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1949: Babe Ruth Retires No. 3:
Yankee Stadium, June 13, 1948: The fans came out to honor one of the greats, baseball's beloved Babe Ruth. On the field, New York Herald Tribune photographer Nat Fein had a close-up view of the home run hero, slumped in the dugout, weakened by illness. "He looked tired, very tired. The power... was slowly ebbing away." Still, Ruth's slow walk onto the field drove the crowd wild. They gave "The Sultan of Swat" a thunderous standing ovation.
Fein took a few pictures but wasn't satisfied. He walked around to the other side. "I saw Ruth standing there with his uniform, No. 3, the number that would be retired, and knew that was the shot." The thick shock of hair, the number, the fans -- Fein's photograph tells the whole story of the Babe's bittersweet finale. |