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'''George Herman''' "'''Babe'''" '''Ruth''' (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional [[Baseball in the United States|baseball]] player whose career in [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "'''the Bambino'''" and "'''the Sultan of Swat'''", 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]]. Ruth is regarded as one of the greatest sports heroes in [[Culture of the United States|American culture]] and is considered by many to be the greatest baseball player of all time. In 1936, Ruth was elected to the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Baseball Hall of Fame]] as one of its "[[1936 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|
At age seven, Ruth was sent to [[Cardinal Gibbons School (Baltimore, Maryland)|St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys]], a [[Reform school|reformatory]] where he was mentored by Brother Matthias Boutlier of the [[Xaverian Brothers]], the school's disciplinarian and a capable baseball player. In 1914, Ruth was signed to play [[Minor League Baseball|Minor League]] baseball for the [[Baltimore Orioles (minor league)|Baltimore Orioles]] but was soon sold to the Red Sox. By 1916, he had built a reputation as an outstanding pitcher who sometimes hit long home runs, a feat unusual for any player in the [[dead-ball era]]. Although Ruth twice [[Win–loss record (pitching)|won]] 23 games in a season as a pitcher and was a member of three [[World Series]] championship teams with the Red Sox, he wanted to play every day and was allowed to convert to an outfielder. With regular playing time, he broke the [[List of Major League Baseball progressive single-season home run leaders|MLB single-season home run record]] in 1919 with 29.
After that season, Red Sox owner [[Harry Frazee]] sold Ruth to the Yankees amid controversy. The trade fueled Boston's subsequent 86-year championship drought and popularized the "[[Curse of the Bambino]]" superstition. In his 15 years with the Yankees, Ruth helped the team win seven [[List of American League pennant winners|American League (AL) pennants]] and four World Series championships. His big swing led to escalating home run totals that not only drew fans to the ballpark and boosted the sport's popularity but also helped usher in baseball's [[live-ball era]], which evolved from a low-scoring game of strategy to a sport where the home run was a major factor. As part of the Yankees' vaunted "[[Murderers' Row]]" lineup of 1927, Ruth hit 60 home runs, which extended his own MLB single-season record by a single home run. Ruth's last season with the Yankees was 1934
During Ruth's career, he was the target of intense press and public attention for his baseball exploits and off-field penchants for drinking and womanizing. After his retirement as a player, he was denied the opportunity to manage a major league club, most likely because of poor behavior during parts of his playing career. In his final years, Ruth made many public appearances, especially in support of American efforts in World War II. In 1946, he became ill with [[nasopharyngeal cancer]] and died from the disease two years later. Ruth remains a major figure in American culture.
▲==Early years==
[[File:Babe Ruth Birthplace.JPG|thumb|upright=1.0|left|[[Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum|Ruth's birthplace]] in Baltimore, Maryland]]
[[File:BabeRuthSr2.jpg|thumb|right|Babe Ruth's parents, George Herman Sr. and Katherine]]
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Carrigan was sufficiently impressed by Ruth's pitching to give him a spot in the starting rotation. Ruth finished the 1915 season 18–8 as a pitcher; as a hitter, he batted .315 and had four home runs. The Red Sox won the [[List of American League pennant winners|AL pennant]], but with the pitching staff healthy, Ruth was not called upon to pitch in the [[1915 World Series]] against the [[Philadelphia Phillies]]. Boston won in five games. Ruth was used as a pinch hitter in Game Five, but [[Ground out (baseball)|grounded out]] against Phillies ace [[Grover Cleveland Alexander]].<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=50–52}}</ref> Despite his success as a pitcher, Ruth was acquiring a reputation for long home runs; at [[Sportsman's Park]] against the [[St. Louis Browns]], a Ruth hit soared over Grand Avenue, breaking the window of a [[Chevrolet]] dealership.<ref>{{harvp|Wagenheim|1974|pp=33}}</ref>
In 1916, attention focused on Ruth's pitching as he engaged in repeated pitching duels with Washington Senators' ace [[Walter Johnson]]. The two met five times during the season with Ruth winning four and Johnson one (Ruth had a [[Win–loss record (pitching)|no decision]] in Johnson's victory). Two of Ruth's victories were by the score of 1–0, one in a 13-inning game. Of the 1–0 [[Shutouts in baseball|shutout]] decided without extra innings, AL president [[Ban Johnson]] stated, "That was one of the best ball games I have ever seen."<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=56–57}}</ref> For the season, Ruth went 23–12, with a 1.75 ERA and nine shutouts, both of which led the league.<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=55}}</ref> Ruth's nine shutouts in 1916 set a league record for left-handers that would remain unmatched until [[Ron Guidry]] tied it in 1978.<ref>{{
Carrigan retired as player and manager after 1916, returning to his native Maine to be a businessman. Ruth, who played under four managers who are in the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|National Baseball Hall of Fame]], always maintained that Carrigan, who is not enshrined there, was the best skipper he ever played for.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=33, 85}}</ref> There were other changes in the Red Sox organization that offseason, as Lannin sold the team to a three-man group headed by New York theatrical promoter [[Harry Frazee]].<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|p=133}}</ref> [[Jack Barry (baseball)|Jack Barry]] was hired by Frazee as manager.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|p=134}}</ref>
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Although Barrow predicted that Ruth would beg to return to pitching the first time he experienced a batting slump, that did not occur. Barrow used Ruth primarily as an outfielder in the war-shortened 1918 season. Ruth hit .300, with 11 home runs, enough to secure him a share of the [[List of Major League Baseball annual home run leaders|major league home run title]] with [[Tilly Walker]] of the Philadelphia Athletics. He was still occasionally used as a pitcher, and had a 13–7 record with a 2.22 ERA.<ref name="stats" /><ref>{{harvp|Wagenheim|1974|p=42}}</ref><ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=153–170}}</ref>
In 1918, the Red Sox won their third pennant in four years and faced the [[Chicago Cubs]] in the [[1918 World Series|World Series]], which began on September 5, the earliest date in history. The season had been shortened because the government had ruled that baseball players who were eligible for the military would have to be inducted or work in critical war industries, such as armaments plants. Ruth pitched and won Game One for the Red Sox, a 1–0 shutout. Before Game Four, Ruth injured his left hand in a fight but pitched anyway. He gave up seven hits and six walks, but was helped by outstanding fielding behind him and by his own batting efforts, as a fourth-inning [[Triple (baseball)|triple]] by Ruth gave his team a 2–0 lead. The Cubs tied the game in the eighth inning, but the Red Sox scored to take a 3–2 lead again in the bottom of that inning. After Ruth gave up a hit and a walk to start the ninth inning, he was relieved on the mound by [[Bullet Joe Bush|Joe Bush]]. To keep Ruth and his bat in the game, he was sent to play [[left fielder|left field]]. Bush retired the side to give Ruth his second win of the Series, and the third and last World Series pitching victory of his career, against no defeats, in three pitching appearances. Ruth's effort gave his team a three-games-to-one lead, and two days later the Red Sox won their third Series in four years, four-games-to-two. Before allowing the Cubs to score in Game Four, Ruth pitched {{frac|29|2|3}} [[Scoreless innings streak#Postseason|consecutive scoreless innings]], a record for the World Series that stood for more than 40 years until 1961, broken by [[Whitey Ford]]
[[File:Babe Ruth by Bain, 1919.jpg|thumb|left|Ruth in 1919]]
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[[File:Babe Ruth by Paul Thompson, 1920.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.75|Ruth in his first year with the [[New York Yankees]], 1920]]
Not all the circumstances concerning the sale are known, but brewer and former congressman [[Jacob Ruppert]], the New York team's principal owner, reportedly asked Yankee manager [[Miller Huggins]] what the team needed to be successful. "Get Ruth from Boston", Huggins supposedly replied, noting that Frazee was perennially in need of money to finance his theatrical productions.<ref>{{harvp|Reisler|2004|pp=2–3}}</ref>
Although Ruppert and his co-owner, Colonel [[Tillinghast L'Hommedieu Huston|Tillinghast Huston]], were both wealthy, and had aggressively purchased and traded for players in 1918 and 1919 to build a winning team, Ruppert faced losses in his brewing interests as [[Prohibition in the United States|Prohibition]] was implemented, and if their team left the Polo Grounds, where the Yankees were the tenants of the New York Giants, building a stadium in New York would be expensive. Nevertheless, when Frazee, who moved in the same social circles as Huston, hinted to the colonel that Ruth was available for the right price, the Yankees owners quickly pursued the purchase.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=205–207}}</ref>
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In the offseason, Ruth spent some time in [[Havana]], Cuba, where he was said to have lost $35,000 ({{Inflation|US|35000|1921|fmt=eq|r=-4}}) betting on horse races.<ref>{{cite news |author1=Special to the New York Times |title=Says Ruth Lost $35,000 |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1921/01/01/103526324.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221031164944/https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1921/01/01/103526324.pdf |archive-date=October 31, 2022 |url-status=live |access-date=December 1, 2022 |work=The New York Times |volume=LXX|issue=22,988 |date=January 1, 1921 |page=20}}</ref>
Ruth hit home runs early and often in the 1921 season, during which he broke [[Roger Connor]]'s mark for home runs in a career, 138. Each of the almost 600 home runs Ruth hit in his career after that extended his own record. After a slow start, the Yankees were soon locked in a tight pennant race with Cleveland, winners of the [[1920 World Series]]. On September 15, Ruth hit his 55th home run, breaking his year-old single-season record. In late September, the Yankees visited Cleveland and won three out of four games, giving them the upper hand in the race, and clinched their first pennant a few days later. Ruth finished the regular season with 59 home runs, batting .378 and with a [[slugging percentage]] of .846.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=204, 238–240}}</ref> Ruth's 177 runs scored, 119 extra-base hits, and 457 total bases set modern-era records that still stand {{as of
The Yankees had high expectations when they met the [[New York Giants (NL)|New York Giants]] in the [[1921 World Series]], every game of which was played in the Polo Grounds. The Yankees won the first two games with Ruth in the lineup. However, Ruth badly scraped his elbow during Game 2 when he slid into third base (he had walked and [[stolen base|stolen]] both second and third bases). After the game, he was told by the team physician not to play the rest of the series.<ref>{{harvp|Spatz|Steinberg|2010|p=355}}</ref> Despite this advice, he did play in the next three games, and pinch-hit in Game Eight of the best-of-nine series, but the Yankees lost, five games to three. Ruth hit .316, drove in five runs and hit his first World Series home run.<ref name="stats" /><ref>{{harvp|Wagenheim|1974|pp=95–96}}</ref><ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=241–243}}</ref>
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====Batting title and "bellyache" (1924–1925)====
[[File:
In 1924, the Yankees were favored to become the first team to win four consecutive pennants. Plagued by injuries, they found themselves in a battle with the Senators. Although the Yankees won 18 of 22 at one point in September, the Senators beat out the Yankees by two games. Ruth hit .378, winning his only AL [[List of Major League Baseball batting champions|batting title]], with a league-leading 46 home runs.<ref>{{harvp|Graham|1943|pp=101–102}}</ref>
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====Murderers' Row (1926–1928)====
[[File:Babecomeshome-poster-1927.jpg|upright|thumb|Ruth took time off in 1927 to star with [[Anna Q. Nilsson]] in this [[First National Pictures|First National]] [[silent film|silent]] production ''[[Babe Comes Home]]''. This film is now [[lost film|lost]]. ]]▼
Ruth spent part of the offseason of 1925–26 working out at [[Artie McGovern]]'s gym, where he got back into shape. Barrow and Huggins had rebuilt the team and surrounded the veteran core with good young players like [[Tony Lazzeri]] and [[Lou Gehrig]], but the Yankees were not expected to win the pennant.<ref>{{harvp|Stout|2002|pp=116–117}}</ref>
Ruth returned to his normal production during 1926, when he batted .372 with 47 home runs and 146 RBIs.<ref name = "stats" /> The Yankees built a 10-game lead by mid-June and coasted to win the pennant by three games. The [[St. Louis Cardinals]] had won the National League with the lowest winning percentage for a pennant winner to that point (.578) and the Yankees were expected to win the [[1926 World Series|World Series]] easily.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=304–305}}</ref> Although the Yankees won the opener in New York, St. Louis took Games Two and Three. In Game Four, Ruth hit three home runs—the first time this had been done in a World Series game—to lead the Yankees to victory. In the fifth game, Ruth caught a ball as he crashed into the fence. The play was described by baseball writers as a defensive gem. New York took that game, but [[Grover Cleveland Alexander]] won Game Six for St. Louis to tie the Series at three games each, then got very drunk. He was nevertheless inserted into Game Seven in the seventh inning and shut down the Yankees to win the game, 3–2, and win the Series.<ref>{{harvp|Wagenheim|1974|pp=154–155}}</ref> Ruth had hit his fourth home run of the Series earlier in the game and was the only Yankee to reach base off Alexander; he walked in the ninth inning before being thrown out to end the game when he attempted to steal second base. Although Ruth's attempt to steal second is often deemed a baserunning blunder, Creamer pointed out that the Yankees' chances of tying the game would have been greatly improved with a runner in scoring position.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|p=306}}</ref>
▲[[File:Babecomeshome-poster-1927.jpg|upright|thumb|Ruth took time off in 1927 to star with [[Anna Q. Nilsson]] in this [[First National Pictures|First National]] [[silent film|silent]] production ''[[Babe Comes Home]]''. This film is now [[lost film|lost]]. ]]
The 1926 World Series was also known for Ruth's promise to [[Johnny Sylvester]], a hospitalized 11-year-old boy. Ruth promised the child that he would hit a home run on his behalf. Sylvester had been injured in a fall from a horse, and a friend of Sylvester's father gave the boy two autographed baseballs signed by Yankees and Cardinals. The friend relayed a promise from Ruth (who did not know the boy) that he would hit a home run for him. After the Series, Ruth visited the boy in the hospital. When the matter became public, the press greatly inflated it, and by some accounts, Ruth allegedly saved the boy's life by visiting him, emotionally promising to hit a home run, and doing so.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=327–328}}</ref> Ruth's 1926 salary of $52,000 was far more than any other baseball player, but he made at least twice as much in other income, including $100,000 from 12 weeks of [[vaudeville]].{{r|menand20200525}}
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Although the Yankees started well, the Athletics soon proved they were the better team in 1929, splitting two series with the Yankees in the first month of the season, then taking advantage of a Yankee losing streak in mid-May to gain first place. Although Ruth performed well, the Yankees were not able to catch the Athletics—Connie Mack had built another great team.<ref>{{harvp|Stout|2002|pp=140–141}}</ref> Tragedy struck the Yankees late in the year as manager Huggins died at 51 of [[erysipelas]], a bacterial skin infection, on September 25, only ten days after he had last directed the team. Despite their past differences, Ruth praised Huggins and described him as a "great guy".<ref>{{harvp|Appel|2012|pp=164–165}}</ref> The Yankees finished second, 18 games behind the Athletics.<ref name="s461"/> Ruth hit .345 during the season, with 46 home runs and 154 RBIs.<ref name = "stats" />
{{quote box
| align = right
| width = 24em
| salign = right
| quote = A few seasons ago I used a 54 ounce bat, long and with the weight well at the end. Now I'm using a 46 ounce club--and each season when I have a new set of bats made, I have an additional ounce taken off.
| source = Ruth in ''Babe Ruth's Own Book of Baseball'' (1928), p. 171}}
On October 17, the Yankees hired [[Bob Shawkey]] as manager; he was their fourth choice.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ocdKAAAAIBAJ&pg=948%2C6044172 |title=Bob Shawkey Is Named Manager of the Yankees: Veteran Pitcher Gets Job When Fletcher Prefers to Remain as Coach of Club; Appointment of Shawkey Comes as Surprise in Baseball Circles, Where Three Others Were Predicted |last=Chipman |first=William J. |date=October 18, 1929 |work=The Schenectady Gazette |access-date=November 23, 2016 |agency=Associated Press |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170328063621/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ocdKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xegMAAAAIBAJ&pg=948%2C6044172 |archive-date=March 28, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> Ruth had politicked for the job of player-manager, but Ruppert and Barrow never seriously considered him for the position. Stout deemed this the first hint Ruth would have no future with the Yankees once he retired as a player.<ref>{{harvp|Stout|2002|p=143}}</ref> Shawkey, a former Yankees player and teammate of Ruth, would prove unable to command Ruth's respect.<ref name=GS144>{{harvp|Stout|2002|p=144}}</ref>
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While the barnstorming tour was underway, Ruppert began negotiating with Boston Braves owner Judge [[Emil Fuchs (baseball)|Emil Fuchs]], who wanted Ruth as a gate attraction. The Braves had enjoyed modest recent success, finishing fourth in the National League in both 1933 and 1934, but the team drew poorly at the box office. Unable to afford the rent at [[Braves Field]], Fuchs had considered holding dog races there when the Braves were not at home, only to be turned down by Landis. After a series of phone calls, letters, and meetings, the Yankees traded Ruth to the Braves on February 26, 1935. Ruppert had stated that he would not release Ruth to go to another team as a full-time player. For this reason, it was announced that Ruth would become a team vice president and would be consulted on all club transactions, in addition to playing. He was also made assistant manager to Braves skipper [[Bill McKechnie]]. In a long letter to Ruth a few days before the press conference, Fuchs promised Ruth a share in the Braves' profits, with the possibility of becoming co-owner of the team. Fuchs also raised the possibility of Ruth succeeding McKechnie as manager, perhaps as early as 1936. Ruppert called the deal "the greatest opportunity Ruth ever had".<ref>{{harvp|Neyer|2000|pp=42–44}}</ref><ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=337–339}}</ref>
There was considerable attention as Ruth reported for spring training. He did not hit his first home run of the spring until after the team had left Florida, and was beginning the road north in Savannah. He hit two in an exhibition game against the Bears.<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|p=339}}</ref> Amid much press attention, Ruth played his first home game in Boston in over 16 years. Before an opening-day crowd of over 25,000, including five of New England's six state governors, Ruth accounted for all the Braves' runs in a 4–2
Ruth had two hits in the second game of the season, but it quickly went downhill both for him and the Braves from there. The season soon settled down to a routine of Ruth performing poorly on the few occasions he even played at all. As April passed into May, Ruth's physical deterioration became even more pronounced. While he remained productive at the plate early on, he could do little else. His conditioning had become so poor that he could barely trot around the bases. He made so many errors that three Braves pitchers told McKechnie they would not take the mound if he was in the lineup. Before long, Ruth stopped hitting as well. He grew increasingly annoyed that McKechnie ignored most of his advice. McKechnie later said that Ruth's presence made enforcing discipline nearly impossible.<ref>{{harvp|Neyer|2000|pp=43–45}}</ref>
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Ruth played in the third game of the Pittsburgh series on May 25, 1935, and added one more tale to his playing legend. Ruth went 4-for-4, including three home runs, though the Braves lost the game 11–7. The last two were off Ruth's old Cubs nemesis, Guy Bush. The final home run, both of the game and of Ruth's career, sailed out of the park over the right field upper deck–the first time anyone had hit a fair ball completely out of Forbes Field. Ruth was urged to make this his last game, but he had given his word to Fuchs and played in Cincinnati and Philadelphia. The first game of the doubleheader in Philadelphia—the Braves lost both—was his final major league appearance. Ruth retired on June 2 after an argument with Fuchs. He finished 1935 with a .181 average—easily his worst as a full-time position player—and the final six of his 714 home runs. The Braves, 10–27 when Ruth left, finished 38–115, at .248 the worst winning percentage in modern National League history.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=396–400}}</ref> Insolvent like his team, Fuchs gave up control of the Braves before the end of the season; the National League took over the franchise at the end of the year.<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=344}}</ref>
==Retirement==
[[File:The Pride of the Yankees2.jpg|thumb|right|[[Gary Cooper]] and Ruth in the 1942 film ''[[The Pride of the Yankees]]'']]
Although Fuchs had given Ruth his unconditional release, no major league team expressed an interest in hiring him in any capacity. Ruth still hoped to be hired as a manager if he could not play anymore, but only one managerial position, Cleveland, became available between Ruth's retirement and the end of the 1937 season. Asked if he had considered Ruth for the job, Indians owner [[Alva Bradley]] replied negatively.<ref name = "c399a" /> Of the five members in the inaugural class of Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936 ([[Ty Cobb]], [[Honus Wagner]], [[Christy Mathewson]], [[Walter Johnson]] and Ruth), only Ruth was not given an offer to manage a baseball team.<ref name=":1" /> Team owners and general managers assessed Ruth's flamboyant personal habits as a reason to exclude him from a managerial job; Barrow said of him, "How can he manage other men when he can't even manage himself?"<ref name="99facts" /> Creamer believed Ruth was unfairly treated in never being given an opportunity to manage a major league club. The author believed there was not necessarily a relationship between personal conduct and managerial success, noting that [[John McGraw]], [[Billy Martin]], and [[Bobby Valentine]] were winners despite character flaws.<ref>{{harvp|Sherman|2014|p=17}}</ref>
Ruth played much golf and in a few exhibition baseball games, where he demonstrated a continuing ability to draw large crowds. This appeal contributed to the Dodgers hiring him as first base coach in 1938. When Ruth was hired, Brooklyn general manager [[Larry MacPhail]] made it clear that Ruth would not be considered for the manager's job if, as expected, [[Burleigh Grimes]] retired at the end of the season. Although much was said about what Ruth could teach the younger players, in practice, his duties were to appear on the field in uniform and encourage base runners—he was not called upon to relay signs. In August, shortly before the baseball rosters expanded, Ruth sought an opportunity to return as an active player in a pinch hitting role. Ruth often took batting practice before games and felt that he could take on the limited role. Grimes denied his request, citing Ruth's poor vision in his right eye, his inability to run the bases, and the risk of an injury to Ruth.<ref name=Pinch>{{cite news |url= https://www.nytimes.com/1985/09/01/sports/babe-ruth-fat-and-43-and-never-to-play-ball-again.html |title= Babe Ruth: Fat and 43 and Never to Play Ball Again |author= Herb Goren |work= [[The New York Times]] |date= September 1, 1985 |access-date= August 12, 2021 |archive-date= August 12, 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210812140402/https://www.nytimes.com/1985/09/01/sports/babe-ruth-fat-and-43-and-never-to-play-ball-again.html |url-status= live}}</ref><ref name=NYDNPinch>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/421909816 |title=Grimes Vetoes Ruth's Comeback |author=Hy Turkin |work=New York Daily News |date=September 1, 1938 |access-date=August 12, 2021 |archive-date=August 12, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210812142259/http://www.newspapers.com/image/421909816/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
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==Personal life==
[[File:1915 Babe Ruth and Helen Woodford (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|Ruth and his first wife, Helen Woodford, 1915]]
Ruth met [[Helen Woodford]]
On April 17, 1929, three months after the death of his first wife, Ruth married actress and model [[Claire Merritt Hodgson]]
By one account, Julia and Dorothy were, through no fault of their own, the reason for the seven-year rift in Ruth's relationship with teammate Lou Gehrig. Sometime in 1932, during a conversation that she assumed was private, Gehrig's mother remarked, "It's a shame [Claire] doesn't dress Dorothy as nicely as she dresses her own daughter." When the comment got back to Ruth, he angrily told Gehrig to tell his mother to mind her own business. Gehrig, in turn, took offense at what he perceived as Ruth's comment about his mother. The two men reportedly never spoke off the field until they reconciled at Yankee Stadium on Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day, July 4, 1939, shortly after Gehrig's retirement from baseball.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|p=415}}</ref>
Although Ruth was married throughout most of his baseball career, when team co-owner [[Tillinghast L'Hommedieu Huston|Tillinghast 'Cap' Huston]] asked him to tone down his lifestyle, Ruth replied, "I'll promise to go easier on drinking and to get to bed earlier, but not for you, fifty thousand dollars, or two-hundred and fifty thousand dollars will I give up women. They're too much fun."<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iYY6LBA_DUwC|page=158|title=Baseball As I Have Known It|first=Fred|last=Lieb|publisher=Cowar, McCann and Geoghagen|location=New York|year=1977|isbn=978-0-8032-7962-9|access-date=November 26, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160510232217/https://books.google.com/books?id=iYY6LBA_DUwC|archive-date=May 10, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> A detective that the Yankees hired to follow him one night in Chicago reported that Ruth had been with six women. [[Ping Bodie]] said that he was not Ruth's roommate while traveling; "I room with his suitcase".<ref name="menand20200525">{{Cite magazine |last=Menand |first=Louis |date=May 25, 2020 |title=How Baseball Players Became Celebrities |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/06/01/how-baseball-players-became-celebrities |magazine=The New Yorker |language=en |access-date=May 26, 2020 |archive-date=January 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220110022815/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/06/01/how-baseball-players-became-celebrities |url-status=live}}</ref> Before the start of the 1922 season, Ruth had signed a three-year contract at $52,000 per year with an option to renew for two additional years. His performance during the 1922 season had been disappointing, attributed in part to his drinking and late-night hours. After the end of the 1922 season, he was asked to sign a contract addendum with a [[morals clause]]. Ruth and Ruppert signed it on November 11, 1922. It called for Ruth to abstain entirely from the use of intoxicating liquors, and to not stay up later than 1:00 a.m. during the training and playing season without permission of the manager. Ruth was also enjoined from any action or misbehavior that would compromise his ability to play baseball.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sports.ha.com/itm/baseball/1922-babe-ruth-signed-contract-addendum-limiting-his-drinking-late-nights-i-ll-promise-to-go-easier-on-drinking-an/a/707-19090.s?ic4=GalleryView-Thumbnail-071515 |title=1922 Babe Ruth Signed Contract Addendum Limiting His Drinking, Late Nights |page=5 |website=Heritage Auctions logo The World's Largest Collectibles Auctioneer |access-date=August 31, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150919233936/http://sports.ha.com/itm/baseball/1922-babe-ruth-signed-contract-addendum-limiting-his-drinking-late-nights-i-ll-promise-to-go-easier-on-drinking-an/a/707-19090.s?ic4=GalleryView-Thumbnail-071515 |archive-date=September 19, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>
Ruth was a self described [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/11/upshot/presidents-who-knew-the-babe.html|title=Presidents Who Knew the Babe|first=Michael|last=Beschloss|publisher=New York Times|date=April 11, 2015|accessdate=October 27, 2024}}</ref> In 1928, Ruth campaigned for Democratic U.S. Presidential nominee [[Al Smith]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nysm.nysed.gov/programs/sports-and-identity-politics|title=Babe Ruth Gets Political: Sports and Identity Politics in the Roaring Twenties|publisher=New York State Museum}}</ref>
==Cancer and death (1946–1948)==
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On June 5, 1948, a "gaunt and hollowed-out" Ruth visited [[Yale University]] to donate a manuscript of ''The Babe Ruth Story'' to its library.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nhregister.com/general-news/20120919/new-haven-200-babe-ruth-meets-future-president-george-hw-bush-in-1948-at-yale-field|title=New Haven 200: Babe Ruth meets future President George H.W. Bush in 1948 at Yale Field|newspaper=New Haven Register|date=September 19, 2012|access-date=November 20, 2013|first=Chip|last=Malafronte|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212063150/http://www.nhregister.com/general-news/20120919/new-haven-200-babe-ruth-meets-future-president-george-hw-bush-in-1948-at-yale-field|archive-date=December 12, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> At Yale, he met with future president [[George H. W. Bush]], who was the captain of the [[Yale Bulldogs baseball|Yale baseball team]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://ftw.usatoday.com/2013/06/babe-ruth-met-future-president-george-h-w-bush-in-1948|title=Babe Ruth met future President George H.W. Bush in 1948|newspaper=USA Today|date=June 3, 2013|access-date=June 3, 2018|first=Ted|last=Berg|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612113017/https://ftw.usatoday.com/2013/06/babe-ruth-met-future-president-george-h-w-bush-in-1948|archive-date=June 12, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> On June 13, Ruth visited Yankee Stadium for the final time in his life, appearing at the 25th-anniversary celebrations of "The House that Ruth Built". By this time he had lost much weight and had difficulty walking. Introduced along with his surviving teammates from 1923, Ruth used a bat as a cane. [[Nat Fein]]'s photo of Ruth taken from behind, standing near home plate and facing "Ruthville" (right field) became one of baseball's most famous and widely circulated photographs, and won the [[Pulitzer Prize]].<ref>{{harvp|Wagenheim|1974|pp=267–268}}</ref>
Ruth made one final trip on behalf of American Legion Baseball. He then entered [[Memorial Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center|Memorial Hospital]], where he would die. He was never told he had cancer; however, before his death, he surmised it. He was able to leave the hospital for a few short trips, including a final visit to [[Baltimore]]. On July 26, 1948, Ruth left the hospital to attend the premiere of the film ''[[The Babe Ruth Story]]''. Shortly thereafter, he returned to the hospital for the final time. He was barely able to speak. Ruth's condition gradually grew worse, and only a few visitors were permitted to see him, one of whom was [[National League (baseball)|National League]] president and future [[Commissioner of Baseball]] [[Ford C. Frick]]. "Ruth was so thin it was unbelievable. He had been such a big man and his arms were just skinny little bones, and his face was so haggard", Frick said years later.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=423–424}}</ref>
Thousands of New Yorkers, including many children, stood vigil outside the hospital during Ruth's final days. On August 16, 1948, at 8:01 p.m., Ruth died in his sleep at the age of 53. His funeral service took place over three days.<ref name="Syken">{{cite magazine |last1=Syken |first1=Bill |title=Bye Bye, Bambino: The Funeral of Babe Ruth |url=https://www.life.com/history/bye-bye-bambino-the-funeral-of-babe-ruth/ |access-date=February 7, 2024 |magazine=[[Life (magazine)|Life]] |date=September 23, 2022}}</ref> His open casket was placed on display in the rotunda of Yankee Stadium, where it remained for two days; 77,000 people filed past to pay him tribute. His [[Requiem Mass]] was celebrated by [[Francis Spellman|Francis Cardinal Spellman]] at [[St. Patrick's Cathedral (New York)|St. Patrick's Cathedral]]; a crowd estimated at 75,000 waited outside. Ruth is buried with his second wife, Claire, on a hillside in Section 25 at the [[Gate of Heaven Cemetery (Hawthorne, New York)|Gate of Heaven Cemetery]] in [[Hawthorne, New York]].<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=366–367}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Reisler|first=Jim|date=August 9, 1998|title=After 50 Years, Ruth Still Stars|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/08/09/nyregion/after-50-years-ruth-still-stars.html|access-date=January 15, 2022|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=January 16, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220116013707/https://www.nytimes.com/1998/08/09/nyregion/after-50-years-ruth-still-stars.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
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[[File:RuthMonument.jpg|thumb|right|Tribute to Babe Ruth, Monument Park, as seen at the original Yankee Stadium]]
On April 19, 1949, the Yankees unveiled a granite monument in Ruth's honor in center field of Yankee Stadium.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LswKAAAAIBAJ&pg=3655,6203626|title=Six Home Teams Score Victories in Opener|first=Ralph|last=Roden|work=St. Petersburg Times|page=8|date=April 20, 1949|access-date=September 18, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208064607/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LswKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=VU4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=3655,6203626|archive-date=December 8, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> The monument was located [[ground rules|in the field of play]] next to a flagpole and similar tributes to Huggins and Gehrig until the stadium was remodeled from 1974 to 1975, which resulted in the outfield fences moving inward and enclosing the monuments from the playing field. This area was known thereafter as [[Monument Park (Yankee Stadium)|Monument Park]]. Yankee Stadium, "the House that Ruth Built", was replaced after the 2008 season with a new [[Yankee Stadium]] across the street from the old one; Monument Park was subsequently moved to the new venue behind the center field fence. Ruth's uniform number 3 has been [[List of Major League Baseball retired numbers|retired]] by the Yankees, and he is one of five Yankees players or managers to have a granite monument within the stadium.<ref name="retired number">{{cite web|title=Retired numbers|publisher=New York Yankees|url=http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/nyy/history/retired_numbers.jsp|access-date=February 8, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130201050802/http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/nyy/history/retired_numbers.jsp|archive-date=February 1, 2013|url-status=
In 1974, Ruth's birthplace in [[Baltimore]] was renovated and opened to the public as the [[Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum]]. The museum houses a collection of artifacts from Ruth's life, including some rare baseball cards and the earliest known signature of Ruth, from when he was still pitching in the schoolyard.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://nesn.com/2013/06/babe-ruth-birthplace-museum-one-of-baltimores-hidden-gems-video/|title=Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum One of Baltimore's Hidden Gems (Video)|date=June 16, 2013|website=NESN.com|language=en-US|access-date=April 30, 2016}}</ref> Ruth's widow, Claire, his two daughters, Dorothy and Julia, and his sister, Mamie, helped select and install exhibits for the museum.<ref>{{cite web |title=History |url=https://baberuthmuseum.org/babe-ruth-birthplace-museum/ |website=baberuthmuseum.org}}</ref>
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In 2006, Montville stated that more books have been written about Ruth than any other member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. At least five of these books (including Creamer's and Wagenheim's) were written in 1973 and 1974 to capitalize on the increase in public interest in Ruth as [[Hank Aaron]] approached his career home run mark, which he broke on April 8, 1974.<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=1–6}}</ref> Montville suggested that Ruth is probably even more popular today than he was then. The long ball era that Ruth started continues in baseball: owners build ballparks to encourage home runs.<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=4–5}}</ref>
In various surveys and rankings, Ruth has been named the greatest baseball player of all time. In 1998, ''[[The Sporting News]]'' ranked him number one on the list of "Baseball's 100 Greatest Players".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/legendary/lisn100.shtml|title=Baseball's 100 Greatest Players|publisher=Baseball Almanac|access-date=May 18, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070712221219/http://www.cycleback.com/eddiecollins.html|archive-date=July 12, 2007|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1999, baseball fans named Ruth to the [[Major League Baseball All-Century Team]].<ref>{{cite web|title=All-Century Team final voting|publisher=ESPN. Associated Press|date=October 23, 1999|url=
Several of the most expensive items of [[sports memorabilia]] and baseball memorabilia ever sold at auction are associated with Ruth. {{as of|2022|May}}, Ruth's 1920 Yankees jersey, which sold for $4,415,658 in 2012 (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|4.42|2012|r=2}} million in {{Inflation/year|US}}), is the third most expensive piece of sports memorabilia ever sold.<ref>{{cite news |title=Diego Maradona: Argentina legend's 'Hand of God' shirt sells for £7.1m at auction |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61321555 |access-date=May 5, 2022 |publisher=BBC |date=May 4, 2022 |archive-date=May 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220505052536/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61321555 |url-status=live}}</ref> The [[baseball bat|bat]] with which he hit the first home run at Yankee Stadium is in ''[[The Guinness Book of World Records]]'' as the most expensive baseball bat sold at auction, having fetched $1.265 million on December 2, 2004 (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|1.265|2004|r=4}} million in {{Inflation/year|US}}).<ref>{{cite news|title=Most expensive baseball bat sold at auction|url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-expensive-baseball-bat-sold-at-auction|access-date=July 1, 2017|publisher=[[Guinness World Records]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170713025652/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-expensive-baseball-bat-sold-at-auction|archive-date=July 13, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> A hat of Ruth's from the 1934 season set a record for a [[baseball cap]] when [[David Wells]] sold it at auction for $537,278 in 2012.<ref name="cap">{{cite news|last1=Boren|first1=Cindy|title=Babe Ruth's jersey, cap bring record prices|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/post/babe-ruths-jersey-cap-bring-record-prices/2012/05/21/gIQA3UqbfU_blog.html|access-date=July 1, 2017|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=May 21, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180912091938/https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/post/babe-ruths-jersey-cap-bring-record-prices/2012/05/21/gIQA3UqbfU_blog.html|archive-date=September 12, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2017, [[Charlie Sheen]] sold Ruth's 1927 World Series ring for $2,093,927 at auction, a record for a [[championship ring]].<ref name="sheen">{{cite news|last1=Rovell|first1=Darren|title=Charlie Sheen's classic Babe Ruth articles fetch nearly $4.4 million|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/charlie-sheens-classic-babe-ruth-articles-fetch-44/story?id=48389483|access-date=July 1, 2017|work=[[ESPN]]|publisher=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|date=July 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170701191528/https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/charlie-sheens-classic-babe-ruth-articles-fetch-44/story?id=48389483|archive-date=July 1, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> The jersey Ruth wore when hitting his "called shot" home run in the 1932 World Series sold in 2024 for $24 million. It set a new record for a sports collectible.<ref>{{cite news|last=Boren|first=Cindy|title=Babe Ruth's called-shot jersey, the 'Mona Lisa,' fetches record $24 million|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/08/25/babe-ruth-called-shot-record-sale/|access-date=August 25, 2024|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=August 25, 2024}}</ref>
[[File:Babe Ruth Hall of Fame exhibit 2014.jpg|thumb|right|Ruth memorabilia at the [[Baseball Hall of Fame]] (2014)]]
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One long-term survivor of the craze over Ruth may be the [[Baby Ruth]] candy bar. The original company to market the confectionery, the Curtis Candy Company, maintained that the bar was named after [[Ruth Cleveland]], daughter of former president [[Grover Cleveland]]. She died in 1904 and the bar was first marketed in 1921, at the height of the craze over Ruth.<ref>{{harvp|Smelser|1975|p=208}}</ref> He later sought to market candy bearing his name; he was refused a trademark because of the Baby Ruth bar. The Ruth estate licensed his likeness for use in an advertising campaign for Baby Ruth in 1995. In 2005, the Baby Ruth bar became the official candy bar of Major League Baseball.<ref name="nytimes2006">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/06/business/worldbusiness/06iht-web.0606ruth.1900800.html|title=Baseball adopts a candy, whatever it's named for|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|first=Richard|last=Sandomir|date=June 6, 2006|access-date=February 12, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130601020629/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/06/business/worldbusiness/06iht-web.0606ruth.1900800.html|archive-date=June 1, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>
In 2018,
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==Further reading==
===Books===
* {{cite book |
* {{cite book |
* {{cite book |
* {{cite book |
* {{cite book |last=Stout |first=Glenn |date=2016 |title=The Selling of the Babe: The Deal That Changed Baseball and Created a Legend |url=https://archive.org/details/sellingofbabedea0000stou |url-access=registration |location=New York |publisher=Thomas Dunne Books |isbn=978-1-2500-6431-8}}
* {{cite book |last=Stanton |first=Tom |author-link=Tom Stanton (author) |title=Ty and The Babe: Baseball's Fiercest Rivals: A Surprising Friendship and the 1941 Has-Beens Golf Championship |url=https://archive.org/details/tybabebaseballsf00toms |url-access=registration |year=2007 |publisher=St. Martins Publishing |isbn=978-0312382247}}
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{{Boston Red Sox}}
{{Boston Red Sox Opening Day starting pitchers}}
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{{New York Yankees retired numbers}}
{{New York Yankees team captains}}
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{{Baseball Hall of Fame members}}
{{New York Yankees HOF}}
{{Boston Red Sox HOF}}
{{Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame}}
{{1915 Boston Red Sox}}
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[[Category:American people of German descent]]
[[Category:American people of Prussian descent]]
[[Category:Baltimore Orioles (International League) players]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Baltimore]]
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[[Category:Catholics from Maryland]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in New York (state)]]
[[Category:Deaths from nasopharynx cancer]]▼
[[Category:Major League Baseball first base coaches]]
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[[Category:Major League Baseball players with retired numbers]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball right fielders]]
[[Category:National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:New York Yankees players]]
[[Category:Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients]]
[[Category:Providence Grays (minor league) players]]
▲[[Category:Vaudeville performers]]
[[Category:Ruth family|Babe]]
▲[[Category:Deaths from nasopharynx cancer]]
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