielding misadventures, Floyd Caves “Babe” Herman was nonetheless one of the great power hitters of the 1930s. The 6’4”, 190-lb. first

baseman/outfielder was the quintessential good-hit, no-field ballplayer, sort of a 1930s version of “Dr. Strangeglove,” Dick Stuart. And unfortunately, like Fred Merkle, the Buffalo, New York native has been unfairly stigmatized by a single bizarre incident.

Who’s On [Third]??

It happened on August 15, 1926 in the first game of a doubleheader between the Dodgers and the Boston Braves at Ebbets Field. With one out, the Dodgers had the bases loaded in the seventh inning (Hank DeBerry on third, Dazzy Vance on second, Chuck Fewster on first) as slugger Babe Herman stepped to the plate. Herman then lined a shot off the right-field wall, a sure double. Speedster Fewster advanced to third assuming that Vance would score easily from second on the extra-base hit. 

But unbeknownst to Fewster, a traffic jam was developing at third.  The slow-footed Vance rounded third hoping to score. But a perfect relay throw caused him to suddenly put on the brakes and reverse course.  Hoping to avoid a run-down, he was able to quickly retreat back safely to third. When Fewster slid into the bag, he was shocked to look up and see it already occupied…by Vance! 

Now let’s flashback to Babe Herman. He was legging out his double and hoping to extend it into a triple. Babe was apparently running with his head down and wasn’t aware of what was developing on the basepaths in front of him. All he saw was the relay throw going toward home, and he assumed he could make third easily. He was right, but when he got there, he found teammates Fewster and Vance! What a mess!

The Old Saying, “Three’s a Crowd!” Applies To Baseball!

Braves’ third baseman Eddie Taylor, as confused as anybody and not sure exactly what to do, tagged all three for good measure. Now it was up to umpire Beans Reardon to sort this one out. He determined Vance to be the lead runner; as such, he was not forced to advance and was entitled to third base. Reardon then called both Herman and Fewster out. A run had scored, but the inning was over.

The Dodgers went on to win the game, 2-1. Hank DeBerry, who started on third, scored the game’s winning run on the confusing play, and so Herman later complained: “No one remembers that my hit drove in the winning run!” He made up for his mental mishap in the nightcap, driving in three runs as the Dodgers swept the doubleheader.

Babe Herman’s Fine Career

Over his 13-season major league career (1926-’37, 1945), Babe played for the Dodgers, Reds, Cubs, Pirates, and Tigers.  He hit for a .324 career average, with 1818 hits, 181 home runs, 997 RBIs, 882 runs, a .383 on-base percentage, and a .532 slugging average. His career 141 OPS+ places him well above average among his contemporaries (100 being the major league average) and ahead of many enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

His best year was 1930, baseball’s greatest offensive year, when he posted a .393 batting average, with 241 hits, 143 runs, a .455 on-base percentage, and a .678 slugging average. These marks all remain Dodgers franchise records. He also set team records (since broken) that year with 35 home runs and 130 RBIs. Other

career highlights include hitting for the cycle three times (one of only three players to do so), and a .532 career slugging average, which ranked fourth in the National League when he retired. On July 10, 1935, Herman hit the first home run ever in a major league night game. 

Here are a few tidbits and anecdotes about Babe Herman:

• -When informed by a local bank that someone had been impersonating him and cashing bad checks, Herman said, “Hit him a few fly balls. If he catches any, it ain’t me.”
• His style of play, along with that of the entire team, led to Brooklyn being dubbed “The Daffiness Boys.”
• On two occasions in 1930 Herman stopped to watch a home run while running the bases and was passed by the hitter, in each case causing the home run to count only as a single.
• In 1930, he was once thrown out trying to steal against the Cardinals’ 48-year old catcher Gabby Street, who was an emergency substitute, appearing in his first game since 1912.

OK, so maybe Babe Herman wasn’t exactly known for his mental acumen, but he was a fine ballplayer and is deserving of some recognition before he is completely forgotten over the passage of time. As your friendly baseball historian, I’m happy to provide that today!

Gary Livacari 

Information: Excerpts edited from Babe Herman Wikipedia page; stats from Baseball Reference.com