Babe Ruth

Throughout his life, Ruth thought he was born February 7, 1894. After he retired, when he applied for a passport and was required to show his birth certificate, he was discovered on the certificate he had actually been born February 6, 1895. While February 6 was his actual birthday, he celebrated February 7 throughout the rest of his life.

From 1914 to 1919, The Babe played for the Boston Red Sox, with whom he appeared on three World's Championship teams. Sold to the New York Yankees by Red Sox owner and theatrical impresario Harry Frazee, he led the then-crownless American League franchise in Gotham to seven A. L.

(From his debut in 1914 through the 1918 season, when he was making his transition to becoming a full time position player, Ruth only appeared in 261 ball games as he was considered the top left-handed pitcher in the American League. ) In the record books, Ty Cobb scored more runs and Hank Aaron hit more homers and racked up more R. B. I. s (Interestingly, Hammerin' Hank and The Babe ended their careers with the exact same number of runs scored. ), but they played in far more games than the The Babe, with 3,035 and 3,298 games, respectively. Among modern players, Rickey Henderson, who surpassed Cobb's record for runs after 25 years in The Show, played in 3,081 games, and Barry Bonds appeared in almost 3,000 games. No player ever had the impact, both on and off the field, as did the charismatic Babe.

403), The Babe won 18, 23 and 24 games as a left-handed pitcher for the Boston Red Sox in 1915, 1916 and 1917, and won the American League E. R. A. title in '16.

He set his first home run title in 1918, another year the Sox won the World Series, as a part-time position player and part-time pitcher, notching up 11 homers and nine wins. George Herman Ruth likely will remain the sole player in major league baseball history to win batting, home run, R. B. I. , slugging *and* E. R. A. titles, plus eat a dozen hot dogs and drink the better part of a keg of bootleg "needle" beer before suiting up for a game.

pennants and four World Series titles from 1920-1934.

Adopted Dorothy Ruth Pirone with first wife Helen in 1921. Decades later, she wrote a book, titled "My Dad, The Babe", claiming that she was Ruth's biological child by a woman named Juanita Jennings.

393 in 1923, when Harry Heilmann hit.

Was the first Major League player to hit 60 home runs (1927). Started out his career as a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. He had back-to-back 20-win seasons and won a total of 94 career games. Sold to New York for $100,000. Hit his famous "Called Shot" in the 1932 World Series in Chicago, off Chicago pitcher Charlie Root. He had two strikes when he allegedly pointed to center field and, on the very next pitch, smacked the ball in center field for a home run. Led American League in home runs 12 times, runs eight times, RBIs six times and batting once. Hit 714 career home runs. His number 3 was retired by the New York Yankees. Among the original members who were first admitted to the baseball Hall of Fame. Honored with a monument in Yankee Stadium.

After the Yankees' 1928 World Series victory, their train stopped in Indiana, where Ruth was asked to address the crowd. Ruth, who wanted to give a plug for his friend and Democratic presidential candidate Alfred E. Smith, told the crowd, "Let's give three cheers for my pal and the next president of the U.S.A., Al Smith!" The crowd was completely silent, and some accounts say that the wind could be heard rustling through apple trees. What Ruth wasn't aware of was that Indiana was staunch Herbert Hoover territory. He cursed and got back onto the train.

Though he was photographed shaking the hand of President Herbert Hoover at a game, the Babe was no fan of his. When asked in 1930, the first year of the Great Depression, about his salary of $80,000 a year being more than that of the President (who earned $75,000), the Babe replied, "I know, but I had a better year than he did." The Babe actively campaigned for Hoover's Democratic rival for the presidency, Al Smith, in 1928. The hard-drinking Babe called Smith, who was for the repeal of Prohibition, "His" candidate.

378 in 1934; The Babe placed in the top five hitters in terms of batting average eight times, including a career high of.

He played out his string with the Boston Braves in 1935; even a washed-up Babe was still able to pole three circuit clouts in one game before calling it quits after 28 games and six dingers in that last season. The following year, he was one of the inaugural inductees into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Yes, the Babe was mighty, and he did prevail more often than naught except over one opponent: Father Time. The Babe ended his 22 years in the Big Leagues with 2,873 hits good for a career batting average of. 342, 714 home runs, 2,217 R. B. I. s, and 2,174 runs scored in 2,503 games.

Served as first base coach for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1938.

When he died in 1948, Monday, August 16th, 1948, to be exact, he left an estate valued of $360,811. In 1999, his heirs were earning in excess of $1 million per year from image licensing.

Most of Babe Ruth's records have been broken. In 1961, not only did Roger Maris break The Babe's 34-year-old record for most home runs in a season with 61* (2001), but Maris' teammate on the '61 Yankees, pitcher Whitey Ford broke the Babe's 43-year-old record for most scoreless innings pitched in a World Series when the Yankees dispatched the Reds that year in the postseason. (When asked how it felt to have beat the Babe's "other" record, Whitey responded, "It was a bad year for the Babe". )Though Barry Bonds now holds the record for most home runs in a season (73), most home runs in a career (762), highest slugging percentage, most intentional walks, etc. , The Babe still must be considered the greatest player who ever graced the game. In addition to his record 12 home run titles, his 13 slugging titles, his six R. B. I. titles, and his solo batting title (.

Pictured on a 20¢ US commemorative postage stamp issued in his honor, on Wednesday, July 6th, 1983.

Enshrined in the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame, 1995 (charter member).

Pictured on one of fifteen 32¢ US commemorative postage stamps in the "Celebrate the Century" series, issued 28 May 1998, celebrating the 1920s.

Named the number two athlete of the 20th century in an ESPN poll. [1999]