‘The Sultan of Swat! The King of Crash! The Colossus of Clout! The Great Bambino!’
THE LEGEND OF BABE RUTH
On April 27, 1947, the New York Yankees hosted the first Babe Ruth Day to honor the ailing baseball star, who had terminal throat cancer. As he rose to give a speech for the 58,339 fans in the stadium, Ruth’s condition caused him to have a coughing fit. With the thunderous cheers from the stands encouraging him to continue, he lovingly spoke to the thousands of people who had followed his career from his early years as a free-spirited Baltimore school kid to the world-renowned baseball legend he became. Even legends have to start somewhere, and Ruth began his baseball career in the minor league Baltimore Orioles, where his teammates gave him the nickname “Babe.” He was soon acquired by the Boston Red Sox, and he helped them win the World Series in 1916 and 1918. The following year, he was traded to the Yankees. His popularity in the Big Apple allowed the Yankees to move from a shared ballpark to one of their own in the Bronx, which was aptly known as “The House That Ruth Built.” Even through the 1919 World Series gambling debacle, which cast doubt over the sport’s future, the fans’ attention was still centered on the Sultan of Swat and what he would do next. The New York Times reported that as “home runs began to scale off his bat in droves, crowds jammed ballparks in every city in which he appeared.” All those home runs resulted in his record-breaking year in 1927, when he hit 60 over-the-fence home runs in a single season.
While his home run record was eventually broken in 1961, the continued celebration of Babe Ruth Day keeps his love for the game and unmatched ability alive. To quote the classic baseball film “The Sandlot,” “Heroes get remembered, but legends never die.” In the Great Bambino’s case, the legend of his baseball career has survived for over a century and will continue to do so for decades to come.
READY TO HUNT GOBBLERS SOME STEPS YOU CAN TAKE TO PREP FOR TURKEY HUNTING SEASON
A great way to get out and enjoy the warmer weather begins in April. It’s almost turkey hunting season! From April 6–28, Louisianans can get out, find those roosts, and nab themselves a gobbler. But before you don that new camo gear you got for Christmas and trek out into the woods, there are a few steps you should take to make sure you’re ready for turkey season. Readying Your Gear Three things that warrant inspection at the beginning of the season: your weapon, your mouth calls, and your camo. Properly service your gun or bow, and make sure that all the components are in proper working condition. Neglecting this step could cause danger out on the hunt. You will want to check your calls to know if any of them rotted over winter and need to be replaced. Finally, make sure you have all the
camo you need to cover up completely and guard yourself from the gobbler’s razor-sharp gaze. You also want your gear to be as quiet as possible so you don’t make any sounds unfamiliar to your target. Shooting Practice Get in some time at the shooting range to get used to your gun again and to make sure it’s patterning correctly. Experiment with different kinds of choke tubes for your shotgun to get the pattern you want. If you hunt with a bow, practice could be even more important because it’s harder to take down a turkey and potentially harder to recover when you shoot it with an arrow. Scout the Perfect Location If you’re hunting on private land, make sure you get permission from the owner before you do anything. Scout out where the turkeys roost
in the evening and feed in the daytime. Look for the gobbler’s strut zone. This is something that you can do year-round, but keep in mind that turkeys have different movement patterns in winter than in spring. Perfect Your Turkey Call There are many different types of calls, and it’s worth your time to learn at least a few of them. Whether it’s a box, friction, slate, or diaphragm call, there’s no reason to wait until the last minute to practice. Some might advise against practicing with real turkeys before the season starts, for fear of making them skittish before the hunt even begins, but you can always practice at home as well.
Happy hunting!
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