Many have reported that Babe Ruth patterned his batting stance on one of the all-time great hitters after the success the player had at the plate.
Ruth is quoted as having said, “I copied (his) style because I thought he was the greatest hitter I had ever seen, the greatest natural hitter I ever saw. He’s the guy who made me a hitter.”
Do you know who the player was? Shoeless Joe Jackson.
Now, Ruth’s first full season was in 1919 with the Boston Red Sox, and although he may have seen Jackson during short stints with the Red Sox in prior years, Jackson’s 1919 season was the year of the Black Sox scandal. But during the season, Shoeless Joe batted .351 that year. His best season at the plate was his first full year with Cleveland in 1911, when he hit for a .408 average.
Perhaps Ruth had the opportunity to observe Jackson on multiple occasions, but it’s remarkable that Ruth achieved such success in his career, attributing much of it to Shoeless Joe.
As a player, if you did play, did you pattern your stance after someone? Your dad? A player you admired, even one on the local sandlots? A pro you have seen on television or in person at a game?
My baseball heroes were not just Babe Ruth, but also Stan Musial. I remember watching Stan the Man at the plate with his graceful left-handed swing. I never had the power to hit home runs like Ruth, but I always aimed to hit the ball and end up on second base like Musial, who led the National League several times in doubles.
I’ve taken this as far as possible without making my point, and I’m going in a different direction. My stance on baseball in Nashville, especially pro baseball, is not patterned on anyone else’s stance.
As a baseball enthusiast, I’m often asked about my thoughts on the Nashville Stars initiative and the Music City Baseball group’s efforts to bring Major League Baseball to our beloved city.
Here’s a bit of background from my perspective: When managing director John Loar asked me to share Nashville’s baseball history, it was a moment that sparked a deep connection.
This initiative is not just about bringing MLB to Nashville, but about honoring our shared baseball history, including the Negro Leagues teams that played here under different names, including the Nashville Elite Giants, Black Vols, and Stars, among others.
The Stars’ history is incomplete, but we know the team existed. Players Jim Zapp and Sidney Bunch have attested to playing for them and there are images that back up its presence. The combination of baseball, Nashville’s illustrious entertainment history, and present-day high-profile entertainers tells a great story and gives a worthy foundation, too.
Let me stop here and state that I am not on the payroll of Music City Baseball or the Nashville Stars. Listed as a historical advisor along with historians Rich Rhoda and David Ewing, folks think I have some responsibility. I attend no meetings other than social gatherings; I have no inside information about the group’s goings-on, and when I talk about the Stars, I can only tell what I have read or seen in the media, just like anyone else.
I have also been involved with the Nashville Sounds in a similar way. As First Tennessee, now First Horizon, Park was under construction, I assisted in providing information and images for historical information around the ballpark, both inside and outside.
When asked what my stance is on MLB coming to Nashville, I usually state it this way: As a New York Yankees fan since I was 10 years old, I will be more than happy to attend a game against the Yankees in Nashville’s new stadium, to take off my Yankees jersey for the last time and put on my Stars jersey to be a Stars fan for the rest of my life.
Yes, I support the Stars initiative. The thought of Nashville’s MLB opening day, whenever it may be, fills me with hope and excitement. The potential of having an MLB team in our city is a dream that I can only wish it happened while I’m still here to witness it.
That does not diminish my love for the Sounds, who play in the best minor-league ballpark in America and deserve the support of area baseball fans. I also take a stand for them; they are the team we have now, and I will continue to wear my Sounds jersey and cap to the ballpark for as long as the team is our team.
Supporting the Stars is a different experience from supporting the Sounds, but it’s a love I hold for both. They each have a special place in my heart, and I’m sure many of you feel the same way. My love for baseball extends to both the potential of the Stars and the current reality of the Sounds.
Now, I am no Shoeless Joe Jackson, Babe Ruth, or Stan Musial. I have no hitting prowess to instruct young players. Many players patterned their stances on no one but just from batting practice and ten thousand swings.
Yes, we can disagree about where a team would build a new baseball stadium, who will pay for it, who the owner or owners are, whether Nashville is ready for another pro sports franchise, or how it would affect the tax base. Many questions like those have bantered about over the past few years.
My stance is to strongly support our team through thick and thin. As a baseball lover, I always find baseball perfect in its imperfections.
Babe Ruth did very well by patterning his stance on Shoeless Joe Jackson. If you are undecided about MLB coming to Nashville or are against the idea completely, consider how well it could pay off for the city.
Ruth’s decision served him very well.
He is quoted as saying, “Baseball was, is and always will be to me the best game in the world” and “I swing big, with everything I’ve got. I hit big, or I miss big.”
This great game, played at the highest level imaginable, could be ours with support from everyday fans. Let’s hit big and not miss.
That’s my stance, and it ought to be yours.
Note: This story was told in one of my recent podcast episodes; if you would like to listen, it is here.
© 2025 by Skip Nipper. All Rights Reserved.
