Louis Armstrong, photo by Herb Snitzer
In 1932, slugger Babe Ruth hit .341, with 41 home runs and 137 RBIs, helping the Yankees to a pennant. During their World Series sweep of the Cubs, Ruth signaled to Wrigley Field's deepest recess and swatted a 490-foot homer to cement his legend. That same year, jazz's Sultan of Scat also cemented his legend, but with a distinctly less stellar team. Backed by antiquated plunking banjo and whiny saxophones, Louis Armstrong leads off with terrific muted trumpeting, advances to an effectively offhand vocal, then scores with his smashing, Homeric open horn. But why was he playing with bush leaguers?