Babe Ruth
George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player who competed in Major League Baseball for 22 seasons from 1914 to 1935, initially as a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox and later as a right fielder for the New York Yankees.[1][2] Ruth revolutionized baseball by shifting from the dead-ball era's emphasis on pitching and small ball to power hitting, establishing single-season home run records of 29 in 1919, 54 in 1920, 59 in 1921, and a pinnacle of 60 in 1927, while amassing a career total of 714 home runs that stood until 1974.[3][2] His transition to full-time outfielding with the Yankees after being sold by the Red Sox in 1919 propelled the team to seven American League pennants and four World Series titles (1923, 1927, 1928, 1932), alongside his earlier contributions to two Red Sox championships (1915, 1916).[1] As a pitcher, he compiled a 94–46 record with a 2.28 earned run average over 163 games, including a 14-inning postseason shutout.[1] Raised in Baltimore amid a troubled childhood that led to his placement in St. Mary's Industrial School at age seven, where he honed his baseball skills under Brother Matthias, Ruth's larger-than-life persona—marked by prodigious talent, off-field carousing, and public appeal—made him baseball's first superstar, drawing massive crowds and elevating the sport's popularity during the 1920s.[2][3] Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936 as one of its inaugural members, his legacy endures as the archetype of the power hitter who causally drove baseball's offensive evolution and cultural prominence.[3][2]
Early Years
Childhood and Family Background
George Herman Ruth Jr., later known as Babe Ruth, was born on February 6, 1895, at 216 Emory Street in the Pigtown neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland, to parents George Herman Ruth Sr. and Katherine Schamberger Ruth.[4] [3] Both parents were of German ancestry, with Katherine having recently immigrated from Germany; George Sr., born in Maryland around 1872, worked variously as a counterman before operating saloons in Baltimore's working-class districts.[5] The couple married prior to 1895 and had eight children, though only two—Ruth and his younger sister Mary Margaret (Mamie)—survived past infancy, a common outcome in that era due to high infant mortality rates among poor urban families.[3] [6] The Ruth family resided in modest rowhouses amid Baltimore's industrial landscape, where George Sr.'s saloons demanded long hours from both parents, leaving young George often unsupervised.[4] This neglect contributed to Ruth's early behavioral issues, including truancy, street wandering, fistfights, and stealing beer from his father's establishment—behaviors typical of unsupervised children in rough neighborhoods but exacerbated by the family's instability.[7] Katherine Ruth died of tuberculosis in 1912 at age 38, while George Sr. was killed in 1918 during an altercation with his brother-in-law outside one of his saloons, events that occurred after Ruth's early childhood but underscored the family's turbulent dynamics.[8] Unable to manage their son's unruliness, the Ruths petitioned Baltimore courts shortly after his seventh birthday in 1902 to declare him "incorrigible," leading to his commitment to St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys, a Xaverian Brothers-run reformatory and orphanage in southwest Baltimore.[2] [9] There, Ruth would spend the next 12 years, from age 7 to 19, in a structured dormitory environment that provided discipline absent from his home life, though visits from his parents remained infrequent due to their ongoing work demands.[9] This institutional upbringing effectively shaped much of his formative years, separating him from typical family influences while exposing him to vocational training and, eventually, baseball.[2]Introduction to Baseball at St. Mary's
George Herman Ruth Jr. entered St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys, a Baltimore reformatory operated by the Xaverian Brothers, in June 1902 at age seven, where he remained until 1914.[10] There, Brother Matthias Boutlier, the school's superintendent of discipline and a proficient baseball player standing 6 feet 6 inches tall and weighing 250 pounds, recognized Ruth's potential and personally mentored him in the sport starting around age 12.[11] Boutlier, who also coached the school's team, taught Ruth fundamentals including proper throwing, catching, hitting techniques, and even how to sharpen his swing with personalized drills, transforming the undisciplined youth into a skilled left-handed pitcher and catcher.[9] Ruth quickly excelled on St. Mary's competitive junior and senior squads, which regularly faced local amateur and semi-professional teams in Baltimore.[12] By 1912, as a catcher on the junior team, he demonstrated versatility, but soon shifted primarily to pitching for the senior team, where he hurled complete games against adult competition.[12] Notable performances included striking out 20 batters in a game against Bill Byers' All-Stars, showcasing his overpowering fastball and emerging curveball.[12] The team's success, bolstered by Ruth's dominance, drew attention from professional scouts, with St. Mary's occasionally defeating minor league clubs.[13] Ruth later credited Brother Matthias as a father figure whose rigorous coaching and discipline were pivotal to his baseball proficiency and personal growth, stating that without this guidance, he would not have achieved professional success.[14] This formative period at St. Mary's laid the groundwork for Ruth's transition to professional baseball, as his schoolboy exploits convinced Baltimore Orioles owner Jack Dunn to sign him in February 1914 at age 19.[15]Professional Career Beginnings
Minor League Debut with Baltimore Orioles
Babe Ruth signed his first professional contract with the Baltimore Orioles of the International League on February 5, 1914, under owner-manager Jack Dunn, who became his legal guardian to facilitate the deal given Ruth's troubled family background.[16] At age 19, standing over 6 feet tall and weighing 183 pounds, Ruth was a left-handed pitcher capable of switch-hitting.[16] Ruth made his professional debut during spring training in Fayetteville, North Carolina, in March 1914, before his first regular-season start in the International League on April 22, 1914, against the Buffalo Bisons.[16] In that debut outing, he pitched a complete-game six-hit shutout, winning 6–0 while striking out six batters.[16][17] Throughout the 1914 season with Baltimore, Ruth compiled a 14–7 record in 23 appearances, primarily as a starter, demonstrating strong control and effectiveness on the mound for the first-place Orioles.[16] Notable performances included a walk-off home run as a batter on May 1 to secure a 2–1 victory in 11 innings and a five-hit shutout against Toronto on June 23 with eight strikeouts.[16] His brief but impressive tenure ended on July 9, 1914, when Dunn sold Ruth to the Boston Red Sox for $25,000 amid financial pressures, paving the way for his major league debut two days later.[16][18]Boston Red Sox: Pitching Prodigy (1914–1919)
Babe Ruth signed with the Boston Red Sox on July 9, 1914, after being purchased from the Baltimore Orioles of the International League along with pitchers Ernie Shore and Ben Egan.[19] He made his major league debut as a pitcher two days later on July 11, 1914, against the Cleveland Naps at Fenway Park, allowing two earned runs over seven innings in a 4-3 Red Sox victory.[1] Due to a crowded pitching roster, Ruth was optioned to the Red Sox' minor league affiliate, the Providence Grays of the International League, where he posted a strong 23-8 record for the combined Baltimore and Providence teams that season, including a one-hitter on September 5, 1914, against the Toronto Maple Leafs.[1] [20] In 1915, Ruth established himself as a major league starter for the Red Sox, compiling an 18-8 record with a 2.44 ERA over 28 starts and 217.2 innings pitched, contributing to Boston's American League pennant win.[1] The Red Sox defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series, though Ruth did not pitch in the postseason, appearing only as a pinch hitter.[1] His 1916 season marked a breakout, leading the American League with 23 wins, a 1.75 ERA, nine shutouts, and 323.2 innings pitched across 41 appearances (40 starts), helping Boston secure another pennant despite a 23-12 regular-season mark.[1] In the World Series against the Brooklyn Robins, Ruth pitched a 14-inning complete game victory in Game 2—the longest pitching outing in postseason history—allowing one run for a 0.64 ERA in his only appearance as the Red Sox won the series in five games.[1] Ruth's dominance continued in 1917 with a league-leading 24 wins and 35 complete games, posting a 24-13 record and 2.01 ERA over 38 starts and 326.1 innings, though the Red Sox finished second in the AL at 90-62.[1] The 1918 season, shortened by World War I to 124 games, saw Ruth go 13-7 with a 2.22 ERA in 19 starts (166.1 innings), while also transitioning to outfield duties amid pitching shortages; Boston won the AL with a 75-51 record and the World Series over the Chicago Cubs.[1] Ruth excelled in the Series, winning both his starts (Games 1 and 4) with a 1.06 ERA over 17 innings, including a shutout in Game 1.[1] By 1919, Ruth's batting prowess overshadowed his pitching, as he hit .322 with 29 home runs in 130 games, but he remained effective on the mound with a 9-5 record and 2.97 ERA in 15 starts (133.1 innings).[1] Over his Red Sox tenure from 1914 to 1919, Ruth compiled an 89-46 pitching record with a 2.19 ERA, anchoring three pennant winners and contributing to World Series titles in 1915, 1916, and 1918 through his left-handed pitching prowess.[1]Rise as a Hitting Phenomenon
Evolution from Pitcher to Slugger
Ruth established himself as an elite left-handed pitcher during his early years with the Boston Red Sox, compiling a 94-46 record with a 2.28 earned run average over five seasons from 1915 to 1919.[1] In 1916, he led the American League with 23 wins and nine shutouts, while posting a 1.75 ERA and completing 23 of his 41 starts.[21] His pitching prowess peaked in the 1918 World Series, where he delivered a 1-0 complete game victory over the Chicago Cubs in Game 1 and secured a 2-1 win in relief during Game 4, contributing to Boston's championship.[22] However, Ruth's offensive capabilities emerged concurrently, as he slugged .555 with 11 home runs in 317 at-bats that year amid World War I-related roster shortages that prompted manager Ed Barrow to deploy him more frequently in the outfield.[21] The 1919 season marked Ruth's decisive shift toward hitting, as he appeared in 130 games primarily as an outfielder while pitching in only 17 contests, finishing 9-5 with a 2.97 ERA.[1] Offensively, he shattered the major league single-season home run record with 29, surpassing previous benchmarks like Ned Williamson's 27 from 1884 in a livelier ball era, and batted .322 with 103 runs batted in.[23] This outburst reflected Ruth's deliberate choice to prioritize batting, driven by his growing dissatisfaction with the physical demands and limited daily opportunities of pitching, coupled with his natural power-hitting aptitude honed from St. Mary's Industrial School.[24] Contemporary accounts attribute the transition to Ruth's own insistence, as his home run production—unprecedented in the dead-ball era—outweighed his mound value, despite tensions with Red Sox owner Harry Frazee over Ruth's off-field conduct.[21] By focusing on hitting, Ruth pioneered a positional evolution that emphasized slugging over the era's small-ball norms, influencing baseball strategy toward power at the plate.[25] His 1919 performance not only validated the switch but foreshadowed his Yankees tenure, where he abandoned pitching entirely after 1920, cementing his legacy as the sport's premier batter.[1] This self-directed adaptation underscored Ruth's exceptional athletic versatility, though it stemmed from personal ambition rather than managerial fiat alone.[24]Record-Breaking Sale to New York Yankees
In the 1919 season, Babe Ruth set a major league single-season home run record with 29, transitioning from primarily a pitcher to a full-time outfielder for the Boston Red Sox, though the team finished sixth in the American League.[26] Ruth, under a three-year contract paying $10,000 annually, held out in spring training demanding a raise to $15,000, citing his value as a drawing card, but Red Sox owner Harry Frazee refused, pointing to Ruth's off-field indiscipline including heavy drinking, gambling losses, and violations of team rules.[26] [27] Frazee, facing financial pressures from his investments in Broadway theater productions, began entertaining offers for Ruth amid the player's contract disputes and the Red Sox's poor performance.[28] On December 26, 1919, Frazee agreed to sell Ruth's contract to the New York Yankees, owned by Jacob Ruppert and Tillinghast L. Huston, for $100,000—a sum paid as $25,000 in cash upfront followed by three annual $25,000 promissory notes at 6% interest—marking the highest price ever paid for a baseball player's contract at the time.[29] [30] The transaction, kept secret initially, was publicly announced on January 5, 1920, and included the Yankees assuming Ruth's existing salary obligations while Frazee defended the move as necessary due to Ruth's unreliability and the team's need for reorganization.[31] [32] The sale shocked the baseball world, doubling the previous record transfer fee and signaling a shift toward high-stakes player acquisitions, with Yankees management viewing Ruth's power-hitting prowess as key to boosting attendance and competitiveness against rivals like the Red Sox, who had won four World Series titles since 1912 while New York had none.[26] Frazee's decision, driven by cash flow needs rather than purely baseball strategy, allowed him to secure additional financing through a $300,000-350,000 loan from the Yankees collateralized against Fenway Park, though this broader financial arrangement has sometimes been conflated with the Ruth sale itself.[31] [33] Ruth, informed of the deal while vacationing, accepted the move to a larger market offering greater earning potential through endorsements and appearances.[27]Yankees Era Dominance (1920–1934)
Initial Home Run Explosion and Team Success
Upon joining the New York Yankees in 1920, Babe Ruth immediately transformed the team's offensive output and fan appeal. In his first season with the club, Ruth appeared in 142 games, batting .376 with 54 home runs, 158 runs scored, and 135 RBIs, setting a new major league single-season home run record that more than doubled his previous mark of 29 from 1919.[34] [1] His performance propelled the Yankees to a 95-59 record, finishing third in the American League, a marked improvement that showcased Ruth's individual dominance amid a competitive field.[34] Ruth's arrival also sparked a surge in attendance, with the Yankees drawing 1,289,422 fans to the Polo Grounds—the first major league team to exceed one million home spectators in a season—more than doubling the prior year's figures and reflecting his draw as a power-hitting spectacle.[35] [36] This home run explosion not only elevated Ruth's status but also laid the groundwork for the Yankees' emerging dynasty, as his slugging inspired a shift toward offense-heavy strategies across baseball. In 1921, Ruth elevated his output further, hitting 59 home runs in 152 games while batting .378, scoring 177 runs, and driving in 168 RBIs, again shattering his own record and leading the league in multiple categories.[37] [1] These feats powered the Yankees to their first American League pennant with a 98-55 record, though they fell to the New York Giants 5 games to 3 in the World Series.[37] Ruth's contributions extended the attendance boom, with over 1.2 million fans attending Yankee games, underscoring his pivotal role in the team's inaugural postseason success and solidifying the franchise's trajectory toward sustained contention.[38]Peak Performance: Batting Titles and Murderers' Row
Ruth's offensive peak in the American League manifested in exceptional batting averages during the 1923 and 1924 seasons, highlighting his versatility beyond power hitting. In 1923, he recorded a .393 batting average over 522 at-bats, accumulating 205 hits, including 41 home runs and 130 RBIs, while leading the league in on-base percentage (.545) and slugging percentage (.764); however, the batting title eluded him as Harry Heilmann edged him out with .403.[1][39] These figures earned Ruth the 1923 AL Most Valuable Player award, underscoring his dominance in multiple offensive categories despite the close batting average race.[1] The following year, 1924, saw Ruth secure his only American League batting championship with a .378 average in 529 at-bats, pairing it with 46 home runs—again leading the league—and driving in runs at a high clip, though finishing second in RBIs.[2][40] This season exemplified Ruth's refined approach at the plate, blending contact hitting with prodigious power, as he topped the AL in slugging (.739) and OPS (1.174).[1] His ability to win the batting title while shattering home run records challenged conventional baseball strategy, which had previously prioritized small ball over slugging.[2] Ruth's individual excellence peaked further in the context of team dominance with the 1927 New York Yankees, whose lineup—dubbed "Murderers' Row"—redefined offensive potency. The core featured Earle Combs in center field (.356 average, 231 hits), Mark Koenig at shortstop, Ruth in right field (60 home runs, .356 average, 164 RBIs), Lou Gehrig at first base (47 home runs, 173 RBIs), Bob Meusel in left field (103 RBIs), and Tony Lazzeri at second base (102 RBIs), supported by solid contributors like Joe Dugan at third and catchers Pat Collins and Benny Bengough.[41][42] This group powered the Yankees to a 110-44-1 record, outscoring opponents by 376 runs, and a World Series sweep over the Pittsburgh Pirates (4-0).[41] Ruth's record-shattering 60 home runs, surpassing his own 1921 mark of 59, anchored the lineup's terror, as the team collectively hit 158 home runs—far exceeding the league's next-best total.[1][41] The "Murderers' Row" moniker, coined by sportswriters for its intimidating succession of sluggers, symbolized the era's shift toward power baseball, with Ruth as its vanguard.[43]Declining Years: Injuries, Conflicts, and Final Seasons
In 1925, Ruth suffered a mysterious and severe abdominal ailment, known as the "bellyache heard 'round the world," which sidelined him for the first two months of the season after collapsing during spring training and requiring surgery for an intestinal abscess.[44] [45] He returned on June 1, posting a .290 batting average with 25 home runs and 66 RBIs in just 92 games, a noticeable decline from his pre-injury dominance, amid unverified rumors of venereal disease or excessive lifestyle contributing to the condition.[46] That year also saw escalating conflicts with manager Miller Huggins, culminating in a 10-day suspension without pay on August 29 for defying team orders on curfews and behavior; Ruth reportedly threatened physical violence against Huggins during the dispute, though no blows were exchanged.[47] [48] Ruth's tensions with Yankees ownership persisted, including repeated fines for tardiness and nightlife excesses under Huggins and owner Jacob Ruppert, who enforced discipline despite Ruth's star status.[48] In 1930, he held out during spring training, rejecting an initial $85,000 offer and demanding a two-year deal at that amount before settling for $80,000 annually over two seasons, the highest salary in baseball history at the time.[49] [50] Performance remained elite that year with a .359 average, 49 home runs, and 153 RBIs in 145 games, helping the Yankees win the pennant, but injuries mounted: in 1931, a leg injury on April 22 against the Boston Red Sox required him to be carried off the field, contributing to a .288 average, 46 home runs, and increased strikeouts amid physical breakdown.[1] [51] By 1933, at age 38, Ruth's production waned to a .288 average, 34 home runs, and 103 RBIs in 137 games, exacerbated by weight gain, age-related decline, and disputes over his defensive role; he sought to transition to first base or even manage but was rebuffed by Ruppert, who prioritized Huggins' authority.[1] [48] In 1934, his final Yankees season, Ruth batted .288 with 22 home runs and 84 RBIs in only 125 games, frequently benched for younger players like Lou Gehrig and facing demotion to the outfield corners; persistent leg and hand issues, including bruises from collisions, limited his mobility.[1] [52] The organization released him after the season, citing his diminished value despite his lingering drawing power, ending a tenure marked by 659 home runs but strained by his resistance to authority and accumulating physical toll.[48]End of Playing Career
Brief Stint with Boston Braves (1935)
Following his release from the New York Yankees on May 3, 1934, Babe Ruth signed a contract with the Boston Braves of the National League on February 26, 1935, receiving a base salary of $25,000 along with a share of the team's profits and promises of a vice-presidential role and potential future management position from owner Emil Fuchs.[53] At age 40, Ruth sought to return to Boston, his original major-league home with the Red Sox, while transitioning toward front-office involvement amid declining health and performance; Fuchs aimed to leverage Ruth's fame to boost attendance for the struggling franchise.[54] [53] Ruth appeared in 28 games for the Braves, compiling a .181 batting average with 6 home runs and 12 runs batted in over 92 plate appearances, reflecting his physical decline from chronic injuries including a fractured ankle from the prior year and shoulder issues.[55] [56] His most notable moment came on May 25, 1935, at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, where he hit three home runs against the Pirates in an 11-7 loss—his final career homers, bringing his lifetime total to 714; the first came off Red Lucas in the first inning, followed by two against Guy Bush in the third and seventh.[57] [53] These blasts provided a fleeting echo of his power but underscored the Braves' futility, as the team finished 38-115 under manager Bill McKechnie, drawing crowds primarily for Ruth's appearances before his output waned with frequent strikeouts and walks.[55] [56] Ruth played his final major-league game on May 30, 1935, going hitless in a pinch-hitting role against the Philadelphia Phillies.[58] Frustrations mounted over unfulfilled promises of authority, with Fuchs using Ruth mainly as a drawing card rather than integrating him into operations, leading Ruth to request placement on the voluntarily retired list on May 12 before announcing his full retirement from baseball on June 2, 1935.[59] [60] Though rumors circulated of discord with McKechnie, Ruth publicly denied interpersonal issues, attributing his exit to the team's direction and his own diminished abilities rather than clubhouse conflicts.[61] The Braves released him shortly thereafter, marking the end of his 22-year career with no postseason play in this stint and highlighting how Fuchs's promotional tactics prioritized short-term gains over sustainable team-building.[53]Career Statistics and Records Analysis
Ruth's professional baseball career demonstrated exceptional proficiency in both pitching and hitting, a duality rare among players of his era. From 1914 to 1919 primarily as a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, he recorded 94 wins against 46 losses, a 2.28 earned run average (ERA), 107 complete games, 17 shutouts, and 1,221.1 innings pitched across 163 appearances (148 starts).[1] Transitioning to an outfield role with the New York Yankees from 1920 onward, he became baseball's preeminent power hitter, compiling 2,503 games played, 8,399 at-bats, 2,873 hits, 714 home runs, and 2,213 runs batted in (RBI), with a .342 batting average, .474 on-base percentage (OBP), .690 slugging percentage (SLG), and 1.164 on-base plus slugging (OPS).[1] His career wins above replacement (WAR) totaled 162.1, the highest in Major League Baseball (MLB) history at the time of his retirement and still among the elite marks adjusted for era.[1]| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Games Played | 2,503 |
| At-Bats | 8,399 |
| Hits | 2,873 |
| Home Runs | 714 |
| RBI | 2,213 |
| Batting Average | .342 |
| OBP | .474 |
| SLG | .690 |
| OPS | 1.164 |
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Wins-Losses | 94-46 |
| ERA | 2.28 |
| Games Started | 148 |
| Complete Games | 107 |
| Shutouts | 17 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,221.1 |