We tell the story of Babe Ruth's promise to a sick boy

Babe Ruth once hit three home runs in a single World Series game after promising to "knock a homer" for a sick boy. This boy, 11-year-old Johnny Sylvester, was seriously ill in a hospital in Essex Fells, New Jersey, following a horseback riding accident. Ruth autographed a baseball and included a handwritten note, sending it to Johnny. The story continues with Ruth stepping up to bat in Game 4 in St. Louis and hitting three home runs. Remarkably, Johnny's condition started to improve almost immediately, and he eventually lived to the age of 74. Takeaways:I tell you about 11-year-old Johnny Sylvester getting a signed baseball from Babe Ruth.You hear how Babe Ruth promised to hit a home run and then hit three homers in one World Series game.We explain that Johnny's health improved soon after Ruth's gesture, and he lived to age seventy four.I give the timeline of events from the hospital note to the historic three-homer World Series performance.You should take away that a simple act like sending a signed baseball can have unexpected emotional and public impact, shaping stories that last decades.Companies mentioned in this episode:American RewindThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy