Babe Ruth

Lore & Background

At age seven, Ruth was sent to St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys, a reformatory and orphanage. There he learned shirtmaking and carpentry, and was encouraged in baseball by Brother Matthias Boutlier. Ruth later estimated he played 200 games a year at the school, gaining stardom as a pitcher. In 1914, he signed a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles and was soon sold to the Red Sox. By 1916, he had a reputation as an outstanding pitcher who sometimes hit long home runs, unusual in the dead-ball era. He twice won 23 games in a season as a pitcher and was a member of three World Series championship teams with the Red Sox, but wanted to play every day and converted 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, a trade that fueled Boston's subsequent 86-year championship drought and popularized the "Curse of the Bambino" superstition. In 15 years with the Yankees, Ruth helped the team win seven American League pennants and four World Series championships. His big swing led to escalating home run totals that drew fans and boosted the sport's popularity, helping usher in baseball's live-ball era. As part of the Yankees' "Murderers' Row" lineup of 1927, he hit 60 home runs, extending his own MLB single-season record. Ruth's last season with the Yankees was 1934, and he retired after a short stint with the Boston Braves the following year. He led the AL in home runs 12 times.

During his career, Ruth was the target of intense press and public attention for his baseball exploits and off-field penchants for drinking and womanizing. After retirement, 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, he 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.

Reader's Guide

Babe Ruth's significance lies in his transformation of baseball from a low-scoring game of strategy to a sport where the home run became a major factor. His record-setting home run totals—including 29 in 1919 and 60 in 1927—drew fans to ballparks and boosted the sport's popularity, ushering in the live-ball era. As a member of the Yankees' "Murderers' Row" lineup, he helped the team win seven American League pennants and four World Series championships. His career spanned 22 seasons, and he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936 as one of its first five members. Ruth's legacy extends beyond statistics: he remains a major figure in American culture, regarded as one of the greatest sports heroes. The controversy surrounding his sale from the Red Sox to the Yankees popularized the "Curse of the Bambino" superstition, which lasted until Boston's 2004 championship. Despite off-field excesses that likely cost him a managing opportunity, Ruth's impact on the game and his enduring fame are undisputed.

Did You Know?

• Ruth was sent to St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys at age seven, where he learned shirtmaking and carpentry.
• He began his MLB career as a star left-handed pitcher for the Boston Red Sox before converting to an outfielder.
• Ruth hit 60 home runs in 1927 as part of the Yankees' 'Murderers' Row' lineup, extending his own single-season record.
• After his playing career, he was denied a managing job, most likely because of poor behavior during parts of his career.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"As quoted in "Ruth Has One Great Fear: May Drive Ball Back At Pitcher Some Day and Injure Him" — Babe Ruth "As quoted in 'Have to Get More of 'Em,' Says Babe Ruth When He Hears of the Income Tax" — Babe Ruth "Don't worry about my weight. Fifteen pounds more and I'll be grand. I never felt better in my life. I'm going to lead the league in batting again and maybe I'll make a new home run record." — Babe Ruth "Baseball always has been and always will be a game demanding team play. You can have the nine greatest individual ball players in the world, but if they don't play together the club won't be worth a dime." — Babe Ruth