The 'Babe Ruth Shot' is born

On June 13, 1948 — 77 years ago Friday — the Yankees celebrated the 25th anniversary of Yankee Stadium and honored the legendary Babe Ruth, officially retiring his No. 3 jersey.

And the "Babe Ruth Shot" was born.

Before a full house at Yankee Stadium, players from the 1923 team and other Yankee pennant-winning teams Ruth played on were announced and lined up along the base line, including Bob Meusel, Waite Hoyt, Wally Pipp, Sad Sam Jones, Carl Mays, Bob Shawkey from the 1923 team (Lou Gehrig played in 13 games at 20 years old that season, but had passed away in 1941), plus Bill Dickey, Joe Gordon, Mark Koenig and Lefty Gomez. The 53-year-old Ruth, unsteady and weakened by throat cancer, was the last player announced and drew a tremendous response from fans that shook the packed Stadium.

New York Herald-Tribune photographer Nathaniel Fine (who was two years ahead of Sid Luckman at Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn in 1933) was filling in for a colleague who called in sick when he took this Pulitzer Prize-winning photo of Babe Ruth on June 13, 1948 at Yankee Stadium.

Photographers along the first-base line took pictures of Ruth doffing his cap to the cheering crowd. But after doing that, Nat Fein of the New York Herald-Tribune — knowing the retirement of Ruth's legendary No. 3 was the story — wheeled around to the third base line and took a picture of Ruth from behind.

It turned out to be one of the most memorable photos in sports history, perfectly capturing the moment — a frail Ruth leaning on a bat (belonging to future Hall of Famer Bob Feller, the Indians' starting pitcher that day) for balance, the cheering crowd, former teammates and of the No. 3 on his jersey that would be worn for the last time.

New York Daily News photographer Bob Olen also captured the "Babe Ruth shot," and was used for this cover of The Sporting News on June 23, 1948.

The Sporting News' coverage of the ceremony honoring the 25th anniversary of "The House That Ruth Build" and Ruth's jersey No. 3 being retired.

Truth be told, Bob Olen of the New York Daily News and an Associated Press photographer also captured the reverse angle picture, but Fein's was a masterpiece (he did not use a flash, which might have helped capture the authentic mood of the event) and "The Babe Bows Out" became the photo that defined the moment. The next year it became the first sports photograph to win the Pulitzer Prize.

An Associated Press photographer also captured Babe Ruth and his famous jersey No. 3 from behind, but Nat Fein's photo defined the day.

The Babe Ruth/Yankee Stadium celebration was a bittersweet moment. Ruth was a shell of the man whose home-run hitting and effusive, engaging personality dominated and elevated an entire sport. He needed help to put on the famous jersey for the last time. He struggled to speak. Many who saw him in the clubhouse and on the field that day — teammates, colleagues, reporters and fans among them — were in tears. Two months later, Ruth would be dead.

"Ladies and gentleman, I just want to say one thing. I am proud I hit the first home un here against Boston in 1923," Ruth said in a raspy, whispery voice. "It is marvelous to see these 13 or 14 players who were my teammates going back 25 years. I'm telling you it makes me proud and happy to be here. Thank you."

Fein's outstanding work not only won the highest honor in journalism, but the "Babe Ruth Shot" became a lesson in capturing and reporting on any moment — when everyone else is zigging, don't be afraid to zag. The same story can be told a better way from a different perspective.

I tried for the "Babe Ruth Shot" when new Bears wide receiver Dontrelle Inman drew a huge media crowd after being acquired in a trade with the Chargers in 2017 (to illustrate how any receiver was given savior treatment with the Bears), and only got in trouble. The head of Bears media relations admonished me for taking a picture in the locker room. (I don't think I ever published this picture, but did not consider that I would be in the background of those TV shots — lesson learned!)

Mark Carman of CHGO Sports used the lesson of the "Babe Ruth Shot" at the NFL Scouting Combine in February. While every other reporter at the Combine was interviewing Colorado wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter, Carman interviewed North Carolina cornerback Alijah Huzzie — a one-on-one as it turned out.

Hunter went second overall to the Jaguars. Huzzie was undrafted (he had suffered a torn ACL in a practice at the East-West Shrine Game), but signed with the Texans — a reported three-year, $2.675 million contract. Carman did not win a Pulitzer Prize as Nat Fein did for "The Babe Bows Out," but settled for a CHGO Victory Lap — their version of celebrating the Pulitzer.