Here’s a switch

Just for giggles, Babe Ruth comes to the plate as a right-handed hitter with one out in the ninth inning of a game against the Cleveland Indians 102 years ago today at Yankee Stadium.

Ruth, facing Cleveland left-hander Sherry Smith, remains as a right-handed hitter only for one pitch – a called strike by plate umpire Bill Dinneen – before moving back to his more familiar spot in the left-handed batter’s box.

Ruth, with teammate Whitey Witt on second base, then launches the next pitch over the fence in right-center for a two-run homer that closes the Yankees’ deficit from 5-1 to 5-3.

Sherry Smith

Unfazed by Ruth’s antics and subsequent homer – Ruth’s 25th of the season – Smith then retires Wally Pipp on a groundout and Bob Meusel on a flyout to end the game before a Wednesday afternoon game of 12,000 in the Bronx.

The encounter is the latest between Ruth and Sherry, who first meet in Game 2 of the 1916 World Series.

Back then, Ruth is a 21-year-old pitcher with the Boston Red Sox, while the 25-year-old Smith is with the Brooklyn Robins.

Both last 14 innings in that game with the Red Sox finally beating Smith with one out in the bottom of the 14th in what then is the longest game in World Series history.

Ruth goes 0-for-5 in that game against Smith, but then is 3-for-8 in their subsequent meetings with a single, double and seven walks before homering off Smith 102 years ago today.

Ruth homers off Smith twice more in his career with both of those coming in 1926, the first of six straight seasons in which Ruth leads all of baseball in home runs.

Over those six seasons, Ruth hits 302 of his then-record 714 career homers.