Major League Baseball was rocked with scandal in 1919 when it was discovered that eight
members of the Chicago White Sox had intentionally lost games in the 1919 World Series because
they had been paid off by gamblers.
This became known as the Chicago Black Sox scandal.
Following this incident, the nation needed a hero to restore their faith in the national
pastime.
The people found this hero in the form of Babe Ruth.
Who was Babe Ruth?
Why did he become such a popular player?
George Herman Ruth was born in 1895 in Baltimore, Maryland.
At the age of seven, he started attending St. Mary’s Industrial School for Boys.
The students enrolled at this school learned practical work skills such as cooking, shoe-making,
carpentry, and tailoring.
While attending St. Mary’s, he joined the baseball team, and it quickly became clear
he had a natural talent for the sport.
During his high school years, he played a number of different positions, including catcher,
third base, and shortstop.
In 1914, at the age of nineteen, he signed his first professional contract to play baseball
with the Baltimore Orioles (which at the time was a minor-league team).
He was paid $250 and, at some point while playing for the Orioles, earned the nickname
“Babe”.
It is uncertain how he acquired this nickname, but it may have been because of his baby-like
face, or simply the fact that he was one of the youngest players on the team.
Ruth did not stay with the Orioles for long.
By June of 1914, his contract had been sold to the Boston Red Sox, and he was sent to
play with one of the team’s minor league franchises.
Ruth experienced a breakout season with the Red Sox in 1916.
Ruth pitched in 35 games, winning 23 of those contests, including nine shutouts.
The Red Sox won the World Series that season, and Ruth delivered a commanding performance
in Game 2, pitching 14 innings and allowing only one run.
Ruth won 24 more games as a pitcher in the 1917 season, but was used sparingly as a hitter
in the early years of his career.
It was not until 1918 that he began showing his potential as a hitter.
In that season, he hit 11 home runs, which was enough to lead the league.
During the 1919 season, Ruth only pitched in 17 games, but his prowess as a hitter continued
to soar.
He slugged 29 home runs, breaking the record for most hit in a single season
(which had been set in 1884).
Despite record attendance, and Ruth helping the Red Sox win three World Series championships,
he was traded to the New York Yankees following the 1919 season.
The Yankees purchased Ruth’s contract for over $100,000, a staggering sum of money for
1919.
Once he arrived in New York, Ruth became a super-celebrity as he and the Yankees reached
unprecedented success.
During his first season with the Yankees, 1920, Ruth shattered his own home run record.
He broke the old record of 29 on July 15, and went on to hit 54 for the season.
Fans flocked to the Polo Grounds (the stadium the Yankees played in) to see Ruth hit.
During one game, more than 15,000 fans were turned away because there were not enough
seats.
For the season, the Yankees sold more than a million tickets, the first time the team
had ever accomplished this feat.
1921 saw more exploits from Ruth.
He established a new mark for home runs in a career.
At the time, the old record had been 138.
The Yankees awarded him a new contract in 1922 that paid $52,000 a year.
This was the largest amount ever paid to a professional baseball player up to that point.
Ruth’s success was bringing so many fans to watch the Yankees play that it was decided
to build a newer, larger stadium.
A location was chosen in the Bronx, and the new stadium was given the name Yankee Stadium.
However, because of Ruth’s impact on the franchise (and baseball in general), the stadium
was nicknamed “The House that Ruth Built”.
Babe Ruth’s performance on the field continued to be unrivaled throughout the decade.
He became a household name, and one of the most enduring sports figures of all time.
In 1927, he smacked an amazing 60 homeruns, a record which stood for 34 years.
During Ruth’s career with the Yankees, the franchise played in seven World Series, winning
four of them.
After a brief stint with the Boston Braves, Ruth retired from the sport in 1935.
For his career, he hit 714 homeruns and had a batting average of .342.
He had also won 94 games as a pitcher.
He won seven World Series and led the league in homeruns twelve different times.
He is remembered today as not only one of the greatest baseball players ever, but one
of the greatest athletes of all-time.
In various polls that have been taken, he is included with Michael Jordan, Muhammad
Ali, and Jim Thorpe as the best athletes of the 20th Century.
Dozens of books have been written about him, films have been made about his life, and even
a candy bar still bears his name.
Babe Ruth died from cancer on August 16, 1948 at the age of 53.
His casket was taken to Yankee Stadium where an estimated 77,000 people filed past to pay
their respects to the legendary player.