George Herman Ruth, better known as “Babe Ruth,” is widely considered the greatest baseball player in the history of the game. Also known as “El Bambino” and “The Sultan of Swat,” a virtual home run machine whose exploits off the diamond were as colorful as the wonders he accomplished while on it. He was a national icon in every sense of the word and one of the key figures of the Roaring Twenties of American history.
Ruth was among the first five players to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He was the first truly great baseball player, and his excellence on the field inspired everyone to watch the game, including generations of great baseball players to follow. Ruth was the first player to hit over 30, 40, and 50 home runs in a season. In the 1927 season, he hit 60 home runs, a record that stood for 34 years until broken by Roger Maris in 1961.
Players aside, Ruth’s fame and athletic feats also inspired entire armies of fans. No one had done more to expand baseball’s fan base than Ruth. Spurred by Ruth’s vast American and international popularity, the popularity of baseball grew by leaps and bounds, prompting every major league team to expand their stadiums to accommodate more fans. No wonder Yankee Stadium is still referred to today as “The House That Ruth Built.”
Ruth was also a member of the original American League All-Star team in 1933. He was named the greatest baseball player of all time on a ballot commemorating the centennial of professional baseball in 1936. Meanwhile, in 1998, on his list of “Baseball’s 100 Greatest Players Players”, The Sporting News ranked Ruth number one.
In 1999, fans selected Ruth to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.
Ruth’s abilities were so unique that she was able to change the way the game was played. In those days, the “inside game” had been the primary strategy in baseball for decades. But Ruth hit the ball so hard and for so many home runs and extra-base hits that other teams were forced to follow his example and adopt the “power play.”
With Ruth as the centerpiece, the New York Yankees became arguably the greatest sports dynasty in history.
(1926, 1928)