In the spring of 1931, Joe McCarthy found himself at the helm of the greatest sports franchise in the world. The newly named New York Yankees manager was not only tasked with rebuilding the team which had won three consecutive pennants from 1926 to 1928, but also having to deal with the game’s biggest star, Babe Ruth. McCarthy’s job was not east – Ruth had coveted the Yankees manager job and was both disappointed and angered when McCarthy was given the position. Fortunately, as manager of the Chicago Cubs in the late 1920s, McCarthy had had to deal with troubled stars such as the hard drinking slugger Hack Wilson and the brawling pitcher Pat Malone. McCarthy was blessed with a personality and leadership style that made him able to reach any kind of personality found on his team and in turn get the best results out of each man. This photo, taken in spring training of 1931, shows Babe Ruth with two pieces of lumber in his hands along with a stoic Lou Gehrig holding a piece of lumber flanking by a business like Joe McCarthy. The new manager was eventually able to form a working relationship with Ruth and he would have the last good seasons of his career under his leadership. At the same time, Lou Gehrig emerged from Babe Ruth’s shadow and had eight tremendous seasons as a leader of Joe McCarthy’s revamped Yankees which would win four consecutive World Championships. This 7½ x 9½ photo has been printed to its edges and displays tremendously with no issues to report. The reverse has the Associated Press stamping and a photo caption dated “3/5/31.” A beautiful photo showing a pivotal moment in New York Yankees history. This photo has been encapsulated and graded a Type 1 by PSA.