Babe Ruth | Official Website | Baseball Hall of Fame Legend (2024)

George Herman Ruth Jr. (1895-1948), also known as Babe Ruth, was the greatest baseball player in the history of the sport. He played for the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and Boston Braves in a career which ran from 1914 to 1935.

Ruth is perhaps best known for his prodigious power. He set numerous records during his career, including most home runs in a season (60 in 1927) which stood until 1961. He also held the record for career home runs (714) which lasted until 1974.

In addition to his hitting prowess, Ruth was a skilled pitcher early in his career, and led the Red Sox to three World Series championships before being traded to the Yankees in 1919. With the Yankees, Ruth won four World Series titles and became a cultural icon known as “The Sultan of Swat” and “The Bambino.”

Ruth was known for his larger-than-life personality and his love of the good life. Ruth was beloved by fans and remains a titan of American sports history.

Babe Ruth | Official Website | Baseball Hall of Fame Legend (2024)

FAQs

Why was Babe Ruth a legend? ›

Babe dominated baseball, achieving never-seen-before stats. He changed baseball from a grind-it-out style to one of power and high-scoring games. He re-wrote the record books from a hitting standpoint, combining a high batting average with unbelievable power. The result was an assault on baseball's hallowed records.

Did Babe Ruth ever hit an umpire? ›

The quasi-perfect game that started ... after the Babe punched an umpire. While there are 19 combined no-hitters in Major League history, we can safely say that the one tossed by Babe Ruth and Ernie Shore on June 23, 1917, is unlike any of the others.

What was Babe Ruth's famous quote? ›

Babe Ruth left several quotes that have been remembered through history. One of his most memorable quotes is, "Never let the fear of striking out get in your way".

What happened to Babe Ruth's wife? ›

'BABE' RUTH; Taken Dying From House of Watertown (Mass.)

Why was Babe Ruth in the Hall of Fame? ›

The Sultan of Swat would lead a powerful and renowned New York squad to seven American League pennants and four World Series titles during his 15 years in New York. He led the AL in home runs 12 times, including his record-setting 60 in 1927 – a mark that stood for 34 years.

What is Babe Ruth most remembered for? ›

Ruth is perhaps best known for his prodigious power. He set numerous records during his career, including most home runs in a season (60 in 1927) which stood until 1961. He also held the record for career home runs (714) which lasted until 1974.

Who was the only person to strike out Babe Ruth? ›

Seventeen-year-old Jackie Mitchell took the mound against the New York Yankees, striking out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig before walking Tony Lazzeri. Mitchell placed her name in the record books with the strikeouts but also became part of an ongoing debate and mystery regarding the circ*mstances surrounding the game.

Did Babe Ruth throw left handed? ›

The list even includes Babe Ruth, who batted and threw left-handed but can be seen in photos using his right hand to sign autographs.

Did Babe Ruth hit 400? ›

Ruth became the first player in Major League history to hit 400 home runs, posting a career-high 60 dingers in the legendary '27 season.

What was Babe Ruth's last words before he died? ›

When asked for Ruth's last words, Father Kaufman replies, "The Babe said his prayers to the very end. He received all the last rites and he died a good Catholic."

What was Babe Ruth's cause of death? ›

Unfortu- nately, Ruth's cancer recurred, and despite additional radio- therapy, he died of pneumonia and metastatic cancer at Memorial Hospital in New York City in August 1948, at the age of 53 years.

Who inspired Babe Ruth? ›

Many biographers later credited Brother Mathias for his influence on Ruth, who emulated much of Mathias's hitting style. Ruth managed to master nearly every position on the St. Mary's team, but his primary skill was pitching, and in the dead ball era of baseball, stellar pitching was sought after by professional teams.

Where is Babe Ruth's daughter? ›

In her later years, she traveled around the baseball map, most notably to the house he had figuratively built, telling of his life beyond the ballpark. Julia Ruth Stevens, the adopted daughter of Babe Ruth, died on Saturday in an assisted living facility in Henderson, Nev., her son, Tom, said.

How fast did Babe Ruth throw? ›

Ruth fanned 3.6/9 for his career. He never averaged 5/9 a season, even at age 21. Three-and-a-half whiffs per freaking 9 innings with a 90 mph fastball against players using 40-ounce bats.

Why did Babe Ruth quit? ›

Babe was forced to retire from baseball in 1935 since he could no longer stand the physical toll on his body. Once the highest-paid player in baseball, he found himself unemployed in the midst of the Great Depression.

What made Babe Ruth so great? ›

“The scientific ivory hunters of Columbia University discovered that the secret of Babe Ruth's batting, reduced to non-scientific terms, is that his eyes and ears function more rapidly than those of other players; that his brain records sensations more quickly and transmits its orders to the muscles much faster than ...

Why was Babe Ruth called a hero? ›

Babe Ruth may not have been a perfect role model. By the end of his career, his performance as an athlete was not great. But people still con- sider Babe Ruth a hero because he was an out- standing baseball player who loved the game and gave it everything he had.

What did Babe Ruth do that was so remarkable? ›

Ruth first gained fame as a pitcher.

Although best remembered for swatting a prodigious 714 home runs and slugging . 690, which remains a major-league record, Babe Ruth was one of baseball's most dominant left-handed pitchers in the 1910s.

Why was Babe Ruth a leader? ›

By developing a persistent focus towards what he wanted to achieve, instead of simply responding to whatever was happening around him, Ruth was able to help his team win the game that day, as well as reinforcing his place in baseball history as one of the greatest players to ever play the game.

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