The anticipation of another showdown with the Bambino transformed Wrigley Field. Temporary bleachers held the overflow of the 50,000-strong crowd that bright September day. Game 3 of the 1932 World Series between the Cubs and Yankees stood locked at 4-4. An angry mob, rocking the ballpark with pent-up fury, aimed itself squarely at him. He had never experienced anything like it. But above the almost deafening noise, the slugger could hear the tide of barbs pouring at him from the Cubs’ dugout. They called him a busher, a fat slob, and other names not fit to print at the time. He took the first pitch for a strike, stepped out of the box, and collected himself. Cubs pitcher Charlie Root threw two balls, and Ruth watched a fastball cut the corner to set the count at 2 and 2. On the on-deck circle, Lou Gehrig heard Ruth call out to Root: “I’m going to knock the next one down your goddamn throat.” Ruth took a deep breath, raised his arm, and held out two fingers toward centerfield. As Root wound up, the crowd roared in expectation. It was a change-up curve, low and away, but it came in flat and without bite. The ball compressed on impact with Ruth’s bat and began its long journey into history, whizzing past the centerfield flag pole. No one had ever gone that far at Wrigley—not even Cubs hitter Hack Wilson. Estimates put its distance at nearly 500 feet. Ruth practically sprinted around the bases. Video cameras of the day raced to catch up with him, his teammates cracking that they hadn’t seen him run that fast in a long time. Then he flashed four fingers at the Cubs infielders and their dugout: The series was going to be over in four games. In that moment, the legend of the Called Shot was born, but the debate over what Ruth had actually done on the afternoon of October 1, 1932, had just begun. A Christian Science Monitor Must-Read Baseball Book "Highly entertaining and fascinating ... If you know a baseball fan, it's a perfect gift. ... You'll have to read about it yourself." — Chicago Tribune "A fun and accessible history of the Called Shot story." — Library Journal "A masterpiece. Ed Sherman has knocked one out of the park. ... A treasure for believers and cynics alike. ... I devoured the pages the way the Babe woofed down hotdogs ... with a feeling that I had taken a wild 1930s-style train trip from New York to Chicago. ... Sherman has achieved a truly Ruthian feat just in collecting the scores of viewpoints from sports writers, witnesses, Cubs, Yankees. But he goes further to examine carefully all the little nuances that have made the Called Shot perhaps the most enduring legend in sports for more than 80 years. ... An incredibly comprehensive look at the fact, fiction, myth and legend surrounding Ruth’s most colossal at-bat. Babe Ruth's Called Shot brings it into sharp focus from every angle imaginable." —Kirk Kandle, TheCalledShot.com "Nothing makes for better reading than terrific reporting, and few singular moments in sports history have been debated, discussed, and researched with the fervor of Babe Ruth's Called Shot. It took place more than 80 years ago, but it is argued about as if it happened last week. Ed Sherman brings it into sharp focus in a uniquely entertaining and greatly detailed way." —John Feinstein, author of the bestselling A Good Walk Spoiled and Open “Sherman cuts through the hype and hyperbole to deliver the true history of the event, revealing not just what happened but how and why a single at bat became the stuff of legend.” —Glenn Stout, bestselling author of Yankees Century and The Cubs and series editor of Best American Sports Writing "Ed Sherman has written with affection and charm about one of baseball's most intriguing moments. This is a wonderful look at a Ruth, his team, and his time." —Jonathan Eig, author of the bestselling Luckiest Man and Opening Day "A fun and fascinating exploration of baseball’s most famous and infamous home run.  If there's such a thing as a sports archeologist, then Sherman is the tops in his field as he meticulously digs for the truth and uncovers little known and never-before-told factual gems. He examines this iconic moment from every imaginable point of view—players, spectators, sportswriters, and others who were there—and guides you, pitch by pitch, during the Babe’s unforgettable at-bat. In this thoroughly enjoyable and incredibly informative book, Sherman does a yeoman’s job of separating myth from reality and lays out compelling cases for those who believe in the Ruthian legend and those who don’t. For any fan who loves baseball history and is looking for ammunition to use during the next sports debate of did-he-or-didn’t-he, this is must reading." —Allan Zullo, coauthor of The Baseball Hall of Shame "Babe Ruth remains the singular colossus of American sport, and his home run in the fifth inning of Game Three of the 1932 World Series remains the most indelible moment of his career. Ed Sherman takes us back to th