The Sultan of Swat: Babe Ruth
The history of Baseball is incomplete without talking about the 'The great Bambino', “the Sultan of Swat” Babe Ruth. Harry Frazee, the owner of the Boston Red Sox, was unaware of the fact that he is going to sell a legend to New York Yankees in 1919. The
Yankees knew that they are marking their fate in baseball with 'The Babe Ruth'.
Ruth was born on February 6, 1895 at Baltimore. He was second of his eight siblings to survive past infancy, after his sister Mamie. His mother died when he was at age of seven and his father got him admitted in St. Mary’s Industrial School. Though he hated
the place yet he learnt the baseball by his coach Matthias Boutlier. During his 12-year stay in St. Mary’s, Ruth became a part of his school’s baseball team.
In 1913, at the age of 19, he broke into Minor League with Baltimore Orioles. He signed his first contract with Baltimore Orioles, after Jack Dunn the proprietor of the team, analysed his pitching in the work-outs for half an hour. Due to the rules of the
school, Ruth was supposed to stay in St. Mary’s until he reached 21. Jack Dunn adopted Ruth in order to complete the agreement and to remove Ruth from the school. George Herman got popularity as Dunn’s Baby that later turned into 'Babe'.
Jack Dunn was unfortunate not to recognise the abilities of Babe Ruth and sold him to Boston Red Sox just after five years. That is when Ruth set his opening record in the first World Series, when he pitched 29 2/3rds without giving any score. This performance
led the Red Sox to win a World Series that year and again in 1918.
Harry Frazee, the owner of Boston Red Sox, was the unfortunate to sell 'Babe' to Yankees in 1919 to raise money for his production house. Yankees paid US$125,000, the most purchase money ever in that part of history of baseball given to any player. Prior
to trade in 1919, the Red Sox had won five World Series. After the Trade, it took them 88 years to win sixth World Series in 2004.
Babe became 'The Pride of Yankees' as he set the Yankees to win in seven pennants and Four World Series. Ruth faced some health problems in mid 1920s that set him back in performance, but came back to his prime form in 1927. He knocked 60 home runs in 1927,
a record that remained unbreakable for 34 years, until Roger Maris broke it in 1961 when he hit 61 home runs.
The money has always been the main source of attraction for the players, and they take lot of time to be the most paid person in sports. The case was not with the Babe as he was already earning more than the President of United States of America in 1931.
Ruth was US$5,000 ahead of President as he earned US$80,000 a year while President made only US$75,000 a year.
He not only set records in salaries, but also in scores. The best batting year in baseball history for any player was 1921, when Ruth appeared in 152 games, secured .318 ERA with 457 total bases, and was having .699 slugging averages that is still a record.
The Sultan of Swat was the first player to cross the 700 line for home runs. Ruth’s 714 home runs with an average of .342 at his retirement in 1935 was a record. Baseball history had to wait for 34 years to write better record than Babe’s did, when Hank
Aaron scored 715 in 1974. Ruth had a lifetime slugging average of .690, also a record.
The baseball’s Hall of Fame was inaugurated in 1936 and Babe was on of its first six inductees. In 1998, The Sporting News ranked him Number one out of 100 greatest Baseball Players. According to one study conducted by Nye Lavalle’s Sports Marketing Group,
97 percentage Americans over the age of 12 identified Babe Ruth. In 1999, the top sport channel declared Babe Ruth as third greatest athlete of 20th century.
Ruth married Helen Woodford in 1914. Ruth had two daughters, Dorothy Ruth, and Julia Hodgson. His marriage did not make him stay away from the media. Some reporters named him 'The Sultan of Swat' just because he was a sultan for them.
Babe Ruth died at the age of 53 due to pneumonia. At his death, the New York Times present tribute to the Babe “An unparalleled figure in American Sports history. Ruth was born with the ability to do amazing at the most impressive moments.”
"I swing big, with everything I've got. I hit big or I miss big. I like to live as big as I can." The Babe Ruth not only proved his words but also set a pattern for all up coming players in the game. "All I can tell them is pick a good one and sock it. I
get back to the dugout and they ask me what it was I hit and I tell them I don't know except it looked good."
"The greatest name in American sports history is Babe Ruth, a hitter." These words of Ruth are still considered golden in all American Sports as said by Ted Williams.
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