Good evening. This is Dead Legends. We’re the kind of guys that treat our new glove like a newborn baby.

Let’s dive in.

Today’s story is a wholesome tale about friendship, perseverance, and the power of the human spirit.

During the summer of ‘26, Johnny Sylvester was horseback riding and had a bad fall after the horse stepped into a hole.

The horse tried to stand up and kicked Sylvester in the head.

The injury progressed over the summer, and by September he was diagnosed with osteomyelitis in his skull - a condition that is caused by an infection that leads to bone deterioration.

It was believed that Johnny would likely die from his injuries.

He was a huge baseball fan, and despite his condition, Sylvester remained determined to attend the World Series and see Babe Ruth play in person.

The Yankees heard about Johnny’s condition, and during a rain delay in Game Three of the ‘26 World Series, a few ballplayers signed baseballs for Johnny.

Babe Ruth inscribed his ball with a promise:

"I'll knock a homer for Wednesday's game"

True to his word, Ruth hit three home runs in game four, leading the Bombers to victory and bringing joy to Sylvester and Yankee Nation.

After the Series, Ruth made it his mission to visit Sylvester in the hospital and spend time with him; the two became fast friends.

Johnny said the inspiration he got from the Bambino gave him the will to live.

His health eventually improved, and he was able to attend a game at Yankee Stadium the next year.

Ruth made sure to find him in the stands and personally greet him before the game.

The two remained friends for the rest of their lives, and Sylvester even went on to become a successful businessman.

BASEBALL TRIVIA

STRANGE NAMES

If you're just joining us, we play this game every day where we try to find the weirdest names throughout baseball history.

Why? Don't ask us, it's just something we like to do.

If you've been rocking with us for awhile now, you know what time it is.

Today's winner is:

For those of you that don’t know, Bienvenido means “welcome” in Spanish.

Jiménez had all kind of nicknames - "Hooks", "Gambeta", and "Pata Joroba.”

He played in the Cuban League and the Negro Leagues back in the 20s.

Even though his batting average was pretty lackluster, there’s one thing this man could do very well.

Bienvenido was elected to the Cuban baseball Hall of Fame in ‘51.

THE DEAD LEGENDS ARCHIVE

If you like this story, check out some of our past favorites:

• The "Little" Leaguers: One of the biggest frauds in youth sports history

• The Sundown Kid: Danny Thomas’ downward spiral

• The Harmonica: Yogi Berra is fed up with Phil Linz

That's it for today. Tomorrow we're back at it like a bad habit. See ya!

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