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 Rewind