Reproduction of an advertisement from the time Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig played baseball in Marysville.

MARYSVILLE, CA (MPG) - The year was 1927 and the New York Yankees had just won the world series. Instead of taking some much-deserved time-off, two of the players from the Yankees (also known as Bronx Bombers), Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, embarked on a 20-city barnstorming tour across the United States to promote professional baseball.

At the time, Babe Ruth was an international superstar and was coming off his most incredible year, having smashed 60 home runs and driven in 165 runs. His batting average that season was astounding .365.

Ruth was a pitcher in his early years and quite a good one, but it was his prowess with the bat that brought him worldwide fame. 

Lou Gehrig, 24, eight years younger than Ruth, was quiet and serious, the polar opposite of his more famous teammate, but was quite a player in his own right. Gehrig had batted .373, clobbered 47 homers and drove in 173 runs in the 1927 season. 

Different as they were, the two stars were close friends off the field. After the Yankees had captured the World Series title 16 days earlier, Ruth had persuaded Gehrig to go on a barnstorming tour across parts of the United States. 

A plaque commemorates the site of the Marysville Municipal Ballpark where Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig played an exhibition game in 1927.

Marysville was initially not part of the schedule until a group of local businessmen raised $1,000 and convinced the pair to come to their fine city and play baseball. An exhausted Ruth and Gehrig stayed at the brand-new Marysville Hotel the night before the game.

The day of the game was special. Marysville Mayor E.J. Carlin proclaimed Oct 25, 1927, a holiday. Residents flocked to Marysville Municipal Ball Park on Third Street to watch Ruth and Gehrig compete with players from Sacramento. It was a chance to see the legends in person. 

Neither disappointed. Though injured, Ruth slugged a home run, while Gehrig cracked a triple. Ultimately, Ruth’s team would beat Gehrig’s team 9-7, as 2,000 northern California fans cheered them on.

A storm destroyed the Marysville Municipal Ball Park, where Ruth and Gehrig once played, in 1937. Hust Brothers Inc. has occupied the location since 1954. A plaque now commemorates the ballpark and the Bronx Bombers that once played there.

Feeling the spirit of where Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig once played baseball is fleeting, but if you close your eyes, you might hear a roar from another time.