Babe Ruth

Babe Ruth

Babe Ruth (1895-1948), American professional baseball player, one of the most gifted and popular players in the history of baseball. While Ruth was playing for the New York Yankees in the 1920s and 1930s, his legendary home run hitting feats dominated the national pastime. Ruth’s love for baseball, generosity, and dramatic rise from humble beginnings endeared him to fans, and he is one of the greatest sports heroes of American culture. Ruth’s pitching and hitting earned him the devotion of Boston fans, but in 1920 Red Sox owner Harry Frazee sold Ruth’s contract to the Yankees to cover financial losses sustained in other business ventures. The Yankees paid more than $400,000 in cash and loans. From 1920 to 1934, Ruth played the outfield for the Yankees, headlining some of the greatest squads in the history of baseball. Beloved by the New York fans, Ruth earned several nicknames, including the Bambino (Italian for Babe) and the Sultan of Swat (for his home run hitting ability). In the Babe’s first season as a Yankee, he batted 376 and slugged 54 home runs, almost double his record-setting total of the previous year. The 54 home runs represented 4 more than any other AL team produced in total, and 35 more than his closest individual rival, George Sissler of the St. Louis Browns. As a Yankee Ruth won ten home run crowns and played in seven World Series, with the Yankees winning four of them. His home run production was unprecedented. He hit 41 in 1923, 46 in 1924, and 47 in 1926. In 1927 his 60 home runs in 154 games.