'The Babe' bows out: Hall of Fame lookalike Gardner dies at 83

ELYRIA — He was the spitting image of the Great Bambino, the Sultan of Swat, the Behemoth of Bust. Generations of baseball fans would see Willis "Buster" Gardner strut into ballparks in his pinstripe jersey and swear they'd witnessed the second coming of Babe Ruth. The former Oberlin resident, who for decades toured the nation making appearances at Little League Games and collecting trophies at Babe Ruth look-alike contests, died Tuesday at age 83. "Today, my grandfather, Buster 'The Babe,' rounded third and headed home," his granddaughter, Brandi Littlefield, posted on Facebook. "To know him, was to love him. He loved a good party, a stiff drink and a dirty joke." George Gardner said his father had been in declining health for more than a year. About a month ago, he was diagnosed with late-stage pancreatic cancer. "He taught me how to be a good person," George Gardner said. Father and son worked side-by-side for 36 years at Dunlap Towing in Carlisle Township. The elder Gardner was a fixture there for 45 years, going to work straight out of seventh grade. George said those who didn't know Buster as "The Babe" always remembered him as the kindly man who showed up in the middle of the night to pull their car from a ditch. It wasn't until midlife one of his daughters, leafing through a TV Guide, saw a picture of Ruth and was struck by how much her father resembled the Yankees legend. George remembers his sister half-joking that Buster should start making appearances as the Bambino. In 1991, he wound up as an extra in the John Goodman film "The Babe," which was filmed in Cleveland. Buster can be spotted by keen eyes as a spectator in the stands. After the movie was released, Buster's hobby as a Ruth look-alike took off, and he found himself in a uniform just about every weekend. Later in 1991, he made a pilgrimage to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. While there, someone pointed at him and shouted, "The Babe is back!" Two years later, he returned to Cooperstown and encountered Ruth's granddaughter, Linda Ruth Tositti. She'd never met her famous grandfather — she was born after he died in 1948 — but on seeing Buster, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. "It was the thrill of my life to meet my grandfather who I never met," she wrote on the photo they posed for together. There were many other treasured moments over the years. George said his father enjoyed serving on a couple occasions as grand marshal of the Woollybear Festival parade in Vermilion. He met movie stars like Billy Crystal, ballplayers such as Mets catcher Mike Piazza and politicians including former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Buster visited schools, palled around with Cleveland television favorites Big Chuck and Little John and got excited about going to the Babe Ruth World Series youth tournaments across the nation. But he especially loved handing out autographed photos of himself as the Babe to kids wherever he went. "They were just in awe of him," George remembers. Even after he stopped making the rounds as Ruth a couple years ago, Buster continued to carry those photos around, and anyone who wanted one got one, his son said. Returning year after year to Cooperstown was a thrill for Buster and his wife of nearly 65 years, Cecile. George said they wanted to go one more time this summer, but didn't get the chance due to health complications. "He was just an amazing person, and I know there are lots of people out there who will always remember him," George said. "I am so proud of him." Contact Jason Hawk at (440) 329-7122 or news@lcnewspapers.com.