When the Babe Went Back to Boston

Reviews / Votes

"By virtue of his extensive research, Bob LeMoine shows that Babe Ruth's return to Boston with the Braves in 1935, as with the Bambino's 1919 departure from the Red Sox, arguably 'cursed' both of the Hub's major league franchises. As well documented by the author, the past-his- prime ailing slugger was lured back by the machinations of Tribe owner Fuchs to bolster gate receipts in a desperate attempt to save his financially moribund regime. The scheme quickly failed as Ruth abruptly retired, ultimately forcing Fuchs to surrender the team to creditors while Boston's National League fans suffered through one of the worst home team performances in big league history. LeMoine adeptly details the key on- and off-the-field events of that fateful season and of the legacies of Ruth and Fuchs."-Bob Brady, President of the Boston Braves Historical Association "This book took me by surprise. Bob LeMoine's book on the denouement of one of baseball's (and America's) pre-eminent legends evoked emotions of both sympathy and pathos. He tells the story of Babe Ruth's final years in a way I felt previous books had not plumbed nearly as well. His account felt revelatory, and full of detail. In the process of exploring The Babe's final years, LeMoine tells the story of an era of Boston baseball history-the Braves, as they struggled through the Depression years-that also felt new to me, particularly in following the efforts of Judge Emil Fuchs to try and save a team for which he cared so deeply."-Bill Nowlin, baseball historian and author of more than 50 Boston baseball books, including Tom Yawkey: Patriarch of the Boston Red Sox, Mr. Red Sox: The Johnny Pesky Story, Fenway Park at 100, and Ted Williams: The Pursuit of Perfection. "When the Babe Went Back to Boston is one of the best books of 2023. It is a thoroughly researched and thoughtfully told account of the unhappy home stretch of Ruth's career. This is the baseball history equivalent of 'The Lion in Winter.'"-Clayton Trutor, author of Loserville: How Professional Sports Remade Atlanta-and How Atlanta Remade Professional Sports and Boston Ball: Jim Calhoun, Rick Pitino, Gary Williams, and the Forgotten Cradle of Basketball Coaches