2023/2024
Collection 19

The Incredible Find

1931; St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Crack! My great-uncle Tommy Collico, a ten-year-old boy, was casually walking on Grand Avenue.(1) It was a humid day on August 21, 1931. Tommy did not know it yet, but he was going to go home with a story that his family would never forget.

The St. Louis Browns were competing against the New York Yankees at Sportsman’s Park, located at 2911 North Grand Boulevard.(1) Suddenly the crowd cheered so loudly that Tommy could hear it outside the stadium. That was when he saw something hit a parked car and roll under it. He was curious, so he took a closer look. It was a baseball, but he was not aware that it was a very special baseball. Tommy grabbed the baseball and headed home to show his family his incredible find.

It had just been the third inning, with a runner on first base. Babe Ruth was up to bat. He hit a pitch from George Blaeholder that soared over the pavilion roof and hit a parked car on Grand Avenue. The crowd cheered with excitement as the Great Bambino(2) hit his 600th career home run! Ruth got ejected in the ninth inning for arguing with the umpire, but the New York Yankees ended up winning the game 11 to 7.

After the game, Ruth reached out to reporters, asking the radio stations to relay his request to have the home run ball returned to him. He would give a $10 reward and sign a new ball to whoever returned it.

The next day, my uncle Tommy arrived at the Sportsman’s Park press gate with the ball. Ruth greeted Tommy like a son. They chatted for a bit, and Ruth gave him a ten-dollar bill and a brand-new ball that was signed. This was an unforgettable day for Tommy and his family!

Aiden Hunter; Missouri, USA

1. Grand Avenue and North Grand Boulevard were the same street with slightly different names in different locations — and “Grand Avenue” seemed to be more commonly used.

2. “Bambino” is an Italian word meaning “baby” or “child.” Babe Ruth (nicknamed the Great Bambino) played major league baseball from 1914 to 1935. From 1921 to 1974 he held the record for the most home runs hit by a professional baseball player in his career, ending with a total of 714.

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