Babe Ruth

I still think of Sandlot when I think of him.

Career stats:
.342/.474/.690/1.164__2174 R__2873 H__506 2B__136 3B__714 HR__2217 RBI__207 OPS+
94-46__107 CG__17 SHO__2.28 ERA__122 ERA+
2 All-Star games (1933, 1934)
1 MVP award (1923)


Born February 6, 1895, George Herman Ruth was born in Baltimore, Maryland, but he spent most of his early life in St. Mary's orphanage because his parents worked too much to take care of him. At St. Mary's, a brother taught Ruth how to play baseball, and it was there that Ruth was discovered.

With needing to say so, Ruth's playing career was astounding, both on the mound and crushing pitches from it. He began his career with the Boston Red Sox as a pitcher, but his anger and self-discipline issues would become a factor in him being dealt to the New York Yankees. By 1918, Ruth's hitting prowess enticed the Red Sox into putting him in the lineup on a more regular basis. Ruth himself wanted to hit more, and he gradually stopped pitching. In his last season as a Red Sox (1919), he set a regular-season home run record with 29. It would also be his last season as a Red Sox.

After the 1919 season, Ruth demanded a raise to $20,000 (double his previous salary), and after negotiations failed, owner Harry Frazee looked to trade Ruth. The White Sox offered Shoeless Joe Jackson and $60,000, but the Yankees offered $100,000. Ruth signed a contract, on which the trade was contingent, and became a Yankee. As a Yankee, Ruth shifted to the outfield on a permanent basis and became the symbol of a changing style of baseball, in which power had a place. When the team moved from the Polo Grounds to Yankee Stadium, Ruth fittingly hit the first home run in the "House that Ruth Built". He would go on to break and re-break his home run record, and reportedly after hitting his 60th in 1927, Ruth shouted, "Sixty, count 'em, sixty! Let's see some son-of-a-bitch match that!" By 1934, however, even Ruth began to decline, and due to his quarrells with manager Joe McCarthy, the Yankees sold Ruth to the Boston Braves, who hoped Ruth could bring in much-needed attendance. However, besides an initial spike in attendance, Ruth did little else for the Braves and retired May 30, 1935.

A remarkable career led to Ruth being inducted into the inaugural Hall of Fame class of 1936 with 215 of 226 votes (second to Ty Cobb). Ruth prowess led to several phrases and adjectives. "Ruthian" describes something done with great power, reminding baseball fans of his 500-foot blasts. "The Babe Ruth of ____" describes that ____ is the best player or person doing whatever he/she does, implying Ruth was the best baseball player that ever lived. Indeed, he may have been.

Off the field, he was well-known for his exploits, with alcohol and women. On the field, he had several outbursts and was known to throw dirt on umpires as well as take a swing at them and fans.

A common mistake is to believe that the candy bar "Baby Ruth" is named after Babe Ruth. However, it is named after Grover Cleveland's daughter, the first and only born in the White House, Ruth.