Babe Ruth

American baseball player (1895-1948)

Babe Ruth was a legendary American baseball player who dominated the game in the early 20th century. From his humble beginnings at a reform school to becoming one of the greatest sports heroes of all time, Ruth’s career spanned over two decades and left an indelible mark on the sport and popular culture.

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About the Babe Ruth

George Herman “Babe” Ruthwas an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseballspanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed “the Bambino” and “the Sultan of Swat”, he began his MLB career as a star left-handed pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, but achieved his greatest fame as a slugging outfielder for the New York Yankees. Ruth is regarded as one of the greatest sports heroes in American culture and is considered by many to be the greatest baseball player of all time. In 1936, Ruth was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame as one of its “first five” inaugural members.

At age seven, Ruth was sent to St. Mary’s Industrial School for Boys, a reformatory where he was mentored by Brother Matthias Boutlier of the Xaverian Brothers, the school’s disciplinarian and a capable baseball player. In 1914, Ruth was signed to play Minor League baseball for the Baltimore Orioles but was soon sold to the Red Sox. By 1916, he had built a reputation as an outstanding pitcher who sometimes hit long home runs, a feat unusual for any player in the dead-ball era. Although Ruth twice won 23 games in a season as a pitcher and was a member of three World Series championship teams with the Red Sox, he wanted to play every day and was allowed to convert to an outfielder. With regular playing time, he broke the MLB single-season home run record in 1919 with 29.

After that season, Red Sox owner Harry Frazee sold Ruth to the Yankees amid controversy. The trade fueled Boston’s subsequent 86-year championship drought and popularized the “Curse of the Bambino” superstition. In his 15 years with the Yankees, Ruth helped the team win seven American Leaguepennants and four World Series championships. His big swing led to escalating home run totals that not only drew fans to the ballpark and boosted the sport’s popularity but also helped usher in baseball’s live-ball era, which evolved from a low-scoring game of strategy to a sport where the home run was a major factor. As part of the Yankees’ vaunted “Murderers’ Row” lineup of 1927, Ruth hit 60 home runs, which extended his own MLB single-season record by a single home run. Ruth’s last season with the Yankees was 1934, and he retired after a short stint with the Boston Braves the following year. In his career, he led the AL in home runs twelve times.

During Ruth’s career, he was the target of intense press and public attention for his baseball exploits and off-field penchants for drinking and womanizing. After his retirement as a player, he was denied the opportunity to manage a major league club, most likely because of poor behavior during parts of his playing career. In his final years, Ruth made many public appearances, especially in support of American efforts in World War II. In 1946, he became ill with nasopharyngeal cancer and died from the disease two years later. Ruth remains a major figure in American culture.

Frequently Asked Questions

Babe Ruth’s full name was George Herman ,Babe, Ruth.

Babe Ruth’s MLB career spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935.

Babe Ruth was nicknamed ,The Bambino, and ,The Sultan of Swat,.

Babe Ruth began his MLB career as a star left-handed pitcher for the Boston Red Sox.

In 1927, as part of the Yankees’ ,Murderers’ Row, lineup, Babe Ruth hit 60 home runs, which extended his own MLB single-season record by a single home run.

At age seven, Babe Ruth was sent to St. Mary’s Industrial School for Boys, where he was mentored by Brother Matthias Boutlier of the Xaverian Brothers.

Babe Ruth led the American League in home runs twelve times during his illustrious career.

26 Quotes by Babe Ruth

  1. 1.

    Never let the fear of striking out get in your way.

    Babe Ruth

    American baseball player (1895-1948)

  2. 2.

    If it wasn’t for baseball, I’d be in either the penitentiary or the cemetery.

    Babe Ruth

    American baseball player (1895-1948)

  3. 3.

    Gee, its lonesome in the outfield. It’s hard to keep awake with nothing to do.

    Babe Ruth

    American baseball player (1895-1948)

  4. 4.

    How about a little noise. How do you expect a man to putt?

    Babe Ruth

    American baseball player (1895-1948)

  5. 5.

    Cobb is a prick. But he sure can hit. God Almighty, that man can hit.

    Babe Ruth

    American baseball player (1895-1948)

  6. 6.

    I won’t be happy until we have every boy in America between the ages of six and sixteen wearing a glove and swinging a bat.

    Babe Ruth

    American baseball player (1895-1948)

  7. 7.

    Baseball was, is and always will be to me the best game in the world.

    Babe Ruth

    American baseball player (1895-1948)

  8. 8.

    Who is richer? The man who is seen, but cannot see? Or the man who is not being seen, but can see?

    Babe Ruth

    American baseball player (1895-1948)

  9. 9.

    I didn’t mean to hit the umpire with the dirt, but I did mean to hit that bastard in the stands.

    Babe Ruth

    American baseball player (1895-1948)

  10. 10.

    All ballplayers should quit when it starts to feel as if all the baselines run uphill.

    Babe Ruth

    American baseball player (1895-1948)

  11. 11.

    Reading isn’t good for a ballplayer. Not good for his eyes. If my eyes went bad even a little bit I couldn’t hit home runs. So I gave up reading.

    Babe Ruth

    American baseball player (1895-1948)

  12. 12.

    Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.

    Babe Ruth

    American baseball player (1895-1948)

  13. 13.

    You just can’t beat the person who never gives up.

    Babe Ruth

    American baseball player (1895-1948)

  14. 14.

    All I can tell them is pick a good one and sock it. I get back to the dugout and they ask me what it was I hit and I tell them I don’t know except it looked good.

    Babe Ruth

    American baseball player (1895-1948)

  15. 15.

    I had only one superstition. I made sure to touch all the bases when I hit a home run.

    Babe Ruth

    American baseball player (1895-1948)

  16. 16.

    Yesterday’s home runs don’t win today’s games.

    Babe Ruth

    American baseball player (1895-1948)

  17. 17.

    I’ll promise to go easier on drinking and to get to bed earlier, but not for you, fifty thousand dollars, or two-hundred and fifty thousand dollars will I give up women. They’re too much fun.

    Babe Ruth

    American baseball player (1895-1948)

  18. 18.

    Don’t let the fear of striking out hold you back.

    Babe Ruth

    American baseball player (1895-1948)

  19. 19.

    If I’d just tried for them dinky singles I could’ve batted around .600.

    Babe Ruth

    American baseball player (1895-1948)

  20. 20.

    Don’t ever forget two things I’m going to tell you. One, don’t believe everything that’s written about you. Two, don’t pick up too many checks.

    Babe Ruth

    American baseball player (1895-1948)

  21. 21.

    I learned early to drink beer, wine and whiskey. And I think I was about 5 when I first chewed tobacco.

    Babe Ruth

    American baseball player (1895-1948)

  22. 22.

    Paris ain’t much of a town.

    Babe Ruth

    American baseball player (1895-1948)

  23. 23.

    The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don’t play together, the club won’t be worth a dime.

    Babe Ruth

    American baseball player (1895-1948)

  24. 24.

    Baseball changes through the years. It gets milder.

    Babe Ruth

    American baseball player (1895-1948)

  25. 25.

    As soon as I got out there I felt a strange relationship with the pitcher’s mound. It was as if I’d been born out there. Pitching just felt like the most natural thing in the world. Striking out batters was easy.

    Babe Ruth

    American baseball player (1895-1948)

  26. 26.

    Let me show you how it’s done… Loser!

    Babe Ruth

    American baseball player (1895-1948)