Red Ruffing was not only a Hall of Fame pitcher, but also a pretty solid hitter. His 36 career homers rank second all-time among pitchers, trailing only Wes Ferrell. On August 13, 1932, the hitting aspect of Ruffing’s game wound up being pretty crucial.
The Yankees were in Washington, D.C. playing the Senators on August 13, 1932, and put their first two runners of the game on. Earle Combs led off the game with a walk, followed by a single from Joe Sewell, bringing up Babe Ruth. Two runners on with nobody out and Ruth at the plate was usually a pretty good thing for the Yankees.