View source for Babe Ruth

{{Short description|American baseball player (1895–1948)}}
{{About|the baseball player}}
{{Featured article}}  
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{{Use American English|date=December 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2025}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Babe Ruth
|image=Babe Ruth2.jpg
|caption= Ruth in 1920  
|position=[[Outfielder]] / [[Pitcher]]
|bats=Left
|throws=Left
|birth_date={{birth date|mf=yes|1895|2|6}}
|birth_place=[[Baltimore]], Maryland, U.S.
|death_date={{death date and age|mf=yes|1948|8|16|1895|2|6}}
|death_place=[[New York City]], New York, U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=July 11
|debutyear=1914
|debutteam=Boston Red Sox
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=May 30
|finalyear=1935
|finalteam=Boston Braves
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]]
|stat1value=.342
|stat3label=[[Home run]]s
|stat3value=714
|stat2label=[[Hit (baseball)|Hits]]
|stat2value=2,873
|stat4label=[[Run batted in|Runs batted in]]
|stat4value=2,214
|stat5label=[[Slugging percentage]]
|stat5value=.690
|stat6label=[[Win–loss record (pitching)|Win–loss record]]
|stat6value=94–46
|stat7label=[[Earned run average]]
|stat7value=2.28
|stat8label=[[Strikeouts]]
|stat8value=488
|teams=
;As player
* [[Boston Red Sox]] ({{mlby|1914}}–{{mlby|1919}})
* [[New York Yankees]] ({{mlby|1920}}–{{mlby|1934}})
* [[Boston Braves]] ({{mlby|1935}})
;As coach
* [[Brooklyn Dodgers]] ({{mlby|1938}})
|highlights=
* 2× [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] ([[1933 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1933]], [[1934 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1934]])
* 7× [[World Series champion]] ({{wsy|1915}}, {{wsy|1916}}, {{wsy|1918}}, {{wsy|1923}}, {{wsy|1927}}, {{wsy|1928}}, {{wsy|1932}})
* [[AL MVP]] (1923)
* [[List of Major League Baseball batting champions|AL batting champion]] (1924)
* 12× [[List of Major League Baseball annual home run leaders|AL home run leader]] (1918–1921, 1923, 1924, 1926–1931)
* 6× [[List of Major League Baseball annual runs batted in leaders|AL RBI leader]] (1919–1921, 1923, 1926, 1928)
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual ERA leaders|AL ERA leader]] (1916)
* [[New York Yankees#Retired numbers|New York Yankees No. 3]] retired
* [[Monument Park (Yankee Stadium)|Monument Park]] honoree
* [[Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame]]
* [[Major League Baseball All-Century Team]]
* [[Major League Baseball All-Time Team]]
*[[List of career achievements by Babe Ruth|Other career achievements and records]]
|hoflink = National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
|hoftype = National
|hofdate=[[1936 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|1936]]
|hofvote=95.1% (first ballot)
| module          = {{Infobox person|embed=yes
 | signature       = File:Babe Ruth sig.svg
 }} 
}}

'''George Herman''' "'''Babe'''" '''Ruth''' (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional [[Baseball in the United States|baseball]] player whose career in [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "'''the Bambino'''" and "'''the Sultan of Swat'''", he began his MLB career as a star left-handed [[pitcher]] for the [[Boston Red Sox]], but achieved his greatest fame as a slugging [[outfielder]] for the [[New York Yankees]]. Ruth is regarded as one of the greatest sports heroes in [[Culture of the United States|American culture]] and is considered by many to be the greatest baseball player of all time. In 1936, Ruth was elected to the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Baseball Hall of Fame]] as one of its "[[1936 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|first five]]" members.

At age seven, Ruth was sent to [[Cardinal Gibbons School (Baltimore, Maryland)|St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys]]. In 1914, Ruth was signed to play [[Minor League Baseball|Minor League]] baseball for the [[Baltimore Orioles (minor league)|Baltimore Orioles]] but was soon sold to the Red Sox. By 1916, he had built a reputation as an outstanding pitcher who sometimes hit long home runs, a feat unusual for any player in the [[dead-ball era]]. Although Ruth twice [[Win–loss record (pitching)|won]] 23 games in a season as a pitcher and was a member of three [[World Series]] championship teams with the Red Sox, he wanted to play every day and was allowed to convert to an outfielder. With regular playing time, he broke the [[List of Major League Baseball progressive single-season home run leaders|MLB single-season home run record]] in 1919 with 29.

After that season, Red Sox owner [[Harry Frazee]] sold Ruth to the Yankees amid controversy. The trade fueled Boston's subsequent 86-year championship drought and popularized the "[[Curse of the Bambino]]" superstition. In his 15 years with the Yankees, Ruth helped the team win seven [[List of American League pennant winners|American League (AL) pennants]] and four World Series championships. His big swing led to escalating home run totals that not only drew fans to the ballpark and boosted the sport's popularity but also helped usher in baseball's [[live-ball era]], which evolved from a low-scoring game of strategy to a sport where the home run was a major factor. As part of the Yankees' vaunted "[[Murderers' Row]]" lineup of 1927, Ruth hit 60 home runs, which extended his own MLB single-season record by a single home run. Ruth's last season with the Yankees was 1934, and he retired after a short stint with the [[Boston Braves]] the following year. In his career, he led the [[American League|AL]] in home runs 12 times.

During Ruth's career, he was the target of intense press and public attention for his baseball exploits and off-field penchants for drinking and womanizing. After his retirement as a player, he was denied the opportunity to manage a major league club, most likely because of poor behavior during parts of his playing career. In his final years, Ruth made many public appearances, especially in support of American efforts in World War II. In 1946, he became ill with [[nasopharyngeal cancer]] and died from the disease two years later. Ruth remains a major figure in American culture.

==Early life==
[[File:Babe Ruth Birthplace.JPG|thumb|upright=1.0|[[Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum|Ruth's birthplace]] in Baltimore, Maryland]]
[[File:BabeRuthSr2.jpg|thumb|right|Babe Ruth's parents, George Herman Sr. and Katherine]]
George Herman Ruth Jr. was born on February 6, 1895, at 216 Emory Street in the [[Pigtown, Baltimore|Pigtown]] neighborhood of [[Baltimore]], in a house which belonged to his maternal grandfather Pius Schamberger, a German immigrant and trade unionist. Ruth's parents, Katherine ({{née|Schamberger}}) and George Herman Ruth Sr., were both of [[German Americans|German ancestry]]. Ruth Sr. worked a series of jobs that included [[lightning rod]] salesman and [[streetcar]] operator. The elder Ruth then became a counterman in a family-owned combination grocery and saloon business.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=24–25}}</ref><ref>{{harvp|Smelser|1975|pp=5–8}}</ref> Only one of Ruth's seven siblings, his younger sister Mamie, survived infancy.<ref>{{harvp|Smelser|1975|pp=7–9}}</ref>

Many details of Ruth's childhood are unknown.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|p=11}}</ref> As a child, Ruth spoke [[German language|German]].<ref>{{citation|last=Sowell|first=Thomas|author-link=Thomas Sowell|title=Migrations and Cultures: A World View|publisher=[[Basic Books]]|place=New York|year=1996|page=82|quote={{nbsp}}...it may be indicative of how long German cultural ties endured [in the United States] that the German language was spoken in childhood by such disparate twentieth-century American figures as famed writer [[H. L. Mencken]], baseball stars Babe Ruth and [[Lou Gehrig]], and by the Nobel Prize-winning economist [[George Stigler]].|isbn=978-0-465-04589-1}}</ref> When Ruth was a toddler, the family moved to 339 South Woodyear Street; by the time he was six years old, his father had a saloon with an upstairs apartment at 426 West Camden Street. Details are equally scanty about why Ruth was sent at the age of seven to [[Cardinal Gibbons School (Baltimore, Maryland)|St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys]], a reformatory and orphanage.<ref name="Wagenheim1314"/><ref name="Creamer2931"/><ref name="Montville811"/> However, according to [[Julia Ruth Stevens]]' recount in 1999, because George Sr. was a saloon owner and had given Ruth little supervision, he became a delinquent. Ruth was sent to St. Mary's because George Sr. ran out of ideas to discipline his son.<ref name=":1">{{cite episode |title=Babe Ruth |network=[[ESPN]] |series=SportsCentury |date=December 26, 1999}}</ref> As an adult, Ruth admitted that as a youth he ran the streets, rarely attended school, and drank beer when his father was not looking. Some accounts say that following a violent incident at his father's saloon, the city authorities decided that this environment was unsuitable for a child. Ruth entered St. Mary's on June 13, 1902. He was recorded as "incorrigible" and spent much of the next 12 years there.<ref name="Wagenheim1314">{{harvp|Wagenheim|1974|pp=13–14}}</ref><ref name="Creamer2931">{{harvp|Creamer|1992|p=29–31}}</ref><ref name="Montville811">{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=8–11}}</ref>

Although St. Mary's boys received an education, students were also expected to learn work skills and help operate the school, particularly once the boys turned 12. Ruth became a shirtmaker and was also a proficient carpenter. He would adjust his own shirt collars, even during his well-paid baseball career. The boys, aged 5 to 21, did most of the work around the facility, and renovated St. Mary's in 1912. The food was simple, and the [[Xaverian Brothers]] who ran the school insisted on strict discipline; corporal punishment was common. Ruth's nickname there was "Niggerlips", as he had large facial features and was darker than most boys at the all-white reformatory.<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=19–23}}</ref>

Ruth was sometimes allowed to rejoin his family or was placed at St. James's Home, a supervised residence with work in the community, but he was always returned to St. Mary's.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=39–40}}</ref><ref>{{harvp|Wagenheim|1974|p=14}}</ref> He was rarely visited by his family; his mother died when he was 12 and, by some accounts, he was permitted to leave St. Mary's only to attend the funeral.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|p=32}}</ref> How Ruth came to play baseball there is uncertain: according to one account, his placement at St. Mary's was due in part to repeatedly breaking windows with long [[hit (baseball)|hits]] while playing [[stickball|street ball]]; by another, he was told to join a team on his first day at St. Mary's by the school's athletic director, Brother Herman, becoming a [[catcher]] even though left-handers rarely play that position. During his time there he also played [[third base]] and [[shortstop]], again unusual for a left-hander, and was forced to wear gloves made for right-handers. He was encouraged in his pursuits by the school's Prefect of Discipline, Brother Matthias Boutlier. Brother Matthias was greatly respected by the boys both for his strength and for his fairness. For the rest of his life, Ruth would praise Brother Matthias, and his running and hitting styles closely resembled his teacher's.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=35–37}}.</ref><ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=24–26}}</ref> Ruth stated, "I think I was born as a hitter the first day I ever saw him hit a baseball."<ref name="c37">{{harvp|Creamer|1992|p=37}}</ref> The older man became a mentor and role model to Ruth; biographer [[Robert W. Creamer]] commented on the closeness between the two:
{{blockquote|
Ruth revered Brother Matthias{{nbsp}}... which is remarkable, considering that Matthias was in charge of making boys behave and that Ruth was one of the great natural misbehavers of all time.{{nbsp}}... George Ruth caught Brother Matthias' attention early, and the calm, considerable attention the big man gave the young hellraiser from the waterfront struck a spark of response in the boy's soul{{nbsp}}... [that may have] blunted a few of the more savage teeth in the gross man whom I have heard at least a half-dozen of his baseball contemporaries describe with admiring awe and wonder as "an animal."<ref name="c37" />
}}

{{Multiple image|total_width=400
|image1=Babe Ruth - St. Mary's Industrial School.JPG
|alt1=
|caption1=Ruth (top row, center) at St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1912
|image2=Babe Ruth - St. Mary's Industrial School 1912.jpg
|alt2=
|caption2=Ruth (top row, left, holding a catcher's mitt and mask) at St. Mary's, 1912
}}
The school's influence remained with Ruth in other ways. He was a lifelong [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] who would sometimes attend Mass after carousing all night, and he became a well-known member of the [[Knights of Columbus]]. He would visit orphanages, schools, and hospitals throughout his life, often avoiding publicity.<ref>{{harvp|Reisler|2004|p=22}}</ref> He was generous to St. Mary's as he became famous and rich, donating money and his presence at fundraisers, and spending $5,000 to buy Brother Matthias a Cadillac in 1926—subsequently replacing it when it was destroyed in an accident. Nevertheless, his biographer Leigh Montville suggests that many of the off-the-field excesses of Ruth's career were driven by the deprivations of his time at St. Mary's.<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=28–29}}</ref>

Most of the boys at St. Mary's played baseball in organized leagues at different levels of proficiency. Ruth later estimated that he played 200 games a year as he steadily climbed the ladder of success. Although he played all positions at one time or another, he gained stardom as a [[pitcher]]. According to Brother Matthias, Ruth was laughing at the bumbling pitching efforts of fellow students, and Matthias told him to go in and see if he could do better. Ruth had become the best pitcher at St. Mary's, and when he was 18 in 1913, he was allowed to leave the premises to play weekend games on community teams. He was mentioned in several newspaper articles, for both his pitching prowess and ability to hit long [[home run]]s.<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=26–28}}</ref><ref>{{harvp|Wagenheim|1974|p=17}}</ref>

==Professional baseball==
===Minor leagues: Baltimore Orioles===
In early 1914, Ruth signed a professional baseball contract with [[Jack Dunn (baseball)|Jack Dunn]], who owned and managed the [[Minor League Baseball|minor-league]] [[Baltimore Orioles (minor league)|Baltimore Orioles]], an [[International League]] team. The circumstances of Ruth's signing are not known with certainty. By some accounts, Dunn was urged to attend a game between an all-star team from St. Mary's and one from another Xaverian facility, [[Mount St. Mary's University (Maryland)|Mount St. Mary's College]]. Some versions have Ruth running away before the eagerly awaited game, to be punished, and then returning to pitch St. Mary's to victory as Dunn watched. Others have [[Washington Senators (1901–60)|Washington Senators]] pitcher [[Joe Engel]], a Mount St. Mary's graduate, pitching in an alumni game after watching a preliminary contest between the college's freshmen and a team from St. Mary's, including Ruth. Engel watched Ruth play, then told Dunn about him at a chance meeting in Washington. Ruth, in his autobiography, stated only that he worked out for Dunn for a half hour, and was signed.<ref name = "cream">{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=48–51}}</ref> According to biographer Kal Wagenheim, there were legal difficulties to be straightened out as Ruth was supposed to remain at the school until he turned 21, though{{efn|Ruth long thought his birthday was February 7, 1894. This was, in fact, the birthday of an elder brother of the same name, who died soon after birth. Ruth learned this when he needed a passport in 1934.}}<ref>{{harvp|Wagenheim|1974|p=19}}</ref> [[SportsCentury]] stated in a documentary that Ruth had already been discharged from St. Mary's when he turned 19, and earned a monthly salary of $100.<ref name=":1" />

[[File:1914 Babe Ruth baseball card 02.jpeg|thumb|upright|[[Baseball card]] showing Ruth as a [[Baltimore Orioles (minor league)|Baltimore Oriole]], 1914]]
The train journey to spring training in [[Fayetteville, North Carolina]], in early March was likely Ruth's first outside the Baltimore area.<ref>{{harvp|Wagenheim|1974|pp=20–21}}</ref> The rookie ballplayer was the subject of various pranks by veteran players, who were probably also the source of his famous nickname. There are various accounts of how Ruth came to be called "Babe", but most center on his being referred to as "Dunnie's babe" (or some variant). SportsCentury reported that his nickname was gained because he was the new "darling" or "project" of Dunn, not only because of Ruth's raw talent, but also because of his lack of knowledge of the proper etiquette of eating out in a restaurant, being in a hotel, or being on a train. "Babe" was, at that time, a common nickname in baseball, with perhaps the most famous to that point being [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] pitcher and [[1909 World Series]] hero [[Babe Adams]], who appeared younger than his actual age.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|p=36}}</ref><ref>{{harvp|Wagenheim|1974|pp=22}}</ref>

Ruth made his first appearance as a professional ballplayer in an inter-squad game on March 7, 1914. He played shortstop and pitched the last two [[inning]]s of a 15–9 victory. In his second at-bat, Ruth hit a long home run to right field; the blast was locally reported to be longer than a legendary shot hit by [[Jim Thorpe]] in Fayetteville.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=61–62}}</ref> Ruth made his first appearance against a team in [[organized baseball]] in an exhibition game versus the major-league [[Philadelphia Phillies]]. Ruth pitched the middle three innings and gave up two runs in the fourth, but then settled down and pitched a scoreless fifth and sixth innings. In a game against the Phillies the following afternoon, Ruth entered during the sixth inning and did not allow a run the rest of the way. The Orioles scored seven runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to overcome a 6–0 deficit, and Ruth was the winning pitcher.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|p=66–67}}</ref>

Once the regular season began, Ruth was a star pitcher who was also dangerous at the plate. The team performed well, yet received almost no attention from the Baltimore press. A third major league, the [[Federal League]], had begun play, and the local franchise, the [[Baltimore Terrapins]], restored that city to the major leagues for the first time since 1902. Few fans visited [[Oriole Park]], where Ruth and his teammates labored in relative obscurity. Ruth may have been offered a bonus and a larger salary to jump to the Terrapins; when rumors to that effect swept Baltimore, giving Ruth the most publicity he had experienced to date, a Terrapins official denied it, stating it was their policy not to sign players under contract to Dunn.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=72–77}}</ref><ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=38–40}}</ref>

The competition from the Terrapins caused Dunn to sustain large losses. Although by late June the Orioles were in first place, having won over two-thirds of their games, the paid attendance dropped as low as 150. Dunn explored a possible move by the Orioles to [[Richmond, Virginia]], as well as the sale of a minority interest in the club. These possibilities fell through, leaving Dunn with little choice other than to sell his best players to major league teams to raise money.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=78–80}}</ref> He offered Ruth to the reigning [[World Series]] champions, [[Connie Mack]]'s [[Philadelphia Athletics]], but Mack had his own financial problems.<ref>{{harvp|Wagenheim|1974|p=26}}</ref> The [[Cincinnati Reds]] and [[New York Giants (NL)|New York Giants]] expressed interest in Ruth, but Dunn sold his contract, along with those of pitchers [[Ernie Shore]] and [[Ben Egan (baseball)|Ben Egan]], to the [[Boston Red Sox]] of the [[American League]] (AL) on July 4. The sale price was announced as $25,000 but other reports lower the amount to half that, or possibly $8,500 plus the cancellation of a $3,000 loan. Ruth remained with the Orioles for several days while the Red Sox completed a road trip, and reported to the team in Boston on July 11.<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=40–41}}</ref>

===Boston Red Sox (1914–1919)===
====Developing star====
[[File:Babe Ruth Boston pitching.jpg|thumb|Ruth pitching for the [[Boston Red Sox]]]]
On July 11, 1914, Ruth arrived in Boston with Egan and Shore. Ruth later told the story of how that morning he had met [[Helen Woodford Ruth|Helen Woodford]], who would become his first wife. She was a 16-year-old waitress at Landers Coffee Shop, and Ruth related that she served him when he had breakfast there. Other stories, though, suggested that the meeting occurred on another day, and perhaps under other circumstances. Regardless of when he began to court his first wife, he won his first game as a pitcher for the Red Sox that afternoon, 4–3, over the [[Cleveland Naps]]. His catcher was [[Bill Carrigan]], who was also the Red Sox manager. Shore was given a [[Starting pitcher|start]] by Carrigan the next day; he won that and his second start and thereafter was pitched regularly. Ruth lost his second start, and was thereafter little used.<ref name="debut" /> In his major league debut as a batter, Ruth went 0-for-2 against left-hander [[Willie Mitchell (baseball)|Willie Mitchell]], [[Strikeout|striking out]] in his first [[at bat]] before being removed for a [[pinch hitter]] in the seventh inning.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|p=87}}</ref> Ruth was not much noticed by the fans, as Bostonians watched the Red Sox's crosstown rivals, the [[Boston Braves|Braves]], begin [[1914 Boston Braves season|a legendary comeback]] that would take them from last place on the [[Fourth of July]] to the [[1914 World Series]] championship.<ref name="debut">{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=41–44}}</ref>

Egan was traded to Cleveland after two weeks on the Boston roster. During his time with the Red Sox, he kept an eye on the inexperienced Ruth, much as Dunn had in Baltimore. When he was traded, no one took his place as supervisor. Ruth's new teammates considered him brash and would have preferred him as a rookie to remain quiet and inconspicuous. When Ruth insisted on taking batting practice despite being both a rookie who did not play regularly and a pitcher, he arrived to find his bats sawed in half. His teammates nicknamed him "the Big Baboon", a name the swarthy Ruth, who had disliked the nickname "Niggerlips" at St. Mary's, detested.<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=43–44}}</ref> Ruth had received a raise on promotion to the major leagues and quickly acquired tastes for fine food, liquor, and women, among other temptations.<ref>{{harvp|Wagenheim|1974|pp=27–29}}</ref><ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=52–55}}</ref>

Manager Carrigan allowed Ruth to pitch two [[exhibition game]]s in mid-August. Although Ruth won both against minor-league competition, he was not restored to the pitching rotation. It is uncertain why Carrigan did not give Ruth additional opportunities to pitch. There are legends—incorporated into the 1948 film ''[[The Babe Ruth Story]]''—that Ruth had a habit of signaling his intent to throw a [[curveball]] by sticking out his tongue slightly, and that he was easy to hit until this changed. Creamer pointed out that it is common for inexperienced pitchers to display such habits, and needing to break this habit would not constitute a reason to not use him at all; Creamer suggested Carrigan was unwilling to use Ruth due to the rookie's poor behavior.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=89–90}}</ref>

[[File:1914 Providence Grays with Babe Ruth.jpg|thumb|right|[[Providence Grays (minor league)|Providence Grays]] team photo with Babe Ruth (top row, center), 1914]]
On July 30, 1914, Boston owner [[Joseph Lannin]] had purchased the minor-league [[Providence Grays (minor league)|Providence Grays]], members of the International League.<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|p=44}}</ref> The Providence team had been owned by several people associated with the [[Detroit Tigers]], including star hitter [[Ty Cobb]], and as part of the transaction, a Providence pitcher was sent to the Tigers. To soothe Providence fans upset at losing a star, Lannin announced that the Red Sox would soon send a replacement to the Grays. This was intended to be Ruth, but his departure for Providence was delayed when Cincinnati Reds owner [[Garry Herrmann]] claimed him by [[Waivers (baseball)|waiver]]. After Lannin wrote to Herrmann explaining that the Red Sox wanted Ruth in Providence so he could develop as a player, and would not release him to a major league club, Herrmann allowed Ruth to be sent to the minors. Carrigan later stated that Ruth was not sent down to Providence to make him a better player, but to help the Grays win the International League [[pennant (sports)|pennant]] (league championship).<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=92–93}}</ref>

Ruth joined the Grays on August 18, 1914. After Dunn's deals, the Baltimore Orioles managed to hold on to first place until August 15, after which they continued to fade, leaving the pennant race between Providence and [[Rochester Red Wings|Rochester]]. Ruth was deeply impressed by Providence manager [[Bill Donovan|"Wild Bill" Donovan]], previously a star pitcher with a 25–4 [[Win–loss record (pitching)|win–loss record]] for Detroit in 1907; in later years, he credited Donovan with teaching him much about pitching. Ruth was often called upon to pitch, in one stretch starting (and winning) four games in eight days. On September 5 at [[Maple Leaf Park]] in Toronto, Ruth pitched a one-hit 9–0 victory, and hit his first professional home run, his only one as a minor leaguer, off [[Ellis Johnson (baseball)|Ellis Johnson]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://m.mlb.com/news/article/83873114/ten-facts-for-100th-anniversary-of-babe-ruths-debut/|title=Ten facts for 100th anniversary of the Babe's debut|last=Castrovince|first=Anthony|work=MLB.com|date=July 10, 2014|access-date=January 7, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170109021513/http://m.mlb.com/news/article/83873114/ten-facts-for-100th-anniversary-of-babe-ruths-debut/|archive-date=January 9, 2017}}</ref> Recalled to Boston after Providence finished the season in first place, he pitched and won a game for the Red Sox against the [[New York Yankees]] on October 2, getting his first major league hit, a [[double (baseball)|double]]. Ruth finished the season with a record of 2–1 as a major leaguer and 23–8 in the International League (for Baltimore and Providence). Once the season concluded, Ruth married Helen in [[Ellicott City, Maryland]]. Creamer speculated that they did not marry in Baltimore, where the newlyweds boarded with George Ruth Sr., to avoid possible interference from those at St. Mary's—both bride and groom were not yet of age<ref name="99facts" /><ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=99–100}}</ref> and Ruth remained on parole from that institution until his 21st birthday.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|p=103}}</ref>

In March 1915, Ruth reported to [[Hot Springs, Arkansas]], for his first major league [[spring training]]. Despite a relatively successful first season, he was not slated to start regularly for the Red Sox, who already had two "superb" left-handed pitchers, according to Creamer: the established stars [[Dutch Leonard (left-handed pitcher)|Dutch Leonard]], who had broken the record for the lowest [[earned run average]] (ERA) in a single season; and [[Ray Collins (baseball)|Ray Collins]], a 20-game winner in both 1913 and 1914.{{sfnp|Creamer|1992|p=104}} Ruth was ineffective in his first start, taking the loss in the third game of the season. Injuries and ineffective pitching by other Boston pitchers gave Ruth another chance, and after some good [[relief pitcher|relief]] appearances, Carrigan allowed Ruth another start, and he won a rain-shortened seven inning game. Ten days later, the manager had him start against the New York Yankees at the [[Polo Grounds]]. Ruth took a 3–2 lead into the ninth, but lost the game 4–3 in 13 innings. Ruth, hitting ninth as was customary for pitchers, hit a massive home run into the upper deck in [[right fielder|right field]] off of [[Jack Warhop]]. At the time, home runs were rare in baseball, and Ruth's majestic shot awed the crowd. The winning pitcher, Warhop, would in August 1915 conclude a major league career of eight seasons, undistinguished but for being the first major league pitcher to give up a home run to Babe Ruth.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|p=106}}</ref>

[[File:Babe Ruth by Conlon, 1916.jpeg|thumb|Ruth during batting practice with the [[Boston Red Sox]] in 1916]]
Carrigan was sufficiently impressed by Ruth's pitching to give him a spot in the starting rotation. Ruth finished the 1915 season 18–8 as a pitcher; as a hitter, he batted .315 and had four home runs. The Red Sox won the [[List of American League pennant winners|AL pennant]], but with the pitching staff healthy, Ruth was not called upon to pitch in the [[1915 World Series]] against the [[Philadelphia Phillies]]. Boston won in five games. Ruth was used as a pinch hitter in Game Five, but [[Ground out (baseball)|grounded out]] against Phillies ace [[Grover Cleveland Alexander]].<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=50–52}}</ref> Despite his success as a pitcher, Ruth was acquiring a reputation for long home runs; at [[Sportsman's Park]] against the [[St. Louis Browns]], a Ruth hit soared over Grand Avenue, breaking the window of a [[Chevrolet]] dealership.<ref>{{harvp|Wagenheim|1974|pp=33}}</ref>

In 1916, attention focused on Ruth's pitching as he engaged in repeated pitching duels with Washington Senators' ace [[Walter Johnson]]. The two met five times during the season with Ruth winning four and Johnson one (Ruth had a [[Win–loss record (pitching)|no decision]] in Johnson's victory). Two of Ruth's victories were by the score of 1–0, one in a 13-inning game. Of the 1–0 [[Shutouts in baseball|shutout]] decided without extra innings, AL president [[Ban Johnson]] stated, "That was one of the best ball games I have ever seen."<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=56–57}}</ref> For the season, Ruth went 23–12, with a 1.75 ERA and nine shutouts, both of which led the league.<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=55}}</ref> Ruth's nine shutouts in 1916 set a league record for left-handers that would remain unmatched until [[Ron Guidry]] tied it in 1978.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schlueter |first=Roger |date=February 23, 2012 |title=Verlander's 2011 was epic |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/print.jsp?ymd=20120223&content_id=26813526&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304040445/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/print.jsp?ymd=20120223&content_id=26813526&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |access-date=January 20, 2014 |website=MLB.com}}</ref> The Red Sox won the pennant and [[1916 World Series|World Series]] again, this time defeating the [[Brooklyn Dodgers|Brooklyn Robins]] (as the Dodgers were then known) in five games. Ruth started and won Game 2, 2–1, in 14 innings. Until another game of that length was played in 2005, this was the longest World Series game,{{efn|An 18-inning World Series game, also between the Red Sox and Dodgers, was played in 2018.}} and Ruth's pitching performance is still the longest postseason [[complete game]] victory.<ref name="99facts">{{cite magazine|last=Corcoran|first=Cliff|url=http://mlb.si.com/2013/07/11/99-cool-facts-about-babe-ruth/|date=July 11, 2013|access-date=January 20, 2014|title=99 cool facts about Babe Ruth|magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140208062047/http://mlb.si.com/2013/07/11/99-cool-facts-about-babe-ruth/|archive-date=February 8, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Berg |first=Ted |date=October 12, 2013 |title=12 longest games in MLB postseason history |url=http://ftw.usatoday.com/2013/10/12-longest-games-in-mlb-postseason-history/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202121315/http://ftw.usatoday.com/2013/10/12-longest-games-in-mlb-postseason-history/ |archive-date=February 2, 2014 |access-date=January 20, 2014 |work=[[USA Today]]}}</ref><ref>{{harvp|Wagenheim|1974|p=38}}</ref>

Carrigan retired as player and manager after 1916, returning to his native Maine to be a businessman. Ruth, who played under four managers who are in the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|National Baseball Hall of Fame]], always maintained that Carrigan, who is not enshrined there, was the best skipper he ever played for.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=33, 85}}</ref> There were other changes in the Red Sox organization that offseason, as Lannin sold the team to a three-man group headed by New York theatrical promoter [[Harry Frazee]].<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|p=133}}</ref> [[Jack Barry (baseball)|Jack Barry]] was hired by Frazee as manager.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|p=134}}</ref>

====Emergence as a hitter====
Ruth pitched a league-leading 35 complete games and went 24–13 with a 2.01 ERA and six shutouts in 1917, but the Sox finished in second place in the league, nine [[games behind]] the [[Chicago White Sox]] in the standings.<ref>{{Cite news |title=12 things you probably don't know about Babe Ruth |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Sports/2014/0721/12-things-you-probably-don-t-know-about-Babe-Ruth/Hurler-heroics |access-date=April 19, 2025 |work=Christian Science Monitor |issn=0882-7729}}</ref> On June 23 at Washington, when home plate umpire '[[Brick Owens|Brick' Owens]] called the first four pitches as balls, Ruth was ejected from the game and threw a punch at him, and was later suspended for ten days and fined $100. Ernie Shore was called in to relieve Ruth, and was allowed eight warm-up pitches. The runner who had reached base on the [[base on balls|walk]] was [[caught stealing]], and Shore retired all 26 batters he faced to win the game. Shore's feat was listed as a [[Perfect game (baseball)|perfect game]] for many years.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=138–140}}</ref> In 1991, [[Major League Baseball]]'s (MLB) Committee on Statistical Accuracy amended it to be listed as a combined [[no-hitter]].<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|p=59}}</ref> In 1917, Ruth was used little as a batter, other than for his [[plate appearance]]s while pitching, and hit .325 with two home runs.<ref name="stats">{{harvp|Wagenheim|1974|pp=273–274}}<!-- note: This is Ruth's year-by-year career statistics, batting on page 273, pitching on page 274 --></ref>

[[File:Babe Ruth Red Sox 1918.jpg|thumb|right|Ruth in 1918, his penultimate year with the Red Sox]]
The United States' entry into [[World War I]] occurred at the start of the season and overshadowed baseball. Conscription was introduced in September 1917, and most baseball players in the big leagues were of draft age. This included Barry, who was a player-manager, and who joined the [[United States Naval Reserve|Naval Reserve]] in an attempt to avoid the draft, only to be called up after the 1917 season. Frazee hired International League President [[Ed Barrow]] as Red Sox manager. Barrow had spent the previous 30 years in a variety of baseball jobs, though he never played the game professionally. With the major leagues shorthanded because of the war, Barrow had many holes in the Red Sox lineup to fill.<ref name="m67plus" />

Ruth also noticed these vacancies in the lineup. He was dissatisfied in the role of a pitcher who appeared every four or five days and wanted to play every day at another position. Barrow used Ruth at [[first baseman|first base]] and in the [[outfield]] during the exhibition season, but he restricted him to pitching as the team moved toward Boston and the season opener. At the time, Ruth was possibly the best left-handed pitcher in baseball, and allowing him to play another position was an experiment that could have backfired.<ref name="m67plus" />

Inexperienced as a manager, Barrow had player [[Harry Hooper]] advise him on baseball game strategy. Hooper urged his manager to allow Ruth to play another position when he was not pitching,<ref name="m67plus" /> arguing to Barrow, who had invested in the club, that the crowds were larger on days when Ruth played, as they were attracted by his hitting.<ref name="c153">{{harvp|Creamer|1992|p=153}}</ref> In early May, Barrow gave in; Ruth promptly hit home runs in four consecutive games (one an exhibition), the last off of Walter Johnson.<ref name="m67plus">{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=67–69}}</ref> For the first time in his career (disregarding pinch-hitting appearances), Ruth was assigned a place in the [[Batting order (baseball)|batting order]] higher than ninth.<ref name="c153" />

Although Barrow predicted that Ruth would beg to return to pitching the first time he experienced a batting slump, that did not occur. Barrow used Ruth primarily as an outfielder in the war-shortened 1918 season. Ruth hit .300, with 11 home runs, enough to secure him a share of the [[List of Major League Baseball annual home run leaders|major league home run title]] with [[Tilly Walker]] of the Philadelphia Athletics. He was still occasionally used as a pitcher, and had a 13–7 record with a 2.22 ERA.<ref name="stats" /><ref>{{harvp|Wagenheim|1974|p=42}}</ref><ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=153–170}}</ref> On July 8, in the bottom of the ninth inning in a scoreless game, with a runner on first base Ruth hit a ball out of the ballpark to drive in the game-winning run; this was recorded as a triple, since the rules at that time considered the game over once the winning run scored. In 1968 the Special Baseball Records Committee unanimously ruled this, along with 36 other hits, a home run, but in part due to the perceived importance of preserving Ruth's home run total at 714, in 1969 the committee reversed this decision.<ref>{{Cite web |last=admin |title=1918 Was Short Home Run Year – Society for American Baseball Research |url=https://sabr.org/journal/article/1918-was-short-home-run-year/#:~:text=On%2520July%25208%252C%2520Ruth%2520broke,which%2520was%2520the%2520prevailing%2520regulation. |access-date=January 15, 2025 |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 1918, the Red Sox won their third pennant in four years and faced the [[Chicago Cubs]] in the [[1918 World Series|World Series]], which began on September 5, the earliest date in history. The season had been shortened because the government had ruled that baseball players who were eligible for the military would have to be inducted or work in critical war industries, such as armaments plants. Ruth pitched and won Game One for the Red Sox, a 1–0 shutout. Before Game Four, Ruth injured his left hand in a fight but pitched anyway. He gave up seven hits and six walks, but was helped by outstanding fielding behind him and by his own batting efforts, as a fourth-inning triple by Ruth gave his team a 2–0 lead. The Cubs tied the game in the eighth inning, but the Red Sox scored to take a 3–2 lead again in the bottom of that inning. After Ruth gave up a hit and a walk to start the ninth inning, he was relieved on the mound by [[Bullet Joe Bush|Joe Bush]]. To keep Ruth and his bat in the game, he was sent to play left field. Bush retired the side to give Ruth his second win of the Series, and the third and last World Series pitching victory of his career, against no defeats, in three pitching appearances. Ruth's effort gave his team a three-games-to-one lead, and two days later the Red Sox won their third Series in four years, four-games-to-two. Before allowing the Cubs to score in Game Four, Ruth pitched {{frac|29|2|3}} [[Scoreless innings streak#Postseason|consecutive scoreless innings]], a World Series record that stood for more than 40 years until 1961, broken by [[Whitey Ford]]. Ruth was prouder of that record than he was of any of his batting feats.<ref name="stats" /><ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=170–181}}</ref>

[[File:Babe Ruth by Bain, 1919.jpg|thumb|Ruth in 1919]]
With the World Series over, Ruth gained exemption from the war draft by accepting a nominal position with a Pennsylvania steel mill. Many industrial establishments took pride in their baseball teams and sought to hire major leaguers. The end of the war in November set Ruth free to play baseball without such contrivances.<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=78–80}}</ref>

During the 1919 season, Ruth was used as a pitcher in only 17 of his 130 games<ref name="stats" /> and compiled a 9–5 record. Barrow used him as a pitcher mostly in the early part of the season, when the Red Sox still had hopes of a second consecutive pennant. By late June, the Red Sox were clearly out of the race, and Barrow had no objection to Ruth concentrating on his hitting, if only because it drew people to the ballpark. Ruth had hit a home run against the Yankees on Opening Day, and another during a month-long batting slump that soon followed. Relieved of his pitching duties, Ruth began an unprecedented spell of slugging home runs, which gave him widespread public and press attention. Even his failures were seen as majestic—one sportswriter said, "When Ruth misses a swipe at the ball, the stands quiver."<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=196–197}}</ref>

Two home runs by Ruth on July 5, and one in each of two consecutive games a week later, raised his season total to 11, tying his career best from 1918. The first record to fall was the AL single-season mark of 16, set by [[Socks Seybold|Ralph "Socks" Seybold]] in 1902. Ruth matched that on July 29, then pulled ahead toward the [[List of Major League Baseball progressive single-season home run leaders|major league record]] of 25, set by [[Buck Freeman]] in 1899. By the time Ruth reached this in early September, writers had discovered that [[Ned Williamson]] of the 1884 [[Chicago White Stockings (1870–89)|Chicago White Stockings]] had hit 27—though in a ballpark where the distance to right field was only {{convert|215|ft}}. On September 20, "Babe Ruth Day" at Fenway Park, Ruth won the game with a home run in the bottom of the ninth inning, tying Williamson. He broke the record four days later against the Yankees at the Polo Grounds, and hit one more against the Senators to finish with 29. The home run at Washington made Ruth the first major league player to hit a home run at all eight ballparks in his league. In spite of Ruth's hitting heroics, the Red Sox finished sixth, {{frac|20|1|2}} games behind the league champion White Sox.{{efn|The American League had eight teams from 1901 to 1960.}}<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=88–90}}</ref><ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|p=203}}</ref> In his six seasons with Boston, he won 89 games and recorded a 2.19 ERA. He had a four-year stretch where he was second in the AL in wins and ERA behind [[Walter Johnson]], and Ruth had a winning record against Johnson in head-to-head matchups.<ref name=":1" />

===Sale to New York===
As an out-of-towner from New York City, Frazee had been regarded with suspicion by Boston's sportswriters and baseball fans when he bought the team. He won them over with success on the field and a willingness to build the Red Sox by purchasing or trading for players. He offered the Senators $60,000 for Walter Johnson, but Washington owner [[Clark Griffith]] was unwilling. Even so, Frazee was successful in bringing other players to Boston, especially as replacements for players in the military. This willingness to spend for players helped the Red Sox secure the 1918 title.<ref>{{harvp|Reisler|2004|pp=4–5}}</ref> The 1919 season saw record-breaking attendance, and Ruth's home runs for Boston made him a national sensation. In March 1919 Ruth was reported as having accepted a three-year contract for a total of $27,000, after protracted negotiations. Nevertheless, on December 26, 1919, Frazee sold Ruth's contract to the New York Yankees.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=204–205}}</ref>

[[File:Babe Ruth by Paul Thompson, 1920.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.75|Ruth in his first year with the [[New York Yankees]], 1920]]
Not all the circumstances concerning the sale are known, but brewer and former congressman [[Jacob Ruppert]], the New York team's principal owner, reportedly asked Yankee manager [[Miller Huggins]] what the team needed to be successful. "Get Ruth from Boston", Huggins supposedly replied, noting that Frazee was perennially in need of money to finance his theatrical productions.<ref>{{harvp|Reisler|2004|pp=2–3}}</ref> An often-told story is that Frazee needed money, and sold Ruth to finance the musical ''[[No, No, Nanette]]''; that play did not open until 1925, by which time Frazee had sold the Red Sox,<ref name="c20" /> but was based on a Frazee-produced play, ''My Lady Friends'', which opened in 1919.<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=101–102}}</ref> There were also other financial pressures on Frazee, despite his team's success. Ruth, fully aware of baseball's popularity and his role in it, wanted to renegotiate his contract, signed before the 1919 season for $10,000 per year through 1921. He demanded that his salary be doubled, or he would sit out the season and cash in on his popularity through other ventures.<ref name="c20">{{harvp|Creamer|1992|p=20}}</ref> Ruth's salary demands were causing other players to ask for more money.<ref>{{harvp|Stout|2002|p=83}}</ref> Additionally, Frazee still owed Lannin as much as $125,000 from the purchase of the club.<ref name="r5">{{harvp|Reisler|2004|p=5}}</ref>

Although Ruppert and his co-owner, Colonel [[Tillinghast L'Hommedieu Huston|Tillinghast Huston]], were both wealthy, and had aggressively purchased and traded for players in 1918 and 1919 to build a winning team, Ruppert faced losses in his brewing interests as [[Prohibition in the United States|Prohibition]] was implemented, and if their team left the Polo Grounds, where the Yankees were the tenants of the New York Giants, building a stadium in New York would be expensive. Nevertheless, when Frazee, who moved in the same social circles as Huston, hinted to the colonel that Ruth was available for the right price, the Yankees owners quickly pursued the purchase.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=205–207}}</ref>

Frazee sold the rights to Babe Ruth for $100,000, the largest sum ever paid for a baseball player. The deal also involved a $350,000 loan from Ruppert to Frazee, secured by a mortgage on Fenway Park. Once it was agreed, Frazee informed Barrow, who, stunned, told the owner that he was getting the worse end of the bargain.<ref>{{harvp|Reisler|2004|p=1}}</ref><ref name="creamer208plus">{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=208–209}}</ref> Cynics have suggested that Barrow may have played a larger role in the Ruth sale, as less than a year after, he became the Yankee general manager, and in the following years made a number of purchases of Red Sox players from Frazee.<ref name="r2" >{{harvp|Reisler|2004|p=2}}</ref> The $100,000 price included $25,000 in cash, and notes for the same amount due November 1 in 1920, 1921, and 1922; Ruppert and Huston assisted Frazee in selling the notes to banks for immediate cash.<ref name="creamer208plus" />

The transaction was contingent on Ruth signing a new contract, which was quickly accomplished—Ruth agreed to fulfill the remaining two years on his contract, but was given a $20,000 bonus, payable over two seasons. The deal was announced on January 6, 1920. Reaction in Boston was mixed: some fans were embittered at the loss of Ruth; others conceded that Ruth had become difficult to deal with.<ref>{{harvp|Stout|2002|pp=86–88}}</ref> ''The New York Times'' suggested that "The short right field wall at the Polo Grounds should prove an easy target for Ruth next season and, playing seventy-seven games at home, it would not be surprising if Ruth surpassed his home run record of twenty-nine circuit clouts next Summer."<ref name="Year1920">{{cite news|title=Ruth Bought By New York Americans For $125,000, Highest Price in Baseball Annals|work=The New York Times|date=January 6, 1920|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1920/01/06/102732651.pdf|access-date=June 14, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181008233249/https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1920/01/06/102732651.pdf|archive-date=October 8, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> According to Reisler, "The Yankees had pulled off the sports steal of the century."<ref name="r2"/>

According to Marty Appel in his history of the Yankees, the transaction, "changed the fortunes of two high-profile franchises for decades".<ref>{{harvp|Appel|2012|p=94}}</ref> The Red Sox, winners of five of the first 16 World Series, those played between 1903 and 1919,{{efn|There was no World Series in 1904 or 1994.}} would not win another pennant until 1946, or another World Series until 2004, a drought attributed in baseball superstition to Frazee's sale of Ruth and sometimes dubbed the "[[Curse of the Bambino]]". Conversely, the Yankees had not won the AL championship prior to their acquisition of Ruth. They won seven AL pennants and four World Series with him, and lead baseball with 41 pennants and 27 World Series titles in their history.<ref>{{harvp|Appel|2012|pp=96–97}}</ref><ref name = "wsoutcome">{{cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/history/postseason/mlb_ws.jsp?feature=recaps_index|title=Results and recaps|publisher=[[Major League Baseball]]|access-date=March 25, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140304100545/http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/history/postseason/mlb_ws.jsp?feature=recaps_index|archive-date=March 4, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

===New York Yankees (1920–1934)===
====Initial success (1920–1923)====
When Ruth signed with the Yankees, his  transition from a pitcher to a power-hitting outfielder was complete. His 15-season Yankee career consisted of over 2,000 games, and Ruth broke many batting records while making only five widely scattered appearances on the mound, winning all of them.<ref name = "stats" />

At the end of April 1920, the Yankees were 4–7, with the Red Sox leading the league with a 10–2 mark. Ruth had done little, having injured himself swinging the bat.<ref>{{harvp|Stout|2002|p=90}}</ref> Both situations began to change on May 1, when Ruth hit a tape measure home run that sent the ball completely out of the Polo Grounds, a feat believed to have been previously accomplished only by [[Shoeless Joe Jackson]]. The Yankees won, 6–0, taking three out of four from the Red Sox.<ref>{{harvp|Reisler|2004|pp=74–75}}</ref> Ruth hit his second home run on May 2, and by the end of the month had set a major league record for home runs in a month with 11, and promptly broke it with 13 in June.<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=112–113}}</ref> Fans responded with record attendance figures. On May 16, Ruth and the Yankees drew 38,600 to the Polo Grounds, a record for the ballpark, and 15,000 fans were turned away. Large crowds jammed stadiums to see Ruth play when the Yankees were on the road.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|p=225}}</ref>

[[File:Harding Cox and Ruth.jpg|thumb|"How Does He Do It?" In this [[Clifford Berryman]] cartoon, presidential candidates [[Warren G. Harding]] and [[James M. Cox]] wonder at Ruth's record home run pace.]]
The home runs kept on coming. Ruth tied his own record of 29 on July 15 and broke it with home runs in both games of a doubleheader four days later. By the end of July, he had 37, but his pace slackened somewhat after that.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|p=226}}</ref> Nevertheless, on September 4, he both tied and broke the organized baseball record for home runs in a season, snapping [[Perry Werden]]'s 1895 mark of 44 in the minor [[Western League (original)|Western League]].<ref>{{harvp|Wagenheim|1974|p=75}}</ref> The Yankees played well as a team, battling for the league lead early in the summer, but slumped in August in the AL pennant battle with Chicago and Cleveland. The pennant and the [[1920 World Series|World Series]] were won by Cleveland, who surged ahead after the [[Black Sox Scandal]] broke on September 28 and led to the suspension of many of Chicago's top players, including Shoeless Joe Jackson. The Yankees finished third, but drew 1.2&nbsp;million fans to the Polo Grounds, the first time a team had drawn a seven-figure attendance. The rest of the league sold 600,000 more tickets, many fans there to see Ruth, who led the league with 54 home runs, 158 [[Run (baseball)|runs]], and 137 [[runs batted in]] (RBIs).<ref>{{harvp|Stout|2002|p=92}}</ref>

In 1920 and afterwards, Ruth was aided in his power hitting by the fact that [[Al Reach|A.J. Reach Company]]—the maker of baseballs used in the major leagues—was using a more efficient machine to wind the yarn found within the baseball. The new baseballs went into play in 1920 and ushered the start of the [[live-ball era]]; the number of home runs across the major leagues increased by 184 over the previous year.<ref>{{harvp|Reisler|2004|pp=100–101}}</ref> Baseball statistician [[Bill James]] pointed out that while Ruth was likely aided by the change in the baseball, there were other factors at work, including the gradual abolition of the [[spitball]] (accelerated after the death of [[Ray Chapman]], struck by a pitched ball thrown by Mays in August 1920) and the more frequent use of new baseballs (also a response to Chapman's death). Nevertheless, James theorized that Ruth's 1920 explosion might have happened in 1919, had a full season of 154 games been played rather than 140, had Ruth refrained from pitching 133 innings that season, and if he were playing at any other home field but Fenway Park, where he hit only 9 of 29 home runs.<ref>{{harvp|James|2003|pp=120–122}}</ref>

[[File:1920 Babe Ruth and Shoeless Joe.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Ruth and [[Shoeless Joe Jackson]] looking at one of Ruth's home run bats, 1920]]
Yankees business manager Harry Sparrow had died early in the 1920 season. Ruppert and Huston hired Barrow to replace him.<ref>{{harvp|Stout|2002|p=93}}</ref> The two men quickly made a deal with Frazee for New York to acquire some of the players who would be mainstays of the early Yankee pennant-winning teams, including catcher [[Wally Schang]] and pitcher [[Waite Hoyt]].<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|p=131}}</ref> The 21-year-old Hoyt became close to Ruth:
{{blockquote|The outrageous life fascinated Hoyt, the don't-give-a-shit freedom of it, the nonstop, pell-mell charge into excess. How did a man drink so much and never get drunk?{{nbsp}}... The puzzle of Babe Ruth never was dull, no matter how many times Hoyt picked up the pieces and stared at them. After games he would follow the crowd to the Babe's suite. No matter what the town, the beer would be iced and the bottles would fill the bathtub.<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|p=156}}</ref>
}}

In the offseason, Ruth spent some time in [[Havana]], Cuba, where he was said to have lost $35,000 ({{Inflation|US|35000|1921|fmt=eq|r=-4}}) betting on horse races.<ref>{{cite news |author1=Special to the New York Times |title=Says Ruth Lost $35,000 |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1921/01/01/103526324.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221031164944/https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1921/01/01/103526324.pdf |archive-date=October 31, 2022 |url-status=live |access-date=December 1, 2022 |work=The New York Times |volume=LXX|issue=22,988 |date=January 1, 1921 |page=20}}</ref>

Ruth hit home runs early and often in the 1921 season, during which he broke [[Roger Connor]]'s mark for home runs in a career, 138. Each of the almost 600 home runs Ruth hit in his career after that extended his own record. After a slow start, the Yankees were soon locked in a tight pennant race with Cleveland, winners of the [[1920 World Series]]. On September 15, Ruth hit his 55th home run, breaking his year-old single-season record. In late September, the Yankees visited Cleveland and won three out of four games, giving them the upper hand in the race, and clinched their first pennant a few days later. Ruth finished the regular season with 59 home runs, batting .378 and with a [[slugging percentage]] of .846.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=204, 238–240}}</ref> Ruth's 177 runs scored, 119 extra-base hits, and 457 total bases set modern-era records that still stand {{as of|lc=y|2024}}.<ref>{{cite web|title=Single-Season Leaders & Records for Runs Scored|website=[[Baseball Reference]]|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/R_season.shtml|access-date=June 19, 2021|archive-date=June 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210604133003/https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/R_season.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Single-Season Leaders & Records for Extra Base Hits|website=[[Baseball Reference]]|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/XBH_season.shtml|access-date=June 19, 2021|archive-date=June 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210618115256/https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/XBH_season.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Single-Season Leaders & Records for Total Bases|website=[[Baseball Reference]]|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/TB_season.shtml|access-date=June 19, 2021|archive-date=January 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126144612/http://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/TB_season.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Yankees had high expectations when they met the [[New York Giants (NL)|New York Giants]] in the [[1921 World Series]], every game of which was played in the Polo Grounds. The Yankees won the first two games with Ruth in the lineup. However, Ruth badly scraped his elbow during Game 2 when he slid into third base (he had walked and [[stolen base|stolen]] both second and third bases). After the game, he was told by the team physician not to play the rest of the series.<ref>{{harvp|Spatz|Steinberg|2010|p=355}}</ref> Despite this advice, he did play in the next three games, and pinch-hit in Game Eight of the best-of-nine series, but the Yankees lost, five games to three. Ruth hit .316, drove in five runs and hit his first World Series home run.<ref name="stats" /><ref>{{harvp|Wagenheim|1974|pp=95–96}}</ref><ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=241–243}}</ref>

[[File:Babe Ruth in Stands.jpg|thumb|Ruth in the stands on Opening Day, April 12, 1922, at [[Griffith Stadium]] in Washington, D.C.]]
After the Series, Ruth and teammates [[Bob Meusel]] and [[Bill Piercy]] participated in a [[barnstorm (athletics)|barnstorming]] tour in the Northeast.<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=142–144}}</ref> A rule then in force prohibited World Series participants from playing in exhibition games during the offseason, the purpose being to prevent Series participants from replicating the Series and undermining its value. [[Baseball Commissioner]] [[Kenesaw Mountain Landis]] suspended the trio until May 20, 1922, and fined them their 1921 World Series checks.<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|p=145}}</ref> In August 1922, the rule was changed to allow limited barnstorming for World Series participants, with Landis's permission required.<ref name="p239">{{harvp|Pietrusza|1998|p=239}}</ref>

On March 4, 1922, Ruth signed a new contract for three years at $52,000 a year<ref>"Babe Ruth Signs for Three Years at Toss of a Coin", ''The New York Times'', March 6, 1922, p. 1.</ref> ({{Inflation|US|52000|1922|fmt=eq|r=-4}}). This was more than two times the largest sum ever paid to a ballplayer up to that point and it represented 40% of the team's player payroll.<ref name="p239" /><ref name="haupert">{{cite news |last1=Haupert |first1=Michael |title=MLB's annual salary leaders since 1874 |url=https://sabr.org/research/mlbs-annual-salary-leaders-1874-2012 |access-date=November 13, 2019 |publisher=[[Society for American Baseball Research]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191004175317/https://sabr.org/research/mlbs-annual-salary-leaders-1874-2012 |archive-date=October 4, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Despite his suspension, Ruth was named the Yankees' new on-field captain prior to the [[1922 New York Yankees season|1922 season]]. During the suspension, he worked out with the team in the morning and played exhibition games with the Yankees on their off days.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|p=255}}</ref> He and Meusel returned on May 20 to a sellout crowd at the Polo Grounds, but Ruth batted 0-for-4 and was booed.<ref>{{harvp|Pietrusza|1998|p=240}}</ref> On May 25, he was thrown out of the game for throwing dust in umpire [[George Hildebrand]]'s face, then climbed into the stands to confront a heckler. Ban Johnson ordered him fined, suspended, and stripped of position as team captain.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=258–259}}</ref> In his shortened season, Ruth appeared in 110 games, batted .315, with 35 home runs, and drove in 99 runs,<ref name="stats" /> but the 1922 season was a disappointment in comparison to his two previous dominating years. Despite Ruth's off-year, the Yankees managed to win the pennant and faced the New York Giants in the [[1922 World Series|World Series]] for the second consecutive year. In the Series, Giants manager John McGraw instructed his pitchers to throw him nothing but curveballs, and Ruth never adjusted. Ruth had just two hits in 17 at bats, and the Yankees lost to the Giants for the second straight year, by 4–0 (with one tie game). Sportswriter [[Joe Vila]] called him, "an exploded phenomenon".<ref>{{harvp|Stout|2002|pp=103–104}}</ref>

After the season, Ruth was a guest at an [[Elks Club]] banquet, set up by Ruth's agent with Yankee team support. There, each speaker, concluding with future New York mayor [[Jimmy Walker]], censured him for his poor behavior. An emotional Ruth promised reform, and, to the surprise of many, followed through. When he reported to spring training, he was in his best shape as a Yankee, weighing only {{convert|210|lb}}.<ref name="s104">{{harvp|Stout|2002|p=104}}</ref>

[[File:Babe ruth first homerun yankee stadium.jpg|thumb|Babe Ruth hits the first home run at Yankee Stadium, April 18, 1923]]
The Yankees' status as tenants of the Giants at the Polo Grounds had become increasingly uneasy, and in 1922, Giants owner [[Charles Stoneham]] said the Yankees' lease, expiring after that season, would not be renewed. Ruppert and Huston had long contemplated a new stadium, and had taken an option on property at 161st Street and River Avenue in [[the Bronx]]. [[Yankee Stadium (1923)|Yankee Stadium]] was completed in time for the home opener on April 18, 1923,<ref>Graham, pp. 75–76</ref> at which Ruth hit the first home run in what was quickly dubbed "the House that Ruth Built".<ref name="s105">{{harvp|Stout|2002|p=105}}</ref> The ballpark was designed with Ruth in mind: although the venue's left-field fence was further from home plate than at the Polo Grounds, Yankee Stadium's right-field fence was closer, making home runs easier to hit for left-handed batters. To spare Ruth's eyes, right field—his defensive position—was not pointed into the afternoon sun, as was traditional; left fielder Meusel soon developed headaches from squinting toward home plate.<ref name="s104" />

During the 1923 season, the Yankees were never seriously challenged and won the AL pennant by 17 games. Ruth finished the season with a career-high .393 batting average and 41 home runs, which tied [[Cy Williams]] for the most in the major-leagues that year. Ruth hit a career-high 45 doubles in 1923, and he reached base 379 times, then a major league record.<ref name="s105" /> For the third straight year, the Yankees faced the Giants in the [[1923 World Series|World Series]], which Ruth dominated. He batted .368, walked eight times, scored eight runs, hit three home runs and slugged 1.000 during the series, as the Yankees christened their new stadium with their first World Series championship, four games to two.<ref name="stats" /><ref name="s105" />

====Batting title and "bellyache" (1924–1925)====
[[File:Babe Ruth Knocked Out (retouched).jpg|thumb|Ruth after losing consciousness from running into the wall at [[Griffith Stadium]] during a game against the [[Washington Senators (1901–60)|Washington Senators]] on July 5, 1924. Ruth insisted on staying in the game despite evident pain and a bruised pelvic bone. He hit a double in his next at-bat. Note the absence of a warning track along the outfield wall.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=May 16, 2014|title=Babe Ruth Knocked Out|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/17/upshot/babe-ruth-unconscious.html|last=Beschloss|first=Michael|access-date=January 31, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180219105342/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/17/upshot/babe-ruth-unconscious.html|archive-date=February 19, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>]]

In 1924, the Yankees were favored to become the first team to win four consecutive pennants. Plagued by injuries, they found themselves in a battle with the Senators. Although the Yankees won 18 of 22 at one point in September, the Senators beat out the Yankees by two games. Ruth hit .378, winning his only AL [[List of Major League Baseball batting champions|batting title]], with a league-leading 46 home runs.<ref>{{harvp|Graham|1943|pp=101–102}}</ref>

Ruth did not look like an athlete; he was described as "toothpicks attached to a piano", with a big upper body but thin wrists and legs.{{r|menand20200525}} Ruth had kept up his efforts to stay in shape in 1923 and 1924, but by early 1925 weighed nearly {{convert|260|lb}}. His annual visit to [[Hot Springs, Arkansas]], where he exercised and took saunas early in the year, did him no good as he spent much of the time carousing in the resort town. He became ill while there, and relapsed during spring training. Ruth collapsed in [[Asheville, North Carolina]], as the team journeyed north. He was put on a train for New York, where he was briefly hospitalized.<ref name="s112">{{harvp|Stout|2002|p=112}}</ref> A rumor circulated that he had died, prompting British newspapers to print [[List of premature obituaries|a premature obituary]].<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|p=202}}</ref> In New York, Ruth collapsed again and was found unconscious in his hotel bathroom. He was taken to a hospital where he had multiple convulsions.<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|p=203}}</ref> After sportswriter [[W. O. McGeehan]] wrote that Ruth's illness was due to binging on hot dogs and soda pop before a game, it became known as "the bellyache heard 'round the world".<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=233980 |title=Freak sports injuries: Now that's a bad break! |last=McCoppin |first=Robert |date=September 11, 2008 |work=Daily Herald |access-date=August 31, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110609022404/http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=233980 |archive-date=June 9, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> However, the exact cause of his ailment has never been confirmed and remains a mystery.<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|p=204}}</ref> Glenn Stout, in his history of the Yankees, writes that the Ruth legend is "still one of the most sheltered in sports"; he suggests that alcohol was at the root of Ruth's illness, pointing to the fact that Ruth remained six weeks at [[St. Vincent's Hospital (Manhattan)|St. Vincent's Hospital]] but was allowed to leave, under supervision, for workouts with the team for part of that time. He concludes that the hospitalization was behavior-related.<ref>{{harvp|Stout|2002|pp=112–113}}</ref> Playing just 98 games, Ruth had his worst season as a Yankee; he finished with a .290 average and 25 home runs. The Yankees finished next to last in the AL with a 69–85 record, their last season with a losing record until 1965.<ref>{{harvp|Stout|2002|pp=113, 460–462}}</ref>

====Murderers' Row (1926–1928)====
[[File:Babecomeshome-poster-1927.jpg|upright|thumb|Ruth took time off in 1927 to star with [[Anna Q. Nilsson]] in this [[First National Pictures|First National]] [[silent film|silent]] production ''[[Babe Comes Home]]''. This film is now [[lost film|lost]]. ]]
Ruth spent part of the offseason of 1925–26 working out at [[Artie McGovern]]'s gym, where he got back into shape. Barrow and Huggins had rebuilt the team and surrounded the veteran core with good young players like [[Tony Lazzeri]] and [[Lou Gehrig]], but the Yankees were not expected to win the pennant.<ref>{{harvp|Stout|2002|pp=116–117}}</ref>

Ruth returned to his normal production during 1926, when he batted .372 with 47 home runs and 146 RBIs.<ref name = "stats" /> The Yankees built a 10-game lead by mid-June and coasted to win the pennant by three games. The [[St. Louis Cardinals]] had won the National League with the lowest winning percentage for a pennant winner to that point (.578) and the Yankees were expected to win the [[1926 World Series|World Series]] easily.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=304–305}}</ref> Although the Yankees won the opener in New York, St. Louis took Games Two and Three. In Game Four, Ruth hit three home runs—the first time this had been done in a World Series game—to lead the Yankees to victory. In the fifth game, Ruth caught a ball as he crashed into the fence. The play was described by baseball writers as a defensive gem. New York took that game, but [[Grover Cleveland Alexander]] won Game Six for St. Louis to tie the Series at three games each, then got very drunk. He was nevertheless inserted into Game Seven in the seventh inning and shut down the Yankees to win the game, 3–2, and win the Series.<ref>{{harvp|Wagenheim|1974|pp=154–155}}</ref> Ruth had hit his fourth home run of the Series earlier in the game and was the only Yankee to reach base off Alexander; he walked in the ninth inning before being thrown out to end the game when he attempted to steal second base. Although Ruth's attempt to steal second is often deemed a baserunning blunder, Creamer pointed out that the Yankees' chances of tying the game would have been greatly improved with a runner in scoring position.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|p=306}}</ref>

The 1926 World Series was also known for Ruth's promise to [[Johnny Sylvester]], a hospitalized 11-year-old boy. Ruth promised the child that he would hit a home run on his behalf. Sylvester had been injured in a fall from a horse, and a friend of Sylvester's father gave the boy two autographed baseballs signed by Yankees and Cardinals. The friend relayed a promise from Ruth (who did not know the boy) that he would hit a home run for him. After the Series, Ruth visited the boy in the hospital. When the matter became public, the press greatly inflated it, and by some accounts, Ruth allegedly saved the boy's life by visiting him, emotionally promising to hit a home run, and doing so.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=327–328}}</ref> Ruth's 1926 salary of $52,000 was far more than any other baseball player, but he made at least twice as much in other income, including $100,000 from 12 weeks of [[vaudeville]].{{r|menand20200525}}

The 1927 New York Yankees team is considered one of the greatest squads to ever take the field. Known as [[Murderers' Row]] because of the power of its lineup,<ref>{{harvp|Stout|2002|pp=126–131}}</ref> the team clinched first place on Labor Day, won a then-AL-record 110 games and took the AL pennant by 19 games.<ref>{{harvp|Graham|1943|pp=127–134}}</ref> There was no suspense in the pennant race, and the nation turned its attention to Ruth's pursuit of his own single-season home run record of 59 round trippers. Ruth was not alone in this chase. Teammate Lou Gehrig proved to be a slugger who was capable of challenging Ruth for his home run crown; he tied Ruth with 24 home runs late in June. Through July and August, the dynamic duo was never separated by more than two home runs. Gehrig took the lead, 45–44, in the first game of a doubleheader at Fenway Park early in September; Ruth responded with two blasts of his own to take the lead, as it proved permanently—Gehrig finished with 47. Even so, as of September 6, Ruth was still several games off his 1921 pace, and going into the final series against the Senators, had only 57. He hit two in the first game of the series, including one off of [[Paul Hopkins (baseball)|Paul Hopkins]], facing his first major league batter, to tie the record. The following day, September 30, he broke it with his 60th homer, in the eighth inning off [[Tom Zachary]] to break a 2–2 tie. "Sixty! Let's see some son of a bitch try to top that one", Ruth exulted after the game.<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=255–261}}</ref> In addition to his career-high 60 home runs, Ruth batted .356, drove in 164 runs and slugged .772.<ref name = "stats" /> In the [[1927 World Series]], the Yankees swept the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] in four games; the National Leaguers were disheartened after watching the Yankees take batting practice before Game One, with ball after ball leaving [[Forbes Field]].<ref>{{harvp|Graham|1943|pp=134–137}}</ref> According to Appel, "The 1927 New York Yankees. Even today, the words inspire awe{{nbsp}}... all baseball success is measured against the '27 team."<ref>{{harvp|Appel|2012|p=151}}</ref>

[[File:1928 Gehrig Speaker Cobb Ruth.jpg|thumb|[[Lou Gehrig]], [[Tris Speaker]], [[Ty Cobb]], and Ruth, 1928]]
The following season started off well for the Yankees, who led the league in the early going. But the Yankees were plagued by injuries, erratic pitching and inconsistent play. The [[Philadelphia Athletics]], rebuilding after some lean years, erased the Yankees' big lead and even took over first place briefly in early September. The Yankees, however, regained first place when they beat the Athletics three out of four games in a pivotal series at Yankee Stadium later that month, and clinched the pennant in the final weekend of the season.<ref>{{harvp|Graham|1943|pp=144–146}}</ref> Ruth's play in 1928 mirrored his team's performance. He got off to a hot start and on August 1, he had 42 home runs. This put him ahead of his 60 home run pace from the previous season. He then slumped for the latter part of the season, and he hit just twelve home runs in the last two months. Ruth's batting average also fell to .323, well below his career average. Nevertheless, he ended the season with 54 home runs. The Yankees swept the favored Cardinals in four games in the [[1928 World Series|World Series]], with Ruth batting .625 and hitting three home runs in Game Four, including one off Alexander.<ref name = "stats" /><ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=273–277}}</ref>

===="Called shot" and final Yankee years (1929–1934)====
{{Further|Babe Ruth's called shot}}
[[File:1933 Goudey Sport Kings 02 Babe Ruth.jpg|thumb|upright|right|1933 Goudey Sport Kings baseball card]]

Before the 1929 season, Ruppert (who had bought out Huston in 1923) announced that the Yankees would wear uniform numbers to allow fans at cavernous Yankee Stadium to easily identify the players. The Cardinals and Indians had each experimented with uniform numbers; the Yankees were the first to use them on both home and away uniforms. Ruth batted third and was given number 3.<ref>{{harvp|Appel|2012|pp=162–163}}</ref> According to a long-standing baseball legend, the Yankees adopted their now-iconic pinstriped uniforms in hopes of making Ruth look slimmer.<ref name = "sh9">{{harvp|Sherman|2014|p=9}}</ref> In truth, though, they had been wearing pinstripes since 1915.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Edmondson |first=Rubie |url=http://ftw.usatoday.com/2013/04/yankees-pinstripes-origin-babe-ruth |title=The Yankees permanently adopted pinstripes 98 years ago today |work=USA Today |date=April 22, 2013 |access-date=February 14, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106205229/https://ftw.usatoday.com/2013/04/yankees-pinstripes-origin-babe-ruth |archive-date=November 6, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Although the Yankees started well, the Athletics soon proved they were the better team in 1929, splitting two series with the Yankees in the first month of the season, then taking advantage of a Yankee losing streak in mid-May to gain first place. Although Ruth performed well, the Yankees were not able to catch the Athletics—Connie Mack had built another great team.<ref>{{harvp|Stout|2002|pp=140–141}}</ref> Tragedy struck the Yankees late in the year when manager Huggins died at 51 of [[erysipelas]], a bacterial skin infection, on September 25, only ten days after he had last directed the team. Despite their past differences, Ruth praised Huggins and described him as a "great guy".<ref>{{harvp|Appel|2012|pp=164–165}}</ref> The Yankees finished second, 18 games behind the Athletics.<ref name="s461"/> Ruth hit .345 during the season, with 46 home runs and 154 RBIs.<ref name = "stats" />

{{quote box
| align = right
| width = 24em
| salign = right
| quote = A few seasons ago I used a 54 ounce bat, long and with the weight well at the end. Now I'm using a 46 ounce club—and each season when I have a new set of bats made, I have an additional ounce taken off.
| source = Ruth in ''Babe Ruth's Own Book of Baseball'' (1928), p. 171}}
On October 17, the Yankees hired [[Bob Shawkey]] as manager; he was their fourth choice.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ocdKAAAAIBAJ&pg=948%2C6044172 |title=Bob Shawkey Is Named Manager of the Yankees: Veteran Pitcher Gets Job When Fletcher Prefers to Remain as Coach of Club; Appointment of Shawkey Comes as Surprise in Baseball Circles, Where Three Others Were Predicted |last=Chipman |first=William J. |date=October 18, 1929 |work=The Schenectady Gazette |access-date=November 23, 2016 |agency=Associated Press |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170328063621/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ocdKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xegMAAAAIBAJ&pg=948%2C6044172 |archive-date=March 28, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> Ruth had politicked for the job of player-manager, but Ruppert and Barrow never seriously considered him for the position. Stout deemed this the first hint Ruth would have no future with the Yankees once he retired as a player.<ref>{{harvp|Stout|2002|p=143}}</ref> Shawkey, a former Yankees player and teammate of Ruth, would prove unable to command Ruth's respect.<ref name=GS144>{{harvp|Stout|2002|p=144}}</ref>

On January 7, 1930, salary negotiations between the Yankees and Ruth quickly broke down. Having just concluded a three-year contract at an annual salary of $70,000, Ruth promptly rejected both the Yankees' initial proposal of $70,000 for one year and their 'final' offer of two years at seventy-five—the latter figure equaling the annual salary of then US President [[Herbert Hoover]]; instead, Ruth demanded at least $85,000 and three years.<ref name="BRPrezQuote">{{Cite news |url=http://www.mediafire.com/view/mbioqflkxsmp4cb/Vidmer%2C%20Richards.%20Yanks%20Refuse%20Ruth%27s%20Demand%20for%20a%20Hundred%20Thousand.%20The%20New%20York%20Herald%20Tribune.%20Wednesday%2C%20January%208%2C%201930..jpg |title=Yanks Refuse Ruth's Demand For $100,000; Star Asks That Figure On 3-Year Contract or $85,000 and No Exhibitions |last=Vidmer |first=Richards |date=January 8, 1930 |work=The New York Herald Tribune |access-date=November 23, 2016 |archive-date=July 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726124340/http://www.mediafire.com/view/mbioqflkxsmp4cb/Vidmer%2C%20Richards.%20Yanks%20Refuse%20Ruth%27s%20Demand%20for%20a%20Hundred%20Thousand.%20The%20New%20York%20Herald%20Tribune.%20Wednesday%2C%20January%208%2C%201930..jpg |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7SpPAAAAIBAJ&pg=6185%2C2468109 |title=Babe Ruth Refuses to Sign $75,000 Contract: Asks for Long Term Contract at Huge Figure |last=Bell |first=Brian |date=January 8, 1930 |work=The St. Petersburg Times |access-date=November 23, 2016 |agency=Associated Press |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170328055401/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7SpPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=400DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6185%2C2468109 |archive-date=March 28, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.mediafire.com/view/7ae5q7cdyiuqdv0/Reuters.%20Baseball%E2%80%94Babe%20Ruth%27s%20Earnings.%20The%20Scotsman.%20January%208%2C%201930.jpg|title=Baseball: Babe Ruth's Earnings|work=The Scotsman|agency=Reuters|date=January 8, 1930|access-date=November 23, 2016|archive-date=July 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726122429/http://www.mediafire.com/view/7ae5q7cdyiuqdv0/Reuters.%20Baseball%E2%80%94Babe%20Ruth%27s%20Earnings.%20The%20Scotsman.%20January%208%2C%201930.jpg|url-status=live}}</ref> When asked why he thought he was "worth more than the President of the United States," Ruth responded: "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."<ref name="BRPrezQuote" /> Exactly two months later, a compromise was reached, with Ruth settling for two years at an unprecedented $80,000 per year.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=djft3U1LymYC&dat=19300308&printsec=frontpage|title=Ruth Accepts $80,000 Contract|work=The Pittsburgh Press|author=United Press|date=March 8, 1930|access-date=November 23, 2016|archive-date=February 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224232216/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=djft3U1LymYC&dat=19300308&printsec=frontpage|url-status=live}}</ref> Ruth's salary was more than 2.4 times greater than the next-highest salary that season, a record margin {{as of|2025|lc=y}}.<ref name="haupert" /><ref>{{Cite web |last= |title=2025 MLB Salary Rankings |url=https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/rankings/player/_/year/2025/sort/contract_average |access-date=March 17, 2025 |website=Spotrac}}</ref>

In 1930, Ruth hit .359 with 49 home runs (his best in his years after 1928) and 153 RBIs, and pitched his first game in nine years, a complete game victory.<ref name = "stats" /> Nevertheless, the Athletics won their second consecutive pennant and [[1930 World Series|World Series]], as the Yankees finished in third place, sixteen games back.<ref name=GS144/> At the end of the season, Shawkey was fired and replaced with Cubs manager [[Joe McCarthy (baseball manager)|Joe McCarthy]], though Ruth again unsuccessfully sought the job.<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=303}}</ref>

McCarthy was a disciplinarian, but chose not to interfere with Ruth, who did not seek conflict with the manager.<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=304}}</ref> The team improved in 1931, but was no match for the Athletics, who won 107 games, {{frac|13|1|2}} games in front of the Yankees.<ref name = "s148">{{harvp|Stout|2002|p=148}}</ref> Ruth, for his part, hit .373, with 46 home runs and 163 RBIs. He had 31 doubles, his most since 1924.<ref name = "stats" /> In the 1932 season, the Yankees went 107–47 and won the pennant.<ref name = "s148" /> Ruth's effectiveness had decreased somewhat, but he still hit .341 with 41 home runs and 137 RBIs.<ref name = "stats" /> Nevertheless, he was sidelined twice because of injuries during the season.<ref>{{harvp|Sherman|2014|p=41}}</ref>

The Yankees faced the Cubs, McCarthy's former team, in the [[1932 World Series]].<ref>{{harvp|Appel|2012|p=177}}</ref> There was bad blood between the two teams as the Yankees resented the Cubs only awarding [[Major League Baseball postseason#Postseason bonuses|half a World Series share]] to [[Mark Koenig]], a former Yankee. The games at Yankee Stadium had not been sellouts; both were won by the home team, with Ruth collecting two singles, but scoring four runs as he was walked four times by the Cubs pitchers. In Chicago, Ruth was resentful at the hostile crowds that met the Yankees' train and jeered them at the hotel. The crowd for Game Three included New York Governor [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], the Democratic candidate for president, who sat with Chicago Mayor [[Anton Cermak]]. Many in the crowd threw lemons at Ruth, a sign of derision, and others (as well as the Cubs themselves) shouted abuse at Ruth and other Yankees. They were briefly silenced when Ruth hit a three-run home run off [[Charlie Root]] in the first inning, but soon revived, and the Cubs tied the score at 4–4 in the fourth inning, partly due to Ruth's fielding error in the outfield. When Ruth came to the plate in the top of the fifth, the Chicago crowd and players, led by pitcher [[Guy Bush]], were screaming insults at Ruth. With the [[Count (baseball)|count]] at two balls and one strike, Ruth gestured, possibly in the direction of [[center fielder|center field]], and after the next pitch (a strike), may have pointed there with one hand. Ruth hit the fifth pitch over the center field fence; estimates were that it traveled nearly {{convert|500|ft}}. Whether or not Ruth intended to indicate where he planned to (and did) hit the ball ([[Charlie Devens]], who, in 1999, was interviewed as Ruth's surviving teammate in that game, did not think so), the incident has gone down in legend as [[Babe Ruth's called shot]].<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{harvp|Sherman|2014|pp=69–87}}</ref> The Yankees won Game Three, and the following day clinched the Series with another victory.<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=311}}</ref> During that game, Bush hit Ruth on the arm with a pitch, causing words to be exchanged and provoking a game-winning Yankee rally.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|p=362}}</ref>

Ruth remained productive in 1933. He batted .301, with 34 home runs, 103 RBIs, and a league-leading 114 walks,<ref name = "stats" /> as the Yankees finished in second place, seven games behind the Senators.<ref name = "s461" /> Athletics manager [[Connie Mack]] selected him to play right field in the first [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game]], held on July 6, 1933, at [[Comiskey Park]] in Chicago. He hit the first home run in the All-Star Game's history, a two-run blast against [[Bill Hallahan]] during the third inning, which helped the AL win the game 4–2.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|p=371}}</ref> During the final game of the 1933 season, as a publicity stunt organized by his team, Ruth was called upon and pitched a complete game victory against the Red Sox, his final appearance as a pitcher.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=371–372}}</ref> Despite unremarkable pitching numbers, Ruth had a 5–0 record in five games for the Yankees, raising his career totals to 94–46.<ref name = "stats" />

In 1934, Ruth played in his last full season with the Yankees. By this time, years of high living were starting to catch up with him. His conditioning had deteriorated to the point that he could no longer field or run.<ref name=Neyer42>{{harvp|Neyer|2000|p=42}}</ref> He accepted a pay cut to $35,000 from Ruppert, but he was still the highest-paid player in the major leagues.<ref>{{harvp|Wagenheim|1974|p=221}}</ref> He could still handle a bat, recording a .288 batting average with 22 home runs,<ref name="Reisler256"/> and on July 13, 1934, he hit his 700th career home run.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/july-13-1934-the-babe-bashes-700th-career-home-run/ |title=July 13, 1934: The Babe bashes 700th career home run |last=Larkin |first=Kevin |date= |website=Society for American Baseball Research |access-date=December 30, 2024 |quote=}}</ref> However, Reisler described these statistics as "merely mortal" by Ruth's previous standards.<ref name="Reisler256">{{harvp|Reisler|2004|p=256}}</ref> Ruth was selected to the AL All-Star team for the second consecutive year, even though he was in the twilight of his career. During the game, New York Giants pitcher [[Carl Hubbell]] struck out Ruth and four other future [[Baseball Hall of Fame|Hall-of-Famers]] consecutively.<ref>{{harvp|Appel|2012|p=170}}</ref> The Yankees finished second again, seven games behind the Tigers.<ref name = "s461" >{{harvp|Stout|2002|p=461}}</ref>

===Boston Braves (1935)===
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Ruth1935.jpg|thumb|right|175px|Ruth in 1935 with the [[Boston Braves]]. This was his last year as a player.]] -->
By this time, Ruth knew he was nearly finished as a player. He desired to remain in baseball as a manager. He was often spoken of as a possible candidate as managerial jobs opened up, but in 1932, when he was mentioned as a contender for the Red Sox position, Ruth stated that he was not yet ready to leave the field. There were rumors that Ruth was a likely candidate each time when the [[Cleveland Indians]], [[Cincinnati Reds]], and [[Detroit Tigers]] were looking for a manager, but nothing came of them.<ref name="Montvillepp">{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=322–323}}</ref>

Just before the 1934 season, Ruppert offered to make Ruth the manager of the Yankees' top minor-league team, the [[Newark Bears (International League)|Newark Bears]], but he was talked out of it by his wife, [[Claire Merritt Ruth|Claire]], and his business manager, [[Christy Walsh (sports agent)|Christy Walsh]].<ref name=Neyer42/> Tigers owner [[Frank Navin]] seriously considered acquiring Ruth and making him player-manager. However, Ruth insisted on delaying the meeting until he came back from a trip to Hawaii. Navin was unwilling to wait. Ruth opted to go on his trip, despite Barrow advising him that he was making a mistake; in any event, Ruth's asking price was too high for the notoriously tight-fisted Navin. The Tigers' job ultimately went to [[Mickey Cochrane]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Ferkovich|first=Scott|url=http://seamheads.com/2014/07/14/a-look-back-at-when-babe-ruth-nearly-became-the-detroit-tigers-player-manager|title=A Look Back at When Babe Ruth Nearly Became the Detroit Tigers' Player-Manager|publisher=Seamheads.com|date=July 14, 2014|access-date=May 26, 2021|archive-date=February 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210226235504/http://seamheads.com/2014/07/14/a-look-back-at-when-babe-ruth-nearly-became-the-detroit-tigers-player-manager|url-status=live}}</ref>

Early in the 1934 season, Ruth made no secret of his desire to manage the Yankees. However, that job was never a serious possibility. Ruppert always supported McCarthy, who would remain in his position for another 12 seasons. The relationship between Ruth and McCarthy had been lukewarm at best, and Ruth's open campaigning to replace him further chilled their interpersonal relations.<ref name=Neyer42/> By the end of the season, Ruth hinted that he would retire unless Ruppert named him manager of the Yankees.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=M7VRAAAAIBAJ&pg=5558,6110848|title=Ruth to Quit Unless Given Manager Job|first=Jimmy|last=Powers|newspaper=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]|date=October 9, 1934|access-date=March 22, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130929172100/http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=M7VRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LWkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5558,6110848|archive-date=September 29, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> When the time came, Ruppert wanted Ruth to leave the team without drama or hard feelings.<ref name="Montvillepp" />

During the 1934–35 offseason, Ruth circled the world with his wife; the trip included a barnstorming tour of the Far East. At his final stop in the United Kingdom before returning home, Ruth was introduced to [[cricket]] by Australian player [[Alan Fairfax]], and after having little luck in a cricketer's stance, he stood as a baseball batter and launched some massive shots around the field<!-- American lingo, we know it's a ground -->, destroying the bat in the process. Although Fairfax regretted that he could not have the time to make Ruth a cricket player, Ruth had lost any interest in such a career upon learning that the best batsmen made only about $40 per week.<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=336}}</ref>

Also during the offseason, Ruppert had been sounding out the other clubs in hopes of finding one that would be willing to take Ruth as a manager or player. However, the only serious offer came from Athletics owner-manager Connie Mack, who gave some thought to stepping down as manager in favor of Ruth. However, Mack later dropped the idea, saying that Ruth's wife would be running the team in a month if Ruth ever took over.<ref>{{harvp|Neyer|2000|p=43}}</ref>

While the barnstorming tour was underway, Ruppert began negotiating with Boston Braves owner Judge [[Emil Fuchs (baseball)|Emil Fuchs]], who wanted Ruth as a gate attraction. The Braves had enjoyed modest recent success, finishing fourth in the National League in both 1933 and 1934, but the team drew poorly at the box office. Unable to afford the rent at [[Braves Field]], Fuchs had considered holding dog races there when the Braves were not at home, only to be turned down by Landis. After a series of phone calls, letters, and meetings, the Yankees traded Ruth to the Braves on February 26, 1935. Ruppert had stated that he would not release Ruth to go to another team as a full-time player. For this reason, it was announced that Ruth would become a team vice president and would be consulted on all club transactions, in addition to playing. He was also made assistant manager to Braves skipper [[Bill McKechnie]]. In a long letter to Ruth a few days before the press conference, Fuchs promised Ruth a share in the Braves' profits, with the possibility of becoming co-owner of the team. Fuchs also raised the possibility of Ruth succeeding McKechnie as manager, perhaps as early as 1936. Ruppert called the deal "the greatest opportunity Ruth ever had".<ref>{{harvp|Neyer|2000|pp=42–44}}</ref><ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=337–339}}</ref>

There was considerable attention as Ruth reported for spring training. He did not hit his first home run of the spring until after the team had left Florida, and was beginning the road north in Savannah. He hit two in an exhibition game against the Bears.<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|p=339}}</ref> Amid much press attention, Ruth played his first home game in Boston in over 16 years. Before an opening-day crowd of over 25,000, including five of New England's six state governors, Ruth accounted for all the Braves' runs in a 4–2 win over the [[New York Giants (NL)|New York Giants]], hitting a two-run home run, singling to drive in a third run and later in the inning scoring the fourth. Although age and weight had slowed him, he made a running catch in left field that sportswriters deemed the defensive highlight of the game.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|p=393}}.</ref>

Ruth had two hits in the second game of the season, but it quickly went downhill both for him and the Braves from there. The season soon settled down to a routine of Ruth performing poorly on the few occasions he even played at all. As April passed into May, Ruth's physical deterioration became even more pronounced. While he remained productive at the plate early on, he could do little else. His conditioning had become so poor that he could barely trot around the bases. He made so many errors that three Braves pitchers told McKechnie they would not take the mound if he was in the lineup. Before long, Ruth stopped hitting as well. He grew increasingly annoyed that McKechnie ignored most of his advice. McKechnie later said that Ruth's presence made enforcing discipline nearly impossible.<ref>{{harvp|Neyer|2000|pp=43–45}}</ref>

Ruth soon realized that Fuchs had deceived him, and had no intention of making him manager or giving him any significant off-field duties. He later said his only duties as vice president consisted of making public appearances and autographing tickets.<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=340}}</ref> Ruth also found out that far from giving him a share of the profits, Fuchs wanted him to invest some of ''his'' money in the team in a last-ditch effort to improve its balance sheet.<ref name = "neyer44">{{harvp|Neyer|2000|p=44}}</ref> As it turned out, Fuchs and Ruppert had both known all along that Ruth's non-playing positions were meaningless.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=388–390}}</ref>

By the end of the first month of the season, Ruth concluded he was finished even as a part-time player. As early as May 12, he asked Fuchs to let him retire.<ref name="neyer44"/> Ultimately, Fuchs persuaded Ruth to remain at least until after the [[Memorial Day]] doubleheader in Philadelphia. In the interim was a western road trip, at which the rival teams had scheduled days to honor him. In Chicago and St. Louis, Ruth performed poorly, and his batting average sank to .155, with only two additional home runs for a total of three on the season. In the first two games in Pittsburgh, Ruth had only one hit, though a long fly caught by [[Paul Waner]] probably would have been a home run in any other ballpark besides [[Forbes Field]].<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=395–397}}</ref>

Ruth played in the third game of the Pittsburgh series on May 25, 1935, and added one more tale to his playing legend. Ruth went 4-for-4, including three home runs, though the Braves lost the game 11–7. The last two were off Ruth's old Cubs nemesis, Guy Bush. The final home run, both of the game and of Ruth's career, sailed out of the park over the right field upper deck–the first time anyone had hit a fair ball completely out of Forbes Field. Ruth was urged to make this his last game, but he had given his word to Fuchs to stay on through Memorial Day and played in Cincinnati and Philadelphia. The first game of the doubleheader in Philadelphia—the Braves lost both—would be his final major league appearance. Ruth retired on June 2 after an argument with Fuchs. He finished 1935 with a .181 average—easily his worst as a full-time position player—and the final six of his 714 home runs. The Braves, 10–27 when Ruth left, finished 38–115, at .248 the worst winning percentage in modern National League history.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=396–400}}</ref> Insolvent like his team, Fuchs gave up control of the Braves before the end of the season; the National League took over the franchise at the end of the year.<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=344}}</ref>

==Career overall==
{{Further|List of career achievements by Babe Ruth}}

At the time of his retirement, Ruth held many baseball batting records. These include the career records for [[home runs]] (714), [[slugging percentage]] (0.690), [[runs batted in]] (2,213), [[bases on balls]] (2,062) and [[on-base percentage]] (.474). He still remains in the top ten of many statistical rankings.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 12, 2013 |title=99 Cool Facts About Babe Ruth |url=https://www.si.com/mlb/2013/07/12/99-cool-facts-about-babe-ruth |access-date=April 30, 2025 |website=SI |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Statistics and achievements===
'''Batting'''
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="2"| Legend
|-
| '''Bold'''
| All-time leader
|}
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;text-align:center;"
|-
![[Baseball statistics|Category]]!!Years!![[Wins above replacement|WAR]]!![[Games played|G]]!![[At bat|AB]]!![[Run (baseball)|R]]!![[Hit (baseball)|H]]!![[Double (baseball)|2B]]!![[Triple (baseball)|3B]]!![[Home run|HR]]!![[Total bases|TB]]!![[Extra base hit|XBH]]!![[Runs batted in|RBI]]!![[Stolen base|SB]]!![[Bases on balls|BB]]!![[Batting average (baseball)|AVG]]!![[On-base percentage|OBP]]!![[Slugging percentage|SLG]]!![[On-base plus slugging percentage|OPS]]!![[Fielding percentage|FLG%]]!!{{Abbreviation|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
|Total||22||162.2||2,503||8,399||2,174||2,873||506||136||714||5,793||1,356||2,214||123||2,062||.342||.474||'''.690'''||'''1.164'''||.968||<ref name=bbref-ruth>{{Cite web |title=Babe Ruth Career Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/ruthba01.shtml |website=Baseball-Reference.com }}</ref>
|}

'''Pitching'''
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;text-align:center;"
|-
![[Baseball statistics|Category]]!!Years!![[Wins above replacement|WAR]]!![[Win–loss record (pitching)#Winning pitcher|W]]!![[Win–loss record (pitching)#Losing pitcher|L]]!![[Winning percentage|W-L%]]!![[Earned run average|ERA]]!![[Games pitched|G]]!![[Games started|GS]]!![[Complete game|CG]]!![[Shutout (baseball)|SHO]]!![[Innings pitched|IP]]!![[Hits allowed|H]]!![[Run (baseball)|R]]!![[Earned run|ER]]!![[Home runs allowed|HR]]!![[Bases on balls|BB]]!![[Strikeout|SO]]!![[Fielding independent pitching|FIP]]!![[Walks plus hits per inning pitched|WHIP]]!! {{Abbreviation|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
|Total||10||20.4||94||46||.671||2.28||163||147||107||17||{{frac|1,221|1|3}}||974||400||309||10||441||488||2.81||1.159||<ref name=bbref-ruth/>
|}

==Retirement==
[[File:The Pride of the Yankees2.jpg|thumb|right|[[Gary Cooper]] and Ruth in the 1942 film ''[[The Pride of the Yankees]]'']]
Although Fuchs had given Ruth his unconditional release, no major league team expressed an interest in hiring him in any capacity. Ruth still hoped to be hired as a manager if he could not play anymore, but only one managerial position, Cleveland, became available between Ruth's retirement and the end of the 1937 season. Asked if he had considered Ruth for the job, Indians owner [[Alva Bradley]] replied negatively.<ref name = "c399a" /> Of the five members in the inaugural class of Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936 ([[Ty Cobb]], [[Honus Wagner]], [[Christy Mathewson]], [[Walter Johnson]] and Ruth), only Ruth was not given an offer to manage a baseball team.<ref name=":1" /> Team owners and general managers assessed Ruth's flamboyant personal habits as a reason to exclude him from a managerial job; Barrow said of him, "How can he manage other men when he can't even manage himself?"<ref name="99facts" /> Creamer believed Ruth was unfairly treated in never being given an opportunity to manage a major league club. The author believed there was not necessarily a relationship between personal conduct and managerial success, noting that [[John McGraw]], [[Billy Martin]], and [[Bobby Valentine]] were winners despite character flaws.<ref>{{harvp|Sherman|2014|p=17}}</ref>

Ruth played much golf and in a few exhibition baseball games, where he demonstrated a continuing ability to draw large crowds. This appeal contributed to the Dodgers hiring him as first base coach in 1938. When Ruth was hired, Brooklyn general manager [[Larry MacPhail]] made it clear that Ruth would not be considered for the manager's job if, as expected, [[Burleigh Grimes]] retired at the end of the season. Although much was said about what Ruth could teach the younger players, in practice, his duties were to appear on the field in uniform and encourage base runners—he was not called upon to relay signs. In August, shortly before the baseball rosters expanded, Ruth sought an opportunity to return as an active player in a pinch hitting role. Ruth often took batting practice before games and felt that he could take on the limited role. Grimes denied his request, citing Ruth's poor vision in his right eye, his inability to run the bases, and the risk of an injury to Ruth.<ref name=Pinch>{{cite news |url= https://www.nytimes.com/1985/09/01/sports/babe-ruth-fat-and-43-and-never-to-play-ball-again.html |title= Babe Ruth: Fat and 43 and Never to Play Ball Again |author= Herb Goren |work= [[The New York Times]] |date= September 1, 1985 |access-date= August 12, 2021 |archive-date= August 12, 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210812140402/https://www.nytimes.com/1985/09/01/sports/babe-ruth-fat-and-43-and-never-to-play-ball-again.html |url-status= live}}</ref><ref name=NYDNPinch>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-grimes-vetoes-ruths-comeback/170641214/ |title=Grimes Vetoes Ruth's Comeback |author=Hy Turkin |work=New York Daily News |date=September 1, 1938 |access-date=August 12, 2021 |archive-date=August 12, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210812142259/http://www.newspapers.com/image/421909816/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

Ruth got along well with everyone except team captain [[Leo Durocher]], who was hired as Grimes' replacement at season's end. Ruth then left his job as a first base coach and would never again work in any capacity in the game of baseball.<ref name = "c399a">{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=399–405}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=McMurray |first=John |title=Babe Ruth, Brooklyn Dodgers Coach |url=https://sabr.org/journal/article/babe-ruth-brooklyn-dodgers-coach-4/#:~:text=Of%20all%20the%20facets%20of,seldom%20make%20an%20obvious%20imprint. |publisher=[[Society for American Baseball Research]] |year=2015 |access-date=May 30, 2023 |archive-date=May 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230525200823/https://sabr.org/journal/article/babe-ruth-brooklyn-dodgers-coach-4/#:~:text=Of%20all%20the%20facets%20of,seldom%20make%20an%20obvious%20imprint. |url-status=live}}</ref>

On July 4, 1939, Ruth spoke on Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day at Yankee Stadium as members of the 1927 Yankees and a sellout crowd turned out to honor the first baseman, who was forced into premature retirement by [[Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis|ALS]], which would kill him two years later. The next week, Ruth went to [[Cooperstown, New York]], for the formal opening of the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Baseball Hall of Fame]]. Three years earlier, he was one of the [[Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, 1936|first five players]] elected to the hall. As radio broadcasts of baseball games became popular, Ruth sought a job in that field, arguing that his celebrity and knowledge of baseball would assure large audiences, but he received no offers.<ref>{{harvp|Wagenheim|1974|pp=247–249}}</ref> During World War II, he made many personal appearances to advance the war effort, including his last appearance as a player at Yankee Stadium, in a 1943 exhibition for the Army-Navy Relief Fund. He hit a long fly ball off Walter Johnson; the blast left the field, curving foul, but Ruth circled the bases anyway. In 1946, he made a final effort to gain a job in baseball when he contacted new Yankees boss MacPhail, but he was sent a rejection letter.<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=355–356}}</ref> In [[SportsCentury|1999]], Ruth's granddaughter, Linda Tosetti, and his daughter, [[Julia Ruth Stevens]], said that Babe's inability to land a managerial role with the Yankees caused him to feel hurt and slump into a severe depression.<ref name=":1" />

Ruth started playing golf when he was 20 and continued playing the game throughout his life.<ref name="golfer"/> His appearance at many New York courses drew spectators and headlines. [[Rye Golf Club]] was among the courses he played with teammate [[Lyn Lary]] in June 1933. With birdies on 3 holes, Ruth posted the best score.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Ruth Cards 75 at Rye|date=June 8, 1933|work=The New York Times| location= New York|page=25}}</ref> In retirement, he became one of the first celebrity golfers participating in charity tournaments, including one where he was pitted against Ty Cobb.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Ruth On Spot in Golf Match|date=June 27, 1941|work=The New York Sun|page=25}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Long Island Wins Inter-Sectional Golf Match at Apawamis|date=May 12, 1939|work=The Rye Chronicle|page=13}}</ref><ref name="golfer">{{Cite web|url=https://golf.com/news/babe-ruth-was-once-americas-most-famous-golfer|magazine=Golf Magazine|title=Babe Ruth Was Once America's Most Famous Golfer|first=Kevin|last=Cook|date=March 16, 2015|accessdate=December 12, 2021|archive-date=December 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211212120556/https://golf.com/news/babe-ruth-was-once-americas-most-famous-golfer/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Personal life==
[[File:1915 Babe Ruth and Helen Woodford (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|Ruth and his first wife, Helen Woodford, 1915]]
Ruth met [[Helen Woodford]], by some accounts, in a coffee shop in [[Boston]], where she was a waitress. They married as teenagers on October 17, 1914.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=84, 100}}</ref> Although Ruth later claimed to have been married in [[Elkton, Maryland]], records show that they were married at [[Saint Paul Catholic Church (Ellicott City, Maryland)|St. Paul's Catholic Church]] in [[Ellicott City, Maryland|Ellicott City]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Shoken |first=Fred |url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/readersrespond/bs-ed-elkton-marriage-20120103-story.html |title=Babe Ruth, Elkton, and the Battle of Waterloo |newspaper=The Baltimore Sun |date=January 3, 2012 |access-date=June 15, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171023175304/http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/readersrespond/bs-ed-elkton-marriage-20120103-story.html |archive-date=October 23, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> They adopted a daughter, [[Dorothy Ruth Pirone|Dorothy]], in 1921. Ruth and Helen separated around 1925 reportedly because of Ruth's repeated [[Adultery|infidelities]] and neglect.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|p=281}}</ref> They appeared in public as a couple for the last time during the 1926 World Series.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|p=336}}</ref> Helen died in January 1929 at age 31 in a fire in a house in [[Watertown, Massachusetts]] owned by Edward Kinder, a dentist with whom she had been living as "Mrs. Kinder". In her book, ''My Dad, the Babe'',<ref>{{Cite book |title=My Dad, The Babe: Growing up with an American Hero |last1=Pirone |first1=Dorothy |last2=Martens |first2=Chris |publisher=Quinlan Press |year=1988 |isbn=978-1-55770-031-5 |location=Boston |page=250 |oclc=17652057}}</ref> Dorothy claimed that she was Ruth's biological child by a mistress named Juanita Jennings.<ref name="Dorothy obit">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/05/20/obituaries/dorothy-r-pirone-68-babe-ruth-s-daughter.html|title=Dorothy R. Pirone, 68, Babe Ruth's Daughter|work=The New York Times|date=May 20, 1989|access-date=May 21, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404155119/https://www.nytimes.com/1989/05/20/obituaries/dorothy-r-pirone-68-babe-ruth-s-daughter.html|archive-date=April 4, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1980, Juanita, who was at the time very ill, admitted this to Dorothy and Dorothy's sister, Julia.<ref name=":1" />

On April 17, 1929, three months after the death of his first wife, Ruth married actress and model [[Claire Merritt Hodgson]] and adopted her daughter Julia.<ref>{{cite news|last=Goldstein|first=Richard|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/09/obituaries/julia-ruth-stevens-dead-babe-ruth.html|title=Julia Ruth Stevens, Babe Ruth's Daughter, Dies at 102|newspaper=The New York Times|date=March 9, 2019|access-date=March 11, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190310163514/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/09/obituaries/julia-ruth-stevens-dead-babe-ruth.html|archive-date=March 10, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> It was the second and final marriage for both parties.<ref>{{cite news |last=Wiessner |first=Christian |title=Baseball says goodbye as Yankee Stadium retired |date=September 22, 2008 |work=Reuters |publisher=[[Thomson Reuters]] |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-baseball-yankeestadium-idUSN1950865620080922 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120726025752/http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/09/22/us-baseball-yankeestadium-idUSN1950865620080922 |archive-date=July 26, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Peter|last=Kerasotis|title=Home, at the Other House That Ruth Built|date=March 10, 2014|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/11/sports/baseball/yankees-home-at-the-other-house-that-ruth-built.html|access-date=March 18, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140318061412/http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/11/sports/baseball/yankees-home-at-the-other-house-that-ruth-built.html|archive-date=March 18, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> Claire, unlike Helen, was well-travelled and educated, and put structure into Ruth's life, like [[Miller Huggins]] did for him on the field.<ref name=":1" />

By one account, Julia and Dorothy were, through no fault of their own, the reason for the seven-year rift in Ruth's relationship with teammate Lou Gehrig. Sometime in 1932, during a conversation that she assumed was private, Gehrig's mother remarked, "It's a shame [Claire] doesn't dress Dorothy as nicely as she dresses her own daughter." When the comment got back to Ruth, he angrily told Gehrig to tell his mother to mind her own business. Gehrig, in turn, took offense at what he perceived as Ruth's comment about his mother. The two men reportedly never spoke off the field until they reconciled at Yankee Stadium on Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day, July 4, 1939, shortly after Gehrig's retirement from baseball.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|p=415}}</ref>

Although Ruth was married throughout most of his baseball career, when team co-owner [[Tillinghast L'Hommedieu Huston|Tillinghast 'Cap' Huston]] asked him to tone down his lifestyle, Ruth replied, "I'll promise to go easier on drinking and to get to bed earlier, but not for you, fifty thousand dollars, or two-hundred and fifty thousand dollars will I give up women. They're too much fun."<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iYY6LBA_DUwC|page=158|title=Baseball As I Have Known It|first=Fred|last=Lieb|publisher=Cowar, McCann and Geoghagen|location=New York|year=1977|isbn=978-0-8032-7962-9|access-date=November 26, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160510232217/https://books.google.com/books?id=iYY6LBA_DUwC|archive-date=May 10, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> A detective that the Yankees hired to follow him one night in Chicago reported that Ruth had been with six women. [[Ping Bodie]] said that he was not Ruth's roommate while traveling; "I room with his suitcase".<ref name="menand20200525">{{Cite magazine |last=Menand |first=Louis |date=May 25, 2020 |title=How Baseball Players Became Celebrities |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/06/01/how-baseball-players-became-celebrities |magazine=The New Yorker |language=en |access-date=May 26, 2020 |archive-date=January 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220110022815/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/06/01/how-baseball-players-became-celebrities |url-status=live}}</ref> Before the start of the 1922 season, Ruth had signed a three-year contract at $52,000 per year ({{Inflation|US|52000|1922|r=-3|fmt=eq}}) with an option to renew for two additional years. His performance during the 1922 season had been disappointing, attributed in part to his drinking and late-night hours. After the end of the 1922 season, he was asked to sign a contract addendum with a [[morals clause]]. Ruth and Ruppert signed it on November 11, 1922. It called for Ruth to abstain entirely from the use of intoxicating liquors, and to not stay up later than 1:00&nbsp;a.m. during the training and playing season without permission of the manager. Ruth was also enjoined from any action or misbehavior that would compromise his ability to play baseball.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sports.ha.com/itm/baseball/1922-babe-ruth-signed-contract-addendum-limiting-his-drinking-late-nights-i-ll-promise-to-go-easier-on-drinking-an/a/707-19090.s?ic4=GalleryView-Thumbnail-071515 |title=1922 Babe Ruth Signed Contract Addendum Limiting His Drinking, Late Nights |page=5 |website=Heritage Auctions logo The World's Largest Collectibles Auctioneer |access-date=August 31, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150919233936/http://sports.ha.com/itm/baseball/1922-babe-ruth-signed-contract-addendum-limiting-his-drinking-late-nights-i-ll-promise-to-go-easier-on-drinking-an/a/707-19090.s?ic4=GalleryView-Thumbnail-071515 |archive-date=September 19, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Ruth was a self described [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/11/upshot/presidents-who-knew-the-babe.html|title=Presidents Who Knew the Babe|first=Michael|last=Beschloss|work=New York Times|date=April 11, 2015|accessdate=October 27, 2024}}</ref> In 1928, Ruth campaigned for Democratic U.S. presidential nominee [[Al Smith]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nysm.nysed.gov/programs/sports-and-identity-politics|title=Babe Ruth Gets Political: Sports and Identity Politics in the Roaring Twenties|publisher=New York State Museum}}</ref>

==Cancer and death (1946–1948)==
{{Main|Death and funeral of Babe Ruth}}
{{MLBBioRet
|Image = BabeRuth3.jpg
|Name = Babe Ruth
|Number = 3
|Team = New York Yankees
|Year = 1948
}}
As early as the war years, doctors had cautioned Ruth to take better care of his health, and he grudgingly followed their advice, limiting his drinking and not going on a proposed trip to support the troops in the South Pacific.<ref>{{harvp|Wagenheim|1974|pp=252–253}}</ref> In 1946, Ruth began experiencing severe pain over his left eye and had difficulty swallowing. In November 1946, Ruth entered [[French Hospital (Manhattan)|French Hospital]] in New York for tests, which revealed that he had an inoperable [[cancer|malignant tumor]] at the base of his skull and in his neck. The malady was a lesion known as [[nasopharyngeal carcinoma]], or lymphoepithelioma.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Maloney |first1=William James |last2=Weinberg |first2=Mea A. |date=July 2008 |title=A comprehensive analysis of Babe Ruth's head and neck cancer |journal=Journal of the American Dental Association |volume=139 |issue=7 |pages=926–932 |issn=0002-8177 |pmid=18594078 |doi=10.14219/jada.archive.2008.0279}}</ref> A physician who reviewed Ruth's autopsy in 1998 concluded that Ruth's lifelong use of tobacco "probably played a part" in his cancer.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/12/29/science/the-doctor-s-world-ruth-s-other-record-cancer-pioneer.html|title=The Doctor's World; Ruth's Other Record: Cancer Pioneer|first=Lawrence K.|last=Altman|work=The New York Times|date=December 29, 1998|page=F1}}</ref> His name and fame gave him access to experimental treatments, and he was one of the first cancer patients to receive both drugs and radiation treatment simultaneously.<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=357–358}}</ref> Having lost {{convert|80|lb}}, he was discharged from the hospital in February and went to Florida to recuperate. He returned to New York and Yankee Stadium after the season started. The new commissioner, [[Happy Chandler]] (Judge Landis had died in 1944), proclaimed April 27, 1947, Babe Ruth Day around the major leagues, with the most significant observance to be at Yankee Stadium.<ref name="f188">{{Cite web |last=Schuster |first=Joe |title=April 27, 1947: Babe Ruth Day at Yankee Stadium |url=https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/april-27-1947-babe-ruth-day/ |access-date=January 6, 2025 |website=Society for American Baseball Research}}</ref> A number of teammates and others spoke in honor of Ruth, who briefly addressed the crowd of almost 60,000.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=418–419}}</ref> By then, his voice was a soft whisper with a very low, raspy tone.<ref name=":1" />

Around this time, developments in [[chemotherapy]] offered some hope for Ruth. The doctors had not told Ruth he had cancer because of his family's fear that he might do himself harm. They treated him with pterolyl triglutamate (Teropterin), a [[folic acid]] derivative; he may have been the first human subject.<ref name = "montville360" /> Ruth showed dramatic improvement during the summer of 1947, so much so that his case was presented by his doctors at a scientific meeting, without using his name. He was able to travel around the country, doing promotional work for the Ford Motor Company on [[American Legion Baseball]]. He appeared again at another day in his honor at Yankee Stadium in September, but was not well enough to pitch in an old-timers game as he had hoped.<ref name = "montville360">{{harvp|Montville|2006|p=360}}</ref><ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=418–420}}</ref>

The improvement was only a temporary remission, and by late 1947, Ruth was unable to help with the writing of his autobiography, ''The Babe Ruth Story'', which was almost entirely ghostwritten. In and out of the hospital in Manhattan, he left for Florida in February 1948, doing what activities he could. After six weeks he returned to New York to appear at a book-signing party. He also traveled to California to witness the filming of the movie based on the book.<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=361–362}}</ref>

[[File:Babe Ruth Bows Out.jpg|thumb|[[Nat Fein]]'s [[Pulitzer Prize for Photography|Pulitzer Prize–winning]] photo of Ruth titled ''[[Babe Ruth Bows Out]]'' at [[Yankee Stadium (1923)|Yankee Stadium]] prior to the Yankees' retirement of his jersey number.]]
On June 5, 1948, a "gaunt and hollowed-out" Ruth visited [[Yale University]] to donate a manuscript of ''The Babe Ruth Story'' to its library.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nhregister.com/general-news/20120919/new-haven-200-babe-ruth-meets-future-president-george-hw-bush-in-1948-at-yale-field|title=New Haven 200: Babe Ruth meets future President George H.W. Bush in 1948 at Yale Field|newspaper=New Haven Register|date=September 19, 2012|access-date=November 20, 2013|first=Chip|last=Malafronte|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212063150/http://www.nhregister.com/general-news/20120919/new-haven-200-babe-ruth-meets-future-president-george-hw-bush-in-1948-at-yale-field|archive-date=December 12, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> At Yale, he met with future president [[George H. W. Bush]], who was the captain of the [[Yale Bulldogs baseball|Yale baseball team]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://ftw.usatoday.com/2013/06/babe-ruth-met-future-president-george-h-w-bush-in-1948|title=Babe Ruth met future President George H.W. Bush in 1948|newspaper=USA Today|date=June 3, 2013|access-date=June 3, 2018|first=Ted|last=Berg|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612113017/https://ftw.usatoday.com/2013/06/babe-ruth-met-future-president-george-h-w-bush-in-1948|archive-date=June 12, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> On June 13, Ruth visited Yankee Stadium for the final time in his life, appearing at the 25th-anniversary celebrations of "The House that Ruth Built". By this time he had lost much weight and had difficulty walking. Introduced along with his surviving teammates from 1923, Ruth used a bat as a cane. [[Nat Fein]]'s photo of Ruth taken from behind, standing near home plate and facing "Ruthville" (right field) became one of baseball's most famous and widely circulated photographs, and won the [[Pulitzer Prize]].<ref>{{harvp|Wagenheim|1974|pp=267–268}}</ref>

Ruth made one final trip on behalf of American Legion Baseball. He then entered [[Memorial Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center|Memorial Hospital]], where he would die. He was never told he had cancer; however, before his death, he surmised it. He was able to leave the hospital for a few short trips, including a final visit to [[Baltimore]]. On July 26, 1948, Ruth left the hospital to attend the premiere of the film ''[[The Babe Ruth Story]]''. Shortly thereafter, he returned to the hospital for the final time. He was barely able to speak. Ruth's condition gradually grew worse, and only a few visitors were permitted to see him, one of whom was [[National League (baseball)|National League]] president and future [[Commissioner of Baseball]] [[Ford C. Frick]]. "Ruth was so thin it was unbelievable. He had been such a big man and his arms were just skinny little bones, and his face was so haggard", Frick said years later.<ref>{{harvp|Creamer|1992|pp=423–424}}</ref>

Thousands of New Yorkers, including many children, stood vigil outside the hospital during Ruth's final days. On August 16, 1948, at 8:01&nbsp;p.m., Ruth died in his sleep at the age of 53. His funeral service took place over three days.<ref name="Syken">{{cite magazine |last1=Syken |first1=Bill |title=Bye Bye, Bambino: The Funeral of Babe Ruth |url=https://www.life.com/history/bye-bye-bambino-the-funeral-of-babe-ruth/ |access-date=February 7, 2024 |magazine=[[Life (magazine)|Life]] |date=September 23, 2022}}</ref> His open casket was placed on display in the rotunda of Yankee Stadium, where it remained for two days; 77,000 people filed past to pay him tribute. His [[Requiem Mass]] was celebrated by [[Francis Spellman|Francis Cardinal Spellman]] at [[St. Patrick's Cathedral (New York)|St. Patrick's Cathedral]]; a crowd estimated at 75,000 waited outside. Ruth is buried with his second wife, Claire, on a hillside in Section 25 at the [[Gate of Heaven Cemetery (Hawthorne, New York)|Gate of Heaven Cemetery]] in [[Hawthorne, New York]].<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=366–367}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Reisler|first=Jim|date=August 9, 1998|title=After 50 Years, Ruth Still Stars|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/08/09/nyregion/after-50-years-ruth-still-stars.html|access-date=January 15, 2022|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=January 16, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220116013707/https://www.nytimes.com/1998/08/09/nyregion/after-50-years-ruth-still-stars.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Memorial and museum==
[[File:RuthMonument.jpg|thumb|right|Tribute to Babe Ruth, Monument Park, as seen at the original Yankee Stadium]]

On April 19, 1949, the Yankees unveiled a granite monument in Ruth's honor in center field of Yankee Stadium.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LswKAAAAIBAJ&pg=3655,6203626|title=Six Home Teams Score Victories in Opener|first=Ralph|last=Roden|work=St. Petersburg Times|page=8|date=April 20, 1949|access-date=September 18, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208064607/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LswKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=VU4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=3655,6203626|archive-date=December 8, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> The monument was located [[ground rules|in the field of play]] next to a flagpole and similar tributes to Huggins and Gehrig until the stadium was remodeled from 1974 to 1975, which resulted in the outfield fences moving inward and enclosing the monuments from the playing field. This area was known thereafter as [[Monument Park (Yankee Stadium)|Monument Park]]. Yankee Stadium, "the House that Ruth Built", was replaced after the 2008 season with a new [[Yankee Stadium]] across the street from the old one; Monument Park was subsequently moved to the new venue behind the center field fence. Ruth's uniform number 3 has been [[List of Major League Baseball retired numbers|retired]] by the Yankees, and he is one of five Yankees players or managers to have a granite monument within the stadium.<ref name="retired number">{{cite web|title=Retired numbers|publisher=New York Yankees|url=http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/nyy/history/retired_numbers.jsp|access-date=February 8, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130201050802/http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/nyy/history/retired_numbers.jsp|archive-date=February 1, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Babe Ruth, other monuments, settle in new Yankee Stadium home|last=Coffey|first=Wayne|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/babe-ruth-monuments-settle-new-yankee-stadium-home-article-1.389857|newspaper=New York Daily News|date=February 25, 2009|access-date=February 8, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130308145340/http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/babe-ruth-monuments-settle-new-yankee-stadium-home-article-1.389857|archive-date=March 8, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Everyone agrees: Steinbrenner's plaque is big|last=Sandomir|first=Richard|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/22/sports/baseball/22monument.html|newspaper=The New York Times|date=September 21, 2010|access-date=February 8, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120602095156/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/22/sports/baseball/22monument.html|archive-date=June 2, 2012|url-status=live}} (subscription required)</ref>

In 1974, Ruth's birthplace in [[Baltimore]] was renovated and opened to the public as the [[Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum]]. The museum houses a collection of artifacts from Ruth's life, including some rare baseball cards and the earliest known signature of Ruth, from when he was still pitching in the schoolyard.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://nesn.com/2013/06/babe-ruth-birthplace-museum-one-of-baltimores-hidden-gems-video/|title=Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum One of Baltimore's Hidden Gems (Video)|date=June 16, 2013|website=NESN.com|language=en-US|access-date=April 30, 2016}}</ref> Ruth's widow, Claire, his two daughters, Dorothy and Julia, and his sister, Mamie, helped select and install exhibits for the museum.<ref>{{cite web |title=History |url=https://baberuthmuseum.org/babe-ruth-birthplace-museum/ |website=baberuthmuseum.org}}</ref>

==Impact==
Ruth was the first baseball star to be the subject of overwhelming public adulation. Baseball had been known for star players such as Ty Cobb and "Shoeless Joe" Jackson, but both men had uneasy relations with fans. In Cobb's case, the incidents were sometimes marked by violence. Ruth's biographers agreed that he benefited from the timing of his ascension to "Home Run King". The country had been hit hard by both the war and the [[1918 flu pandemic]] and longed for something to help put these traumas behind it. Ruth also resonated in a country which felt, in the aftermath of the war, that it took second place to no one. Montville argued that Ruth was a larger-than-life figure who was capable of unprecedented athletic feats in the nation's largest city. Ruth became an icon of the social changes that marked the early 1920s.<ref>{{harvp|Reisler|2004|pp=xii–xiii}}</ref><ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=106–107}}</ref> In his history of the Yankees, Glenn Stout writes that "Ruth was New York incarnate—uncouth and raw, flamboyant and flashy, oversized, out of scale, and absolutely unstoppable".<ref name = "st86">{{harvp|Stout|2002|p=86}}</ref>

During his lifetime, Ruth became a symbol of the United States. During World War II, Japanese soldiers yelled in English, "To hell with Babe Ruth", to anger American soldiers. Ruth replied that he hoped "every Jap that mention[ed] my name gets shot".<ref name="bullock2004">{{Cite book |title=Playing for Their Nation: Baseball and the American Military during World War II |last=Bullock |first=Steven R. |publisher=University of Nebraska Press |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-8032-1337-1 |pages=4}}</ref> Creamer recorded that "Babe Ruth transcended sport and moved far beyond the artificial limits of baselines and outfield fences and sports pages".<ref name="c16">{{harvp|Creamer|1992|p=16}}</ref> Wagenheim stated, "He appealed to a deeply rooted American yearning for the definitive climax: clean, quick, unarguable."<ref>{{harvp|Wagenheim|1974|p=6}}</ref> According to Glenn Stout, "Ruth's home runs were [an] exalted, uplifting experience that meant more to fans than any runs they were responsible for. A Babe Ruth home run was an event unto itself, one that meant anything was possible."<ref name = "st86" />

Although Ruth was not just a power hitter—he was the Yankees' best [[bunt (baseball)|bunter]], and an excellent outfielder{{r|menand20200525}}—Ruth's penchant for hitting home runs altered how baseball is played. Prior to 1920, home runs were unusual, and managers tried to win games by getting a runner on base and bringing him around to score through such means as the stolen base, the bunt, and the [[hit and run (baseball)|hit and run]]. Advocates of what was dubbed "[[inside baseball (strategy)|inside baseball]]", such as Giants manager McGraw, disliked the home run, considering it a blot on the purity of the game.<ref>{{harvp|Reisler|2004|p=18}}</ref> According to sportswriter W. A. Phelon, after the 1920 season, Ruth's breakout performance that season and the response in excitement and attendance, "settled, for all time to come, that the American public is nuttier over the Home Run than the Clever Fielding or the Hitless Pitching. Viva el Home Run and two times viva Babe Ruth, exponent of the home run, and overshadowing star."<ref>{{harvp|Reisler|2004|p=236}}</ref> Bill James states, "When the owners discovered that the fans ''liked'' to see home runs, and when the foundations of the games were simultaneously imperiled by disgrace [in the Black Sox Scandal], then there was no turning back."<ref>{{harvp|Graham|1943|p=122}}</ref> While a few, such as McGraw and Cobb, decried the passing of the old-style play, teams quickly began to seek and develop sluggers.<ref>{{harvp|Reisler|2004|pp=237–239}}</ref>

According to sportswriter [[Grantland Rice]], only two sports figures of the 1920s approached Ruth in popularity—boxer [[Jack Dempsey]] and racehorse [[Man o' War]].<ref>{{harvp|Reisler|2004|p=200}}</ref> One of the factors that contributed to Ruth's broad appeal was the uncertainty about his family and early life. Ruth appeared to exemplify the American success story, that even an uneducated, unsophisticated youth, without any family wealth or connections, can do something better than anyone else in the world. Montville writes that "the fog [surrounding his childhood] will make him forever accessible, universal. He will be the patron saint of American possibility."<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=13–14}}</ref> Similarly, the fact that Ruth played in the pre-television era, when a relatively small portion of his fans had the opportunity to see him play, allowed his legend to grow through word of mouth and the hyperbole of sports reporters.<ref>{{harvp|Wagenheim|1974|pp=6–7}}</ref> Reisler states that recent sluggers who surpassed Ruth's 60-home run mark, such as [[Mark McGwire]] and [[Barry Bonds]], generated much less excitement than when Ruth repeatedly broke the single-season home run record in the 1920s. Ruth dominated a relatively small sports world, while Americans of the present era have many sports available to watch.<ref>{{harvp|Reisler|2004|p=xv}}</ref>

==Legacy==
[[File:Claire Ruth.jpg|thumb|The unveiling of a Babe Ruth memorial plaque in Baltimore's old [[Memorial Stadium (Baltimore)|Memorial Stadium]] in 1955 with Claire Ruth, his widow, present]]

Creamer describes Ruth as "a unique figure in the social history of the United States".<ref name = "c16" /> Thomas Barthel describes him as one of the first [[celebrity]] athletes; numerous biographies have portrayed him as "larger than life".<ref>{{cite book |last=Barthel |first=Thomas |title=Babe Ruth and the Creation of the Celebrity Athlete |date=2018 |publisher=McFarland |location=Jefferson, N.C. |isbn=978-1-47-666532-0 |pages=1–2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ia9mDwAAQBAJ&q=%22larger+than+life%22 |access-date=August 20, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190820080614/https://books.google.com/books/about/Babe_Ruth_and_the_Creation_of_the_Celebr.html%3Fid%3DIa9mDwAAQBAJ%26q%3D%2522larger%2Bthan%2Blife%2522 |archive-date=August 20, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> A dominant figure in a field is often referred to as "the Babe Ruth" of that field.<ref name="c16" /> Similarly, "Ruthian" has come to mean in sports, "colossal, dramatic, prodigious, magnificent; with great power".<ref>{{cite book|title=The Dickson Baseball Dictionary|edition=3rd|first=Paul|last=Dickson|page=731|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ceeU7xSLw5kC&q=ruthian&pg=PA731|publisher=W.W. Norton & Co.|location=New York|isbn=978-0-393-07349-2|year=2011|access-date=November 26, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160529012621/https://books.google.com/books?id=ceeU7xSLw5kC&lpg=PA373&pg=PA731#v=onepage&q=ruthian|archive-date=May 29, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> He was the first athlete to make more money from endorsements and off-the-field activities than from his sport.{{r|menand20200525}}

In 2006, Montville stated that more books have been written about Ruth than any other member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. At least five of these books (including Creamer's and Wagenheim's) were written in 1973 and 1974 to capitalize on the increase in public interest in Ruth as [[Hank Aaron]] approached his career home run mark, which he broke on April 8, 1974.<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=1–6}}</ref> Montville suggested that Ruth is probably even more popular today than he was then. The long ball era that Ruth started continues in baseball: owners build ballparks to encourage home runs.<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|pp=4–5}}</ref>

In various rankings, Ruth has been named the greatest baseball player of all time. In 1998, ''[[The Sporting News]]'' ranked him number one on the list of "Baseball's 100 Greatest Players".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/legendary/lisn100.shtml|title=Baseball's 100 Greatest Players|publisher=Baseball Almanac|access-date=May 18, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070712221219/http://www.cycleback.com/eddiecollins.html|archive-date=July 12, 2007|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1999, baseball fans named Ruth to the [[Major League Baseball All-Century Team]].<ref>{{cite web|title=All-Century Team final voting|publisher=ESPN. Associated Press|date=October 23, 1999|url=https://static.espn.go.com/mlb/news/1999/1023/129008.html|access-date=May 18, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180918174445/http://static.espn.go.com/mlb/news/1999/1023/129008.html|archive-date=September 18, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> He was named baseball's Greatest Player Ever in a ballot commemorating the 100th anniversary of professional baseball in 1969. The [[Associated Press]] reported in 1993 that [[Muhammad Ali]] was tied with Babe Ruth as the most recognized athlete in America.<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 17, 1993 |title=Most Beloved? It's Hamill, Retton – Tyson Most Hated Athlete, According To Poll |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19930517&slug=1701669 |access-date=July 16, 2021 |website=The Seattle Times |agency=Associated Press |archive-date=August 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210817215440/https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19930517&slug=1701669 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 1999, the [[Associated Press]] named Ruth the greatest athlete of the 20th century, while an [[ESPN]] poll ranked him the second-greatest North American athlete of the century, behind [[Michael Jordan]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 100 Greatest Athletes of the 20th Century |url=https://www.topendsports.com/world/lists/greatest-all-time/athletes-ap-sports100.htm |access-date=April 19, 2025 |website=www.topendsports.com}}</ref><ref name="topathlete2">{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/sportscentury/athletes.html|title=ESPN: Top North American Athletes of the Century|date=September 14, 1999|work=ESPN SportsCentury|publisher=ESPN.com|access-date=February 5, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120428232905/http://espn.go.com/sportscentury/athletes.html|archive-date=April 28, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1983, the [[United States Postal Service]] honored Ruth with a twenty-cent stamp.<ref>{{cite web|title=Babe Ruth|url=http://uspsstamps.com/stamps/babe-ruth|publisher=[[United States Postal Service]]|access-date=May 13, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140514014721/http://uspsstamps.com/stamps/babe-ruth|archive-date=May 14, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2022, ''[[The Sporting News]]'' named Ruth on their "New York Mount Rushmore of Sports",<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gatto |first1=Tom |title=New York's Mount Rushmore of Sports: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Lawrence Taylor, Walt Frazier voted best of the best |url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/new-york-mount-rushmore-sports-babe-ruth-lou-gehrig-lawrence-taylor-walt-frazier/mksx1uyhff2bqshrshfln1qb |work=[[The Sporting News]] |date=August 1, 2022}}</ref> while ESPN ranked him as the greatest baseball player ever that same year.<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 1, 2022 |title=Top 100 MLB players of all time |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/33145121/top-100-mlb-players-all |access-date=August 22, 2025 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}</ref>

Several of the most expensive items of [[sports memorabilia]] ever sold at auction are associated with Ruth. The jersey Ruth wore when hitting his [[Babe Ruth's called shot|"called shot" home run]] in the [[1932 World Series]] sold in 2024 for a record $24&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite news |last=Boren |first=Cindy |date=August 25, 2024 |title=Babe Ruth's called-shot jersey, the 'Mona Lisa,' fetches record $24 million |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/08/25/babe-ruth-called-shot-record-sale/ |access-date=August 25, 2024 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=August 25, 2024 |title=Ruth 'called shot' jersey sells for record $24.12M |url=https://www.espn.co.uk/mlb/story/_/id/40986619/babe-ruth-called-shot-yankees-jersey-fetches-record-24m |access-date=October 4, 2024 |website=[[ESPN.com]] |language=en}}</ref> A Ruth 1920 Yankees jersey that sold for $4.4 million in 2012 (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|4.42|2012|r=2}} million in {{Inflation/year|US}}) was, for several years, one of the most expensive piece of sports memorabilia ever sold.<ref>{{cite news |title=Diego Maradona: Argentina legend's 'Hand of God' shirt sells for £7.1m at auction |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61321555 |access-date=May 5, 2022 |publisher=BBC |date=May 4, 2022 |archive-date=May 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220505052536/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61321555 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Coffey |first=Brendan |date=August 26, 2024 |title=Most Expensive Sports Memorabilia and Collectibles in History |url=https://www.sportico.com/feature/most-expensive-sports-memorabilia-1234762143/ |access-date=March 17, 2025 |website=Sportico}}</ref> The [[baseball bat|bat]] with which he hit the first home run at Yankee Stadium is in ''[[The Guinness Book of World Records]]'' as the most expensive baseball bat sold at auction, having fetched $1.265&nbsp;million in 2004 (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|1.265|2004|r=4}} million in {{Inflation/year|US}}).<ref>{{cite news |title=Most expensive baseball bat sold at auction |url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-expensive-baseball-bat-sold-at-auction |access-date=July 1, 2017 |publisher=[[Guinness World Records]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170713025652/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-expensive-baseball-bat-sold-at-auction |archive-date=July 13, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> Other bats used by Ruth sold for $1.6 million in 2022 and $1.85 million in 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hajducky |first=Dan |date=April 5, 2023 |title=Babe Ruth bat sells for record $1.85M after 'photographic corroboration' |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/babe-ruth-bat-sells-record-185m-after-photographic/story?id=98387635 |access-date=March 17, 2025 |website=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]}}</ref> A hat of Ruth's from the 1934 season set a record for a [[baseball cap]] when [[David Wells]] sold it at auction for $537 thousand in 2012.<ref name="cap">{{cite news |last1=Boren |first1=Cindy |title=Babe Ruth's jersey, cap bring record prices |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/post/babe-ruths-jersey-cap-bring-record-prices/2012/05/21/gIQA3UqbfU_blog.html |access-date=July 1, 2017 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=May 21, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180912091938/https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/post/babe-ruths-jersey-cap-bring-record-prices/2012/05/21/gIQA3UqbfU_blog.html |archive-date=September 12, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2017, [[Charlie Sheen]] sold Ruth's 1927 World Series ring for $2 million, a record for a [[championship ring]].<ref name="sheen">{{cite news |last1=Rovell |first1=Darren |author-link=Darren Rovell |date=July 1, 2017 |title=Charlie Sheen's classic Babe Ruth articles fetch nearly $4.4 million |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/charlie-sheens-classic-babe-ruth-articles-fetch-44/story?id=48389483 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170701191528/https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/charlie-sheens-classic-babe-ruth-articles-fetch-44/story?id=48389483 |archive-date=July 1, 2017 |access-date=July 1, 2017 |work=[[ESPN]] |publisher=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]}}</ref> 

[[File:Babe Ruth Hall of Fame exhibit 2014.jpg|thumb|right|Ruth memorabilia at the [[Baseball Hall of Fame]] (2014)]]

One lasting legacy of the craze over Ruth may be the [[Baby Ruth]] candy bar. The original company to market the confectionery, the [[Curtiss Candy Company]], maintained that the bar was named after [[Ruth Cleveland]], daughter of president [[Grover Cleveland]]. She died in 1904 and the bar was first marketed in 1921, at the height of the craze over Ruth.<ref>{{harvp|Smelser|1975|p=208}}</ref> He later sought to market candy bearing his name; he was refused a trademark because of the Baby Ruth bar. The Ruth estate licensed his likeness for use in an advertising campaign for Baby Ruth in 1995. In 2005, Baby Ruth became the official candy bar of Major League Baseball.<ref name="nytimes2006">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/06/business/worldbusiness/06iht-web.0606ruth.1900800.html|title=Baseball adopts a candy, whatever it's named for|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|first=Richard|last=Sandomir|date=June 6, 2006|access-date=February 12, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130601020629/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/06/business/worldbusiness/06iht-web.0606ruth.1900800.html|archive-date=June 1, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2018, Ruth was posthumously awarded the [[Presidential Medal of Freedom]] by President [[Donald Trump]];<ref name="cnn2018">{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/10/politics/trump-presidential-medal-of-freedom/index.html|title=Trump to award Medal of Freedom to Elvis, Babe Ruth, among others|first=Veronica|last=Stracqualursi|publisher=[[CNN]]|date=November 10, 2018|access-date=November 11, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181111013232/https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/10/politics/trump-presidential-medal-of-freedom/index.html|archive-date=November 11, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> his grandson Tom Stevens accepted the award on his behalf.<ref>{{cite news|last=Bogage|first=Jacob|title=Babe Ruth is finally awarded Medal of Freedom. Family and fans wonder, 'What the heck took so long?'|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=November 16, 2018|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2018/11/15/babe-ruth-is-finally-awarded-medal-freedom-family-fans-wonder-what-heck-took-so-long/|access-date=October 4, 2024}}</ref> Montville describes the continuing relevance of Babe Ruth in American culture:

{{blockquote|
The fascination with his life and career continues. He is a bombastic, sloppy hero from our bombastic, sloppy history, origins undetermined, a folk tale of American success. His moon face is as recognizable today as it was when he stared out at Tom Zachary on a certain September afternoon in 1927. If sport has become the national religion, Babe Ruth is the patron saint. He stands at the heart of the game he played, the promise of a warm summer night, a bag of peanuts, and a beer. And just maybe, the longest ball hit out of the park.<ref>{{harvp|Montville|2006|p=367}}</ref>
}}
<!-- Please do not add any text here -->

==See also==
* [[List of career achievements by Babe Ruth]]
* [[List of most valuable celebrity memorabilia]]
* [[Babe Ruth Award]]
* [[Babe Ruth Home Run Award]]
* [[Babe Ruth League]]
* [[Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum]]
* [[DHL Hometown Heroes]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball home run records]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball runs batted in records]]
* [[Babe Ruth's called shot]]
* ''[[The Year Babe Ruth Hit 104 Home Runs]]''
* ''[[Babe Ruth Bows Out]]''
* ''[[Babe's Dream]]'' statue in Baltimore, Maryland

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist|20em}}

===Book sources===
{{refbegin|40em}}
* {{cite book 
 | last = Creamer
 | first = Robert W.
 | author-link = Robert Creamer
 | year = 1992
 | title = Babe: The Legend Comes to Life
 | edition = First Fireside
 | publisher = [[Simon & Schuster]]
 | location = New York
 | isbn = 978-0-671-76070-0
 | url = https://archive.org/details/babelegendcomest00crea_0 <!-- Originally published in 1974. -->
}}
* {{cite book 
 | last = Montville
 | first = Leigh
 | author-link= Leigh Montville
 | year = 2006
 | title = The Big Bam: The Life and Times of Babe Ruth
 | url=https://archive.org/details/bigbamlifetimeso00mont
 | url-access=registration
 | publisher = Broadway Books
 | location = New York
 | isbn = 978-0-7679-1971-5
}}
* {{cite book 
 | last = Reisler
 | first = Jim
 | year = 2004
 | title = Babe Ruth: Launching the Legend
 | publisher = [[McGraw-Hill]]
 | location = New York
 | isbn = 978-0-07-143244-3
}}
* {{cite book 
 | last = Sherman
 | first = Ed
 | year = 2014
 | title = Babe Ruth's Called Shot: The Myth and Mystery of Baseball's Greatest Home Run
 | publisher = Lyons Press
 | location = Guilford, Connecticut
 | isbn = 978-0-7627-8539-1
}}
* {{cite book 
 | last = Smelser
 | first = Marshall
 | year = 1975
 | title = The Life That Ruth Built
 | publisher = Quadrangle/New York Times Book Co.
 | location = New York
 | isbn = 978-0-8129-0540-3
 | url = https://archive.org/details/lifethatruthbuil0000smel
}}
* {{cite book 
 | last = Wagenheim
 | first = Kal
 | year = 1974
 | title = Babe Ruth: His Life and Legend
 | publisher = Praeger Publishers
 | location = New York
 | isbn = 978-0-275-19980-7
 | url = https://archive.org/details/baberuthhislifel0000wage
}}
* {{cite book 
 | last = Pietrusza
 | first = David
 | author-link = David Pietrusza
 | year = 1998
 | title = Judge and Jury: The Life and Times of Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis
 | url=https://archive.org/details/judgejurylifetim0000piet
 | url-access=registration
 | publisher = Diamond Communications
 | location = South Bend, Indiana
 | isbn = 978-1-888698-09-1
}}
* {{cite book 
 | last1 = Spatz
 | first1 = Lyle
 | last2 = Steinberg
 | first2 = Lyle
 | year = 2010
 | title = 1921: The Yankees, The Giants, & The Battle For Baseball Supremacy in New York
 | publisher = University of Nebraska Press
 | location = Lincoln, Nebraska
 | isbn = 978-0-8032-3999-9
}}
* {{cite book 
 | last = Appel
 | first = Marty
 | author-link = Marty Appel 
 | year = 2012
 | title = Pinstripe Empire: The New York Yankees From Before the Babe to After the Boss
 | publisher = [[Bloomsbury Publishing]]
 | location = New York
 | isbn = 978-1-60819-492-6
}}
* {{cite book 
 | last = Stout
 | first = Glenn
 | year = 2002
 | title = Yankee Century: 100 Years of New York Yankees Baseball
 | publisher = Houghton Mifflin Company
 | location = New York
 | isbn = 978-0-618-08527-9
}}
* {{cite book 
 | last = Graham
 | first = Frank
 | author-link = Frank Graham (writer)
 | year = 1943
 | title = The New York Yankees: An Informal History
 | publisher = G.P. Putnam's Sons
 | location = New York
 | oclc = 1825210
}}
* {{cite book
 |last = Neyer
 |first = Rob
 |author-link = Rob Neyer
 |title = Rob Neyer's Big Book of Baseball Blunders
 |year = 2000
 |publisher = Fireside Books
 |location = New York
 |isbn = 978-0-7432-8491-2
 |url = https://archive.org/details/robneyersbigbook0000neye
}}
* {{cite book 
 | last = James
 | first = Bill
 | year = 2003
 | edition = First Free Press trade paperback
 | author-link= Bill James
 | title = The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract
 | publisher = Free Press
 | location = New York
 | isbn = 978-0-7432-2722-3
 | url = https://archive.org/details/newbilljameshist0000jame_p1y9
}}
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
===Books===
<!-- Currently in alphabetical order. -->
* {{cite book |author=Bryson, Bill |author-link=Bill Bryson |year=2013 |title=One Summer: America, 1927 |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780767919401 |url-access=registration |publisher=[[Doubleday (publisher)|Doubleday]] |isbn=978-0767919401}}
* {{cite book |author=Castro, Tony |year=2018 |title=Gehrig and the Babe: The Friendship and the Feud |publisher=Triumph Books |isbn=978-1629372518}}
* {{cite book |last=Leavy |first=Jane |author-link=Jane Leavy |year=2018 |title=[[The Big Fella|The Big Fella: Babe Ruth and the World He Created]] |publisher=[[HarperCollins]] |isbn=978-0-0623-8022-7}}
* {{cite book |last1=Ruth |first1=Babe |last2=Considine |first2=Bob |year=1948 |title=The Babe Ruth Story |url=https://archive.org/details/baberuthstory0000ruth_j4f3 |url-access=registration |location=New York |publisher=E.P. Dutton}}
* {{cite book |last1=Ruth |first1=Babe |last2=Cobb |first2=William R. |year=2011 |title=Playing the Game: My Early Years in Baseball |url=https://archive.org/details/playinggamemyear0000ruth |url-access=registration |location=Minneola, NY |publisher=Dover Publications |isbn=978-0-4864-7694-0}}
* {{cite book |last=Ruth |first=Dorothy |author-link=Dorothy Ruth |year=1988 |title=My Dad, the Babe: Growing Up with an American Hero |url=https://archive.org/details/mydadbabegrowing0000piro |url-access=registration |publisher=Quinlan |isbn=978-1557700315}}
* {{cite book |last=Stout |first=Glenn |date=2016 |title=The Selling of the Babe: The Deal That Changed Baseball and Created a Legend |url=https://archive.org/details/sellingofbabedea0000stou |url-access=registration |location=New York |publisher=Thomas Dunne Books |isbn=978-1-2500-6431-8}}
* {{cite book |last=Stanton |first=Tom |author-link=Tom Stanton (author) |year=2007 |title=Ty and The Babe: Baseball's Fiercest Rivals: A Surprising Friendship and the 1941 Has-Beens Golf Championship |url=https://archive.org/details/tybabebaseballsf00toms |url-access=registration |publisher=St. Martins Publishing |isbn=978-0312382247}}

===Articles===
<!-- Currently in ascending chronological order. -->
* {{cite news |author=Goldsmith, Wallace |date=July 12, 1914 |title=Pitcher Ruth Warmly Welcomed By Fans, but Cleveland Find Him Very Cold |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-boston-globe-coverage-o/21768488 |newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]]}}
* {{cite news |author=Ruth, Babe |date=June 27, 1920 |title=Foibles of Famous Folk |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/27657292/interview_with_babe_ruth/ |newspaper=[[The Boston Post]]}}
* {{cite news |author=Vila, Joe |date=November 16, 1922 |title=Ruth Finds That Even in the Tank Towns He's a 'Bust' |url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb/news/tsn-archives-babe-ruth-“bust”-nov-16-1922-issue/qtexgbmt89gkfkhrxhlyjklt |work=[[The Sporting News]]}}
* {{cite magazine |author=Robinson, Arthur  |date=July 23, 1926|title=The Babe |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1926/07/31/the-babe |magazine=[[The New Yorker]]}}
* {{cite news |author=Seeley, Evelyn |date=June 3, 1930 |title=Letters from Bed-Ridden Boys, Love-sick Lassies, Jail Inmates, and Hundreds of Money-seekers, Fill Babe Ruth's Daily Fan Mail Bag |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-oklahoma-news-babe-ruth-fan-mail-bag/52283943/ |newspaper=[[List of newspapers in Oklahoma|The Oklahoma News]] |location=Oklahoma City, OK}}
* {{cite magazine |author=Pipp, Wally |date=July 30, 1962 |title=Bad Day for Babe Ruth |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1962/07/30/bad-day-for-babe-ruth |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]}}
* {{cite magazine |author=Dawioff, Nicolas |date=December 26, 1988 |title=A Fresh Look at the Babe |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1988/12/26/a-fresh-look-at-the-babe |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]}}
* {{cite magazine |last1=Bryson |first1=Bill |date=April 1, 2001 |title=My Father, Babe Ruth, and Me |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2001/04/09/the-baseball-writer-bill-bryson |magazine=[[The New Yorker]]}}
* {{cite magazine |author=Arbuckle, Alex |date=July 10, 2012 |title=Babe Ruth, On and Off the Field |url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/photo-booth/babe-ruth-on-and-off-the-field |magazine=[[The New Yorker]]}}
* {{cite magazine |author=Rothman, Lily |date=June 2, 2015 |title=The Disappointing Reason Babe Ruth Left Baseball |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|TIME]] |url=https://time.com/3896371/babe-ruth-1935-retirement/}}
* {{cite magazine |author=LaFrance, Adrienne |date=September 9, 2016 |title=A Peek at Babe Ruth's Private Scrapbooks |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2016/09/a-peek-at-babe-ruths-private-scrapbooks/499235/ |magazine=[[The Atlantic]]}}
* {{cite magazine |author=Leavy Jane |date=October 8, 2018 |title=How Babe Ruth Became the Model for the Modern Celebrity Athlete |url=https://www.si.com/mlb/2018/10/08/babe-ruth-book-excerpt-jane-leavy-christy-walsh-celebrity-athletes |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]}}
* {{cite magazine |author=Leavy, Jane |date=October 23, 2018 |url=https://www.si.com/mlb/video/2018/10/23/babe-ruth-unknown-story-told-troubled-childhood |title=The Unknown Story of Babe Ruth's Troubled Childhood |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]}}
* {{cite magazine |author=Menand, Louis |date=May 25, 2020 |title=How Baseball Players Became Celebrities |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/06/01/how-baseball-players-became-celebrities |magazine=[[The New Yorker]]}}
* {{cite magazine |author=Jackson, Wilton |date=January 28, 2022 |title=Babe Ruth's Rare Pitching Clinic Video Originated from 'Perfect Control' Film |url=https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2022/01/28/babe-ruths-rare-pitching-clinic-video-originated-from-perfect-control-film |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links|d=Q213812|commonscat=yes|species=no|voy=no|v=no|b=no|s=no|wikt=no|n=no}}
* [http://www.baberuth.com/ Official website]
* {{Bbhof|ruth-babe}}
* {{Sabrbio|babe-ruth}}
* {{Baseballstats|mlb=121578|espn=27035|br=r/ruthba01|fangraphs=1011327|brm=ruth—002geo|retro=R/Pruthb101}}
* {{IMDb name|id=0751899|name=Babe Ruth}}
* {{Gutenberg author |id=58061 |name=George Herman Ruth}}
* {{Librivox author|id=19397}}


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{{s-ttl|title=[[List of Major League Baseball no-hitters|No-hitter pitcher]]|years=June 23, 1917<br />with [[Ernie Shore]]}} 
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{{S-ach|rec}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Roger Connor]]}} 
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of Major League Baseball progressive career home runs leaders|Career home run record holder]]|years=1921–1974}} 
{{s-aft|after=[[Hank Aaron]]}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Ned Williamson]]}} 
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of Major League Baseball progressive single-season home run leaders#Progression|Single season home run record holder]]|years=1919–1960}} 
{{s-aft|after=[[Roger Maris]]}}
{{S-sports}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Roger Peckinpaugh]]}} 
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of New York Yankees team captains|New York Yankees team captain]]|years=May 20, 1922&nbsp;– May 25, 1922}} 
{{s-aft|after=[[Everett Scott]]}}
{{S-end}}
{{Babe Ruth|state=expanded}}
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{{MLBACT}}
{{MLBATT}}
{{Boston Red Sox}}
{{Boston Red Sox Opening Day starting pitchers}}
{{Monument Park honorees}}
{{New York Yankees retired numbers}}
{{New York Yankees team captains}}
{{AL home run champions}}
{{AL batting title}}
{{AL RBI champions}}
{{AL ERA champions}}
{{AL League Award}}
{{50 home run club|state=collapsed}}
{{500 home run club}}
{{1936 Baseball HOF}}
{{Baseball Hall of Fame members}}
{{New York Yankees HOF}}
{{Boston Red Sox HOF}}
{{Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame}}
{{1915 Boston Red Sox}}
{{1916 Boston Red Sox}}
{{1918 Boston Red Sox}}
{{1923 New York Yankees}}
{{1927 New York Yankees}}
{{1928 New York Yankees}}
{{1932 New York Yankees}}
}}
{{Portal bar|Biography|Baseball|Baltimore}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ruth, Babe}}
[[Category:Babe Ruth| ]]
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[[Category:Ruth family|Babe]]