Community Corner

Babe Ruth's Granddaughter Throws Out First Pitch at Local Corn Maze

Linda Ruth Tosetti, the granddaughter of the legendary slugger, was invited to Middlefield on Saturday to open the Lyman Orchard's Baseball Days Corn Maze, which is themed after the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry.

Babe Ruth loved to pitch, so it was only fitting that the granddaughter of baseball's most famous slugger throw out the first pitch at Lyman Orchards' "Baseball Days" Corn Maze this weekend.   

On Saturday morning, Linda Ruth Tosetti threw a strike to Coginchaug softball player Naomi Rinaldo just a few feet from the entrance to the maze where this fall thousands of visitors will "Get Lost" in the labrynth of the iconic logos of the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.

"His most favorite thing, even more than baseball was kids and charities," Ruth Tosetti said about her grandfather.

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A Durham resident for many years, Ruth Tosseti has spent an equal amount of time learning about and studying her legendary grandfather. She was invited to Lyman Orchards to share part of his story, including his oft-debated career with both franchises.

"When people ask me if I'm a Yankees fan or Red Sox fan, I'm a Babe fan," she said.

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John Lyman III, Executive Vice President of Lyman Orchards, wore a Red Sox t-shirt and baseball cap when he welcomed Ruth Tosetti to Middlefield.

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"Our first design that we came out with did feature Babe, but the powers that be at Major League [Baseball] said, 'Can't do that,'" Lyman said "Babe is in there in spirit."

Since 2000, more than 350,000 people have visited Lyman Orchards Corn Maze. A dollar from each ticket sale goes directly to the American Cancer Society. Ruth Tosetti, a cancer survivor, thanked the organization for their involvement.

"It's a real important charity to me and I'm really glad to help it along," she said.

Together with her husband Andy, a Red Sox fan, she presented the Lyman family with The Spirit of Babe Ruth Baseball Bat before helping Lyman cut a ribbon to officially open the maze.

"Play ball," Lyman said.


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