I was signed pre war when signed pre war wasnt cool

[milkit1]

Wow cool! Yeah I remember him being incredibly nice and that even shows in the photo. Amazing to think this guy was there for Ruth's "called" (or uncalled) shot.

Originally Posted by Cooptown

I am a little bit offended to see this! Just kidding, although I honestly thought I was always Billy Herman's #1 fan - even though I was born in 1977. You see, Billy Herman married a woman from my hometown - Rome, NY. He even mentions it in his HOF speech (which in today's day and age would be considered an introduction): http://baseballhall.org/node/11189

I am probably going to screw this up, but Billy married one of my cousin's ex-wife's relative. So I always use to tell people growing up (when I was like 8-12 or so) that I was a distant relative of a HOFer.

I never got a Goudey signed, but have a ton of signed Billy Herman signed items. From what I remember, he was an incredibly nice man and very fan friendly.

[Cooptown]

Originally Posted by milkit1

Wow cool! Yeah I remember him being incredibly nice and that even shows in the photo. Amazing to think this guy was there for Ruth's "called" (or uncalled) shot.

Actually, it's funny that you mention that. According to my father, Billy Herman was adamant that Babe Ruth did not call his shot (my Dad was as diehard of a Yankee fan as they come), and instead Ruth was jawing at the Cubs dugout, and pointing yelling obscenities. He was, according to my Dad, adamant that Ruth did not call his own shot.

[itjclarke]

Originally Posted by Cooptown

Actually, it's funny that you mention that. According to my father, Billy Herman was adamant that Babe Ruth did not call his shot (my Dad was as diehard of a Yankee fan as they come), and instead Ruth was jawing at the Cubs dugout, and pointing yelling obscenities. He was, according to my Dad, adamant that Ruth did not call his own shot.

Cool story and connection. If memory serves me right, Herman's interviewed on Ken Burns' "Baseball" saying similar. That version seems very plausible to me, and the famous photo looks more to me like he's gesturing toward the dugout than emphatically pointing to CF.

I think it's actually cool not to know, since everything now has a dozen network camera angles, and potentially thousands of personally shot still and moving footage.. and the Twittersphere. Mystery/mystique is such a great part of baseball's past and one of the hooks for collecting its artifacts.

[milkit1]

yeah its one of those rare baseball enigmas. Its interesting that the Yankees go with it and the cubs dont