Game Three of the 1932 World Series between the Cubs and Yankees stood locked at 4-4. Some 50,000 fans had gathered at Wrigley Field that bright October day, but above their roar Ruth heard insults pouring from the Cubs' dugout. He watched a fastball from Cubs pitcher Charlie Root set the count at 2-2. Agitated, the Bambino made a gesture, holding out two fingers—but what did it mean? Lou Gehrig heard him call out: "I'm going to knock the next one down your goddamn throat." Then the game's greatest showman pounded Root's next pitch. The ball whizzed past the centerfield scoreboard and began its long journey into history. In an instant, the legend of the Called Shot was born, the debate about what Ruth actually did still dividing fans and sports historians alike more than 80 years later. Deftly placing the homer in the social and economic contexts of the time, Chicago sportswriter Ed Sherman gives us the first full-length, in-depth look at one of baseball's most celebrated and enduring moments—including the incredible stories of two hand-held videos taken by fans and rediscovered decades later—and answers the question: Did Ruth really call his shot?

Ed Sherman, a longtime Chicago Tribune writer, reports on sports media for his highly acclaimed website, ShermanReport.com. The winner of numerous awards, he has written two books, and his work has appeared in Crain's Chicago Business, ESPN.com, Golf  World, and The Sporting News. He lives in Highland Park, Illinois, with his wife and two sons.