John Dale Sylvester (April 5, 1915 – January 8, 1990) was an American packing machinery company executive who was best known for a promise made to him by
Babe Ruth
George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...
during the
1926 World Series
The 1926 World Series was the championship series of the 1926 Major League Baseball season. The 23rd edition of the Series, it pitted the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals against the American League champion New York Yankees. The C ...
. Sylvester was seriously ill and hospitalized. Ruth said he would hit a home run on his behalf, which was followed by what was widely reported at the time as Sylvester's miraculous recovery.
Early life
Sylvester was born on April 5, 1915, in
Caldwell, New Jersey
Caldwell is a borough located in northwestern Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City and north-west of Newark, the state's most populous city. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's populatio ...
. His father, Horace Clapp Sylvester Jr., was a banker who by 1926 was a vice president at National City Bank and served as head of its municipal department. Sylvester grew up in Caldwell and moved with his family to a large house in
Essex Fells, New Jersey
Essex Fells is a borough in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the borough's population was 2,113,New York Yankees and its star player, Babe Ruth.
Bay Head, New Jersey
Bay Head is a borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 968,osteomyelitis
Osteomyelitis (OM) is an infection of bone. Symptoms may include pain in a specific bone with overlying redness, fever, and weakness. The long bones of the arms and legs are most commonly involved in children e.g. the femur and humerus, while the ...
in his skull, a condition that is caused by an infection that leads to bone deterioration. Doctors thought that his condition could lead to his death.Charlie Poekel, Julia Beth Steven "Babe & the Kid" p. 33, The History Press, 2007. . Accessed June 28, 2009. The condition was only one of several that Sylvester was said to be ailing from at the time, which was also variously ascribed to a back problem,
blood poisoning
Sepsis, formerly known as septicemia (septicaemia in British English) or blood poisoning, is a life-threatening condition that arises when the body's response to infection causes injury to its own tissues and organs. This initial stage is follo ...
, a sinus condition, and either a spinal infection or
spinal fusion
Spinal fusion, also called spondylodesis or spondylosyndesis, is a neurosurgical or orthopedic surgical technique that joins two or more vertebrae. This procedure can be performed at any level in the spine (cervical, thoracic, or lumbar) and pre ...
. The confusion as to the condition affecting Sylvester has led to claims that the entire incident was a hoax.
Urgent telegrams were sent to Ruth, who was then with the Yankees playing the St. Louis Cardinals in the
1926 World Series
The 1926 World Series was the championship series of the 1926 Major League Baseball season. The 23rd edition of the Series, it pitted the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals against the American League champion New York Yankees. The C ...
. It has been unclear if Sylvester initiated the request himself, or if it had been the idea of his father or uncle as an effort to lift his spirits. Ruth sent back from St. Louis a package that included two balls, one autographed by members of the Yankees and the other by players from the Cardinals. Inscribed on the ball was a note from Ruth that read, "I'll knock a homer for you on Wednesday", in Game 4 of the series.
After Ruth hit three home runs in Game 4 on Wednesday, October 6, newspapers reported that Sylvester's condition had miraculously improved. After the Yankees lost the series in seven games, Ruth visited Sylvester at his home in Essex Fells, with Sylvester telling Ruth "I'm sorry the Yanks lost".
The incident was featured in the 1948
biopic
A biographical film or biopic () is a film that dramatizes the life of a non-fictional or historically-based person or people. Such films show the life of a historical person and the central character's real name is used. They differ from docu ...
''
The Babe Ruth Story
''The Babe Ruth Story'' is a 1948 biographical film of Babe Ruth, the famed New York Yankees slugger. It stars William Bendix (New York Yankee batboy in the 1920s) as the ballplayer and Claire Trevor as his wife Claire Merritt Hodgson. Critics ...
'', but the film took liberties with important facts. First, the film portrayed Ruth visiting Sylvester during the
1932 World Series
The 1932 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1932 season. The 29th edition of the World Series, it matched the American League champion New York Yankees versus the National League champions Chicago Cubs. T ...
against the Chicago Cubs rather than the 1926 World Series vs the Cardinals. Second, the film has Ruth visiting the Sylvester home in Gary, Indiana in person and shows Ruth in the boy's bedroom telling Johnny that he will hit a home run if Johnny hangs in there rather than sending autographed baseballs and a note to Johnny in New Jersey. In the 1942 movie ''
The Pride of the Yankees
''The Pride of the Yankees'' is a 1942 American film produced by Samuel Goldwyn, directed by Sam Wood, and starring Gary Cooper, Teresa Wright, and Walter Brennan. It is a tribute to the legendary New York Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig, w ...
'',
Gary Cooper
Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper; May 7, 1901May 13, 1961) was an American actor known for his strong, quiet screen persona and understated acting style. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice and had a further three nominations, a ...
portrays Lou Gehrig, who promises a sick youth named Billy that he would hit two home runs at the World Series for the kid after Babe Ruth promised just one. This two-story is repeated in the 1992 film ''
The Babe
''The Babe'' is a 1992 American biographical sports drama film about the life of famed baseball player Babe Ruth, who is portrayed by John Goodman. Directed by Arthur Hiller, written by John Fusco, it was released in the United States on Apri ...
''.
While he was recovering from his illness, Sylvester also received an autographed football from Red Grange and an autographed tennis racket from
Bill Tilden
William Tatem Tilden II (February 10, 1893 – June 5, 1953), nicknamed "Big Bill", was an American tennis player. Tilden was the world No. 1 amateur for six consecutive years, from 1920 to 1925, and was ranked as the world No. 1 professional ...
lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations.
The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...
. He was the president of the
Long Island City, Queens
Long Island City (LIC) is a residential and commercial neighborhood on the extreme western tip of Queens, a borough in New York City. It is bordered by Astoria to the north; the East River to the west; New Calvary Cemetery in Sunnyside to t ...
Garden City, New York
Garden City is a village located on Long Island in Nassau County New York. It is the Greater Garden City area's anchor community. The population was 23,272 at the 2020 census.
The Incorporated Village of Garden City is primarily located within ...