[rasnell]

Now that's an area where I've got some experience. I completed a manuscript for a book about the 1929 Chicago Cubs and spent many hours researching and corroborating information from Charlie Root's daughter, Della Root Arnold, who lives in California.

Later, in the 1932 World Series, Ruth was being harassed by the Cubs and pointed toward the dugout. He motioned to Root on the mound when he had two strikes and Catcher Gabby Hartnett said that Ruth motioned to Root that it only took one to hit one.

He did not stand defiantly, pointing toward centerfield, like the lousy movie of years ago.

A homemade film, owned by the grandson of the fan, is in Louisville, Ky. What is shown on the film is closest to the account that Gabby Hartnett gave to reporters for years. He certainly had the best spot to witness it all. It looked like Ruth was shooting a pistol with his hand and motioning directly at Root. This would be consistent when Hartnett said Ruth said it only took one to hit one.

If Root had felt he was being shown up or that Ruth was calling his shot, he definitely would have knocked Ruth down. Even Ruth said that in initial news reports. But Ruth eventually backed off trying to set the record straight because the myth made him look even more heroic.

As Della said about the pitch, having seats with her Mom just 10 rows behind the plate for her Father's World Series game in 1932, "If that big fat guy had pointed, you'd think we would have seen it."

Root's strongest comment about Ruth's HR was that he couldn't believe he hit it so hard. Root intentionally had wasted the pitch because he was ahead in the count. You can see on the film that this is true. Ruth is bending, reaching out and golfs the ball out.