The Babe: Gone But Hopefully Never Forgotten
No matter how old you are, if you’re a baseball fan, you should know the name of Babe Ruth. His name was George Herman Ruth, and he got the nickname Babe from playing baseball early in life for the Baltimore Orioles when they were in the International League.
Babe Ruth was sort of a wild child. His dad owned a beer garden in Baltimore. He cursed, chewed tobacco and ran a little wild. His parents sent him to a parochial school, St. Mary’s Industrial School for Boys in Baltimore. It was a boys school for orphans and neglected or delinquent boys. That was Babe Ruth’s youth and that’s where he learned how to play baseball.
Babe Ruth started his professional career with the Boston Red Sox. He might have been one of baseball’s greatest pitchers. But, he was such a prolific home run hitter that he had to move to the outfield to be an everyday player. That’s when his career really took off.
In 1918, the Red Sox were in financial desperation. Babe was sold to the New York Yankees for $100,000 and a $350,000 loan. After he got to the Yankees, that was all it took. He helped the Yankees win seven World Series Championships with the likes of Lou Gehrig and other great players.
In 22 years in the majors, his batting average was .342 and he had 714 home runs--a record for many years until Hank Aaron broke it.
George Herman “Babe” Ruth retired from baseball in 1936. He died in 1948. To this day Babe Ruth is still larger than life. No matter what age you are, being a baseball fan, just remember Babe Ruth is gone but never forgotten.