Babe Ruth Biography - ESPN Babe Ruth Biography Personal Babe Ruth is a former Major League Baseball player, widely considered to be the greatest baseball player of all-time, starting his career as a pitcher with the Boston Red Sox. In a controversial deal with the New York Yankees, Ruth was sold for $100,00 in a trade that would later be known as "The Curse of the Bambino." With the Yankees, Ruth moved to the outfield and transformed into one of the greatest hitters of all time. He was the first player to hit 60 home runs in a season. Ruth ended his career with a .342 batting average and 714 home runs, which was a record until Hank Aaron surpassed him in 1974. Ruth was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936. Early Years George Herman Ruth Jr. was born on Feb. 6, 1895 in Baltimore, Md., to Kate Schamberger-Ruth and George Herman Ruth, Sr. Only two of their eight children survived past infancy: Ruth, and his sister, Mamie. At age seven, Ruth was sent to St.

Mary's Industrial School for Boys, a reformatory and orphanage. Ruth spent 12 years at the school, rarely seeing his family. It was at St. Mary's that Ruth started playing baseball. He played a variety of positions but played catcher mostly until the age of 15. Ruth started pitching and switched between pitcher and catcher on the St. Mary's varsity baseball team. Professional Career Minor league career During a game in 1913 between St. Mary's and Mount St. Mary's University, Ruth's pitching skills caught the attention of Washington Senators pitcher Joe Engel. Engel told Jack Dunn, owner of the then-minor league Baltimore Orioles, about the prospect, and Dunn signed Ruth to a contract on Feb. 14, 1914. Ruth earned the nickname of "Babe" after teammates referred to him as Jack Dunn's newest babe. The nickname stuck with Ruth for the rest of his career. On July 7, 1914, Ruth was nearly sold to the Philadelphia Athletics along with Ernie Shore and Ben Egan for $10,000. Athletics owner and manager Connie Mack refused to spend $10,000 on the trio.

Ruth was eventually sold to the Boston Red Sox. Boston Red Sox (1914-19) Babe Ruth made his major league debut on July 11, 1914, for the Boston Red Sox. Ruth appeared in five games during the 1914 season, pitching in four of them. On the mound, Ruth went 2-1 with a 3.91 ERA, and he went just 2-for-10 with two RBI at the plate. Ruth spent a majority of the season with the Providence Grays in the minor leagues. Ruth landed a spot in the Red Sox pitching rotation during the 1915 season. In his first full season as a starter, Ruth went 18-18 with a 2.44 ERA in 28 starts. Ruth showed his first glimpse of power at the plate, slugging four home runs and driving in 21 runs. Ruth made his postseason debut in the 1915 World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, grounding out in his only at-bat.

In 1916, Ruth led the American League in earned run average (1.75), games started (41) and shutouts (9). He went 23-12, including four victories over Washington Senators great Walter Johnson. The Red Sox won their second-straight World Series championship in 1916. Ruth pitched a 14-inning complete game in Game 2 against the Brooklyn Robins. Ruth had his best season as a pitcher in 1917, going 24-13 with a 2.01 ERA and 35 complete games. On June 23, 1917, against the Senators, Ruth threw a punch at an umpire after walking the leadoff hitter. He received a 10-game suspension for his actions. In 1918, Ruth started to shift his playing time from the mound to the outfield. At the plate, Ruth led the league in home runs with 11 and batted .300 with 66 RBI. On the mound, Ruth started Game 1 of the 1918 World Series, throwing a 1-0 shutout over the Chicago Cubs.

In Game 4, Ruth pitched eight innings, allowing just two earned runs and striking out six in a 3-2 victory. The Red Sox won the World Series in six games. Ruth hit .322 with 29 home runs and 114 RBI in 1919, which turned out to be his final season with the Red Sox. The 29 home runs was a single-season record at the time. In his last season as a starting pitcher, Ruth went 9-5 with a 2.97 ERA. Ruth wanted an increase in his salary following the 1919 season, but Frazee refused to pay him and decided to trade his star player. Finding a team to make a deal was a problem as Frazee had only two options in the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees. The White Sox offered the Red Sox "Shoeless" Joe Jackson and $60,000 for Ruth. The Yankees offered the Red Sox $100,000 in cash. New York Yankees (1920-34) Boston Red Sox owner Harry Frazee sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees on Dec.

26, 1919. Frazee received $25,000 up front along with three promissory notes of $25,000 each at six percent interest. Frazee also received a loan for $300,000 against the mortgage of Fenway Park as collateral. The deal was eventually known as the "Curse of the Bambino," as the Red Sox wouldn't win another World Series title until 2004. It was claimed that Ruth was sold to the Yankees in order for Frazee to finance "No, No, Nanette" on Broadway. According to author Leigh Montville, who wrote "The Big Bam: The Life and Times of Babe Ruth," he discovered that "No, No, Nannette" was indeed financed by the sale of Ruth to the Yankees. On the Yankees, Ruth completed his transition from a pitcher to an outfielder, pitching in just 36 games over the next 15 seasons in New York. Ruth hit .376 with 54 home runs and 137 RBI in his first season with the Yankees in 1920.

He nearly doubled his home run record he set the season before with the Red Sox. Only the Philadelphia Phillies hit more home runs as a team than Ruth. Ruth led the Yankees to a first-place finish in the American League in 1921, hitting .378 with 59 home runs and 171 RBI. It was arguably one of the greatest seasons of Ruth's career, as the player set records in total bases (457), extra base hits (119) and times on base (379). Ruth broke Roger Connor's home run record of 138 on July 18, 1921, against the Detroit Tigers. In the 1921 World Series, the Yankees won the first two games before Ruth injured his elbow in Game 2. Doctors advised Ruth not to play the rest of the series. Ignoring doctor's orders, Ruth started and played the next three games in the World Series before coming off the bench as a pinch-hitter in Game 8. Ruth hit .313 with one home run and four RBI in the series, but the Yankees lost to the Giants in eight games.

Baseball commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis suspended Ruth for the first six weeks of the 1922 season after he participated in a barnstorming tour following the World Series. Ruth made his season debut on May 20, 1922, as the captain of the Yankees. Just five days later, Ruth was stripped of his captaincy after he was ejected from a game for throwing dirt on an umpire and confronting a fan in the stands. Despite missing more than 40 games, Ruth still managed to hit 35 home runs with 99 RBI. The Yankees faced the Giants again in the World Series but lost in five games, partly because of Ruth's .118 average. 1923 was the first season at Yankee Stadium after moving from the Polo Grounds. In a stadium nicknamed "The House That Ruth Built," Ruth hit the first-ever home run at Yankee Stadium on Apr. 18, 1923, against the Red Sox. Thanks to a career-high .393 batting average, 41 home runs and 131 RBI, Ruth won the only American League Most Valuable Player award in his career.

The Yankees finally knocked off the Giants in the 1923 World Series for their first World Series in franchise history. Ruth hit three home runs in the six-game series. Ruth finished eight RBI short of winning the AL Triple Crown in 1924, leading the league with a .378 average and 46 home runs. When he wasn't busy hitting home runs, Ruth enlisted for three years in the 104th field artillery of the National Guard of New York. Ruth's career hit a low during the 1925 season. He was having problems at home with his marriage and spent the offseason eating and partying. When he arrived to Spring Training, Ruth was sick and out of shape. During a road trip in Asheville, N.C., Ruth collapsed. It was rumored that he had the flu, but the headlines claimed Ruth overindulged on soda and hot dogs. Ruth's illness was dubbed "The Bellyache Heard 'Round the World." Ruth underwent an operation for an "intestinal abscess," and he missed the first part of the season while he recovered.

Ruth played in only 98 games, hitting .290 with 25 home runs and 66 RBI as the Yankees finished in next-to-last place. A healthy Ruth bounced back in 1926, hitting .372 with 47 home runs and 146 RBI. In the 1926 World Series, Ruth slugged three home runs in Game 4 against the St. Louis Cardinals. Ruth promised Johnny Sylvester, an 11-year-old hospitalized after a horseback riding accident, that he would hit a home run for him in Game 4. Sylvester's condition improved after Ruth's three home runs. With the Yankees trailing 3-2 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth of Game 7, Ruth was thrown out trying to steal second base. Ruth set a career high and major league record 60 home runs in 1927. Seventeen of his 60 home runs came in the month of September. His season record stood until Roger Maris hit 61 in 1961.

Ruth was part of one of the greatest lineups in baseball history along with Earle Combs, Mark Koeing, Lou Gehrig, Bob Meusel and Tony Lazzeri. The Yankees went 110-44 in the regular season and swept the Pittsburgh Pirates in the World Series. Ruth followed up his 60-homer season with 54 home runs in 1928. He had a chance of breaking the record he set the season before, but Ruth battled an ankle injury towards the end of the season. In the 1928 World Series, Ruth hit .625 (10-for-16) with three home runs (all three in Game 4) as the Yankees swept the St. Louis Cardinals. Ruth hit .345 with 46 home runs and 154 RBI in 1929. Yankees manager Miller Huggins died on Sept. 25, 1929, of erysipelas. Ruth had interest in managing the Yankees, but former Chicago Cubs manager Joe McCarthy was hired, instead. Ruth made his final postseason appearance in 1932 with the Yankees.

New York went 107-47 in the regular season under McCarthy and swept the Chicago Cubs in the World Series. Ruth hit .333 with two home runs and six RBI. One of Ruth's two home runs was in Game 3, which was known as Babe Ruth's called shot. Ruth made a gesture towards center field and hit a home run on a 2-2 pitch off Cubs pitcher Charlie Root. The home run was Ruth's last World Series hit. He finished with a lifetime World Series average of .326 with 15 home runs and 33 RBI in 41 games. Major League Baseball honored Ruth's World Series success in 1949 with the Babe Ruth Award for the player with the best World Series performance. Ruth was elected to the first All-Star game in 1933, hitting .301 with 34 home runs and 103 RBI on the season. In the 1933 All-Star Game, Ruth hit the first home run in the game's history at Comiskey Park in Chicago.

The former pitcher made his final appearance on the mound during the 1933 season, pitching a complete-game victory against the Boston Red Sox and improving his record to 5-0 as a pitcher for the Yankees. Ruth's final season with the Yankees came in 1934, hitting .288 with 22 home runs and 84 RBI. Ruth wanted to manage the Yankees, but McCarthy was entrenched in the manager's job. He was offered the managerial position with the Newark Bears, the Yankee's top minor-league affiliate, but Ruth turned the offer down. Boston Braves (1935) Babe Ruth was traded to the Boston Braves on Feb. 26, 1935. Along with playing, Ruth would be the Braves' vice president and assistant manager. But after leaving the Yankees, Ruth's on-the-field skills declined sharply. His last glimpse of greatness occurred on May 25, 1935, against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Ruth went 4-for-4 with three home runs and six RBI. On May 30, 1935, Ruth played in his final game, striking out in his only at-bat before leaving with a knee injury.

On June 2, 1935, Ruth announced his retirement. Ruth retired with 714 career home runs, which was the most in baseball until Hank Aaron broke his record on April 8, 1974. Post-playing career After retiring from playing, Ruth was the first base coach of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1938 but he lasted only one season before quitting. Ruth appeared in nearly a dozen movies during the silent film era. His acting debut came in 1920 in "Headin' Home." Ruth also appeared in "Speedy," "Perfect Control," and "Over The Fence." He was also a mainstay on radio programs. He appeared on "The Adventures of Babe Ruth," produced by the Blue Network, in 1934. It was a series of 15-minute programs that featured Ruth telling fully dramatized episodes from his career. Ruth was also featured on "Here's Bath Ruth," the comedy-drama "Alibi Ike," and "Baseball Quiz." Ruth became ill in 1946 after doctors discovered he had a malignant tumor in his neck. While in the hospital, Ruth lost 80 pounds from the radiation therapy.

With Ruth still ailing, he was treated with a new medicine called teropterin (which eventually led to the creation of methorexate, which is used to treat cancer). It wasn't until after Ruth's death that it was discovered he was suffering from nasopharyngeal carcinoma, a rare tumor that's located in the back of the nose. Ruth's health continued to decline in 1948. The Yankees held a "Babe Ruth Day" on April 27, 1947. Ruth spoke in front of 60,000 fans. His final appearance at Yankee Stadium came on June 13, 1948, for the 25th anniversary celebration of the ballpark. On Aug. 16, 1948, Ruth passed away from pneumonia at 63. Over 100,000 fans came out to Yankee Stadium to pay their final respects as Ruth's casket was on display. Ruth was buried at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne, N.Y. Legacy Babe Ruth was one of the first five players elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936.

Formally the Little Bigger League, the Babe Ruth League was founded in 1951 as a youth baseball program. The name was changed to the Babe Ruth League in 1954 after Ruth's widow, Claire Ruth, gave the organization permission. The league serves more than 1 million young players from ages 4-18 across the United States. The Curtiss Candy Company created the "Baby Ruth" candy bar, originally called "Kandy Kate." The Curtiss Candy Company changed the name in 1921 to "Baby Ruth" and claimed it was named after Ruth Cleveland, the daughter of President Glover Cleveland. Ruth Cleveland had passed away 17 years prior to the name change. It was also around the same time when Babe Ruth was emerging as a baseball superstar. The Curtiss Candy Company capitalized from Ruth's success without having to pay the slugger royalties, an early example of ambush sports marketing. Personal Babe Ruth married Helen Woodford on Oct. 17, 1914. Babe and Helen adopted a baby girl named Dorothy in 1921. In a book titled, "My Dad, The Babe," Dorothy claimed she was Ruth's biological child with a woman named Juanita Jennings.

Helen passed away in 1929 from a house fire in Watertown, Mass. Ruth remarried later that year to model Claire Merritt Hodgson. Ruth adopted Julia Hodgson, the daughter of his wife, Claire. SPONSORED HEADLINES Baseball History in 1936 American League by Baseball Almanac Year In Review : 1936 American League Off the field... Democratic President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was re-elected with a whopping 61% of the vote. His immense popularity around the country was attributed to his successful efforts in helping the American economy out of the depression with his New Deal programs. Later, he went on to provide strong leadership in the winning of World War II, and was the only president to be elected four times. At the turn of the millennium, Time Magazine selected him as a runner-up for Person of the Century. "Dust Bowl" problems continued to plague the Midwest and U.S. prairie states. Initially caused by the over-planting in support of World War I, farmers were encouraged to grow more wheat by plowing and seeding areas in Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico, which were formerly used only for grazing.

After years of adequate yields, livestock were returned to graze the areas, and their hooves pulverized the unprotected soil. Strong winds blew the soil into huge clouds, and in the succeeding years, from December to May, the dust storms recurred. As a result, miles and miles of crops and pasturelands were ruined and many farmers and their families experienced severe health problems. In the American League... New York Yankees second baseman Tony Lazzeri set several hitting records on May 24th after hitting two grand slams, a third home run, and a triple for fifteen total bases in a 25-2 massacre over the Philadelphia Athletics. Lazzeri had appeared unstoppable after tallying seven home runs in four games and six in three games as well a Major League record eleven runs batted in a single game. An up-and-coming outfielder named Joe DiMaggio tied several Major League records after hitting two home runs (for eight total bases) and two doubles (four long hits in a game) during a June 24th outing between the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox.

During a July 18th nightcap, the Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia Athletics combined to set an American League record for the most combined runs scored by two teams after posting a 21-14 final. White Sox outfielder Rip Radcliff tied an additional A.L. record with six hits (four singles and two doubles) in seven at bats. In the National League... Philadelphia Phillies catcher Earl Grace set an unwanted Major League record on April 26th after granting bases to Brooklyn Dodgers shortstop Ben Geraghty twice on two separate interference calls (tipped bat). Second baseman Stu Martin tied the major league mark of eleven assists in the first game during a June 6th doubleheader between his St. Louis Cardinals and New York Giants. On July 10th, Chuck Klein of the Philadelphia Phillies hit four home runs (in five at bats) during a ten inning game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Forbes Field. At age thirty-six, Klein became the oldest player ever to hit four round trippers in a single game as well as first National League player in the twentieth century to do so. Around the league...

After Baseball Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis took a voluntary pay-cut in 1933 (from $65,000 to $40,000) due to the Depression, Internal Revenue figures posted Branch Rickey as the highest paid man in baseball at $49,470. Rickey would later gain fame as the man who signed Jackie Robinson, breaking the silently upheld "color barrier" that had existed since the 1880s. By exploiting the Negro Leagues as a new source of talent, Rickey built a dynasty in Brooklyn that won the National League pennant seven times from 1947 through 1956. After purchasing the fledgling Boston Braves, the team's owners asked a local newspaperman to choose a new nickname for the franchise based on suggestions made by the fans. After hundreds of entries, the moniker Boston "Bees" was selected. Unfortunately, it would never catch on and be changed back to the Braves after the 1940 season. The baseball writers association voted for the first set of players to be named to the new Baseball Hall of Fame.

The inaugural class included Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson, and Walter Johnson who each received the requisite 75% of ballots cast. On April 29th, the first professional baseball game in Japan was played as Nagoya defeated Daitokyo by a score of 8-5. "I don't know whether I signed him, or he (Bob Feller) signed me." - Cleveland Indians' President Alva Bradley 1936 American League Player Review Hitting Statistics League Leaderboard Biography | Babe Ruth Famous Quotes Biography George Herman Ruth Jr. was born on February 6, 1895 in Baltimore, Maryland to parents George Sr. and Kate. George Jr. was one of eight children, although only he and his sister Mamie survived. George Jr.’s parents worked long hours, leaving little time to watch over him and his sister. The lack of parental guidance allowed George Jr. to become a bit unruly, often skipping school and causing trouble in the neighborhood. When George Jr. turned 7 years old, his parents realized he needed a stricter environment and therefore sent him to the St.

Mary’s Industrial School for Boys, a school run by Catholic monks from an order of the Xaverian Brothers. St. Mary’s provided a strict and regimented environment that helped shape George Jr.’s future. Not only did George Jr. learn vocational skills, but he developed a passion and love for the game of baseball. Brother Matthias, one of the monks at St. Mary’s, took an instant liking to George Jr. and became a positive role model and father-like figure to George Jr. while at St. Mary’s. Brother Matthias also happened to help George Jr. refine his baseball skills, working tirelessly with him on hitting, fielding and pitching skills. George Jr. became so good at baseball that the Brothers invited Jack Dunn, owner of the Baltimore Orioles, to come watch George Jr. play. Dunn was obviously impressed, as he offered a contract to George Jr. in February 1914 after watching him for less than an hour. Since George Jr. was only 19 at the time, Dunn had to become George’s legal guardian in order to complete the contract. Upon seeing George Jr.

for the first time, the Orioles players referred to him as “Jack’s newest babe”, and thus the most famous nickname in American sports history was born. Thereafter, George Herman Ruth Jr. was known as the Babe. The Babe performed well for Dunn and the Orioles, leading to the sale of Babe to the Boston Red Sox by Dunn. While Babe is most known for his prodigious power as a slugger, he started his career as a pitcher, and a very good one at that. In 1914, Babe appeared in five games for the Red Sox, pitching in four of them. He won his major league debut on July 11, 1914. However, due to a loaded roster, Babe was optioned to the Red Sox minor league team, the Providence Grays, where he helped lead them to the International League pennant. Babe became a permanent fixture in the Red Sox rotation in 1915, accumulating an 18-8 record with an ERA of 2.44. He followed up his successful first season with a 23-12 campaign in 1916, leading the league with a 1.75 ERA.

In 1917, he went 24-13 with a 2.01 ERA and a staggering 35 complete games in 38 starts. However, by that time, Babe had displayed enormous power in his limited plate appearances, so it was decided his bat was too good to be left out of the lineup on a daily basis. As a result, in 1918, the transition began to turn Babe into an everyday player. That year, he tied for the major-league lead in homeruns with 11, and followed that up by setting a single season home run record of 29 dingers in 1919. Little did he know that the 1919 season would be his last with Boston. On December 26, 1919, Babe was sold to the New York Yankees and the two teams would never be the same again. After becoming a New York Yankee, Babe’s transition to a full-time outfielder became complete. Babe dominated the game, amassing numbers that had never been seen before. 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 most hallowed records. In 1920, he bested the homerun record he set in 1919 by belting a staggering 54 homeruns, a season in which no other player hit more than 19 and only one team hit more than Babe did individually. But Babe wasn’t done, as his 1921 season may have been the greatest in MLB history. That season, he blasted a new record of 59 homeruns, drove in 171 RBI, scored 177 runs, batted .376 and had an unheard of .846 slugging percentage. Babe was officially a superstar and enjoyed a popularity never seen before in professional baseball. With Babe leading the way, the Yankees became the most recognizable and dominant team in baseball, setting attendance records along the way. When the Yankees moved to a new stadium in 1923, it was appropriately dubbed “The House that Ruth Built”.

Babe’s mythical stature grew even more in 1927 when, as a member of “Murderer’s Row”, he set a new homerun record of 60, a record that would stand for 34 years. During his time with the Yankees, Babe ignited the greatest dynasty in all of American sport. Prior to his arrival, the Yankees had never won a title of any kind. After joining the Yankees prior to the 1920 season, Babe helped the Yankees capture seven pennants and four World Series titles. The 1927 team is still considered by many to be the greatest in baseball history. Upon retiring from the Boston Braves in 1935, Babe held an astonishing 56 major league records at the time, including the most revered record in baseball... 714 homeruns. In 1936, the Baseball Hall of Fame was inaugurated and Babe was elected as one of its first five inductees. During the fall of 1946, it was discovered that Babe had a malignant tumor on his neck, and his health began to deteriorate quickly.

On June 13, 1948, his jersey number “3” was retired by the Yankees during his last appearance at Yankee Stadium. Babe lost his battle with cancer on August 16, 1948. His body lay in repose in Yankee Stadium, with his funeral two days later at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York. In all, over 100,000 people lined up and paid their respects to the Babe. Despite passing over 60 years ago, Babe still remains the greatest figure in major league baseball, and one of the true icons in American history. The Babe helped save baseball from the ugly Black Sox scandal, and gave hope to millions during The Great Depression. He impacted the game in a way never seen before, or since. He continues to be the benchmark by which all other players are measured. Despite last playing nearly 75 years ago, Babe is still widely considered the greatest player in Major League Baseball history.

© Babe Ruth (Author of The Babe Ruth Story) edit data George Herman Ruth, Jr., best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935. Ruth originally broke into the major leagues with the Boston Red Sox as a starting pitcher, but after he was sold to the New York Yankees in 1919, he converted to a full-time right fielder and subsequently became one of the league's most prolific hitters. Ruth was a mainstay in the Yankees' lineup that won seven pennants and four World Series titles during his tenure with the team. After a short stint with the Boston Braves in 1935, Ruth retired. In 1936, Ruth became one of the first five players elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Ruth has since become regarded as one of the George Herman Ruth, Jr., best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935.

Ruth originally broke into the major leagues with the Boston Red Sox as a starting pitcher, but after he was sold to the New York Yankees in 1919, he converted to a full-time right fielder and subsequently became one of the league's most prolific hitters. Ruth was a mainstay in the Yankees' lineup that won seven pennants and four World Series titles during his tenure with the team. After a short stint with the Boston Braves in 1935, Ruth retired. In 1936, Ruth became one of the first five players elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Ruth has since become regarded as one of the greatest sports heroes in American culture. He has been named the greatest baseball player in history in various surveys and rankings, and his home run hitting prowess and charismatic personality made him a larger than life figure in the "Roaring Twenties". Off the field he was famous for his charity, but also was noted for his often reckless lifestyle. Ruth is credited with changing baseball itself. The popularity of the game exploded in the 1920s, largely due to his influence.

Ruth ushered in the "live-ball era", as his big swing led to escalating home run totals that not only excited fans, but helped baseball evolve from a low-scoring, speed-dominated game to a high-scoring power game. In 1998, The Sporting News ranked Ruth number one on the list of "Baseball's 100 Greatest Players". In 1999, baseball fans named Ruth to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. In 1969, he was named baseball's Greatest Player Ever in a ballot commemorating the 100th anniversary of professional baseball. In 1993, the Associated Press reported that Muhammad Ali was tied with Babe Ruth as the most recognized athletes, out of over 800 dead or alive athletes, in America. The study found that over 97% of Americans over 12 years of age identified both Ali and Ruth. According to ESPN, he was the first true American sports celebrity superstar whose fame transcended baseball. In a 1999 ESPN poll, he was ranked as the third-greatest US athlete of the century, behind Michael Jordan and Muhammad Ali.

Ruth was the first player to hit 60 home runs in one season (1927), setting the season record which stood until broken by Roger Maris in 1961. Ruth's lifetime total of 714 home runs at his retirement in 1935 was a record, until first surpassed by Hank Aaron in 1974. Unlike many power hitters, Ruth also hit for average: his .342 lifetime batting is tenth highest in baseball history, and in one season (1923) he hit .393, a Yankee record. His .690 career slugging percentage and 1.164 career on-base plus slugging (OPS) remain the Major League records. Ruth dominated the era in which he played. He led the league in home runs during a season twelve times, slugging percentage and OPS thirteen times each, runs scored eight times, and runs batted in (RBIs) six times. Each of those totals represents a modern record (as well as the all-time record, except for RBIs). ...more Babe Ruth - The Home Run King Babe Ruth Updated April 26, 2016. Who Was Babe Ruth?

Babe Ruth is often referred to as the greatest baseball player who ever lived. In 22 seasons, Babe Ruth hit a record 714 home runs. Many of Babe Ruth's numerous records for both pitching and hitting lasted for decades. Dates: February 6. 1895 -- August 16, 1948 Also Known As: George Herman Ruth Jr., Sultan of Swat, the Home Run King, Bambino, the Babe Young Babe Ruth Gets Into Trouble Babe Ruth, born as George Herman Ruth Jr., and his sister Mamie were the only two of George and Kate Ruth's eight children to survive childhood. George's parents worked long hours running a bar and so little George ran the streets of Baltimore, Maryland getting into trouble. When Babe was seven years old, his parents sent their "incorrigible" son to St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys. With only a few exceptions, George lived at this reformatory school until he was 19 years old. Babe Ruth Learns to Play Baseball It was at St. Mary's that George Ruth developed into a good baseball player.

continue reading below our video 10 Best Universities in the United States Although George was a natural as soon as he stepped onto the baseball field, it was Brother Matthias, the prefect of discipline at St. Mary's, who helped George fine tune his skills. Jack Dunn's New Babe By the time George Ruth was 19, he had drawn the eyes of minor league recruiter Jack Dunn . Jack liked the way George pitched and so signed him to the Baltimore Orioles for $600. George was ecstatic to get paid to play the game he loved. There are several stories about how George Ruth got his nickname "Babe." The most popular is that Dunn was often finding new recruits and so when George Ruth showed up at practice, another player called out, "he's one of Dunnie's babes," which eventually was just shortened to "Babe." Jack Dunn was great at finding talented baseball players, but he was losing money. After only five months with the Orioles, Dunn sold Babe Ruth to the Boston Red Sox on July 10, 1914. Babe Ruth and the Red Sox Although now in the major leagues, Babe Ruth didn't get to play much in the beginning.

Babe was even sent to play for the Grays, a minor league team, for a few months. It was during this first season in Boston that Babe Ruth met and fell in love with the young waitress Helen Woodford who worked at a local coffee shop. The two married in October 1914. By 1915, Babe Ruth was back with the Red Sox and pitching. Over the next few seasons, Babe Ruth's pitching went from great to extraordinary. In 1918, Babe Ruth pitched his 29th scoreless inning in a World Series. That record stood for 43 years! Things changed in 1919 because Babe Ruth demanded to spend more time hitting and thus less time pitching. That season, Babe Ruth hit 29 home runs -- a new record. The Yankees and the House That Ruth Built Many were surprised when it was announced in 1920 that Babe Ruth had been traded to the New York Yankees . Babe Ruth had been traded for a whopping $125,000 (more than twice the amount ever paid for a player). Babe Ruth was an extremely popular baseball player. He just seemed to succeed at everything on the baseball field.

In 1920, he broke his own home run record and hit an amazing 54 home runs in one season. Again in 1921, he broke his own home run record with 59 home runs. Fans flocked to see the amazing Babe Ruth in action. Babe drew in so many fans that when the new Yankee Stadium was built in 1923, many called it "The House That Ruth Built." In 1927, Babe Ruth was part of the team that many consider the best baseball team in history. It was during that year that he hit 60 home runs in a season! (Babe's single season record for home runs stood for 34 years.) Living the Wild Life There are nearly as many stories of Babe Ruth off the field as there is on it. Some people described Babe Ruth as a boy that never really grew up; while others just considered him vulgar. Babe Ruth loved practical jokes. He frequently stayed out late, completely ignoring team curfews. He loved to drink, ate copious amounts of food, and had sex with large numbers of women. He often used profanities and absolutely loved to drive his car very, very fast.

More than a couple of times, Babe Ruth crashed his car. His wild life put him at odds with many of his teammates and definitely with the team's manager. It also greatly affected his relationship with his wife, Helen. Since they were Catholic, neither Babe nor Helen believed in divorce. However, by 1925 Babe and Helen were permanently separated, with their adopted daughter living with Helen. When Helen died in a house fire in 1929, Babe married model Claire Merritt Hodgson, who tried to help Babe curb some of his worst habits. Two Popular Stories About Babe Ruth One of the most famous stories about Babe Ruth involves a home run and a boy in the hospital. In 1926, Babe Ruth heard about an 11-year-old boy named Johnny Sylvester who was in the hospital after having an accident. The doctors weren't sure if Johnny was going to live. Babe Ruth promised to hit a home run for Johnny. In the next game, Babe not only hit one home run, he hit three. Johnny, upon hearing the news of Babe's home runs, started to feel better. Babe later went to the hospital and visited Johnny in person.

Another famous story about Babe Ruth is one of the most famous stories of baseball history. During the third game of the 1932 World Series, the Yankees were in a heated competition with the Chicago Cubs. When Babe Ruth stepped up to the plate, Cub players heckled him and some fans even threw fruit at him. After two balls and two strikes, the incensed Babe Ruth pointed out to center field. With the next pitch, Babe struck the ball exactly where he had predicted in what has been termed the "called shot." The story became immensely popular; however, it's not exactly clear whether Babe meant to call his shot or was just pointing at the pitcher. The 1930s The 1930s showed an aging Babe Ruth. He was already 35 years old and although still playing well, younger players were playing better. What Babe wanted to do was manage. Unfortunately for him, his wild life had caused even the most adventurous team owner to consider Babe Ruth unsuitable to manage an entire team. In 1935, Babe Ruth decided to switch teams and play for the Boston Braves with the hope of having a chance to be assistant manager. When that didn't work out, Babe Ruth decided to retire.

On May 25, 1935, Babe Ruth hit his 714th career home run. Five days later, he played his last game of major league baseball. (Babe's home run record stood until broken by Hank Aaron in 1974.) Retirement Babe Ruth didn't stay idle in retirement. He traveled, played a lot of golf, went bowling, hunted, visited sick children in hospitals, and played in numerous exhibition games. In 1936, Babe Ruth was chosen to be one of the first five inductees to the newly created Baseball Hall of Fame . In November 1946, Babe Ruth entered a hospital after suffering a monstrous pain above his left eye for a few months. The doctors told him he had cancer. He underwent a surgery but not all of it was removed. The cancer soon grew back. Babe Ruth died on August 16, 1948 at age 53.

Question: Babe Ruth played for which Major League Baseball team in 1936?
Answer: Boston Braves