Born: February 6, 1895, Pigtown, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Died: August 16, 1948, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, United States
Bat: Left
Throw: Left
Hall of Fame Induction: 1936
George Herman Ruth Jr., more popularly known as Babe Ruth, is considered the greatest baseball player of all time and one of the greatest sports icons in American history.
Born on February 6, 1895, in Pigtown, Baltimore, Maryland, United States, Ruth was often called the “Bambino” by his fans and team because of his young age.
He was also lovingly called the Sultan of Swat (the ruler), as his fans and fellows believed he ruled the field with extraordinary playing skills during his career.
In his impressive career, Ruth played Major League Baseball (MLB) for 22 straight.
Seasons, from 1914 through 1935, and hit a record 714 home runs. This is perhaps the main reason he is still considered America’s most celebrated athlete.
Being a consistent scorer, Ruth scored 2,174 runs in his career, which was a record at the time of his retirement.
However, what made Babe Ruth a Sports Hero is his World Series Championships. He won a total of 7 World Series championships in his career.
Because of all his records and achievements, Ruth was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame as one of its “first five” inaugural members.
On August 16, 1948, Babe Ruth died in Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, due to pneumonia and prolonged metastatic cancer.
Early Life
George Herman Ruth Jr. was born on February 6, 1895, in Baltimore, Maryland, to George Herman Ruth and Kate Schamberger. He was one of the eight children of the couple. However, among the eight, only Babe and his younger sister survived to adulthood.
As both his parents were working and had little time to watch over them, Ruth had quite a difficult childhood. He roamed around the streets, rarely attended school, was engaged in petty thievery, and even chewed tobacco and got drunk.
Because of such mishaps, Ruth’s parents sent him to St. Mary’s Industrial School for Boys, where he gained popularity as a baseball player.
From there, there was no looking back for Ruth. He was signed by the local minor-league Baltimore Orioles franchise in 1914 for $600 for 6 months. He earned the nickname “Babe” while playing for the franchise because a sportswriter called him one of “Dunn’s babes.”
Even before the end of the 1914 season, Dunn sold Ruth to the American League Boston Red Sox because of this extraordinary performance as a pitcher.
Playing Life
- Babe Ruth started his career as a left-handed pitcher and pitched on championship teams in 1915 and 1916.
- Because of his playing aggression, he was quickly moved to the hitter position so that he could play every day.
- Between 1915 and 1919, Ruth won 87 games with an average of 2.16.
- At the same time, Ruth won three World Series games, one in 1916 and two in 1918, and hit his twenty-nine home runs set, which made his career path even more impressive.
- The very next year, in 1920, the Boston Red Sox sold Ruth to the New York Yankees for $125,000 plus a personal loan from the Yankee owner. Ruth signed a two-year contract for $10,000 a year.
- In 1920, his first season with the Yankees, he hit 54 home runs, breaking his own record.
- The next season, he hit a record-breaking 59 homers and gathered 170 runs.
- Because of such record-making and breaking performances, Ruth’s salary jumped to $52,000, making him the highest-paid player in baseball.
- He scored a record-smashing slugging percentage of .764 in 1923 and continued his impressive performance for the 1924 season too.
- Ruth has a .342 lifetime batting average for 22 seasons of play.
- He retired in 1935, being the greatest player on the team.
Later Life
After he retired from the game as a player, Ruth always wanted to be a major league manager. However, his reputation for being out of control made teams reluctant to hire him.
Even after retiring from the game, he lived a King Size life., mainly due to his huge endorsement contracts. Before becoming head of the Ford Motor Company’s junior baseball program in 1946, he spent most of his time playing golf.
Babe Ruth, the greatest player of Baseball, died in New York City on August 16, 1948.
Personal Life
Babe Ruth’s personal life was as colorful and interesting as his baseball career. He was married twice to two very beautiful ladies, Helen Ruth and Claire Merritt Ruth.
Even though his marriage to Helen ended in divorce (1914-1929), he was married to Claire Merritt until his death (1929–1948).
Ruth was survived by 2 daughters (one biological and the other adopted). And these two daughters were the reasons (though unintentionally) for a seven-year rift in Ruth’s relationship with teammate Lou Gehrig.
Apart from being a family man, Ruth was known for his love for partying hard and ignoring team rules and regulations.
Statistics
| Summary | WAR | AB | H | HR | BA | R | RBI | SB | OBP | SLG | OPS | OPS+ |
| Career | 182.6 | 8399 | 2873 | 714 | .342 | 2174 | 2214 | 123 | .474 | 690 | 1.164 | 206 |
Legacy
Babe Ruth was “larger than life.”
He was not only an iconic sportsman in Baseball history but also a unique figure in the social history of the United States. With his batting averages, home runs, and runs scored during the 1920 season, he was largely responsible for creating the great Yankee dynasty.
Besides, Ruth played a significant part in revolutionizing America’s national game. His transition from a pitcher to an outfielder, his ability to hit home runs, and his consistency changed the game forever. He shifted the focus from small-ball tactics to power-hitting!
Not only in the field, Ruth was a monumental character for his charitable works too. He made many charitable efforts and even raised funds for many causes to mark his impact on society.
Achievements (Both Personal and Club)
- Babe Ruth won seven World Series championships during his career.
- He won the Triple Crown thrice (1919, 1920, 1924).
- Ruth was among the first five players inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936.
- He won the batting title once in his career.
- Because of his extraordinary performance with the New York Yankees, the original Yankee Stadium is often called “The House That Ruth Built.”
- In 1998, he was number 1 on the “Baseball’s 100 Greatest Players” list by The Sporting News.
- Ruth was named the greatest New York Yankee ever in 2006
Records – See MLB Records
- Babe Ruth had 60 home runs in the 1927 season, which was a record for many years.
- He was the first batter in history to hit 30 home runs in one season.
- He has a career slugging percentage of .690 that still remains the highest in MLB history.
- Ruth hit 714 career home runs, which was a record until 1974.
- He has an on-base percentage of .474, which is still among the highest in MLB history.
- Throughout his impressive career, Ruth scored 2,174 runs, a record until this retirement.
Trivia
- George Herman Ruth Jr. was named after his father.
- Bob Ruth was trained to become a tailor rather than a sportsman.
- He could speak German fluently.
- He was one of the first five players inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
- NY Yankees paid around $125,00 to contract Babe Ruth.
- Ruth was also one of the first celebrity golfers.
- Babe Ruth’s last home run ball is in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
More Resources
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