August 23, 1942: The Bambino vs. the Big Train for War Bonds

Left to right: Walter Johnson, former Yankee catcher Benny Bengough,

Hall of Fame umpire Billy Evans, Babe Ruth.

August 23, 1942: An old-timers game to raise money for war bonds is held at Yankee Stadium, between games of a doubleheader between the Yankees and the Washington Senators, in front of 69,136 fans. Yankee legend Babe Ruth, 47 years old, batted against Senators legend Walter Johnson, 54.

It wasn't until 1936, a year after the Great Bambino retired, that the Yankees began wearing an interlocking NY on their jerseys. Nevertheless, Ruth wore a current Yankee uniform, with his famous Number 3 on the back. The Big Train, winner of an American League record 417 games and, until 1983, holder of the major league career record for strikeouts with 3,508, retired before uniform numbers were worn, but wore a current Senators uniform, with the Number 30 on the back.

Johnson knew the crowd was there to see Ruth first, and himself or anybody else second. So he tried to groove pitches for Ruth. After a few misses and foul-offs, Ruth hit a drive that curved into the upper deck, but slightly foul. He knew he'd given it everything he had, so he took his trot around the bases at Yankee Stadium for the last time.

Ruth and Johnson were 2 of the 1st 5 players elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. The game in which Ruth hit his 60th home run of the 1927 season was also Johnson's last major league appearance -- oddly, as a pinch-hitter, not a pitcher. The men maintained their friendship to the end. Sadly, within 6 years of this event, both of them would be dead from cancer.

As for the regular games: The Senators won the opener, 7-6. Tommy Henrich and Charlie Keller hit home runs in support of Red Ruffing, but it wasn't enough, as George Case hit a home run off Ruffing in the 7th, and the usually reliable Johnny Murphy blew the save in the 9th inning.

The Yankees won the nightcap, 3-0. Ernest "Tiny" Bonham pitched a 6-hit shutout. Over the 2 games, Joe DiMaggio went 3-for-7 with a sacrifice fly.

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August 23, 1942 was a Sunday. These other baseball games were played that day:

* The Brooklyn Dodgers swept a doubleheader from their arch-rivals, the New York Giants, at Ebbets Field, 6-4 and 7-5. Mel Ott, already the Giants' manager, hit a home run in the 1st game, but so did Dolph Camilli, who had 6 RBIs. Johnny Mize homered in the top of the 10th inning, but Camilli's homer came in the bottom of the 10th. Ott homered again in the 2nd game, but Billy Sullivan hit one for Dem Bums.

* A doubleheader was split at Braves Field in Boston. The Boston Braves won the 1st game, 3-1. The Philadelphia Phillies won the 2nd game, 2-0, as Rube Melton pitched a 4-hit shutout.

* The Boston Red Sox swept a doubleheader from the Philadelphia Athletics at Shibe Park in Philadelphia, 2-0 and 7-0, each a 4-hit shutout, by Tex Hughson, and Joe Dobson. Ted Williams went 1-for-7 over the 2 games, but also drew 2 walks.

* A doubleheader was split at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. The Chicago White Sox won the 1st game, 3-1. Hall-of-Famer Ted Lyons went the distance for the win. The Cleveland Indians won the 2nd game, 1-0. Ken Keltner hit a double to win it in the bottom of the 10th, to make a winner out of Jim Bagby, who pitched 10 innings of 5-hit shutout ball.

* The St. Louis Browns swept a doubleheader from the Detroit Tigers at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, 2-1 and 4-2. (It was renamed Tiger Stadium in 1961.) Wally Judnich singled home the winning run in the 2nd game in the top of the 10th inning.

* The Chicago Cubs swept a doubleheader from the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field in Chicago, taking both games by a 3-0 margin: A 9-hit shutout by Claude Passeau, and a 2-hit shutout by Lon Warneke.

* And a doubleheader was split at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. The Pittsburgh Pirates won the 1st game, 5-3. The St. Louis Cardinals won the 2nd game, 5-2. Rookie Stan Musial went 1-for-8 with 2 RBIs.