That's the great one, Babe Ruth, gripping a bat during spring training in St. Petersburg. With all those spectators in the background, it's clear this was more than just the Bambino spending quality time with two little sluggers. Look closely and you'll see his two onlookers are twin midgets. Near as can be determined this was a publicity event involving Mike and Ike, twin midgets with the Johnny J. Jones Exposition, a local carnival. The New York Yankees moved their training camp from New Orleans to St. Petersburg in 1925. When reporters asked Ruth what \ he thought of St. Petersburg, he replied,"If anyone can have fun in this town, I can.'' As for the twins, Matthew "Mike'' Matina and Bela "Ike'' Matina later played Munchkins in the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz. They remain the shortest twins on record, at 2 feet 6 inches tall. • BABE WATCH • TIMES ARCHIVES

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