When HBO's “Boardwalk Empire” cast Domenick Lombardozzi, Herc from “The Wire,” as Al Capone's brother, I thought, “Perfect.” I was surprised that Lombardozzi towers over British actor Stephen Graham, who is otherwise fantastic and underrated as Al Capone, and I‘ve wondered whether the real Al was shorter than his brothers. Otherwise it’s perfect casting.

Last week, when we saw Lombardozzi hatless and in period clothes, I thought something else: Holy crap, this guy should totally play Babe Ruth:

Domenick Lombardozzi and Stephen Graham as Ralph and Al Capone in HBO's “Boardwalk Empire.”

In the past, Hollywood has cast fatties to play Ruth, but Ruth wasn't really fat until the end of his career. He was certainly odd-shaped, with thin legs on thinner ankles, and his face was never lean, but he wasn't gut-heavy until the 1930s. He was tall, too, 6‘2“”, and Lombardozzi is 6’0“. Can he swing a bat? Left-handed? He seems athletic enough. He's actor enough.

Someone at HBO needs to push this through. Billy Crystal needs to finally make his follow-up to ”61*.“ And why not the greatest Yankee of them all?

Other ”Boardwalk Empire"/Pinstripe Empire casting calls here.

The Bambino and Sultan of Swat, circa 1920