My Dad and the Babe

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

My Dad was a huge baseball fan when he was a boy regularly listening  on the staticky radio to games played in the old Texas League, teams like Dallas, Ft Worth, Tulsa and San Antonio. Sometimes he would be able to pick up Major League games, teams like St Louis, Detroit, Cleveland. He would be  thrilled when he could pick up NY Yankee games. Lou Gerig and Babe Ruth were like gods to him. The years passed and nothing changed. He still listened to those Texas League games and  Big League games too. 

In the late 40’s he became the friend of Meyer Dinoski who was connected to the Texas League in some way. They played poker together occasionally. One night they were playing and Meyer  said to him: “You won’t believe who is coming to play with us tonight.” My Dad couldn’t imagine and Meyer said  “Wait and see.” They kept playing and after a while there was a knock on the door. The door was opened. Standing there was the greatest baseball player of all time,  Babe Ruth. The Babe. I can’t come close to imagining how shocked and thrilled my Dad and the others were.

Well, the Babe came in and proceeded to sit down and drink beer and play poker with the group until dawn. Then the Babe had to leave but before he did he signed some balls for the fellows there. He  left and most of those remaining must have looked at each other in disbelief.

When Dad got home I was sound asleep in my bed. I could hear Dad say, “Wake up Mikey, wake up. You won’t believe what I have for you.Wake up.” I got my eyes open, and there was Dad sitting there, holding one of the balls signed by the Babe. I never saw Dad happier than when he handed me that ball.

Dad is gone now and of course the Babe is too. But that treasured ball  sits back on a shelf in my cave to this day.