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park knew that Ruth had held up his fingers before hitting the home run, and everyone knew that he had made some kind
     of gesture before belting the home run.
    One newspaper reporter captured the mood of the moment, if not entirely accurately, by writing that Ruth had pointed to center
     field before the pitch and then “punched a screaming liner to a spot where no ball had ever been hit before.” The blast became
     known as the “called shot,” and soon everyone was saying Ruth had pointed to center field before hitting the home run.
    Witnesses were divided about whether he actually did point, but the story seemed like something only Babe Ruth could have
     done, or would even have dared to do. Ruth himself claimed that he had pointed “but not [to] a specific spot. I just wanted
     to give that thing a ride out of the park.”
    Although film footage turned up later that seemed to indicate that Ruth didn’t exactly point, that hardly matters. The legend
     of the “called shot” already had a life of its own. And even if Ruth didn’t point, there is no question that he waited for
     one pitch and then hit that pitch out of the park. The incident put atremendous exclamation point on his wondrous career.
    He had already done things on the baseball field no one had thought possible, and in doing so had somehow evolved from a sad,
     lost little boy into one of the most beloved figures in sporting history. Even if Babe didn’t point as people claimed he did,
     there was no question in anyone’s mind that if anyone in the history of the game could hit a home run at will, it was Babe
     Ruth. He was bigger than life, a legend.

CHAPTER EIGHT
1933–1947
Heading Home
    Not even Babe Ruth could play forever, though. Over the next two seasons it became clear that his strength and stamina were
     ebbing and that his career was winding down. The Yankees finished second each season and Ruth’s performance slowly declined.
     After hitting .301 with 34 home runs in 1933, in 1934 he hit .288 with only 22 home runs.
    Yet Ruth was still the most popular player in baseball. If anything, he was even more popular than ever as fans who had grown
     up with him now took their children to see him.
    On occasion, he could still be the most dynamic player in the game. In the first All-Star game ever, played in Chicago in
     1933, Ruth — who else? — hit the first home run in All-Star game history.
    He still commanded a big salary, but it was nowmore than the Yankees felt he was worth. They wanted him to return in 1935, but only as a pinch hitter and at a reduced salary.
     Ruth knew his career as a player was coming to an end, but he hoped that his time with the Yankees wasn’t over. He hadn’t
     given up his dream of becoming the team’s manager.
    There was just one problem. The Yankees were happy with current manager Joe McCarthy. When Ruth asked if they were thinking
     about replacing McCarthy and if he had a chance for the job, he was told no. Although his behavior had improved dramatically,
     the owners worried that he wouldn’t be able to command respect from his players. After all, everyone knew that for most of
     his career he had flouted the rules. “That’s all I need to know,” said Ruth when told of the club’s decision. Sadly, no other
     team seemed interested in hiring Ruth as manager either.
    While his future hung in the balance, in the offseason he traveled to Japan to help popularize baseball in that country. The
     game had caught on in Japan, and Ruth was greeted like a conquering hero. But when he returned to America in February, he
     still didn’t know if or where he would be playing in 1935.
    Then Judge Emil Fuchs, owner of the Boston Braves, approached Jake Ruppert and asked if he would sell the Babe. The Braves
     were desperate to draw fans. Fuchs offered Ruth the chance to play one more season as well as a position as a team vice president
     and assistant manager. He even said he would consider making Ruth manager