Your Baseball Experience

Babe Ruth – The Sultan of Swat

In a time when baseball, reeling from the 1919 Black Sox scandal, declining attendance and declining credibility, needed a revitalization, Babe Ruth’s bat saved the day. The most vibrant, dominant, and popular athlete in American history, the Babe turned baseball on its head, sparking fan interest and excitement, and the birth of the most enduring dynasty in sports history.

The Roaring Twenties were epitomized by the Yankee slugger. He retired as baseball’s all-time leader in home runs, runs batted in, and walks, and his name has come to signify greatness and largesse. He was the prototypical American hero.

Favorite Babe Ruth Moments

Babe Ruth hit the first home run in All-Star Game history, at Chicago's Comiskey Park in 1933. When Babe Ruth hit 60 home runs in 1927, he hit 14% of all home runs in his league that year. For a player to hit 14% of all home runs today, he would have to hit over 300 home runs in one season. On May 6, 1915, Babe Ruth hit his first major league home run off Jack Warhop, who pitched, ironically enough, for the Yankees. Babe Ruth was one of only two people to ever hit three home runs in a World Series game.

Home Run Facts In 10 seasons together, Ruth and Lou Gehrig homered in the same game 72 times, and in the same inning 19 times. The two combined as teammates for 783 homers (434 for Babe, 349 for Lou), the highest total ever, until Henry Aaron and Eddie Mathews… 1919 (4), 1922 (1), 1925 (1), 1926 (1), 1927 (2), 1929 (3), 1930 (1), 1931 (1), 1932 (1), 1934 (1). (16 total) In 1927 he hit a grand slam in consecutive games, September 27th and 28th. 11 out of 226 voters excluded roth from their ballots during the first bseball hall of fame induction

By the time he was six years old, his father owned a saloon and wasn't able to watch his son very carefully so he used to get into trouble. Ruth was sent at the age of seven to St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys, a reformatory and orphanage where he was mentored by Brother Matthias Boutlier of the Xaverian Brothers, the school's disciplinarian and a capable baseball player.

Chicago fans. They jeered and spat upon him and his wife as they entered and left their hotel. As the Series progressed into its third game, the stage was set for one of the most remembered events in baseball history. In the first inning, Ruth hit a three-run homer off pitcher Charlie Root. When he came to bat again in the fifth, the crowd and the Chicago bench released a torrent of abuse upon him. Babe waved his arm and shouted something, though due to the loud noise, no one heard exactly what he said. Whether he was gesturing toward the Cubs bench, to Root or the fence beyond is anyone's guess. But what happened next is beyond doubt. On Root's next pitch, Ruth swung mightily and connected with a home run over the center field fence, farther than any home run had ever been hit at Wrigley Field. Had he really called his shot? He was evasive when questioned, responding with, "Why don't you read the papers? It's all right there." Years later a film of the event showed that the Babe was probably not signaling to the bleachers, but rather to his tormenters – the Cubs bench. Nevertheless, the legend of "The Called Shot" remains.

Babe Ruth hit the first home run in All-Star Game history, at Chicago's Comiskey Park in 1933. When Babe Ruth hit 60 home runs in 1927, he hit 14% of all home runs in his league that year. For a player to hit 14% of all home runs today, he would have to hit over 300 home runs in one season. On May 6, 1915, Babe Ruth hit his first major league home run off Jack Warhop, who pitched, ironically enough, for the Yankees. Babe Ruth was one of only two people to ever hit three home runs in a World Series game.

Home Run Facts In 10 seasons together, Ruth and Lou Gehrig homered in the same game 72 times, and in the same inning 19 times. The two combined as teammates for 783 homers (434 for Babe, 349 for Lou), the highest total ever, until Henry Aaron and Eddie Mathews… 1919 (4), 1922 (1), 1925 (1), 1926 (1), 1927 (2), 1929 (3), 1930 (1), 1931 (1), 1932 (1), 1934 (1). (16 total) In 1927 he hit a grand slam in consecutive games, September 27th and 28th. 11 out of 226 voters excluded roth from their ballots during the first bseball hall of fame induction

By the time he was six years old, his father owned a saloon and wasn't able to watch his son very carefully so he used to get into trouble. Ruth was sent at the age of seven to St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys, a reformatory and orphanage where he was mentored by Brother Matthias Boutlier of the Xaverian Brothers, the school's disciplinarian and a capable baseball player.

Chicago fans. They jeered and spat upon him and his wife as they entered and left their hotel. As the Series progressed into its third game, the stage was set for one of the most remembered events in baseball history. In the first inning, Ruth hit a three-run homer off pitcher Charlie Root. When he came to bat again in the fifth, the crowd and the Chicago bench released a torrent of abuse upon him. Babe waved his arm and shouted something, though due to the loud noise, no one heard exactly what he said. Whether he was gesturing toward the Cubs bench, to Root or the fence beyond is anyone's guess. But what happened next is beyond doubt. On Root's next pitch, Ruth swung mightily and connected with a home run over the center field fence, farther than any home run had ever been hit at Wrigley Field. Had he really called his shot? He was evasive when questioned, responding with, "Why don't you read the papers? It's all right there." Years later a film of the event showed that the Babe was probably not signaling to the bleachers, but rather to his tormenters – the Cubs bench. Nevertheless, the legend of "The Called Shot" remains.

Baseball Trivia

This month’s trivia question

Who scored the most homeruns in 1950?

Got the Answer?  Let us know!

(The first person to send us the correct answer will be named in next month’s Baseball Experience.)

Last Month’s Question

What team has been to the world series the most?

Last Month’s Answer

Yankees

Winning Member

Joe Brown

Other recordings you don’t want to miss

Ruth makes his final speech at Yankee Stadium

Leo the lip talks about the games greatest players

Ruth talks about what he hoped to accomplish

Lou Gehrig confirms the Called shot. Chicago fans. They jeered and spat upon him and his wife as they entered and left their hotel. As the Series progressed into its third game, the stage was set for one of the most remembered events in baseball history. In the first inning, Ruth hit a three-run homer off pitcher Charlie Root. When he came to bat again in the fifth, the crowd and the Chicago bench released a torrent of abuse upon him. Babe waved his arm and shouted something, though due to the loud noise, no one heard exactly what he said. Whether he was gesturing toward the Cubs bench, to Root or the fence beyond is anyone's guess. But what happened next is beyond doubt. On Root's next pitch, Ruth swung mightily and connected with a home run over the center field fence, farther than any home run had ever been hit at Wrigley Field. Had he really called his shot? He was evasive when questioned, responding with, "Why don't you read the papers? It's all right there." Years later a film of the event showed that the Babe was probably not signaling to the bleachers, but rather to his tormenters – the Cubs bench. Nevertheless, the legend of "The Called Shot" remains.

Waite Hoyt discusses Babe Ruth

Listen to babe ruth talk about signing his final contract

Babe Ruth had a series of episdoes talking about his adventures

Red Barber interviews Babe Ruth

Quotes

“Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.”
― Babe Ruth

“Say, if I hadn’t been sick last summer, I’d have broken hell out of that home run record! Besides, the President gets a four-year contract. I’m only asking for three.” – Babe Ruth, on being asked why he was demanding a salary higher than that of President Herbert Hoover

“I wish him all the luck in the world. He has everybody else, including myself, hopelessly outclassed.” – Home Run Baker talking about Babe Ruth in 1921

“Never allow the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game!”
― Babe Ruth

 

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