| Babe Ruth | ||
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| Outfield / Pitcher | ||
| Born: February 6, 1895 Baltimore, Maryland |
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| Died: August 16, 1948 (aged 53) New York, New York |
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| Batted: Left | Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | ||
| July 11, 1914 for the Boston Red Sox |
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| Final game | ||
| May 30, 1935 for the Boston Braves |
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| Career statistics | ||
| Batting average | . The outfield is a Sporting term used in Cricket and Baseball to refer to the area of the Field of play further from the Batsman In Baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the Pitcher's mound toward the Catcher to begin each play with the goal of Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats the combined army of Pompeian followers and Numidians under Metellus Scipio Year 1895 ( MDCCCXCV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Events 1384 - The Hongwu Emperor of Ming China, Emperor Dong hears a case of a couple who tore paper money bills while fighting Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The City of New York Events 911 - Signing of the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between Charles the Simple and Rollo of Normandy. Champions World Series: Boston Braves over Philadelphia Athletics (4-0 Awards and honors Chalmers The Boston Red Sox are a Professional baseball team based in Boston Massachusetts, and are the reigning (2007 World Series Champions. Events 1416 - The Council of Constance, called by the Emperor Sigismund a supporter of Antipope John XXIII burns Jerome of Prague following Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Detroit Tigers over Chicago Cubs (4-2 All-Star Game, Batting average is a Statistic in both Cricket and Baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively 342 | |
| Home runs | 714 | |
| Run batted in | 2,217 | |
| Teams | ||
| Career highlights and awards | ||
MLB Records
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| Member of the National | ||
 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Elected | 1936 | |
| Vote | 95. On-base plus slugging (OPS is a baseball statistic calculated as the sum of a player's On-base percentage and Slugging percentage. 13% | |
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| Babe Ruth's number 3 was retired by the New York Yankees in 1948 |
George Herman Ruth, Jr. The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of The Bronx, in New York City, New York. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948), also popularly known as "Babe", "The Bambino", and "The Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914 to 1935. Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats the combined army of Pompeian followers and Numidians under Metellus Scipio Year 1895 ( MDCCCXCV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Events 1384 - The Hongwu Emperor of Ming China, Emperor Dong hears a case of a couple who tore paper money bills while fighting Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Baseball is a Bat-and-ball Sport played between two teams of nine players each Champions World Series: Boston Braves over Philadelphia Athletics (4-0 Awards and honors Chalmers Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Detroit Tigers over Chicago Cubs (4-2 All-Star Game, Named the greatest baseball player in history in various surveys and rankings, his home run hitting prowess and charismatic personality made him a larger than life figure in the "Roaring Twenties". Roaring Twenties is a phrase used to describe the 1920s principally in North America, that emphasizes the period's social artistic and cultural dynamism He was the first player to hit 60 home runs in one season (1927), a record which stood for 34 years until broken by Roger Maris in 1961. Roger Eugene Maris ( September 10 1934 &ndash December 14 1985) was an American Right fielder in Major League Baseball Ruth's lifetime total of 714 home runs at his retirement in 1935 was a record for 39 years, until broken by Hank Aaron in 1974. Henry Louis "Hank" Aaron (born February 5 1934 in Mobile Alabama) nicknamed "Hammer" "Hammerin' Hank” or "Bad Henry” is a retired Unlike many power hitters, Ruth also hit for average: his . 342 lifetime batting is tenth highest in baseball history, and in one season (1923) he hit . 393, just missing the vaunted . 400 mark. His . 690 career slugging percentage, and 1. In Baseball statistics, slugging percentage (abbreviated SLG) is a popular measure of the power of a hitter. 164 career OPS, remain the major league records. Ops, more properly Opis, ( Latin: "Plenty" was a fertility deity and earth-goddess in Roman mythology of Sabine origin
No hitter has dominated his league the way that Ruth did. He led the league in home runs during a season twelve times, slugging percentage thirteen times, OPS thirteen times, runs scored eight times, and RBIs six times. In Baseball statistics, slugging percentage (abbreviated SLG) is a popular measure of the power of a hitter. On-base plus slugging (OPS is a baseball statistic calculated as the sum of a player's On-base percentage and Slugging percentage. Each of those totals represents a modern record (and also an all-time record, except for RBIs). [1]
In 1936, Ruth became one of the first five players elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over New York Giants (4-2 All-Star Game In 1969, he was named baseball's Greatest Player Ever in a ballot commemorating the 100th anniversary of professional baseball. Champions Major League Baseball The most notable part of the 1969 season were the Miracle Mets World Series: New York Mets In 1998, The Sporting News ranked Ruth Number 1 on the list of "Baseball's 100 Greatest Players. Headline events of the year Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Ken Griffey Jr Sporting News (previously The Sporting News, and known colloquially as TSN) is an American -based Sports In 1998 The Sporting News compiled a list of Baseball's Greatest Players " In 1999, baseball fans named Ruth to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. In 1999 MasterCard sponsored the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. According to ESPN, he was the first true American sports celebrity superstar whose fame transcended baseball. ESPN, originally an acronym for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, is an American Cable television network dedicated to [2] In a 1999 ESPN poll, he was ranked as the third greatest US athlete of the century, behind Michael Jordan and Muhammad Ali. ESPN, originally an acronym for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, is an American Cable television network dedicated to Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17 1963 is a retired American professional Basketball player and active businessman Biography Early life Cassius Clay Jr was born on January 17 1942
Beyond his unprecedented statistics, Ruth completely changed baseball itself. The popularity of the game exploded in the 1920s, largely due to him. Ruth ushered in the "live-ball era" as his big swing led to gargantuan home run totals that not only excited fans, but helped baseball evolve from a low-scoring, speed-dominated game to a high-scoring power game. The live-ball era, also referred to as the lively ball era, is the period in Major League Baseball beginning in, following the Dead-ball era.
Off the field he was famous for his charity, but also was noted for his often reckless lifestyle that epitomized the hedonistic 1920s. The 1920s is sometimes referred to as the " Jazz Age " or the " Roaring Twenties " when speaking about the United States and Canada Ruth became an American icon, and even though he died nearly 60 years ago his name is still one of the most famous in all of American sports. His participation in an all-star tour of Japan in 1934 sparked that country's rabid interest in professional baseball; a decade later, Japanese soldiers seeking the ultimate insult for American troops would sometimes shout, "To hell with Babe Ruth!"[3]
Contents |
Early life
Ruth was born at 216 Emory Street in southern Baltimore, Maryland. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Hell, according to many Religious beliefs, is a location in the Afterlife, which may be described as a place of suffering [4] His maternal grandfather, German immigrant Pius Schamberger, was an upholsterer; he rented a house located only a block from where Oriole Park at Camden Yards now stands. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Upholstery is the work of providing Furniture, especially seats with Padding, springs Webbing, and fabric or Leather Oriole Park at Camden Yards is a ballpark located in Baltimore Maryland, which was completed in 1992 to replace the aging Memorial Stadium. [4] Ruth's German American parents, Kate Schamberger-Ruth and George Herman Ruth, Sr. German Americans ( German: Deutschamerikaner) are citizens of the United States of Ethnic German ancestry ,[5] eventually owned saloons on Lombard and Camden Street in Baltimore. [6] Only one of Ruth's seven siblings, his sister Mamie, survived past infancy. [5]
Ruth's parents worked long hours and had little time to take care of him. When he was seven years old, they sent him to St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys, a reformatory and orphanage, and signed custody over to the Catholic missionaries who ran the school. Reformatory is a term that has had varied meanings within the penal system depending on the jurisdiction and the era An orphanage is an institution devoted to the care of children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable to care for them A missionary is a member of a Religion who works to convert those who do not share the missionary's faith someone who proselytizes. Ruth remained at St. Mary's for the next 12 years, rarely visited by his family. At St. Mary's, a man by the name of Brother Matthias became a father figure in his life. Brother Matthias taught Ruth the game of baseball. He worked with Ruth on hitting, fielding and, later, pitching. [5] Although Ruth batted and threw left-handed, he wrote right-handed.
In early 1914, a teacher at St. Mary's brought George to the attention of Jack Dunn, owner and manager of the then minor-league Baltimore Orioles. For other people named John Dunn see here John Joseph Dunn ( October 6, 1872 - October 22, 1928) was an American The city of Baltimore Maryland has been home to two Minor league baseball teams called the Baltimore Orioles. After watching Ruth pitch, Dunn signed Ruth to a contract. Since Ruth was only 19 years old, Dunn had to become Ruth's legal guardian as well; at that time, the age of majority was 25. A legal guardian is a person who has the legal authority (and the corresponding duty to care for the personal and Property interests of another person called a ward The age of majority is the threshold of Adulthood as it is conceptualized (and recognized or declared in Law. [7] When the other players on the Orioles caught sight of Ruth, they nicknamed him "Jack's newest babe. " The reference stayed with Ruth the rest of his life, and he was most commonly referred to as Babe Ruth from then on. [8]
On July 7, 1914, Dunn offered Ruth, along with Ernie Shore and Ben Egan, to Connie Mack of the Philadelphia Athletics. Events 1456 - A retrial verdict acquits Joan of Arc of heresy 25 years after her death Year 1914 ( MCMXIV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Ernest Grady Shore (born near East Bend North Carolina March 24 1891 - September 24 1980) was an American right-handed Cornelius Alexander Mack ( December 22, 1862 – February 8, 1956) born Cornelius Alexander McGillicuddy, was an American The Oakland Athletics are a professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. Dunn asked $10,000 for the trio, but Mack refused the offer. The Cincinnati Reds, who had an agreement with the Orioles, also passed on Ruth. The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati Ohio, USA Instead, the team elected to take George Twombley and Claud Derrick. [9]
Two days later, on July 9, Dunn sold the trio to Joe Lannin and the Boston Red Sox. Events 455 - Roman military commander Avitus is proclaimed Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. The Boston Red Sox are a Professional baseball team based in Boston Massachusetts, and are the reigning (2007 World Series Champions. [10] The amount of money exchanged in the transaction is disputed.
Major League career
Red Sox years
Ruth appeared in five games for the Red Sox in 1914, pitching in four of them. Comiskey Park (35th Street & Shields Avenue Chicago, Illinois) was the ballpark in which the Chicago White Sox played from 1910 to 1990 He picked up the victory in his Major League debut on July 11; ironically, Duffy Lewis scored the winning run after pinch-hitting for Ruth. George Edward "Duffy" Lewis ( April 18, 1888 - June 17, 1979) born in San Francisco California, was a Left fielder The Red Sox had many star players in 1914, so Ruth was soon optioned to the minor league Providence Grays of Providence, Rhode Island for most of the remaining season. Providence Grays was a team name used by several major and minor league baseball teams based in Providence Rhode Island. Behind Ruth and Carl Mays, the Grays won the International League pennant. Carl William Mays ( November 12 1891 &ndash April 4 1971) was one of the better right-handed Pitchers in Major League Baseball The International League ( IL) is a Minor league baseball league which operates in the eastern United States.
Shortly after the season, in which he'd finished with a 2-1 record, Ruth proposed to Helen Woodford, a waitress he met in Boston. They were married in Ellicott City, Maryland, on October 17, 1914. Ellicott City is an Unincorporated community and Census-designated place in Howard County, Maryland, United States. Events 539 BC - King Cyrus The Great of Persia marches into the city of Babylon, releasing the Jews from almost Year 1914 ( MCMXIV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year
During spring training in 1915, Ruth secured a spot in the Red Sox starting rotation. He joined a pitching staff that included Rube Foster, Dutch Leonard, and Smokey Joe Wood. Hubert Benjamin "Dutch" Leonard, ( April 16, 1892 - July 11, 1952) was an American left-handed Pitcher in Ruth won 18 games,[11] lost eight, and helped himself by hitting . 315. He also hit his first four home runs. The Red Sox won 101 games that year on their way to a victory in the World Series. For other events named "World Series" see World Series (disambiguation. Ruth was not a factor; he did not pitch in the series, and he grounded out in his only at-bat.
In 1916, after a slightly shaky spring, he went 23-12, with a 1. Baseball The Federal League goes out of business in a settlement with Organized Baseball that leaves out one club the Baltimore Terrapins 75 ERA and 9 shutouts. On June 27, he struck out 10 Philadelphia A's, a career high. On July 11, he started both games of a doubleheader, but the feat was not what it seemed; he only pitched a third of an inning in the opener because the scheduled starter Rube Foster was having trouble getting loose. Andrew Rube Foster ( September 17 1879 - December 9 1930) was an American Baseball Ruth then pitched a complete game victory in the nightcap. Ruth had unusual success against Washington Senators star pitcher Walter Johnson, beating him four times in 1916 alone, by scores of 5-1, 1-0, 1-0 in 13 innings, and 2-1. The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Walter Perry Johnson ( November 6, 1887 – December 10, 1946) nicknamed "The Big Train" was an American right-handed Johnson finally outlasted Ruth for an extra-inning 4-3 victory on September 12; in the years to come, Ruth would hit 10 home runs off Johnson, including the only two Johnson would allow in 1918-1919. Ruth had nine shutouts in 1916, an AL record for left-handers that was unmatched until Ron Guidry tied it in 1978. Ronald Ames Guidry (ˈɡɪdɹi born August 28, 1950, in Lafayette Louisiana; nicknamed " Louisiana Lightning " and " Gator Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar)
Despite a weak offense and hurt by the sale of Tris Speaker to the Indians, the Red Sox still made it to the World Series. Tristram E Speaker ( April 4, 1888 - December 8, 1958) nicknamed “Spoke” (a play on his last name and “Grey Eagle” (for his prematurely The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. They defeated the Brooklyn Robins four games to one. The Los Angeles Dodgers are a Major League Baseball team based in Los Angeles California, USA This time Ruth made a major contribution, pitching a 14-inning complete-game victory in Game Two.
Ruth went 24-13 with a 2. 01 ERA and 6 shutouts in 1917, and hit . Baseball World Series - Chicago White Sox defeat New York Giants, 4 games to 2 Football ( 325, but the Sox finished second, nine games behind the Chicago White Sox. The Chicago White Sox are a professional Baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. Ruth's most memorable game of the season was one he had very little part in playing. On June 23 against the Washington Senators, after walking the leadoff hitter, Ruth erupted in anger, was ejected, and threw a punch at the umpire (he'd be suspended for 10 games). Events 1180 - First Battle of Uji, starting the Genpei War in Japan 1305 - The Flemish The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Ernie Shore came into the game as an impromptu replacement, and pitched a perfect game the rest of the way. Ernest Grady Shore (born near East Bend North Carolina March 24 1891 - September 24 1980) was an American right-handed A perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a Pitcher (or combination of pitchers pitches a victory that lasts a minimum Ruth's outburst was an example of self-discipline problems that plagued Ruth throughout his career, and is regarded as the primary reason (other than financial) that Frazee was willing to sell him to the Yankees two years later.
Less than three weeks later, June 11 was an example of why Ruth was so valuable to Boston. Events 1184 BC - Trojan War: Troy is sacked and burned according to the calculations of Eratosthenes. The left-hander was pitching a no-hitter in a 0-0 game against the Detroit Tigers, before a single deflected off his glove in the 8th inning. Boston finally pushed across a run in the 9th, and Ruth held onto his 1-0 victory by striking out Ty Cobb. Tyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb (December 18 1886 – July 17 1961 nicknamed " The Georgia Peach," was a baseball player and is regarded by historians In 1942, Ruth called this game his greatest thrill on the field.
In 1918, Ruth pitched in 20 games, posting a 13-7 record with a 2. 22 ERA. He was mostly used as an outfielder, and hit a league-leading 11 home runs. His statistics were curtailed slightly when he walked off the team in July following an argument with Boston's manager.
Ruth threw a 1-0 shutout in the opener of 1918 World Series, then won Game Four in what would be his final World Series appearance as a pitcher. The 1918 World Series featured the Boston Red Sox, who defeated the Chicago Cubs four games to two In three games, Ruth was 3-0 with an 0. 87 ERA, allowing 19 hits in 31 innings. Ruth extended his World Series consecutive scoreless inning streak to 29⅔ innings,[12] But since left-handers Hippo Vaughn and Lefty Tyler pitched nearly all the innings for the Cubs, Ruth, who batted left-handed, registered only five at-bats in the Series. James Leslie "Hippo" Vaughn ( April 9 1888 - May 29 1966) was an American left-handed Pitcher in Major
Emergence as a hitter
Despite his exceptional pitching numbers, Ruth's hitting prowess had become undeniable, and his playing record reflected it. Between 1915-1917, Ruth had been used in just 44 games in which he had not pitched. After the 1917 season in which he hit . 325, albeit with limited at bats, teammate Harry Hooper suggested that Ruth might be more valuable in the lineup as an everyday player. Harry Bartholomew Hooper ( August 24, 1887 &ndash December 18, 1974) was a Major League Baseball player in the early 20th century
In 1918, he began playing in the outfield more and pitching less, making 75 hitting-only appearances. His contemporaries thought this was ridiculous; former teammate Tris Speaker speculated the move would shorten Ruth's career, but Ruth himself wanted to hit more and pitch less. Tristram E Speaker ( April 4, 1888 - December 8, 1958) nicknamed “Spoke” (a play on his last name and “Grey Eagle” (for his prematurely In 1918, Ruth batted . 300 and led the A. L. in home runs with 11 despite having only 317 at bats, well below the total for an everyday player.
During the 1919 season, Ruth threw a pitch in only 17 of his 130 games. Headline Event of the Year Chicago White Sox players accused of throwing World Series, resulting in the Black Sox scandal He also set his first single-season home run record that year with 29, including a game-winning walkoff homer on a September "Babe Ruth Day" promotion. It was Babe Ruth's last season with the Red Sox.
Sold to New York
On December 26, 1919[13][14], Frazee sold Ruth to the New York Yankees. Events 1481 - Battle of Westbrook - Holland defeats troops of Utrecht. Year 1919 ( MCMXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of The Bronx, in New York City, New York. Popular legend has it that Frazee sold Ruth and several other of his best players to finance a Broadway play, No, No, Nanette (which actually didn't debut until 1925). Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located No No Nanette is a Musical comedy with lyrics by Irving Caesar and Otto Harbach, music by Vincent Youmans, and a book by Otto Harbach Year 1925 ( MCMXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The truth is somewhat more nuanced.
After the 1919 season, Ruth demanded a raise to $20,000-double his previous salary. However, Frazee refused, and Ruth responded by letting it be known he wouldn't play until he got his raise. He'd actually jumped the team several times, including the last game of the 1919 season.
Frazee finally lost patience with Ruth, and decided to trade him. However, he was effectively limited to two trading partners--the Chicago White Sox and the then-moribund Yankees. The Chicago White Sox are a professional Baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. The other five clubs rejected his deals out of hand under pressure from American League president Ban Johnson, who never liked Frazee and was actively trying to "Yank" the Red Sox out from under him. Byron Bancroft "Ban" Johnson ( January 5, 1864 &ndash March 28, 1931) was an American executive in Professional baseball The White Sox offered Shoeless Joe Jackson and $60,000, but Yankees owners Jacob Ruppert and Tillinghast L'Hommedieu Huston offered an all-cash deal--$100,000. Joseph Jefferson Jackson ( July 16, 1888 &ndash December 5, 1951) nicknamed "Shoeless Joe", was an American Jacob Ruppert Jr ( August 5, 1867 &ndash January 13, 1939) sometimes referred to as Jake Ruppert, was a National Guard Tillinghast L'Hommedieu Huston ( July 17, 1867 &ndash March 29, 1938) was co-owner of the Major League Baseball team that became the
Frazee, Ruppert and Huston quickly agreed to a deal. In exchange for Ruth, the Red Sox would get $125,000 in cash and three $25,000 notes payable every year at 6 percent interest. Ruppert and Huston also loaned Frazee $300,000, with the mortgage on Fenway Park as collateral. The deal was contingent on Ruth signing a new contract, which was quickly agreed to, and Ruth officially became property of the Yankees on December 26. Events 1481 - Battle of Westbrook - Holland defeats troops of Utrecht. The deal was announced ten days later[15].
In the January 6, 1920 edition of the Boston Globe, Frazee described the transaction:
- “I should have preferred to take players in exchange for Ruth, but no club could have given me the equivalent in men without wrecking itself, and so the deal had to be made on a cash basis. Events 1066 - Harold Godwinson is crowned King of England. 1205 - Philip of Swabia becomes King Year 1920 ( MCMXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display 1920 of the Gregorian calendar The Boston Globe (and Boston Sunday Globe) is the most widely circulated daily Newspaper in Boston and in New England, No other club could afford to give me the amount the Yankees have paid for him, and I don’t mind saying I think they are taking a gamble. With this money the Boston club can now go into the market and buy other players and have a stronger and better team in all respects than we would have had if Ruth had remained with us. ”
However, the January 6, 1920 New York Times was more prescient:
- “The short right field wall at the Polo Grounds should prove an easy target for Ruth next season and, playing seventy-seven games at home, it would not be surprising if Ruth surpassed his home run record of twenty-nine circuit clouts next Summer. The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different Stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City used by Baseball 's New York Giants ”
It also turns out that there was a solid basis for the No, No, Nanette story. As Leigh Montville discovered during research for his book, The Big Bam: The Life and Times of Babe Ruth (Random House, 2006, p. 161-164), No, No, Nanette had originated as a non-musical stage play called My Lady Friends, which opened on Broadway in December of 1919. His research indicated that that play had, indeed, been financed as a direct result of the Ruth sale to the Yankees.
The Yankee Years
1920-1925
Upon moving to the Yankees, Ruth transition from a pitcher to a power-hitting outfielder was complete. In his fifteen year Yankee career, consisting of over 2,000 games, Ruth re-wrote the record books in terms of his hitting achievements -- but made only 5 widely-scattered token appearances on the mound, almost incidentally compiling a perfect 5-0 record as a Yankee pitcher.
In 1920, his first year with the Yankees, Ruth hit 54 home runs and batted . 376. His . 847 slugging average was a Major League record until 2001, when it was broken by Barry Bonds. Artistic gymnastics World Artistic Gymnastics Championships: Men's all-around champion Feng Jing, China Barry Lamar Bonds (born July 24 1964 is a Major League Baseball Outfielder who is currently a Free agent. Aside from the Yankees, only the Philadelphia Phillies managed to hit more home runs as a team than Ruth did as an individual, slugging 64 in hitter-friendly Baker Bowl. The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Baker Bowl is the best-known popular name of a Baseball park that formerly stood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
In 1921, Ruth improved to arguably the best year of his career, hitting 59 home runs, batting . Headline Events of the Year First Radio broadcast of the World Series. 378 and slugging . 846 while leading the Yankees to their first league championship. On July 18, 1921, Babe Ruth hit career home run #139, breaking Roger Connor's record of 138 in just the eighth year of his career. Roger Connor ( July 1, 1857 &ndash January 4, 1931) was a 19th century Major League Baseball player born in Waterbury Connecticut (This was not recognized at the time, as Connor's correct career total was not accurately documented until the 1970s. Even if the record had been celebrated, it would have been on an earlier date, as Connor's total was at one time thought to be only 131. )
Ruth quickly became synonymous with the home run, because he led the transformation of baseball strategy from the "inside game" to the "power game", and because of the style and manner in which he hit them. His ability to drive a significant number of his home runs in the 450–500 foot range and beyond resulted in the lasting adjective "Ruthian," to describe any long home run hit by any player. Probably his deepest hit in official game play (and perhaps the longest home run by any player), occurred on July 18, at Detroit's Navin Field, in which he hit one to straightaway center, over the wall of the then-single-deck bleachers, and to the intersection, some 575 feet from home plate. Tiger Stadium (formerly Navin Field then Briggs Stadium is a Stadium located in the Corktown neighborhood of Detroit, Michigan.
As impressive as Ruth's 1921 numbers were, they could have been more so under modern conditions. Bill Jenkinson's 2006 book, The Year Babe Ruth Hit 104 Home Runs, attempts to examine each of Ruth's 714 career home runs, plus several hundred long inside-the-park drives and "fair-foul" balls. The Year Babe Ruth Hit 104 Home Runs is a 432-page non-fiction book by Bill Jenkinson published by Carroll & Graf Publishers in March of 2007 Until 1931 in the AL, balls that hit the foul pole were considered ground-rule doubles, and balls that went over the wall in fair territory but hooked foul were ruled foul. In Baseball, a foul ball is a batted ball that is not a Foul tip, and that passes out of the playing field in flight while over foul In Baseball, a ground rule double is any award of two bases from the Time of pitch to the batter the base runners are pushed by the previous runner Many fields, including Ruth's home Polo Grounds, had exceptionally deep center fields--in the Polo Grounds' case, nearly five hundred feet. The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different Stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City used by Baseball 's New York Giants The author concluded that Ruth would have been credited with 104 home runs in 1921, if modern rules and field dimensions were in place.
The Yankees had high expectations when they met the New York Giants in the 1921 World Series, and the Yankees won the first two games with Ruth in the lineup. The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in, that currently play in the National League West Division. In the 1921 World Series, the New York Giants beat the New York Yankees 5 games to 3 However, Ruth badly scraped his elbow during Game 2 sliding into third base (he had walked and stolen both second and third). After the game, he was told by the team physician not to play the rest of the series. A physician, medical practitioner or medical doctor who practices Medicine, and is concerned with maintaining or restoring human Health Although he did play in Games 3, 4 and 5, and pinch-hit in Game 8 of the best-of-9 Series, his productivity was diminished, and the Yankees lost the series. Ruth hit . 316, drove in five runs and hit his first World Series home run. (Although the Yankees won the fifth game, Ruth wrenched his knee and did not return to the Series until the eighth [last] game. )
Ruth's appearance in the 1921 World Series also led to a problem and triggered another disciplinary action. After the series, Ruth played in a barnstorming tour. Barnstorming in athletics refers to sports teams or individuals that travel to various locations usually small towns to stage exhibition matches A rule at the time prohibited World Series participants from playing in exhibition games during the off-season. The purpose of the rule was to prevent Series participants from "restaging" the Series and undermining its value. Baseball Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis suspended Ruth for the first six weeks of the 1922 season. The Commissioner of Baseball is the chief executive of Major League Baseball. Kenesaw Mountain Landis ( November 20 1866 &ndash November 25 1944) was an American Jurist who served as a federal Champions World Series: New York Giants over New York Yankees (4-0-1 Statistical Leaders Major Landis had made his point about adhering to the letter of the rules, but he also recognized that the rule was no longer needed, and rescinded it.
Ruth's off-the-field life often interfered with his performance, and sometimes he just proved to be a thorn in the side of his manager, Miller Huggins. Miller James Huggins ( March 27, 1879 &ndash September 25, 1929) nicknamed "Mighty Mite" was a Baseball player and A policeman pulled Ruth over one night for driving up a one-way street, and Babe protested, "Well, I was only going one way!" But Huggins saw nothing funny about it--Ruth was supposed to be in the hotel room at the time, not out carousing. When he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame years later, he was present for the posthumous induction of Huggins. Ruth admitted, Huggins "was the only one who could handle me. "[16]
Despite his suspension, Ruth started his 1922 season on May 20 as the Yankees' new on-field captain. Baseball (Major League World Series - New York Giants defeat New York Yankees, 4 games to 0 with one tie Events 325 - The First Council of Nicaea &ndash the first Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church is held But five days later, he was ejected from a game for throwing dirt on an umpire, and then climbed into the stands to confront a heckler; Ruth was subsequently stripped of the captaincy. In his shortened season, Ruth appeared in 110 games, hit 35 home runs and drove in 99 runs. Despite Ruth's partial absence, the Yankees still made it to the 1922 World Series. In the 1922 World Series, the New York Giants beat the New York Yankees in five games (four games to none with one tie starting this year the World Series was Ruth had just two hits in seventeen at-bats, and the Yankees lost to the Giants for the second straight year.
In 1923, the Yankees moved from the Polo Grounds, where they had sublet from the Giants, to their new Yankee Stadium, which was quickly dubbed "The House That Ruth Built". The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different Stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City used by Baseball 's New York Giants The original Yankee Stadium is a Stadium located in The Bronx in New York City. Characteristically, he hit the stadium's first home run on the way to a Yankees victory. Ruth finished the 1923 season with a career-high . 393 batting average and major-league leading 41 home runs. For the third straight year the Yankees faced the Giants in the 1923 World Series. In the 1923 World Series, the New York Yankees beat the New York Giants in six games Ruth batted . 368, walked eight times, scored eight runs, hit three home runs and slugged 1. 000 during the series. The Yankees won their first World Series title by 4 games to 2, and the groundwork for the Yankees dynasty had been established.
Ruth narrowly missed winning the Triple Crown in 1924. He hit . 378 to lead the American League in batting, led the Major Leagues with 46 home runs, and batted in 121 runs to finish second to Goose Goslin's 129. Leon Allen Goslin ( October 16, 1900 – May 15, 1971) better known as Goose Goslin, was a Left fielder in Major League Ruth's on-base percentage was . 513, the fourth of 5 years in which his OBP exceeded . 500. However, the Yankees finished second, 2 games behind the Washington Senators, who went on to win their first and only World Series while based in D. The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. C.
During spring training in 1925, Ruth fell ill, and returned to New York for what was reported as stomach surgery. Baseball (Major League Pittsburgh Pirates def Washington Senators in the World Series Baseball (Negro New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The press dubbed Ruth's ailment as "the bellyache heard round the world," and wrote about an alleged hot dog binge, but some recent writers have suggested that Ruth was suffering from untreated gonorrhea. Gonorrhea (also gonorrhoea) caused by the bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae, is a common Sexually transmitted disease. However, the exact nature of his ailment has never been confirmed. Playing just 98 games, Ruth finished the season with a . 290 average and 25 home runs. The team finished next to last in the American League with a 69-85 mark. It would be 40 years before a Yankees team would again experience such a poor season.
1926-1930
Babe Ruth performed at a much higher level during 1926 season, batting . Champions World Series: St Louis Cardinals over New York Yankees (4-3 Negro League World Series: Chicago 372 with 47 home runs and 146 RBIs. The Yankees won the AL title and advanced to the 1926 World Series. The 1926 World Series was the championship series of the 1926 Major League Baseball (MLB season featuring the St The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Yankees in seven games. The St Louis Cardinals (also referred to as "the Cards " or "the Redbirds " are a professional Baseball team based in St However, Ruth had his moments. In Game 4, he hit three home runs,[17] Despite his batting heroics, he is also remembered for a costly baserunning blunder. Ruth had a reputation as a good but overaggressive baserunner (he had 123 stolen bases, including 10 steals of home, but only a 51% career percentage). With two outs in the bottom of the 9th inning of the deciding 7th game, with the Yankees trailing 3-2, Ruth tried to steal second base. But he was thrown out, and the Cardinals were champions. It is the only time that the final out of a World Series was a "caught stealing. "
Ruth was the leader of the famous 1927 Yankees, also known as Murderer's Row because of the strength of its hitting lineup and its effect on opposing pitchers. Baseball (Major League Babe Ruth hit 60 Home runs setting a major league record Murderers’ Row is also the title of a 1962 novel by Donald Hamilton and a 1966 Motion picture, Murderers’ Row, based on the book starring The team won a then AL-record 110 games (The 2001 Seattle Mariners now hold the record with 116 wins, though they played eight more games), took the AL pennant by 19 games, and swept the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1927 World Series. The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington, United States. The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In the 1927 World Series, the New York Yankees swept the Pittsburgh Pirates in four games
With the race long since decided, the nation's attention turned to Ruth's pursuit of his own home run mark of 59. Early in the season, Ruth expressed doubts about his chances: "I don't suppose I'll ever break that 1921 record. To do that, you've got to start early, and the pitchers have got to pitch to you. I don't start early, and the pitchers haven't really pitched to me in four seasons. I get more bad balls to hit than any other six men. . . and fewer good ones. " Ruth was also being challenged for his slugger's crown by teammate Lou Gehrig, who nudged ahead of Ruth's total in midseason, prompting the New York World-Telegram to anoint Gehrig the favorite. Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig ( June 19 1903 – June 2 1941) born Ludwig Heinrich Gehrig, was an American The New York World-Telegram, later known as the New York World-Telegram and Sun, was a New York City newspaper from 1931 to 1966 But Ruth caught Gehrig (who would finish with 47), and then had a remarkable last leg of the season, hitting 17 home runs in September. His 60th came on September 30, in the Yankees' next-to-last game. Ruth was exultant, shouting after the game, "Sixty, count 'em, sixty! Let's see some son-of-a-bitch match that!" In later years, he would give Gehrig some credit: "Pitchers began pitching to me because if they passed me they still had Lou to contend with. " In addition to his career-high 60 home runs, Ruth batted . 356, drove in 164 runs and slugged . 772.
The following season started off very well for the Yankees, who led the AL by 13 games in July. Baseball (Negro League In late May the Eastern Colored League disintegrates leaving the league's clubs to play independently for the rest of the season But the Yankees were soon plagued by some key injuries, erratic pitching and inconsistent play. The Philadelphia Athletics, rebuilding after some lean years, erased the Yankees' big lead and they even took over first place briefly in early September. The Oakland Athletics are a professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Yankees however took over first place for good when they beat the A's 3 out of 4 games in a pivotal series later that month.
Ruth's play in 1928 mirrored his team's performance. He got off to a hot start and on August 1, he had 42 home runs. Events 30 BC - Octavian (later known as Augustus enters Alexandria, Egypt, bringing it under the control of the Roman This put him ahead of his 60 home run pace from the previous season. But Ruth was hobbled by a bad ankle the latter part of the season, and he hit just 12 home runs in the last two months of the regular season. His batting average also fell to . 323, well below his career average. Nevertheless, he ended the season with 54 home runs and had his typical impressive slugging average, runs scored, walk and RBI totals. His 54 home runs was also the fourth (and last) time he passed 50 home runs in a season.
The Yankees had a 1928 World Series rematch with the St. In the 1928 World Series, the New York Yankees swept the St Louis Cardinals in four games Louis Cardinals, who had upset them in the 1926 series. The Cardinals had the same core players as the 1926 team, except for Rogers Hornsby, who was traded for Frankie Frisch after the 1926 season. Rogers Hornsby ( April 27, 1896 in Winters Texas - January 5, 1963 in Chicago Illinois) nicknamed "The Rajah" Francis "Frankie" Frisch ( September 9, 1898 — March 12, 1973) nicknamed the Fordham Flash, or The Old Flash Despite the Yankees struggles in the latter part of the season, they had no problems with the Cardinals. Ruth batted an amazing . 625 (the second highest average in World Series history), including another 3-home run game (in game 4), Gehrig batted . 545, and the Yankees demolished the Cardinals in four games with no game being close. The Yankees' thus became the first Major League team to sweep their opponents in consecutive World Series.
Decline and end with Yankees
In 1929, the Yankees failed to make the World Series for the first time in three years, and it would be another three years before they returned. Football ( American) January 1 - Rose Bowl - Georgia Tech 8 California 7 The highlight (or lowilght Although the Yankees had slipped, Ruth led or tied for the league lead in home runs each year during 1929–1931. At one point during the 1930 season, as a stunt, Ruth was called upon to pitch for the first time since 1921, and he pitched a complete-game victory. (He had often pitched in exhibitions in the intervening years).
Also in 1929, the Yankees became the first team to use uniform numbers regularly (the Cleveland Indians used them briefly in 1916). The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. Since Ruth normally batted third in the order (ahead of Gehrig), he was assigned number 3 (to Gehrig's 4). The Yankees retired Ruth's number on June 13, 1948; however, it was kept in circulation prior to that. Events 1525 - Martin Luther marries Katharina von Bora, against the Celibacy rule decreed by the Roman Catholic Church for Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
In 1930, which was not a pennant year for the Yankees, Ruth was asked by a reporter what he thought of his yearly salary of $80,000 being more than President Hoover's $75,000. Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10 1874 &ndash October 20 1964 was the thirty-first President of the United States (1929–1933 His response: "I know, but I had a better year than Hoover. " Ruth had supported Al Smith in the 1928 Presidential election. Alfred Emanuel Smith Jr, known in private and public life as Al Smith, ( December 30, 1873 - October 4, 1944) was elected Governor That quote has also been rendered as, "How many home runs did he hit last year?" Three years later, Ruth would make a public appearance with the ex-President at a Stanford – USC football game. Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly known as Stanford University or simply Stanford, is a private Research university located in The University of Southern California (commonly referred to as USC, SC, Southern California, and incorrectly
In the 1932 season, the Yankees went 107-47 and won the pennant under manager Joe McCarthy. Champions World Series: New York Yankees over Chicago Cubs (4-0 Negro League World Series: Pittsburgh Crawfords Joseph Vincent McCarthy ( April 21 1887 – January 13 1978) nicknamed "Marse Joe" was an American manager in Ruth did his part by hitting . 341, with 41 home runs and 137 RBIs. Ruth did miss 21 games on the schedule that year; this included the last few weeks of the season.
The Yankees faced the Chicago Cubs in the 1932 World Series. The Chicago Cubs are a Professional Baseball franchise based in Chicago, Illinois. The 1932 World Series was played between the New York Yankees ( American League) and the Chicago Cubs ( National League) with the Yankees The Yankees dispatched the Cubs in 4 games and batted . 313 as a team. During Game 3 of the series, after having already homered earlier in the game, Ruth hit what has now become known as Babe Ruth's Called Shot. Babe Ruth's called shot was the Home run hit by Babe Ruth in the fifth Inning of Game 3 of the 1932 World Series, held on 1 October During the at-bat, Ruth supposedly gestured to the deepest part of the park in center-field, predicting a home run. The ball he hit traveled past the flagpole to the right of the scoreboard and ended up in temporary bleachers just outside Wrigley Field's outer wall. Wrigley Field is a Baseball Stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago The center field corner was 440 feet away, and at age 37, Ruth had hit a straightaway center home run that was perhaps a 490 foot blow. [18] It was Ruth's last Series homer (and his last Series hit), and it became one of the legendary moments of baseball history.
Ruth remained productive in 1933, as he batted . 301, with 34 home runs, 103 RBIs, and a league leading 114 walks. But these statistics, impressive for virtually every other player, for him showed he was clearly nearing the end of his career. Elected to play in the first All-Star game, he hit the first home run in the game's history on July 6, 1933, at Comiskey Park in Chicago. All-star (also allstar or all star) is a term with meanings in both the worlds of Sports and Events 1044 - The Battle of Ménfő takes place 1189 - Richard the Lionheart is crowned King of England Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Comiskey Park (35th Street & Shields Avenue Chicago, Illinois) was the ballpark in which the Chicago White Sox played from 1910 to 1990 His two-run home run helped the AL to a 4-2 victory over the NL, and Ruth also made a fine defensive catch in the game. Film footage of his All-Star game home run revealed the 38-year-old Ruth had become noticeably overweight.
Late in the 1933 season, he was called upon to pitch in one game and pitched a complete game victory, his final appearance as a pitcher. For the most part, his Yankee pitching appearances (five in fifteen years) were widely-advertised attempts to boost attendance. Despite unremarkable pitching numbers, Ruth had a 5-0 record in those five games, raising his career totals to 94-46, an exceptionally high winning percentage.
In 1934, Babe Ruth recorded a . Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10 1874 &ndash October 20 1964 was the thirty-first President of the United States (1929–1933 Events 308 - The Congress of Carnuntum: Attempting to keep peace within the Roman Empire, the leaders of the Tetrarchy declare Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Athletics June 9 &mdash Swiss runner Lina Aebersold sets a new word record in the women's 20 km walk in Zürich: 15902 288 average, 22 home runs, and made the All-Star team for the second consecutive year. During the game, Ruth was the first of five consecutive strikeout victims (all 5 being future Hall of Fame players) of Giants pitcher Carl Hubbell, perhaps the most famous pitching feat in All-Star game history. Carl Owen Hubbell ( June 22, 1903 &ndash November 21, 1988) was a left-handed Screwball Pitcher in Major League Baseball In what turned out to be his last game at Yankee Stadium, only about 2,000 fans attended. By this time, Ruth had reached a personal milestone of 700 home runs and was about ready to retire.
After the 1934 season, Ruth went on a baseball barnstorming tour in the Far East. The Far East is a term often used by people in the Western world to refer to the countries of East Asia. Players such as Jimmie Foxx, Lefty Gomez, Earl Averill, Charlie Gehringer, and Lou Gehrig were among 14 players who played a series of 22 games, with many of the games played in Japan. James Emory "Jimmie" Foxx ( October 22 - July 21) ( nicknamed Double X and The Beast) was an American First Vernon Louis "Lefty" Gomez ( November 26, 1908 – February 17, 1989) was a Portuguese-American [http//www Howard Earl Averill ( May 21, 1902 - August 16, 1983) was an American player in Major League Baseball who was a Center Charles Leonard Gehringer ( May 11 1903 – January 21 1993) nicknamed “ The Mechanical Man,” was a Major League Baseball Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig ( June 19 1903 – June 2 1941) born Ludwig Heinrich Gehrig, was an American Ruth was quite popular in Japan, as baseball had been popular in Japan for decades. Riding in a motorcade, Ruth was greeted by thousands of cheering Japanese people. The tour was considered a great success for further increasing the popularity of baseball in Japan, and in 1936 Japan organized its first professional baseball league.
Sold to the Braves
By this time, Ruth knew he didn't have many years left as a player, and made no secret that he wanted to manage the Yankees. However, Ruppert wouldn't even consider dumping McCarthy. Ruth and McCarthy had never gotten along, and Ruth's managerial ambitions only made relations between the two chillier. Just before the 1934 season, Ruppert offered to make Ruth manager of the Yankees' top minor-league team, the Newark Bears. The Newark Bears are a professional baseball team based in Newark New Jersey, in the United States However, Ruth's wife, Claire Merritt Hodgson, and his business manager both advised him to turn it down. Claire Merritt Hodgson (born Clara Mae Merritt September 11, 1897 &ndash October 25, After the 1934 season, Ruppert talked to nearly every other major-league owner, but no one was interested in making Ruth manager.
Ruppert finally found a taker in Boston Braves owner Emil Fuchs. Even though the Braves had fielded fairly competitive teams in the last three seasons, Fuchs was sinking in debt and couldn't afford the rent on Braves Field. Braves Field was a Baseball park that formerly stood on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston Massachusetts. Fuchs thought Ruth was just what the Braves needed, both on and off the field.
After a series of phone calls, letters and meetings, the Yankees traded Ruth to the Braves on February 26, 1935. Events 747 BC - Epoch (origin of Ptolemy 's Nabonassar Era 364 - Valentinian I is proclaimed Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. It was announced that in addition to remaining as a player, Ruth would become team vice president and would be consulted on all club transactions. He was also made assistant manager to Braves skipper Bill McKechnie. William Boyd McKechnie ( August 7 1886 - October 29 1965) was an American Third baseman, manager and coach In a long letter to Ruth a few days before the press conference, Fuchs promised Ruth a share in the Braves' profits, with the possibility of becoming co-owner of the team. Fuchs also raised the possibility of Ruth becoming the Braves' manager, perhaps as early as 1936. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over New York Giants (4-2 All-Star Game
Amid much media hoopla, Ruth played his first home game in Boston in over 16 years. Before an opening-day crowd of over 25,000, Ruth accounted for all of the Braves' runs in a 4-2 defeat of the New York Giants. The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in, that currently play in the National League West Division. The Braves had long played second fiddle to the Red Sox in Boston, but Ruth's arrival spiked interest in the Braves to levels not seen since their stunning win in the 1914 World Series. In the 1914 World Series, the Boston Braves beat the Philadelphia Athletics in a four-games sweep
But this couldn't last. That win proved to be the only time the Braves were over . 500 that year. By May 20, they were 7-17, and their season was effectively over. Events 325 - The First Council of Nicaea &ndash the first Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church is held While Ruth could still hit, he could do little else, and soon stopped hitting as well. His conditioning had deteriorated so much that he could do little more than trot around the bases. His fielding was dreadful; at one point, three of the Braves' pitchers threatened not to take the mound if Ruth was in the lineup. Ruth was also miffed that McKechnie ignored most of his managerial advice. He soon discovered that he was vice president and assistant manager in name only, and Fuchs' promise of a share of team profits was also hot air. In fact, Fuchs expected Ruth to invest some of his money in the team.
On May 25, at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Ruth went 4-for-4, drove in 6 runs and hit 3 home runs in an 11-7 loss to the Pirates. Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. Forbes Field was a Baseball park in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania from 1909 to 1971 These were the last three home runs of his career. His last home run cleared the roof at the old Forbes Field—he became the first player to accomplish that feat. Five days later, in Philadelphia, Ruth played in his last Major League game. Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə He struck out in the first inning and, while playing the field in the same inning, hurt his knee and left the game.
Two days after that, Ruth summoned reporters to the locker room after a game against the Giants and announced he was retiring. He'd wanted to retire as early as May 12, but Fuchs persuaded him to stay on because the Braves hadn't played in every National League park yet. Events 1191 - Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre. That season, he hit just . 181 with six home runs in 72 at-bats. The Braves season went as bad as Ruth's short season. They finished 38-115, the third-worst record in Major League history, just a few percentage points fewer than the infamous 1962 New York Mets. Listed below are the Major League Baseball teams with the worst season won-lost records as determined by winning percentage ( "Mets" redirects here For the medical term see Metastasis. Fuchs finally caved in under mounting debt and lost control of the Braves with just over two months left in the season.
Personal life
Ruth married Helen Woodford, his first wife, in 1914. [19] Together, they adopted a daughter. [20] They were reportedly separated as early as 1920[21] and as late as 1926. [19] After they separated, Helen perished in a house fire in January 1929. Ruth and several Yankees attended her funeral.
On April 17, 1929, Ruth married actress Claire Hodgson. Events 69 - After the First Battle of Bedriacum, Vitellius becomes Roman Emperor. Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Claire Merritt Hodgson (born Clara Mae Merritt September 11, 1897 &ndash October 25, [22] They stayed married until Babe Ruth's death in 1948. Athletics Marathon December 5 &mdash Fukuoka Marathon, Japan Men's Winner Saburo [20]
He had two daughters, Dorothy Ruth (with mistress Juanita Jennings[23]) and Julia Ruth. Dorothy Helen Ruth Pirone (1921-1989 was the daughter of Babe Ruth and his mistress Juanita Jennings
Ruth regularly wintered in Florida, frequently playing golf during the off-season and while the Yankees were spring training in St. Petersburg, Florida. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the St Petersburg (often shortened to St Pete) is a city in Pinellas County Florida, United States. After retirement, he had a winter beachfront home in Treasure Island, Florida, near St. Treasure Island is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, in the United States. Petersburg.
 Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig at West Point, New York (1927) |
 Ruth golfing with former New York Governor Al Smith in Coral Gables, Florida (1930) – State Archive of Florida |
 The Great Bambino with future U. West Point is a federal military reservation (and a Census-designated place) located North of the Village of Highland Falls in Orange County New York Alfred Emanuel Smith Jr, known in private and public life as Al Smith, ( December 30, 1873 - October 4, 1944) was elected Governor Coral Gables (sometimes referred to as The Gables) is a City in Miami-Dade County, Florida, southwest of Miami, in the United S. President George H. W. Bush at Yale |
Weight misconception
Though Babe Ruth is usually remembered as having been very overweight, this is largely because of oft-repeated showings of newsreels taken late in his career. George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12 1924 served as the forty-first President of the United States from 1989 to 1993 Events 836 - Pactum Sicardi, peace between the Principality of Benevento and the Duchy of Naples Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Ruth was a large man who did indeed battle weight gain (especially given his sometimes careless diet), but for much of his career he was not especially overweight. In fact, photographs from his early career (such as the ones accompanying this article) show a trim and athletic Ruth.
Radio and films
Among his many forays into various popular media, Ruth was heard often on radio in the 1930s and 1940s as both a guest and on his own programs with various titles: The Adventures of Babe Ruth was a 15-minute Blue Network show heard three times a week from April 16 to July 13, 1934. The Blue Network was the on-air name of an American radio production and distribution service from 1942 to 1945 which traced its formal origins back to 1927 Events 1178 BC - A Solar eclipse may have marked the return of Odysseus, legendary King of Ithaca, to his kingdom Events 1174 - William I of Scotland, a key rebel in the Revolt of 1173-1174, is captured at Alnwick by forces loyal to Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Three years later, he was on CBS twice a week in Here's Babe Ruth which was broadcast from April 14 to July 9, 1937. Events 43 BC - Battle of Forum Gallorum: Mark Antony, besieging Julius Caesar 's assassin Decimus Junius Brutus in Events 455 - Roman military commander Avitus is proclaimed Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Year 1937 ( MCMXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. That same year he portrayed himself in "Alibi Ike" on Lux Radio Theater. Alibi Ike is a series of short stories written by Ring Lardner and first published in the Saturday Evening Post on July 31, 1915 Lux Radio Theater, one of the genuine classic radio Anthology series (NBC Blue Network (1934-1935 CBS (1935-1954 NBC His Baseball Quiz was first heard Saturdays on NBC June 5 to July 10, 1943 and then later that year from August 28 to November 20 on NBC, followed by another NBC run from July 8 to October 21, 1944. Events 70 - Titus and his Roman Legions breach the middle wall of Jerusalem in the Siege of Jerusalem Events 48 BC - Battle of Dyrrhachium, Julius Caesar barely avoids a catastrophic defeat to Pompey in Macedonia. Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 475 - The Roman General Orestes forces western Roman Emperor Julius Nepos to flee his Capital Events 284 - Diocletian was chosen as Roman Emperor. 762 - Bögü Khan of the Uyghurs, Events 939 - The Major Occultation or Ghaybat el-Kubra of Muhammad al-Mahdi 1099 - First Crusade: 15000 Events 1512 - Martin Luther joins the theological faculty of the University of Wittenberg. Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
His film roles included a cameo appearance as himself in the Harold Lloyd film Speedy (1928). Harold Clayton Lloyd Sr ( April 20, 1893 &ndash March 8, 1971) was an American Film actor and producer Speedy is a 1928 Silent film that was one of the films to be nominated for the short-lived Academy Award for Best Director of a Comedy. His first film appearance occurred in 1920, in the silent movie Headin' Home. Heading Home (also called Headin' Home) is a 1920 Silent film which attempts to create a Mythology surrounding the life He made numerous other film appearances in the silent era, usually either playing himself or playing a ballplayer similar to himself. Ruth's voice was said by some biographers to be similar to that of film star Clark Gable, although that was obviously not evident in the silent film era. Clark Gable (February 1 &ndashNovember 16) was an iconic American Actor nicknamed "The King of Hollywood" in his heyday He had an appropriate role, as himself, in Pride of the Yankees, the story of his ill-fated teammate Lou Gehrig. The Pride of the Yankees is a 1942 biographical film directed by Sam Wood about the New York Yankees ' star baseball player First baseman Ruth had three scenes in the film: One in which he appeared with a straw hat. He said "If I see anyone touch it, I'll knock his teeth in!" The teammates convinced young Gehrig (Gary Cooper) to chew the hat up; he got away with it. Frank James “Gary” Cooper (May 7 &ndashMay 13) was an American film actor and iconic star In the second scene, the players go to a restaurant, where Babe sees a side of beef cooking and jokes, "Well, I'll have one of those. Beef is the Culinary name for Meat from Bovines especially domestic Cattle (cows . . " and, the dramatic scene near the end, where Gehrig makes his speech at Yankee Stadium ending with "I consider myself the luckiest man. The original Yankee Stadium is a Stadium located in The Bronx in New York City. . . "
Retirement and post-playing days
In 1936, Ruth was one of the first five players elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Two years later, Larry MacPhail, the Brooklyn Dodgers general manager, offered him a first base coaching job in June. Leland Stanford "Larry" MacPhail Sr ( February 3 1890 - October 1 1975) was an American executive and innovator in The Los Angeles Dodgers are a Major League Baseball team based in Los Angeles California, USA Ruth took the job but quit at the end of the season. The coaching position was his last job in Major League Baseball. His baseball career finally came to an end in 1943. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over St In a charity game at Yankee Stadium, he pinch hit and drew a walk.
In 1947, he became director of the American Legion's youth baseball program. For other uses of American Legion see American Legion (disambiguation The American Legion was chartered by the U [24]
Illness
In 1946, he began experiencing severe pain over his left eye. In November 1946, a visit to French Hospital in New York revealed Ruth had a malignant tumor in his neck that had encircled his left carotid artery. Cancer (medical term Malignant Neoplasm) is a class of Diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled In Human anatomy, the common carotid artery is an Artery that supplies the head and neck with Oxygenated blood; it divides in the neck to form the He received post-operative radiation therapy. In total he spent 3 months in the hospital and lost approximately 80 pounds (35 kg). He was released from the hospital in February 1947.
A parallel development in the field of chemotherapy crossed over with Ruth at this time. Chemotherapy, in its most general sense refers to treatment of disease by chemicals that kill cells specifically those of micro-organisms or Cancer. A new drug named teropterin, a folic acid derivative, was developed by Dr. Brian Hutchings of the Lederle Laboratories. It had been shown to cause significant remissions in children with leukemia. Leukemia or leukaemia (Greek leukos λευκός, "white" aima αίμα, "blood" is a Cancer of the Blood Ruth was administered this new drug in June 1947. He was suffering from headaches, hoarseness and had difficulty swallowing. He agreed to use this new medicine but did not want to know any details about it. All the while he was receiving this experimental medication, he did not know it was for cancer. On June 29, 1947, he began receiving injections and he responded with dramatic improvement. Events 512 - A Solar eclipse is recorded by a monastic chronicler in Ireland. Year 1947 ( MCMXLVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He gained over 20 pounds (9 kg) and had resolution of his headaches. On September 6, 1947, his case was presented anonymously at the 4th Annual Internal cancer Research Congress in St. Louis. Events 3114 BC - According to the Proleptic Julian calendar the current era in the Maya Long Count Calendar started Year 1947 ( MCMXLVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Teropterin ended up being a precursor for methotrexate, a now commonly used chemotherapeutic agent.
It is now known that Ruth suffered from nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPCA), a relatively rare tumor located in the back of the nose near the eustachian tube. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC is a Cancer originating in the Nasopharynx, the uppermost region of the Pharynx or "throat" where the nasal The Eustachian tube (or auditory tube) is a tube that links the Pharynx to the Middle ear. Contemporary management for NPCA includes concurrent chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Radiation therapy (or radiotherapy) is the medical use of Ionizing radiation as part of Cancer treatment to control Malignant
On April 27, 1947, the Yankees held a ceremony at Yankee Stadium. Events 1124 - David I becomes King of Scotland. 1296 - Battle of Dunbar: The Scots are defeated Year 1947 ( MCMXLVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Despite his health problems, Ruth was able to attend "Babe Ruth Day". Ruth spoke to a capacity crowd of more than 60,000, including many American Legion youth baseball players. Although lacking a specific memorable comment like Gehrig's "Luckiest man" speech, Ruth spoke from the heart, of his enthusiasm for the game of baseball and in support of the youth playing the game. (Babe Ruth speaking at Yankee Stadium)
Later, Ruth started the Babe Ruth Foundation, a charity for disadvantaged children. Another Babe Ruth Day held at Yankee Stadium in September 1947 helped to raise money for this charity.
After the cancer returned, Ruth attended the 25th anniversary celebration of the opening of Yankee Stadium on June 13, 1948. Events 1525 - Martin Luther marries Katharina von Bora, against the Celibacy rule decreed by the Roman Catholic Church for Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He was reunited with old teammates from the 1923 Yankee team and posed for photographs. The prize-winning photo taken from behind, using a bat as a cane, standing apart from the other players, and facing "Ruthville" (right field) became one of baseball's most famous and widely circulated photographs.
Death
Shortly after he attended the Yankee Stadium anniversary event, Ruth was back in the hospital. He received hundreds of well-wishing letters and messages. This included a phone call from President Harry Truman. Claire helped him respond to the letters.
On July 26, 1948, Ruth attended the premiere of the film The Babe Ruth Story, a biopic about his life. Events 657 - Battle of Siffin. 811 - Battle of Pliska; Byzantine Emperor Nicephorus Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Babe Ruth Story is a 1948 baseball film biography of Babe Ruth, the famed New York Yankees slugger William Bendix portrayed Ruth. William Bendix ( January 14, 1906 – December 14, 1964) was an Academy Award -nominated American film Actor. Shortly thereafter, Ruth returned to the hospital for the final time. He was barely able to speak. Ruth's condition gradually became worse, and in his last days, scores of reporters and photographers hovered around the hospital. Only a few visitors were allowed to see him, one of whom was National League president and future Commissioner of Baseball, Ford Frick. The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League ( NL) is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball The Commissioner of Baseball is the chief executive of Major League Baseball. Ford Christopher Frick ( December 19, 1894 – April 8, 1978) was an American Sportswriter and executive who served “Ruth was so thin it was unbelievable. He had been such a big man and his arms were just skinny little bones, and his face was so haggard,” Frick said years later.
On August 16, the day after Frick's visit, Babe Ruth died at age 53. Events 1384 - The Hongwu Emperor of Ming China, Emperor Dong hears a case of a couple who tore paper money bills while fighting His body lay in repose in Yankee Stadium. Lying in repose is a term used to describe when a deceased person often of some stature is available for public viewing His funeral was two days later at St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York. St Patrick's Cathedral is a decorated Neo-Gothic -style Catholic Cathedral in North America Ruth was then buried in the Cemetery of the Gate of Heaven in Hawthorne, New York. The Gate of Heaven Cemetery, approximately 25 miles north of New York City, was established in 1917 at 10 West Stevens Ave Hawthorne is an unincorporated hamlet and census-designated place (CDP located in the town of Mount Pleasant in Westchester County New
At his death, the New York Times called Babe Ruth, "a figure unprecedented in American life. A born showman off the field and a marvelous performer on it, he had an amazing flair for doing the spectacular at the most dramatic moment. "[25]
Legacy
Ruth's impact on American culture still commands attention. Top performers in other sports are often referred to as "The Babe Ruth of ______. " He is widely regarded as one of the greatest baseball players in history. [26] Many polls place him as the number one player of all time. [27]
His name comes up anytime home runs are discussed, including Barry Bonds' passing Ruth's career number in 2006. Barry Lamar Bonds (born July 24 1964 is a Major League Baseball Outfielder who is currently a Free agent. Films have been made featuring Ruth, or a Ruth-like figure ("The Whammer" in The Natural, for example). The Natural is a 1952 novel about Baseball written by Bernard Malamud. TV commercials are still made which feature caricatures of Ruth.
In addition to the Yankees dynasty itself, one living monument to Ruth is Yankee Stadium. That part of the legacy will be revised soon: Groundbreaking for a new Yankee Stadium, replacing the adjacent structure known as "The House That Ruth Built", took place on August 16, 2006, the 58th anniversary of Ruth's death. Events 1384 - The Hongwu Emperor of Ming China, Emperor Dong hears a case of a couple who tore paper money bills while fighting Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.
As a sidelight to his prominent role in changing the game to the power game, the frequency and popularity of Ruth's home runs eventually led to a rule change pertaining to those hit in sudden-death mode (bottom of the ninth or later inning). Prior to 1931, as soon as the first necessary run to win the game scored, the play was over, and the batter was credited only with the number of bases needed to drive in the winning run. Thus, if the score was 3-2 with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, and the batter smacked an "over the fence home run", the game would end at 4-3, with the batter only allowed a double, and the runners officially stopped on 2nd and 3rd (since they weren't needed to win the game). The new rule allowed the entire play to complete, justified on the grounds that the ball was dead and that all runners could freely advance, thus granting the full allotment of HR and RBI to the batter, as we know it today. Several players lost home runs that way, including Ruth, whose career total would have been changed to 715 if historians during the 1960s had been successful in pursuing this matter. Major League Baseball elected not to retrofit the records to the modern rules, and Ruth's total stayed at 714.
Another rules change that affected Ruth was the method used by umpires to judge potential home runs when the batted ball left the field near a foul pole. Memorial Stadium was a Sports Stadium in Baltimore Maryland, that formerly stood on 33rd Street Before 1931, i. e. through most of Ruth's most productive years, the umpire called the play based on the ball's final resting place "when last seen". Thus, if a ball went over the fence fair, and curved behind the foul pole, it was ruled foul. Beginning in 1931 and continuing to the present day, the rule was changed to require the umpire to judge based on the point where the ball cleared the fence. Jenkinson's book (p. 374-375) lists 78 foul balls near the foul pole in Ruth's career, claiming that at least 50 of them were likely to have been home runs under the modern rule.
Ruth's 1919 contract that sent him from Boston to New York was sold at auction for $996,000 at Sotheby's on June 10, 2005. Sotheby's ( is the world's second oldest Auction house in continuous operation (the oldest being Stockholms Auktionsverk founded in 1674 Events 1190 - Third Crusade: Frederick I Barbarossa drowns in the Sally River while leading an army to Jerusalem Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The most valuable memorabilia item relating to Ruth was his 1923 bat which he used to hit the first home run at Yankee Stadium on April 18, 1923. A souvenir (from French, for memory) memento or keepsake is an object a traveler brings home for the memories associated with Events 1025 - Bolesław Chrobry is crowned in Gniezno, becoming the first King of Poland. Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Ruth's heavy Louisville Slugger solid ash wood bat sold for $1. An ash can be any of four different tree genera from four very distinct families; most commonly in a combined form (e 26 million at a Sotheby's auction in December 2004, making it the second most valuable baseball memorabilia item to date, just behind the famous 1909 Honus Wagner baseball card. Johannes Peter "Honus" Wagner (ˈhɑnəs ˈwæɡnɚ February 24 1874 &ndash December 6 1955) nicknamed " The Flying Dutchman
Ruth was mentioned in the poem "Lineup for Yesterday" by Ogden Nash:
| Lineup for Yesterday | |
|---|---|
| R is for Ruth. Frederic Ogden Nash ( August 19, 1902 &ndash May 19, 1971) was an American Poet best known for writing pithy and funny To tell you the truth, There's just no more to be said, |
|
| — Ogden Nash, Sport magazine (January 1949)[28] | |
Career batting statistics
| Season | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | BB | SO | Avg. Frederic Ogden Nash ( August 19, 1902 &ndash May 19, 1971) was an American Poet best known for writing pithy and funny SPORT magazine was the original major general interest American sports magazine | OBP | SLG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | . Champions World Series: Boston Braves over Philadelphia Athletics (4-0 Awards and honors Chalmers 200 | . 200 | . 300 |
| 1915 | 42 | 92 | 16 | 29 | 4 | 21 | 9 | 23 | . Champions World Series: Boston Red Sox over Philadelphia Phillies (4-1 Awards and honors 315 | . 376 | . 576 |
| 1916 | 67 | 136 | 18 | 37 | 3 | 15 | 10 | 23 | . Champions World Series: Boston Red Sox over Brooklyn Robins (4-1 Awards and honors 272 | . 322 | . 419 |
| 1917 | 52 | 123 | 14 | 40 | 2 | 12 | 12 | 18 | . Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Chicago White Sox over New York Giants (4-2 Awards 325 | . 385 | . 472 |
| 1918 | 95 | 317 | 50 | 95 | 11 | 66 | 58 | 58 | . Champions World Series: Boston Red Sox over Chicago Cubs (4-2 MLB Statistical Leaders Major 300 | . 408 | . 555 |
| 1919 | 130 | 432 | 103 | 139 | 29 | 114 | 101 | 58 | . Headline Event of the Year Chicago White Sox players accused of throwing World Series, resulting in the Black Sox scandal 322 | . 450 | . 657 |
| 1920 | 142 | 458 | 158 | 172 | 54 | 137 | 150 | 80 | . Champions World Series: Cleveland Indians over Brooklyn Robins (5-2 Awards and honors 376 | . 530 | . 849 |
| 1921 | 152 | 540 | 177 | 204 | 59 | 171 | 145 | 81 | . Headline Events of the Year First Radio broadcast of the World Series. 378 | . 509 | . 846 |
| 1922 | 110 | 406 | 94 | 128 | 35 | 99 | 84 | 80 | . Champions World Series: New York Giants over New York Yankees (4-0-1 Statistical Leaders Major 315 | . 433 | . 672 |
| 1923 | 152 | 522 | 151 | 205 | 41 | 131 | 170 | 93 | . Champions World Series: New York Yankees over New York Giants (4-2 Awards and honors League 393 | . 542 | . 764 |
| 1924 | 153 | 529 | 143 | 200 | 46 | 121 | 142 | 81 | . Champions World Series: Washington Senators over New York Giants (4-3 First Negro League World Series: Kansas 378 | . 510 | . 739 |
| 1925 | 98 | 359 | 61 | 104 | 25 | 66 | 59 | 68 | . Champions World Series: Pittsburgh Pirates over Washington Senators (4-3 Negro League World Series: Hilldale 290 | . 390 | . 543 |
| 1926 | 152 | 495 | 139 | 184 | 47 | 150 | 144 | 76 | . Champions World Series: St Louis Cardinals over New York Yankees (4-3 Negro League World Series: Chicago 372 | . 513 | . 737 |
| 1927 | 151 | 540 | 158 | 192 | 60 | 164 | 137 | 89 | . Headline Event of the Year Murderers' Row lead New York Yankees to World Series victory 356 | . 486 | . 772 |
| 1928 | 154 | 536 | 163 | 173 | 54 | 142 | 137 | 87 | . Champions World Series: New York Yankees over St Louis Cardinals Awards and honors League 323 | . 461 | . 709 |
| 1929 | 135 | 499 | 121 | 172 | 46 | 154 | 72 | 60 | . Champions World Series: Philadelphia Athletics over Chicago Cubs (4-1 Awards and honors 345 | . 427 | . 697 |
| 1930 | 145 | 518 | 150 | 186 | 49 | 153 | 136 | 61 | . Champions World Series: Philadelphia Athletics over St Louis Cardinals (4-2 Awards and honors 359 | . 492 | . 732 |
| 1931 | 145 | 534 | 149 | 199 | 46 | 163 | 128 | 51 | . Champions World Series: St Louis Cardinals over Philadelphia Athletics (4-3 Awards and honors 373 | . 494 | . 700 |
| 1932 | 133 | 457 | 120 | 156 | 41 | 137 | 130 | 62 | . Champions World Series: New York Yankees over Chicago Cubs (4-0 Negro League World Series: Pittsburgh Crawfords 341 | . 487 | . 661 |
| 1933 | 137 | 459 | 97 | 138 | 34 | 103 | 114 | 90 | . Headline Event of the Year First Negro League Baseball All-Star Game. 301 | . 440 | . 582 |
| 1934 | 125 | 365 | 78 | 105 | 22 | 84 | 104 | 63 | . Champions Major League Baseball World Series: St Louis Cardinals over Detroit Tigers (4-3 All-Star Game 288 | . 446 | . 537 |
| 1935 | 28 | 72 | 13 | 13 | 6 | 12 | 20 | 24 | . Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Detroit Tigers over Chicago Cubs (4-2 All-Star Game, 181 | . 359 | . 431 |
| Career Statistics | 2,503 | 8,398 | 2,174 | 2,874 | 714 | 2,217 | 2,062 | 1,330 | . 342 | . 472 | . 690 |
All-time ranks
- 3rd on all-time home run list with 714
- 10 on all-time batting average list with . Batting average is a Statistic in both Cricket and Baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively 342
- 2nd on all-time RBI list with 2,217
- 1st on all-time slugging % with 0. In Baseball statistics, slugging percentage (abbreviated SLG) is a popular measure of the power of a hitter. 690
- 2nd on all-time on-base % list with . 474
- 1st on all-time OPS with 1. On-base plus slugging (OPS is a baseball statistic calculated as the sum of a player's On-base percentage and Slugging percentage. 164
- 4th on all-time runs list with 2,174
- 6th on all-time total bases list with 5,793
- 3rd on all-time bases on balls list with 2,062
Career pitching statistics
| W | L | ERA | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | HBP | BB | SO | WPct | WHIP | AVG | BB/9 | K/9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 94 | 46 | 2. In Baseball, a run is scored when a player advances safely around first second and third base and returns safely to Home plate, touching In Baseball statistics, total bases refers to the number of bases a player has gained with hits, i A base on balls ( BB) is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in Baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire A win is a Statistic in Major League Baseball credited to the Pitcher for the winning team who was in the game when his team last took the lead In Baseball, a loss (denoted L) is charged to the Pitcher of the losing team who allows the run that gives the opposing team the lead with which In Baseball statistics, earned run average ( ERA) is the Mean of Earned runs given up by a Pitcher per nine Innings pitched Games played (most often abbreviated as G or GP) is a Statistic used in Team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has In Baseball statistics, games started (denoted by GS indicates the number of games that a Pitcher has started for his team In Baseball, a complete game (denoted by CG) is the act of a Pitcher pitching an entire game himself without the benefit of a Relief pitcher In team sports in American English a shutout (a clean sheet in Soccer) refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring In Baseball, a save (abbreviated SV or S) is credited to a Pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team under certain prescribed circumstances In Baseball, innings pitched (IP are the number of Innings a Pitcher has completed measured by the number of batters and Baserunners In Baseball statistics, a hit (denoted by H) sometimes called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches In Baseball, a run is scored when a player advances safely around first second and third base and returns safely to Home plate, touching In Baseball, an earned run is any run for which the pitcher is held accountable (i In Baseball, hit by pitch ( HBP) or hit batsman ( HB) refers to the batter being hit in some part of the body by a pitch from the A base on balls ( BB) is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in Baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire In Baseball or Softball, a strikeout or strike out (denoted by SO or K) occurs when a batter receives three strikes In Sports, a winning percentage is the Fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won In Baseball statistics, Walks plus hits per inning pitched ( WHIP) is a sabermetric measurement of the number of baserunners a Pitcher Batting average is a Statistic in both Cricket and Baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively In Baseball statistics, bases on balls per 9 innings pitched ( BB/9IP or BB/9) or walks per nine innings (denoted by W/9) is In Baseball statistics, strikeouts per 9 innings pitched ( K/9IP or K/9) is the Mean of Strikeouts, (or K's) by a 28 | 163 | 148 | 107 | 17 | 4 | 1,221. 1 | 974 | 400 | 309 | 10 | 29 | 441 | 488 | . 671 | 1. 16 | . 220 | 3. 25 | 3. 60 |
Ruth was 89-46 with the Red Sox, 5-0 with the Yankees overall.
See also
- Babe Ruth Award
- Babe Ruth League
- List of Major League Baseball Home Run Records
- List of Major League Baseball RBI Records
References and notes
- ^ Most Times Leading League - Baseball-Reference.com
- ^ Loveable Ruth was Everyone's Babe. The Babe Ruth Award was an annual award given to the Major League Baseball player with the best performance in the World Series, similar to the World Series MVP Babe Ruth League is a youth Baseball program The organization's headquarters are on Lawrence Township, New Jersey, United States. Players denoted in boldface are still actively contributing to the record noted Players denoted in boldface are still actively contributing to the record noted Retrieved on 2007-11-28. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. For the town in Argentina, see 28 de Noviembre. Events
- ^ PressBox: Baltimore Sports. Period
- ^ a b History of the Birthplace. 714 Club. Retrieved on 2006-12-01. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 800 - Charlemagne judges the accusations against Pope Leo III in the Vatican
- ^ a b c Biography. BabeRuth. com. Retrieved on 2006-12-01. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 800 - Charlemagne judges the accusations against Pope Leo III in the Vatican
- ^ George Herman "Babe" Ruth. 714 Club. Retrieved on 2006-12-01. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 800 - Charlemagne judges the accusations against Pope Leo III in the Vatican
- ^ Ruth information. Retrieved on 2006-11-17. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 284 - Diocletian is proclaimed emperor by his soldiers
- ^ Ruth biography. Retrieved on 2006-10-24. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 69 - Second Battle of Bedriacum, forces under Antonius Primus the commander of the Danube armies loyal to Vespasian, defeat
- ^ Jack Dunn bio. Retrieved on 2006-11-17. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 284 - Diocletian is proclaimed emperor by his soldiers
- ^ Ruth Transaction info (bottom of page). Retrieved on 2006-11-17. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 284 - Diocletian is proclaimed emperor by his soldiers
- ^ Creamer, Robert W. (1999). Robert W "Bob" Creamer (b July 14, 1922 in Tuckahoe New York) is an American sportswriter and editor "Babe Ruth: Living Large", 1900-1929, 1st edition, SportsCentury, Chicago: Rare Air Media, 28. ISBN 1-892866-08-0.
- ^ a record that would last until Whitey Ford broke it in 1961
- ^ New York Times, Jun 10, 2005
- ^ USA Today, Jun 10, 2005
- ^ New York Times, Jan 6, 1920
- ^ The Baseball Hall of Fame, by Tom Meany
- ^ the first time a player hit 3 home runs in a World Series game. Edward Charles "Whitey" Ford (born October 21, 1926) is a former Major League Baseball Pitcher who spent his entire 18-year career
- ^ as per Bill Jenkinson's book
- ^ a b Ruth & his marriage. Retrieved on 2006-10-24. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 69 - Second Battle of Bedriacum, forces under Antonius Primus the commander of the Danube armies loyal to Vespasian, defeat
- ^ a b Ruth facts. Retrieved on 2006-10-24. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 69 - Second Battle of Bedriacum, forces under Antonius Primus the commander of the Danube armies loyal to Vespasian, defeat
- ^ Ruth & his women. Retrieved on 2006-10-24. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 69 - Second Battle of Bedriacum, forces under Antonius Primus the commander of the Danube armies loyal to Vespasian, defeat
- ^ Ruth & Clair Hodgson. Retrieved on 2006-10-24. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 69 - Second Battle of Bedriacum, forces under Antonius Primus the commander of the Danube armies loyal to Vespasian, defeat
- ^ Dorothy R. Pirone, 68, Babe Ruth's Daughter (obituary). New York Times (May 20, 1989). Events 325 - The First Council of Nicaea &ndash the first Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church is held Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar)
- ^ History Channel audio clip of Babe Ruth at Yankee Stadium April 27, 1947. Events 1124 - David I becomes King of Scotland. 1296 - Battle of Dunbar: The Scots are defeated Year 1947 ( MCMXLVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
- ^ "Babe Ruth, Baseball's Great Star and Idol of Children, Had a Career Both Dramatic and Bizarre", New York Times, August 17, 1948. Events 986 - A Byzantine army was destroyed in the pass of Trajan's Gate by the Bulgarians under the Comitopuli Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Retrieved on 2007-07-21. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 356 BC - Herostratus sets fire to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World "Probably nowhere in all the imaginative field of fiction could one find a career more dramatic and bizarre than that portrayed in real life by George Herman Ruth. Known the world over, even in foreign lands where baseball is never played, as the Babe, he was the boy who rose from the obscurity of a charitable institution in Baltimore to a position as the leading figure in professional baseball. He was also its greatest drawing-card, its highest salaried performer--at least of his day--and the idol of millions of youngsters throughout the land. "
- ^ Rating the Top Baseball Players of All Time. Retrieved on 2007-11-28. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. For the town in Argentina, see 28 de Noviembre. Events
- ^ Top Ten Baseball Players of All Time. Retrieved on 2007-11-28. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. For the town in Argentina, see 28 de Noviembre. Events
- ^ Baseball Almanac. Retrieved on 2008-01-23. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 393 - Roman Emperor Theodosius I proclaims his nine year old son Honorius co-emperor
External links
- baberuth.com - Official site
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube
- baseballhalloffame.org – Hall of Fame biography page
- baberuthmuseum.com Ruth Museum
- espn.go.com - article by Larry Schwartz
- Babe Ruth at the Internet Movie Database
- Find-A-Grave profile for Babe Ruth
- Photo of Babe Ruth as a member of the 1916 Red Sox
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Roger Peckinpaugh |
New York Yankees team captain May 20, 1922 to May 25, 1922 |
Succeeded by Everett Scott |
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Ruth, Babe |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Ruth, George Herman |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Major League baseball player |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 6, 1895 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Baltimore, Maryland |
| DATE OF DEATH | August 16, 1948 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | New York, New York |
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