“The sultan of swat!”
“The king of crash!”
“The colossus of clout!”
“The colossus of clout!”
“BABE RUTH!”
“THE GREAT BAMBINO!”
“Smalls, Babe Ruth is the greatest baseball player that ever lived. People say he was less than a god but more than a man. You know, like Hercules or something. That ball you just aced to The Beast is worth, well, more than your whole life.”
George Herman Ruth. He was born on February 6th, 1895, in Baltimore, Maryland. A baseball star who played as both a pitcher and outfielder, he is best remembered for his hitting ability.
He began his MLB career as a star left-handed pitcher for the Boston Red Sox but achieved his greatest fame as a slugging outfielder for the New York Yankees. In a decision that Boston probably still regrets, Red Sox owner Harry Frazee sold Ruth to the Yankees for $100,000 following the 1919 season. The next season, Ruth hit 54 home runs with 158 runs scored and 135 RBI, setting the baseball world ablaze with his talent. He would top those numbers in 1921 with 59 home runs, 177 runs scored and 457 total bases.
Ruth is regarded as one of the greatest sports heroes in American culture and is considered by many to be the greatest baseball player of all time.
In 1936, Ruth was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame as one of its “first five” inaugural members. However — amazingly — he was not a unanimous selection. Though that may have had something to do with Ruth’s off-field antics. He was known have a penchant for fine food, liquor, and women.
April 27th is “Babe Ruth Day”. On April 27, 1947, at the behest of Commissioner Happy Chandler, the New York Yankees hosted “Babe Ruth Day,” celebrated in every ballpark in organized baseball in the US as well as Japan, in honor of the man who made the country fall in love with baseball.
Terminally ill with throat cancer, Ruth appeared at Yankee Stadium to thank his former club for the honor. Ruth urged the 58,399 packed in — the season’s highest attendance — to truly appreciate “Your national pastime, the only real game I think in the world.”
According to baseballhall.org, “Ruth has been called an American original, undoubtedly the game’s first great slugger and the most celebrated athlete of his time. Soon after honing his skills at St. Mary’s Industrial School for Boys in Baltimore, he came to the big leagues as a lefty hurler with the Red Sox, where he won 89 games in six years while setting the World Series record for consecutive scoreless innings.”
Babe Ruth was and still is known as one of the best baseball players of all time. From hitting record after record and receiving many accolades, Ruth came to be known as ‘The Colossus of Clout’ and ‘The Sultan of Swat.’ He was a big star and inspiration to many kids.
Ruth retired in 1935 after a partial season with the Boston Braves, ending his 22-year big league career with 714 home runs. His lifetime statistics also include 2,873 hits, 506 doubles, 2,174 runs, 2,214 RBI, a .342 batting average, a .474 on-base percentage and a .690 slugging percentage.
In honor of Babe Ruth Day, go out and play a game of catch, grab a bucket of ball and swing for the fences, catch a local Babe Ruth League game, or be like me and watch “The Sandlot” for the eleventy billionth time.
“Yesterday’s home runs do not win today’s games.”
