‘Ottawa’ Capital Facts: That time Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig came to Ottawa
In celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday, the Citizen is rolling out one fact each day for 150 days until July 1, highlighting the odd, the fascinating and the important bits of Ottawa history you might not know about.
Six days after winning the World Series in October 1928, two of baseball’s most famous players — the Yankees’ Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig — arrived at Ottawa’s Union Station as part of a 21-game barnstorming tour across North America. They took a suite at the Château Laurier and later played an exhibition game at Dupuis Park in Hull before more than 3,000 fans. Ruth, the papers reported, was mobbed but ever charming. Together, the pair — the heart of New York’s Murderers’ Row — had hit 81 home runs that season.
— Kelly Egan
(Visited 23 times, 1 visits today)