Strike one! Strike two! WACK! It’s going, going, going, gone! Babe Ruth has just set the record for the most home runs in the 1927 season! This is what you may have heard in the 1920’s if you attended one of the Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees baseball games. Consider some of these historic statistics: 714 career homeruns, sixty home runs in the 1927 season, led the American League in home runs twelve times, eight time American League runs leader, six time American League RBI leader, led the American League in slugging home runs a whopping thirteen times, and a member of the original five of inductees of the Hall of Fame class of 1936. This is Babe Ruth, most famously known as the greatest baseball player that ever lived.

Babe Ruth was born on February 6, 1895 in Baltimore, Maryland. His birth name is George Herman Ruth. His father is George Herman and his mother Kate Herman. They had a total of eight children, but only Babe and his sister Mamie survived. Babe led a reckless young life and tended to get himself in trouble. His parent’s then sent him to St. Mary’s school, which would have a huge impact on his life. There he met his so called, “second father”, Brother Mathais. The two of them would play catch, practice hitting, and other fundamentals of baseball all day. He batted left and threw left. Babe started out his game as a pitcher, and this is where he would get discovered by professional baseball teams in 1914.

Babe Ruth then moved onto the next greatest step in his life. He finished St. Mary’s and by age nineteen he was signed to the Major League Boston Red Sox. Babe started is career with the Boston Red Sox, and was later sold to the New York Yankees for $100,000. On both teams he made various records and made a memorable name for himself. He was considered one of the best pitchers in the league and definitely one if its’ most popular players. There is no question of the potential effects that this incredibly dramatic transformation could have on this young man. There is also no question that Young Babe Ruth essentially went from one extreme to the next. He was making more money then he could ever imagine. And, he was quickly becoming everyone’s hero. Babe lived every minute of it, as if every minute would be his last, and he loved it. He was known for being a partier, jokester and clown. Yet, most people were drawn to this lively, super-talented young ballplayer. Some nicknames he received during his career were: The Great Bambino, The Caliph of Clout, Sultan of Swat, The Behemoth of Bust, The Big Bam, and more.

Babe Ruth was married to his wife Helen Woodford Ruth. He had two adopted daughters. Dorthy Ruth was adopted by Babe and his first wife Helen. Julia Hodgson was adopted by Babe when he married his second wife Claire. Helen ultimately had enough of the crazy life in the big city and of her big celebrity husband, and decided to move with Dorthy back to their quite home in Maryland. Being Catholic and unable to divorce, they remained married throughout the 1920’s; however, they ended up spending most of their marriage separated. In 1922 Babe met the love of his life, Claire Hodgson who he remains with for the rest of his life.

Throughout Babe’s whole career he tended to thrive on his fans enthusiasm. It probably made him an even better, more motivated player as a result. Although he may have come off cocky in personality, Babe normally didn’t take his fame or fortune for granted. Many times he gave to others who were less fortunate, most particularly children. Children were Babe’s biggest fans who loved and admired him unconditionally. Even as a young boy he looked out for the less fortunate children at St. Mary’s. Later in life, during his baseball career and retirement, Babe always made efforts with kids and those who helped him. He hardly ever passed up a request to visit an orphanage or a sick child in the hospital. He always spent time signing baseballs for each youngster.

Famous quotes of Babe Ruth are, “Never let the fear of striking out get in your way”, “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”, and “I swing big, with everything I’ve got. I hit big, or miss big.”
Babe’s contribution to the 1920’s was his great career in baseball. During the fall of 1946, Ruth was diagnosed with a malignant tumor on his neck. His health began to decline quickly, so he retired. Baseball fans honored him on April 27, 1947, which was declared Babe Ruth Day for every organized baseball league in the United States. His jersey number 3 was retired at his last appearance at Yankee Stadium on June 13, 1948, which also commemorated the stadium's 25th anniversary. Ruth died on August 16, 1948. More than 100,000 people paid their respects at Yankee Stadium and at his funeral at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City.
Despite passing over sixty 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. His legacy in the game will live on forever.