He’s going to bat for history!
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman celebrated the 100th anniversary of Babe Ruth’s legendary catch of a baseball thrown from an airplane — declaring it a part of New York’s “rich history.”
Blakeman, who is also the GOP’s gubernatorial candidate, honored the daring aviation stunt, in which the ball was dropped from 300 feet in the air, with a commemorative plaque at Mitchel Field on Long Island alongside dozens of delighted kids and baseball buffs.
“We are very proud of our rich history of aviation. They call this the Cradle of Aviation because so many great aviators, right here at Mitchel Field, trained here and operated here,” Blakeman said at the event.
“Babe Ruth was a World Series champion, he was an MVP, and he was a great pitcher, as well as one of the greatest hitters, in the history of baseball,” Blakeman said in a statement.
Kids who attended the event watched in awe as Nassau County Police Department helicopter did a flyover, and viewed a clip of the “The Catch” from 1926.
“It’s an honor to remember an amazing movement in baseball history,” former Yankees player Andy Pettitte said of the event, in a recorded video.
“I wish I was around here to see it,” he said. “Here’s to the enduring legacy [of] The Babe.”
Ruth made great made history by becoming the first person ever to catch a baseball dropped from an airplane on July 22, 1926.
He tried unsuccessfully to six times before catching the ball tossed from a plane flying at a speed of roughly 100 mph during the event, which was staged to boost military aviation interest.
On Wednesday, youngsters also got to recreate “The Catch” with balls dropped from a fire truck ladder.
