Famed Ruth bat part of festivities Historic item held by Jeter
before being moved to museum NEW YORK -- In a symbolic gesture,
the bat that Babe Ruth used to christen the original Yankee
Stadium on April 18, 1923, was laid across home plate before the
bottom of the first inning on Thursday in the inaugural game at
the new Yankee Stadium. Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter was
introduced as the first home batter of the game -- by Bob
Sheppard, via recording -- before interim public-address
announcer Paul Olden requested fans to direct their attention to
home plate, where the lumber rested across the dish. With the
bat, Ruth hit a three-run, third-inning home run off Boston's
Howard Ehmke, beginning the legend of "The House that Ruth
Built." Grinning, Jeter picked up the bat and pretended as
though he would use it in the at-bat before handing it to a
batboy. Ruth's thunder did not carry on to Jeter, who flied out
to center field against the Indians' Cliff Lee. Jeter said he
had been made aware of the Ruth bat plan i