Displayed is a 1938 original negative of Babe Ruth as a Brooklyn Dodgers coach. When baseball fans think of Babe Ruth, most aficionados picture the Bambino as a slugger with the New York Yankees. Other fans think of his earlier play as an outstanding hurler with the Boston Red Sox. Comparatively few fans are aware of Ruth's time in the uniform of the Brooklyn Dodgers, as a coach for the second half of the 1938 season. Ruth had thought that as he grew older that he would become a player-manager with the Yankees, just as his contemporary stars, such as Ty Cobb, Rogers Hornsby, and Tris Speaker, had done with their teams. But Yankees owner Jake Ruppert bluntly told Ruth, "How can you manage others when you can't manage yourself?" The Babe played his final games as a Major Leaguer as a member of the National League's Boston Braves in 1935. Although he still had occasional power, he only batted .181 in 28 games. Ruth had managerial aspirations, and he had only agreed to play for the Braves in '35 because owner Emil Fuchs gave him several "impressive" titles, such as assistant manager and vice president, to entice him to play. Ruth thought he was in line to become the Braves manager, but he realized he was mainly being used to sell tickets, and he would not get to manage the team in the future, so he quit the team in mid-season. Ruth had turned down offers to manage in the minor leagues after he stopped playing, and he had essentially disappeared from professional baseball when the Brooklyn Dodgers, in only seventh place and seeking to boost attendance, hired him at mid-season as a coach in 1938. He coached mainly at first base, and sometimes at third base. He also took batting practice before games, and thousands of fans came to Ebbets Field to see him crash homers in batting practice before games. The Dodgers attendance rose, mainly because of Ruth. The Sultan of Swat even played in some in-season exhibitions for the Dodgers that season. The Babe had wanted to move into the manager's spot in Brooklyn, but shortstop Leo Durocher was the heir apparent to Dodgers manager Burleigh Grimes, and Durocher and Ruth had never gotten along when they were teammates on the Yankees. After the '38 season, Durocher was named the manager for '39, and "Leo the Lip" picked his team's coaches, not including Ruth, and the Babe's time with the Dodgers was over. The offered negative shows Ruth taking batting practice at Ebbets Field, showcasing his enormous swing. The negative measures 3.9x4.9", and an actual 5.9x6.9"photo of the shot displayed of the negative is included. The negative and the photo are in EXCELLENT condition.