Babe Ruth | Official Site Had #3 retired by the New York Yankees in 1948 Member of Major League Baseball’s All Century Team Voted Athlete of the Century by the Associated Press ESPN Sports Century - #2 Athlete of the 20th Century Named the Greatest baseball player of all time by The Sporting News Named the Greatest baseball player of the 20th Century by Sports Illustrated © 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 Recalling Babe Ruth's Stint as a Pro Wrestling Referee | Bleacher Report Recalling Babe Ruth's Stint as a Pro Wrestling Referee By Ryan Dilbert , WWE Lead Writer Aug 6, 2015 Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse more stories Associated Press 17 Comments We remember Babe Ruth as a good many things: a New York Yankee, a top-tier slugger, a record-setter and an icon of the baseball diamond. But rarely do we think of his days as a pro wrestling referee. Restless from retirement and pushed away by baseball, the Sultan of Swat briefly entered the squared circle in a wrestling official's uniform.

It's a surprising combination at first glance—baseball royalty and the circus-like enterprise of wrestling. That brief marriage came about from needs on both sides. In wrestling, celebrities have always been welcome in the ring. Earlier this year, Jon Stewart traded trash talk with current WWE champ Seth Rollins. WWE has asked LL Cool J to play host, Hugh Jackman to be Dolph Ziggler's ally and Ronda Rousey to slap the spit from Stephanie McMahon's mouth. This open-door policy for celebrities from sports or elsewhere is nothing new. Mr. T fought alongside Hulk Hogan at the very first WrestleMania. Muhammad Ali took a dizzying ride in the center of the ring courtesy of Gorilla Monsoon back in 1976. Even as far back as 70 years ago, wrestling promoters wanted to create buzz for their events by bringing in big names. And in the middle of the 20th century, there was no bigger name from America's pastime than Ruth. Ruth was a giant in his sport. He was a fixture in pop culture. He was a mythical figure; Paul Bunyan in pinstripes. Tweet One could argue that the Bambino is still the most famous baseball player.

Wrestling fans today may not be able to identify a picture of Clayton Kershaw, but Ruth's moon face is as recognizable as it gets. Explaining why pro wrestling would want the celebrity power that came with a Ruth appearance or two is easy. But why did the Yankee great want to get involved in the grunt-and-groan game? Baseball Closes its Doors; Wrestling Welcomes Him By age 50, Ruth had long put down his bat. He had to miss stepping into a crowded stadium and knowing every eye in the place was on him. Retirement didn't come easy. He moved from rounds of golf to knocking down bowling pins to appearing on radio shows. Ruth wanted instead to be a part of baseball, but the sport didn't want him any longer. As detailed in Leigh Montville's The Big Bam: The Life and Times of Babe Ruth, Ruth said, "I wanted to stay in baseball more than I ever wanted anything in my life. But in 1935 there was no job for me, and that embittered me." Anthony Camerano/Associated Press The Babe There were no jobs in '45 either, at least not on the diamond. The wrestling mat called instead.

Being a wrestling referee couldn't replace playing baseball, but it offered a surge of adrenaline and the shine of the spotlight. It was a chance to reconnect with fans and light up kids' smiles. Not to mention that it came with a robust check each night: Ruth was paid handsomely for each appearance. The money wasn't as much of a draw as the crowds were, though. And baseball's rebuffing him helped push him in that direction. As San Jose News wrote in 1945, Ruth explained that "the only reason he has gone to refereeing for a career is because the executives of the diamond sport have snubbed him for 11 years." Post-retirement, he agreed to referee shows in Portland, Maine, and Boston. These weren't his first forays into counting pinfalls, however. Ruth had done scattered ref work throughout his playing days. When folks questioned why he would pull on the striped shirt and get in there with the bruisers and the brawlers, he reminded them that he had done this before. He told the Milwaukee Journal before his matches in '45, "You know, I'm no rookie in that league.

I must have refereed at least 10 wrestling shows while I was in baseball." Ruth broke into the business during his first spring training as a Yankee in 1920. That's when he oversaw a middleweight title bout between Jack Wagner and Paul Bowser. Bowser remembered The Babe being the one in control of the action for that contest. He said, as noted by the Milwaukee Journal, "Ruth did a good job officiating that night." The wrestling world invited him back some 25 years later. By then his fame had ballooned. By then, he had taken a hammer to baseball's record books. And long after his skills faded and his swing lost its oomph, people wanted to see him in person. Montville wrote, "The public was still fascinated by him, even if the headlines had disappeared. If his name was attached to an event, the event usually drew a crowd." At the Expo With 2,300 fans packed inside, Portland, Maine's entertainment epicenter, the Expo, was nearly sold out. Anticipation was high. On Monday, April 2, 1945, Manuel Cortez and Leo Numa were set to do battle in the ring.

But it wasn't the grapplers who made this bout feel so special. It was Ruth's presence that changed this standard bout into a curiosity-satiating event. It wasn't clear what the home run king would bring to the action. His star power alone would surely make an impact, though. The Telegraph speculated in 1945 about the fans in attendance, "If the Bambino merely stands up there and grins at them, they'll be satisfied." This could either be a one-time opportunity to see Ruth as a ref or perhaps see him make his stay in the wrestling world more permanent. A short writeup in the Evening Independent stated, "If the venture proves successful, the former slugger may make a national tour." Numa was a handsome brute. Dark, wavy hair sat atop his head. His opponent employed a rough style in the ring. He was a brawler by trade, a man who could hang in a slugfest with the unpredictable Bull Curry. Cortez lived up to his reputation against Numa. He was overly aggressive at times, bending the rules of the mat game. Ruth had to warn him on several occasions. Associated Press Babe Ruth warns Manuel Cortez.

This is a standard tactic for heels to garner heat. They make it clear that they have little regard for the rules. The referee acts as a flashlight, pointing out the villain's underhanded acts for the entire audience to see. In this case, with Ruth as much a star of the show as either wrestler, he was sure to be a central figure in the narrative. With young fans screaming advice to the Yankee great, Ruth worked a long, tiring match. His trousers grew sodden by the end of it. In What's in a Picture?: Broiler Queens, Floating House and Other Hidden Stories in Vintage Maine Photography, Joshua F. Moore wrote, "Ruth estimates that he must have lost four pounds during the bout." Frank C. Curtin/Associated Press Babe Ruth keeps an eye on the grapplers. Drained and sweating, Ruth had to then evade a punch. Cortez, fed up with the referee's insistence on not breaking the rules, tried to slug The Babe. He missed; Ruth called for the bell. After the disqualification, referee and wrestler looked as if they might provide a bonus match for the fans. Ruth balled up his fist and yelled at Cortez.

Unlike his days in the batter's box, though, he didn't swing this time. The Bambino in Boston The Boston Garden hosted Ruth just two days later. A collision between Steve Casey and Sandor Szabo awaited his officiating skills. Decades prior, he had been a star in this city as an overpowering left-handed pitcher for the Red Sox. He was back to entertain once again in a far different manner. Ruth was charged with keeping the peace between Szabo, a man of intimidating size, and Casey, an Irishman know as "Crusher." Casey had just returned from the army, having fought in World War II, and was now ready to wear the heavyweight title once again. He was in for a stiff challenge. His opponent had an unsettling arsenal, including a move dubbed the "Death Swing." Like with Numa and Cortez, the Bambino would be no mere spectator here. He was the in-ring sheriff and at times got so involved that he looked as if he was one of the men vying for victory. When Szabo wished to slip an illegal stranglehold around Casey's neck, Ruth pulled him off.

The Babe clamped a headlock on the grappler and then yanked him down to the mat. It was like he was trying to control two wild animals in there, and he didn't mind getting a handful of fur in the process. Ruth nearly got more involved in the violence later. At one point, he stepped between the gladiators and just avoided getting struck. The Norwalk Hour wrote , "A flying foot missed the Ruthian chin by an inch or so." The wrestlers made Ruth earn his paycheck once again. It's not clear if he lost any weight this time around, but he surely got his cardio in for the day. Casey won after the match had passed the hour mark. Frank C. Curtin/Associated Press Babe Ruth tries to restore order in the ring. A reverse backfall proved the deciding hold. Once the crowds went home and the checks were handed out, thoughts of Ruth's future then emerged. When asked whether he would be suiting up in official's garb again, he wasn't sure. The Tuscaloosa News noted that Ruth said, "I only agreed to appear in Portland Monday night and here in Boston.

If I ever receive any more such offers, I'll give them much serious consideration before accepting any." The promoters surely wanted him to stick around. Not only was he a mighty figure in pop culture, but he also seemed to flourish as a referee. Bowser, the man who wrestled in Ruth's early officiating endeavors, said , "If Ruth will stick to wrestling for a year or two, he'll clean up another fortune." He didn't stick to it. He didn't make the ring his new home or carve out a second career and earn himself a set of new nicknames. Ruth left wrestling not long before he left the world behind. The baseball legend died in 1948 of cancer. Ruth stayed in the midst of wrestling's chaos for but a short while. It would have been a good home for him, though. Pro wrestling is all about being larger than life and creating a bridge from stage to audience. Few human beings have done either of those things like Ruth did.

Babe Ruth’s Effect on American Culture Babe Ruth Central: Babe Ruth, Babe Ruth Photos, Babe Ruth Statistics, Babe Ruth Biography Babe Ruth’s Effect on American Culture Home → Hero & Icon → Babe Ruth’s Effect on American Culture Babe Ruth’s Effect on American Culture Although he died in 1948, over the course of time, Babe seems to continue to live on in the hearts of fans. On April 8, 1974, one of the most significant moments in baseball history occurred, when Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s career homerun record of 714. For Mr. Aaron, this should have been a totally joyous, crowning achievement of his baseball career and life. Unfortunately, however, there was a significant amount of people who negatively responded to his great achievement (It should be noted that this was also experienced, to a lesser degree, by Roger Maris, when he broke Babe’s single-season homerun mark in 1961).

Tom Stanton, who wrote the book “Hank Aaron and the Homerun that Changed America”, even acknowledged, “There was that element that didn’t want Aaron to break the record because he was African American, but there were many more people, I think, who just had such cherished memories of Babe Ruth that they just didn’t want anybody breaking the record. He was such a beloved character in American history.” That was how strong Babe’s achievements and persona had become ingrained in American culture. This same phenomenon was recently repeated, when baseball fans saw a similar response to Barry Bonds’ eclipse of Babe’s career homerun mark. Although there were different reasons for a lot of the negative sentiment towards Bonds as he was approaching the Babe’s mark, a portion of the response was still very similar to Aaron’s defining moment. A lot of fans simply didn’t want another player breaking Babe’ mark – a clear sign of their loyalty to the Babe, as well as their desire to ensure his continued prominence in baseball history. When BRC asked Julia Ruth Stevens, Babe’s daughter, how Babe would respond to Aaron and Bonds breaking his career homerun mark, she said, “He would have been fine with it.

Daddy used to always say, ‘Records are made to be broken.’” So how and why does the Babe continue to have a presence in our lives? Perhaps it’s a result of stories passed down through generations of how the Babe somehow touched the lives of parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and so on. Or, perhaps it’s the stories captured in the numerous books or articles that continue to be published throughout the decades. Perhaps it’s the even the multiple TV commercials that continue to feature the Babe years after his death: in 1998, a “Claymation” Babe was featured as a character in a Lipton Ice Tea commercial; in 2005, Bud-Lite humorously reenacted the “Called Shot” homerun; and, as recently as the summer of 2006, a commercial for DHL portrayed Babe Ruth on a plaque on the wall boasting the number of hot dogs he ate in his lifetime to other famous stars such as Cal Ripken and Honus Wagner. Perhaps it’s the ongoing references about and comparisons to the Babe still made frequently on sports news shows.

Or, maybe it’s a result of the number of films that focus on his life: a number of documentaries, two feature films and a TV movie have been made on the Babe (some more successful and accurate, than others). In fact, an animated children’s movie was just released in September 2006 called, “Everybody’s Hero”, which is a story of a boy’s journey to try and reclaim the stolen bat of his hero, Babe Ruth. Perhaps it’s even the lexicon that has grown out of Babe’s impact on American culture, with phrases such as “the most Ruthian of…” and “the Babe Ruth of…” still being sprinkled in all types of contexts. At the end of the day, it’s probably a little of all of the elements mentioned above that contribute to the Ruth’s ongoing effect on the baseball fan. But one thing is for certain, it requires a unique and special hero to continue to have the effect that Babe Ruth still has today.

Mike Gibbons, Executive Director of the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum in Baltimore, shared some of his sentiments with BRC regarding the Babe’s lasting presence, “At the celebration of various milestones of the Babe, like his birth or death or a significant homerun, you’ll find that fans will send things to the museum or come hereor to his gravesite in New York to leave mementos. You know, people are always trying to find a way to link up with Babe Ruth. We get calls and letters and emails all the time from people that have a special affinity for him. – it demonstrates so clearly, the passion that America’s fans have for this guy.” There are dozens, if not hundreds, of stories of how Babe impacted someone’s life. Do you also have a story of how Babe touched you or someone in your family? Tell us your stories and you may be featured here as well!

10 Most Expensive Pieces of MLB Memorabilia Ever Sold/Auctioned | Bleacher Report 10 Most Expensive Pieces of MLB Memorabilia Ever Sold/Auctioned Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse more stories Photo courtesy of migueldante.com 2 Comments Baseball fans are not afraid to put their money where there mouth is—and pay an exorbitant price for memorabilia associated with the game's greats. Just earlier this month , a glove reportedly used by Jackie Robinson in the 1955 and 1956 World Series was sold for $373,002. And if that sounds like a lot, well, you're in for some sticker shock. Not only did that not break the record for most expensive baseball glove ever sold, but it is pittance compared to other items on this list. And don't be surprised that older baseball memorabilia tends to dominate this list—especially anything used by New York Yankees great Babe Ruth. Here is list of the 10 most expensive pieces of MLB memorabilia ever sold or auctioned. Babe Ruth's Jersey The Bambino's 1920 jersey is the oldest known by the Yankees slugger.

It sold for an eye-popping $4.4 million, the most ever for an item of sports memorabilia, according to the buyer and the seller. No word on the size of the jersey. Mark McGwire's 70th Home Run Ball "Spawn" comic book creator Todd McFarlane paid a staggering $3 million for the St. Louis Cardinals slugger's record-breaking 70th home run ball from the 1998 season. To add the icing on the cake, he then spent an extra $300,000 for the 67th, 68th and 69th home run balls. Honus Wagner's Baseball Card The crown jewel of baseball cards , the Pittsburgh Pirates great and original Hall of Famer took a strong anti-smoking stance. When his card was removed from cigarette packages at his request, their value soared. Only 57 are known to be in existence, and the most recent one sold went for—wait for it—$2.8 million. Babe Ruth's Bat The Sultan of Swat is back on this list, and this time it is his bat that made major money.

Ruth's bat from his first home run at Yankee Stadium—the original Yankee Stadium, that is (and the house he built)— went for nearly $1.3 million at a 2004 auction. Babe Ruth's Contract It seems anything The Bambino touched turned to gold. The contract that sold Ruth from the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees—perhaps the most famous, or infamous transaction in baseball history— went for $996,000 in a 2005 auction . Babe Ruth's Called Shot Jersey It's hard to determine whether the Babe was better at hitting home runs or creating valuable sports memorabilia. His jersey from the infamous 1932 "called shot" sold for $940,000 at a 2005 auction . Babe Ruth All-Star Game Home Run Ball Here we go again. A home run ball from the 1933 Midsummer Classic—signed by the Babe, nonetheless— fetched $805,000 at a 2006 auction in Pittsburgh.

Babe Ruth's World Tour Jersey The only known complete uniform worn by Babe Ruth—socks, pants and all—was worn by the Bambino in a 1934 barnstorming tour of Japan. It was sold at a 2005 auction for $771,000 . Barry Bonds' Home Run Ball Fashion designer Mark Ecko purchased Bonds' record-breaking 756th home run ball in an online auction for $752,467 . But perhaps more interesting is the fact that Ecko had an asterisk laser-engraved onto the ball before it was put on display at the Baseball Hall of Fame. Babe Ruth's All-Star Game Jersey Of course Ruth was going to have the last laugh on this list. His jersey from the 1933 All-Star Game went for $657,250 in a 2006 auction . Virginia Babe Ruth Umpires Association "Welcome Home Virginia Babe Ruth Umpires!" ABOUT THE VBRUA THE BABE RUTH NUA SYSTEM IS OPEN FOR 2017. PLEASE RENEW NOW AND THEN REGISTER FOR THE VBRUA.

IT TAKES 24-48 HOURS AFTER YOU NUA CERTIFY BEFORE YOUR VBRUA REGISTRATION CAN BE PROCESSED. The Virginia Babe Ruth Umpires Association (VBRUA) welcomes you. The VBRUA was established to provide umpires with a path to training and sharing a desire to officiate at the District Tournament and State Tournament levels. We have two record-keeping Divisions, Senior and Junior. Please do not waste our administrative time. If you are not a current Babe Ruth National Umpires Association (NUA) member, or you have not renewed for the current year, please do so before attempting to register or renew. If you are a Junior candidate, please proceed since you are not required to be NUA certified. SENIOR DIVISION The Senior Division is composed of umpires who are 18 years old and older. There is no charge to become a Senior member. However, a prerequisite to membership is your up-to-date certification in the Babe Ruth League, Inc. National Umpire Association (NUA). The membership process for our Senior (18+) umpires is simple, but the steps must be followed in order.

Step 1: Go to the Babe Ruth National Umpires Association Web site at the Babe Ruth NUA Certification Web Site and certify (if new) or renew (if returning). Step 2: The day following the NUA process, go to the EXPIRED UMPIRES REPORT to determine if your name is already in our database. If so, click on the RENEW NOW link. If not, go to the REGISTER NOW form. There is no cost for VBRUA membership. Step 3: Once you have membership in the VBRUA, if interested, you can go to and request consideration to officiate in a Southeast Regional tournament. JUNIOR DIVISION The Junior Umpires Division provides the necessary professional training and regular season game experience to be successful. The Junior Umpires are certified by the State and, therefore, are not eligible to officiate in Babe Ruth sanctioned District and State tournaments. The Junior Umpires Division training is designed for youth ages 13 to 17. (Eligible age is determined by the applicants age on March 1 of the current year.) It provides baseball and softball entry-level training and experience.

The level of umpiring experience provided covers the Cal Ripken Baseball (7-12 year-olds) and 12U Softball (7-12 year-olds) Divisions of Babe Ruth League, Inc. There is a $10.00 registration fee (for each sport) payable to the Babe Ruth Leagues of Virginia, Inc. that helps cover the costs associated with the training. What do you get for your buck? Professional training in baseball and softball officiating provided by the Babe Ruth Leagues of Virginia, Inc. staff of umpire consultants. On-site Virginia testing and State certification at the conclusion of the training session. Award of the official VBRUA patch once certified. Rule book(s) for your chosen sport(s). babe ruth | helmarblog helmarblog A blog about hand-made baseball cards, art and life's good things Search ⋅ Leave a comment In the heart of Baltimore you can still find traces of the great Babe Ruth. Patterson Bowling Center is the country’s oldest operating duckpin bowling alley and an early hangout of the Babe. Indeed, it is said that Babe claimed that the sport as his second favorite-just behind baseball.

John McGraw and Wilbert Robinson were also fond of the game. Some stories credit the two (particularly Robinson) as having invented it. McGraw, who loved to hunt ducks, is said to have described the scattering pins as a “flock of flying ducks” and the sport’s name derived from this. Recently my wife visited Baltimore (and the Patterson Bowling Center) and took some nice photos: ⋅ Leave a comment I really like the Ruth card that we have for auction this week. First, I’ve loved this cigarette card format now for over 40 years and it is great fun to work within this formula. And Ruth is posed as a young player with Boston-kind of a neat thing. It is also a Colgan’s Chips version, front and back. While there will be just a handful of these Ruth T206-Helmar cards made, just six total pieces will have the Colgan’s format. Each of the six will have different scenes behind the Ruth figure, making each unique, and this is one of my favorite versions. The painting of Ruth was done by Sanjay Verma and I do think that he really captured the big man’s essence.

The sweater is a nice touch, I think that they are always a nice change of pace. Anyway, here is the Ruth and a link to the auction . It closes this Tuesday, as is usual for us. Hope that you enjoy. Charles Here they are, listed by the highest auction prices realized over the past twelve months. It is nice to see that these top cards are spread over the several different series that we’ve been working on.

Rank Amount Series Card # Player Name 1 $315.00 R319 49 Ruth, Babe 2 $305.00 R319 93 Cobb, Ty 3 $302.00 Helmar Die-Cut 14 Clarke, JJ; Young, Cy; Bradley, Bill; Joss, Addie; Easterly, Ted; Flick, Elmer; 4 $294.00 Helmar Imperial Cabinet 11 Jackson, Joe 5 $286.69 R319 49 Ruth, Babe 6 $281.56 E145 2 Ruth, Babe 7 $277.00 R319 94 Lloyd, Pop 8 $274.00 R319 117 Mantle, Mickey 9 $265.00 R321-Helmar 2 Jackson; Williams; Risberg; McMullen; 10 $257.52 Imperial 18 Wagner, Honus 11 $246.02 E145-Helmar 2 Ruth, Babe 

12 $244.27 E145-Helmar 1 Wood, Joe 13 $237.50 Helmar Imperial Cabinet 17 Ruth, Babe 14 $236.46 T206-Helmar 10 Cobb, Ty; Wagner, Honus; 15 $235.50 R319 129 Mantle, Mickey This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The New York Times: This Day In Sports [Unsigned, The New York Times] January 5, 1920 NEW YORK - Babe Ruth of the Boston Red Sox, baseball's superslugger, was purchased by the Yankees today for the largest cash sum ever paid for a player. The New York club paid Harry Frazee of Boston $125,000 for the sensational batsman who last season caused such a furor in the national game by batting out twenty-nine home runs, a new record in long-distance clouting. Colonel Ruppert, President of the Yanks, said that he had taken over Ruth's Boston contract, which has two years more to run. This contract calls for a salary of $10,000 a year. Ruth recently announced that he would refuse to play for $10,000 next season, although the Boston Club has received no request for a raise in salary. Manager Miller Huggins is now in Los Angeles negotiating with Ruth. It is believed that the Yankee manager will offer him a new contract which will be satisfactory to the Colossus of the bat. President Ruppert said yesterday Ruth would probably play right field for the Yankees.

He played in left field for the Red Sox last season, and had the highest fielding average among the outfielders, making only two errors during the season. While he is on the Pacific Coast, Manager Huggins will also endeavor to sign Duffy Lewis, who will be one of Ruth's companions in the outfield at the Polo Grounds next season. Mr. Frazee said tonight that he had sold Ruth to the New York Americans because he thought it was an "injustice" to keep him with the Red Sox, who "were fast becoming a one-man team." Mr. Frazee said he would use the money obtained from the New York Club for the purchase of other players and would try to develop the Red Sox into a winning team. Ruth was told by The Associated Press in Los Angeles that Colonel Ruppert had announced the deal. "I am not surprised," he said. "When I made my demand on the Red Sox for $20,000 a year, I had an idea they would choose to sell me rather than pay the increase, and I knew the Yankees were the most probable purchasers in that event." The acquisition of Ruth strengthens the Yankee club in its weakest department.

With the added hitting power of Ruth, Bob Shawkey, one of the Yankee pitchers, said yesterday the New York club should be a pennant winner next season. For several seasons the Yankees have been experimenting with outfielders, but never have been able to land a consistent hitter. The short right field wall at the Polo Grounds should prove an easy target for Ruth next season and, playing seventy- seven games at home, it would not be surprising if Ruth surpassed his home-run record of twenty-nine circuit clouts next summer. Ruth was such a sensation last season that he supplanted the great Ty Cobb as baseball's greatest attraction, and in obtaining the services of Ruth for next season the New York club made a tenstrike which will be received with the greatest enthusiasm by Manhattan baseball fans. Ruth's crowning batting accomplishment came at the Polo Grounds last fall when he hammered one of the longest hits ever seen in Harlem over the right field grandstand for his twenty-eighth home run, smashing the home-run record of twenty-seven, made by Ed Williamson way back in 1884. Jacob Ruppert's timing in the Babe Ruth deal was impeccable.

Ruth went from 29 home runs in 1919 to 54 in 1920 and 59 in 1921 in the friendly Polo Grounds, dominating the game and making the 1919 Black Sox scandal (see Sept. 28) all but a distant memory. (Associated Press) Babe Ruth of the Red Sox in an undated photo, circa 1916. By selling him to the Yankees for an extravagant $125,000, the Sox parted ways with the best left-handed pitcher in their history. Runners Up 1957: Having been traded by the Brooklyn Dodgers to the crosstown New York Giants three weeks earlier for the journeyman pitcher Dick Littlefield and $35,000, Jackie Robinson announced his retirement from baseball at age 37. 2003: In the second-largest playoff collapse in N.F.L. history, the Giants surrendered a 24-point third-quarter lead and lost a wild-card game to the San Francisco 49ers, 39-38, at Candlestick Park. The N.F.L.

announced the next day that the officials had erred in not calling a penalty on the game's last play that would have allowed the Giants another attempt to make a game-winning kick. 1971: The Harlem Globetrotters lost to the New Jersey Reds, 100-99, but then began an 8,829-game winning streak that did not end until Kareem Abdul- Jabbar's Legendary All-Stars defeated them in Vienna, 91-85, in September 1995. The Globetrotters' mostly scripted exhibitions have been an enduring part of sports since the promoter Abe Saperstein founded them in 1927. Famous Quotes | Babe Ruth Famous Quotes Babe Ruth Quotes Hall of Fame Speech - June 12, 1939 “Thank you ladies and gentlemen. I hope some day that some of the young fellows coming into the game will know how it feels to be picked in the Hall of Fame. I know the old boys back in there were just talking it over, some have been here long before my time. They got on it, I worked hard, and I got on it.

And I hope that the coming generation, the young boys today, that they’ll work hard and also be on it. And as my old friend Cy Young says, “I hope it goes another hundred years and the next hundred years will be the greatest. You know to me this is just like an anniversary myself, because twenty-five years ago yesterday I pitched my first baseball game in Boston, for the Boston Red Sox. (applause) So it seems like an anniversary for me too, and I’m surely glad and it’s a pleasure for me to come up here and be picked also in the Hall of Fame. Thank you.” Famous Quotes by Babe Ruth “The only real game, I think, in the world is baseball.” “I hear the cheers when they roared and the jeers when they echoed.” “Never let the fear of striking out get in your way.” “I said I'm going to hit the next one right over the flagpole. God must have been with me.” “I have just one superstition. Whenever I hit a home run, I make certain I touch all four bases.” “Baseball changes through the years.

It gets milder.” “I won't be happy until we have every boy in America between the ages of six and sixteen wearing a glove and swinging a bat.” “All ballplayers should quit when it starts to feel as if all the baselines run uphill.” “The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don't play together, the club won't be worth a dime.” “Baseball was, is and always will be to me the best game in the world.” “If I'd tried for them dinky singles I could've batted around six hundred.” “How to hit home runs: I swing as hard as I can, and I try to swing right through the ball... The harder you grip the bat, the more you can swing it through the ball, and the farther the ball will go. I swing big, with everything I've got. I hit big or I miss big. I like to live as big as I can.” “As soon as I got out there I felt a strange relationship with the pitcher's mound. It was as if I'd been born out there. Pitching just felt like the most natural thing in the world.

Striking out batters was easy.” “Baseball is the greatest game in the world and deserves the best you can give it.” “Watch my dust.” “I've never heard a crowd boo a homer, but I've heard plenty of boos after a strikeout.” “All I can tell them is pick a good one and sock it. I get back to the dugout and they ask me what it was I hit and I tell them I don't know except it looked good.” “I thank heaven we have had baseball in this world... the kids... our national pastime.” “You know this baseball game of ours comes up from the youth - that means the boys.

And after you've been a boy, and grow up to know how to play ball, then you come to the boys you see representing themselves today in our national pastime.” “I know, but I had a better year than Hoover.” - Reported reply when a reporter objected that the salary Ruth was demanding ($80,000) was more than that of President Herbert Hoover's ($75,000) “I'd give a year of my life if I could hit a homerun on opening day of this great new park.” - April 18, 1923, about the newly built Yankee Stadium “Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.” “Never let the fear of striking out keep you from coming up to bat.” “To my sick little pal. I will try to knock you another homer, maybe two today.” “It's hard to beat a person who never gives up.” Famous Quotes About Babe Ruth “Some 20 years ago, I stopped talking about the Babe for the simple reason that I realized that those who had never seen him didn't believe me.” - Tommy Holmes (sportswriter) “Ruth made a grave mistake when he gave up pitching.

Working once a week, he might have lasted a long time and become a great star.” - Tris Speaker (on Babe Ruth's future, 1921) “He has created an expectation of hero worship on the part of the youth of this country, and it was a most fortunate thing that Ruth kept faith with the boyhood of America because they loved him.” - Branch Rickey (ex-Manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers) “No one hit home runs the way Babe did. They were something special. They were like homing pigeons. The ball would leave the bat, pause briefly, suddenly gain its bearings then take off for the stands.” - Lefty Gomez (teammate) “In today's marketplace, Ruth could command a $10 million annual contract without even blinking an eye.” - Ron Shapiro (baseball agent) “Every big leaguer and his wife should teach their children to pray, God bless Mommy, God bless Daddy, and God bless Babe Ruth.” - Waite Hoyt (teammate) “He wasn't a baseball player.

He was a worldwide celebrity, an international star, the likes of which baseball has never seen since.” - Ernie Harwell (broadcaster) “To understand him you had to understand this: he wasn't human.” - Joe Dugan (teammate) “I've seen them; kids, men, women, worshippers all, hoping to get his name on a torn, dirty piece of paper, or hoping for a grunt of recognition when they said, 'Hi-ya, Babe.' He never let them down; not once. He was the greatest crowd pleaser of them all.” - Waite Hoyt (teammate) “He hits the ball harder and further than any man I ever saw.” - Bill Dickey (teammate) “No player has held onto the nation's affection longer. George Herman 'Babe' Ruth - who mixed a batsman's steely gaze and a happy-go-lucky lifestyle - tops a USA TODAY reader's poll as the greatest sports star of all time.” - Mel Antonen (sportswriter) “To say 'Babe Ruth' is to say 'Baseball'.” - Will Harridge (ex-President of the A.

L.) “Sometimes I still can't believe what I saw. This 19-year-old kid, crude, poorly educated, only lightly brushed by the social veneer we call civilization, gradually transformed into the idol of American youth and the symbol of baseball the world over - a man loved by more people and with an intensity of feeling that perhaps has never been equaled before or since.” - Harry Hooper (teammate)

Question: With which sport is Babe Ruth associated?
Answer: Baseball