Hitting It Over The Fence: The Life and Career of Babe Ruth

Many people would not be instantly familiar with the name George Herman Ruth Jr., but they would certainly know of this man by his professional moniker, Babe Ruth. Otherwise known as the “Great Bambino” and the “Sultan of Swat,” Babe Ruth changed professional sports forever when he became one of the first superstar athletes during the first half of the twentieth century.

Ruth was born on February 6, 1895, to George Herman Ruth Sr. and his wife, Kate, in Baltimore, Maryland. He did not live with his parents long, for custody of young Ruth was given to St. Mary’s Industrial School for Boys when he was eight, and he would spend twelve years of his life in this Catholic orphanage and reform school. The future sports great had difficulties at the school, as it was impossible for him to adjust to the orderly life of the institution. Also, the fact that his parents rarely visited him there did not help his situation very much.

One bright spot during Ruth’s time at the orphanage, however, was his relationship with Brother Matthias, who served as the institution’s prefect of discipline. It was Matthias who helped encourage Ruth’s love for baseball, and he worked with Ruth to improve his swing, enabling Ruth to develop the skills that would serve him so well. During these years, Ruth would play many different positions on St. Mary’s baseball teams, including catcher and pitcher. Ruth’s skill paid off when at age 19, he signed a contract with the Baltimore Orioles. Jack Dunn, the owner and manager of the Orioles, was the talent scout who signed Ruth, and the other players called Ruth “Jacks newest babe,” earning him the nickname “Babe Ruth.”

The Orioles were a minor league team of the Boston Red Sox, and soon the Babe was playing for Boston, leading the team to a World Series victory in 1918 due in large part to his pitching skills. When the Babe was sold to the New York Yankees in 1920, no one knew that Boston was bringing upon itself the famous “Curse of the Bambino,” which prevented the Red Sox from winning a World Series between that year and 2004. New York, on the other hand, was to benefit greatly from the sale. Babe Ruth hit 54 home runs that first year. This record, some contend, actually saved baseball. After eight Chicago White Sox players were accused of throwing the World Series in 1919, interest in baseball reached an all-time low. Ruth’s superstardom, helped bring the game back to life. In fact, Ruth drew so many fans that the Yankees were able to leave the stadium they shared with the New York Giants and build Yankee Stadium, also called “the House that Ruth Built,” in 1923. That same year the Yankees won their first World Series title.

During this period, Ruth was married twice. First, in 1914, he wed a waitress named Helen Woodford, and the couple adopted a baby daughter, Dorothy, in 1921. Babe and Helen were separated in 1925, and the two never divorced officially, though Dorothy lived with her mother. When Helen died in a fire in 1929, Dorothy came to live with Babe, who married an actress named Claire Hodgson a few months afterward. He and Claire would be married until his death.

Babe Ruth won many records during the 22 years he spent as a professional ballplayer, and he was also at the center of many legendary baseball moments. He hit 60 homeruns in the year 1927, a record that was not topped until Roger Maris’ 61 homeruns in 1961. His lifetime slugging percentage is .690, and many baseball experts agree that no one may ever best it. He was also responsible for what might be the most famous moment in the history of professional baseball. During the 1932 World Series, Babe was up at bat in the fifth inning and, having pointed to the center field bleachers, hit the longest home run ever out of Wrigley Field right above the exact spot on the bleachers where he had pointed his finger.

Towards the end of his career, Babe Ruth expressed an interest in becoming a team manager. He retired from the Yankees in 1935 and became a player and first base coach for the Boston Braves, hoping to become a manager in 1936. This was not to be, and he retired from playing baseball altogether the same year. The Brooklyn Dodgers hired him as first base coach in 1938, but he left the game completely the next year when he was not promoted to manager.

Although he was retired from baseball, Babe Ruth strived to make his remaining years productive. He would speak at orphanages and hospitals, and he also gave radio speeches and interviews. He was also a spokesman for United States War Bonds during the turbulent years of World War II. Ruth was one of the first five players inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936.

From 1946 to 1948, Babe Ruth suffered from throat cancer. He was able to attend the twenty-fifth anniversary of the opening of Yankee Stadium on June 13, 1948, where the Yankees honored his achievements by retiring number 3, which he wore while he played with them. He died August 16, 1948 at age 53, and over 100,000 fans paid homage to him as his body laid in state the following two days at Yankee Stadium. Thousands also surrounded St. Patrick’s Cathedral, where his funeral mass was held, and lined the route to his burial at Gate of Heaven Cemetery.

Babe Ruth remains one of the most celebrated players in baseball and, indeed, in all of athletic history. In 1999, he was named the Associated Press’ Athlete of the Century, testifying to the looming impact he has over professional sports.

For more information on Babe Ruth, please consult the following:

• Babe Ruth.com — The official Babe Ruth website contains biographical information, statistics, and more about the baseball legend.

• Babe Ruth Biography — Here is a short summary of Babe Ruth’s life and videos of the Babe from the Biography Channel.

• Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum — This is the homepage of a museum dedicated to Babe Ruth.

• Babe Ruth Cards — On this site packed with information about Babe Ruth baseball cards, users can find information on the player and images of the cards on which he has appeared.

• Babe Ruth Central — This fan-run Babe Ruth website has a ton of good information on the famous player.

• Baseball Hall of Fame — Information on Babe Ruth from the National Baseball Hall of Fame can be found on this site.

• Breaking Records, Breaking Barriers — The Smithsonian Museum has dedicated this page to Babe Ruth.

• Constructing a Legend — This is a thorough site on Babe Ruth’s public persona from a University of Virginia history major.

• The Game that Ruth Built — Here is an article about the lasting impact of Babe Ruth on baseball from the Boston Globe.

• LIFE: Babe Ruth — Seventeen pictures with factoids are located here on this LIFE magazine website.

• Lovable Ruth — ESPN hosts this short article on Babe Ruth as a part of its Sports Century series.

• Making an American Hero — This is an easy-to-navigate site with a complete biography of Babe Ruth.

• Photos of a Legend — Many pictures of Babe Ruth and links to his important statistics are found on this website.

• True Babe Ruth — This is a site by the descendants of Babe Ruth on his career and impact.