The great Babe Ruth crosses home plate after hitting his 700th career home run off the Tigers pitcher Tommy Bridges. The two-run blast, estimated to travel over 500 feet by some, cleared the single-deck bleachers in right field and rolled down the street several hundred yards giving the Yankees a third-inning 2-0 lead. As Ruth started to circle the bases he was yelling “I want that ball! I want that ball!”. Police were dispatched to find the whereabouts of the prized baseball and found it in the hands of a lucky lad by the name of Lenny Bielski, who was paid $20 dollars and allowed to watch the rest of the game from the dugout as the Yankees would roll to a 4-2 victory.
One can only imagine what the worth of that baseball is today, and if Lenny knew what it might have fetched years later he might have held out for a bit more than a Andrew Jackson bill. But given the God-like aura that Ruth inspired in fans, one can’t blame him if meeting Ruth in person was enough reward for a star-struck fan. And as an added bonus Ruth and Lenny stayed friends and the $20 dollar bill, that Ruth autographed, is still in the possession of his family to this very day.
