1932 World Series Game 3

Lore & Background

For the third straight season, the Yankees fielded nine players who would eventually be enshrined in the Hall of Fame (Earle Combs, Bill Dickey, Lou Gehrig, Lefty Gomez, Tony Lazzeri, Herb Pennock, Red Ruffing, Babe Ruth, and Joe Sewell). This is the most all time, tied with the previous year's team as well as the 1930 and 1933 Yankees teams. The same nine Hall of Famers played for the 1931, 1932, and 1933 teams, with the 1930 team differing only by not having Joe Sewell and instead featuring Waite Hoyt. The Yankees played their home games at Yankee Stadium. In the World Series, they swept the Chicago Cubs. The 1932 Yankees became the first team in MLB history to go an entire season without being shut out. Only two teams since, the 2000 Cincinnati Reds and 2020 Los Angeles Dodgers (in a shortened 60-game season) have gone an entire season without being shut out.

In Their Own Story

The air at Wrigley Field didn't just feel heavy; it felt poisoned. The scent of cut grass was drowned out by the smoke of cigarettes and the acrid taste of vitriol hurled from every angle. As Babe Ruth stepped into the batter's box, the Cubs dugout erupted—a cacophony of slurs and threats that even the deafening wind couldn't mask. His teammates later recalled the manager, Joe McCarthy, shouting warnings from the bench. Ruth paused, his eyes cutting through the chaos to lock onto a distant speck in center field. With a calmness that bordered on supernatural, he raised a gloved hand, pointing straight at the gap between the foul poles. The crowd fell into a stunned hush, holding its breath. Then came the swing: a thunderous crack that echoed off the brick walls, followed by a ball soaring like an arrow through the sky, landing exactly where his finger had aimed.

Reader's Guide

Regular season: June 3, 1932: Lou Gehrig became the first player in the 20th century to hit four home runs in one game. June 3, 1932: Tony Lazzeri had a natural cycle (hit a single, double, triple and home run in that order) that was also completed with a grand slam. This event is often overlooked because it was the same game in which Lou Gehrig hit four home runs. On May 30, 1932, the Yankees dedicated a monument to their former manager, Miller Huggins. Huggins was the first of many Yankees personnel granted this honor. The monument was placed in front of the flagpole in center field at Yankee Stadium, an area which eventually became 'Monument Park', dedicated in 1976. The monument calls Huggins 'A splendid character who made priceless contributions to baseball.'

Did You Know?

• Lou Gehrig hit four home runs in one game on June 3, 1932.
• Tony Lazzeri hit a natural cycle with a grand slam in the same game as Gehrig's four home runs.
• The 1932 Yankees were the first team in MLB history to go an entire season without being shut out.
• The Yankees dedicated a monument to Miller Huggins on May 30, 1932.

The Historic Called Shot

Game Three of the 1932 World Series lives in memory largely because of Babe Ruth's legendary home run in the fifth inning. With Cubs pitcher Charlie Root on the mound, Ruth went through a series of pointing gestures before driving the ball into centerfield. Fans often interpret this as him predicting exactly where he would hit it, though history suggests he might have been goading the opposing dugout instead. Intent aside, the blast turned the tide toward New York. This was Ruth's tenth and final World Series trip, adding weight to the play. Lou Gehrig followed immediately with a back-to-back homer off Root, forcing pitchers out of his spot on the mound. Those consecutive hits broke Chicago's spirit in this game, leaving just one win needed for the Yankees title.

A Record of Hall of Fame Talent

The 1932 World Series brought together an unmatched collection of baseball immortals, with a record thirteen future Hall of Famers on the field. The roster featured stars like Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig for New York, plus Cubs icons including manager Rogers Hornsby, who guided his squad to the NL pennant. The credit list went deeper too: umpire Bill Klem and Yankees skipper Joe McCarthy both earned their spots in Cooperstown later on. This grouping offered a rare snapshot of the game's best minds meeting up on grass. Having so many legends in one place raised the energy for every swing and tactical move. Professional sports history rarely matches this density of future stars, making this specific series a unique chapter.

Uniforms and Stadium Upgrades

Beyond the on-field drama, Game Three introduced significant visual changes to the World Series landscape. It marked the first time both competing teams wore uniforms featuring numbers on their backs, a modernization that would soon become standard across professional sports. Additionally, the venue itself underwent temporary expansion to accommodate the fervor of Chicago supporters. Approximately 50,000 fans attended the game at Wrigley Field, a massive crowd for the era made possible by constructing temporary bleachers along Waveland and Sheffield Avenues. This logistical feat highlighted the immense popularity of the Cubs during this period. The atmosphere was further charged by the pre-game batting practice display from Ruth and Gehrig, who bombarded the stands with home runs, showcasing their power before the game even began.

The Road to a Sweep

Although Game Three provided the most famous moments, it served as the pivotal turning point in a four-game sweep for the New York Yankees. The series was characterized by intense friction between the two clubs, with fiery arguments heating up the atmosphere long before the first pitch. In this specific contest, the Cubs managed to tie the game at 4-4 thanks to errors and timely hitting by players like Billy Jurges and Kiki Cuyler. However, the Yankees' offense proved too potent to contain after Ruth's fifth-inning blast and Gehrig's follow-up homer. The final score of 6-5 reflected a tightly contested battle where New York ultimately prevailed through clutch hitting and resilient pitching from Herb Pennock in the ninth inning. This victory set the stage for Game Four, where the Yankees would secure their championship with a decisive 9-5 win.