100 years later and Babe Ruth is still one of the most talked about celebrities in Sleepy Eye and for good reason.
It was October 16, 1922 when Babe Ruth and New York Yankees teammate Bob Meusel took their barnstorming tour to Sleepy Eye for an exhibition game as part a 19-stop tour.
Ruth's stop came just eight days after the New York Giants had defeated his New York Yankees in the 1922 World Series.
"A group of us 25 years ago decided this really needs some recognition and we had a 75th anniversary out at the ballpark," said Randy Krzmarzick, who's part of a trio that's studied and celebrated the game. "We've had a little something on and off each year since then."
With this year being the 100th anniversary, Krzmarzick said they wanted to make the celebration a bigger deal.
The celebration on Saturday includes a plaque dedication ceremony, an amateur home run contest, and there will also be a program at Sleepy Eye Brewing which has brewed a special Barnstormin' beer to commemorate the day.
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Former MLB pitcher Dana Kiecker, who was born in Sleepy Eye, will throw some batting practice as well at the ballpark.
"Dana is going to pitch batting practice to anyone who wants to step in and take some cuts," said Scott Surprenant, who's also part of the trio that's studied the game. "Dana is also bringing 50 autographed baseballs to give to the first 50 kids who jump into the cage with him."
Surprenant and Krzmarzick will also use the day to pay tribute to their friend Dean Brinkman who died in September. Brinkman was part of their group that spent time looking into the history of Babe Ruth's visit.
"Part of our event is definitely going to turn into a tribute to Dean," Krzmarzick said. "I think they're retiring his number so that will be a big part of it as well."
Tickets to the Babe Ruth 100th Anniversary program at Sleepy Eye Brewing are sold out, but the public is invited to participate in the events at the baseball field throughout the day.
The ballpark will open at 1 p.m. and the plaque dedication ceremony is set for 3 p.m.
Organizers will make the event an annual tradition, and according to the press release, that's something Brinkman envisioned.