This day in NY sports history

THIS DAY IN NY SPORTS HISTORY

Sunday, March 5, 1922

Babe Ruth gets record contract

As a result of Babe Ruth calling "tails" on a coin flip, Yankees owners Jacob Rupert and Tillinghast Huston coughed up extra coin and made the Sultan of Swat baseball's highest-paid player. Ruth and the owners reached an impasse in negotiation of a new contract and came up with a solution: "heads" Ruth would accept the Yankees' best offer; "tails" and the owners would give in to his demand. Huston flipped a half-dollar and Ruth, 27, won himself a three-year deal that paid $50,000 per season (a $10,000 raise from the previous year) and $500 for every home run. In '21, Ruth hit a career-high .378 and led the league with 59 homers, 171 RBIs and 177 runs.