Babe Ruth Biography: Boston Red Sox to NY Yankees

George Herman Ruth, Jr. was born February 6th, 1895 in Baltimore, Maryland to German-American parents. As a child, this troublemaker was sent to a reformatory, where he was introduced to baseball.

Ruth excelled at the sport, and by age 19 his hitting and pitching talent drew interest from minor-league owner Jack Dunn. Dunn wanted to sign Ruth to his Baltimore Orioles, and became his legal guardian in order to do so. Teammates teased him and nicknamed him “Jack Dunn’s baby,” which was later shortened to “Babe.”

Soon, Babe Ruth was sold to Boston and made his major league debut for the Red Sox on July 11th, 1914. After playing five games his first season, he joined the starting lineup as a left-handed pitcher in 1915. He rose to prominence the following year with a 23-12 record, a league-leading 1.75 ERA and nine shutouts.

Though he soon transitioned away from pitching, he made his mark with numerous records. Five years into his pro career, Babe Ruth also had three World Series to his name.

However, on December 26th, 1919, Red Sox owner Harry Frazee sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees in a landmark deal.

That deal proved great for New York and disastrous for Boston. The Babe went on a rampage with the Yankees: in 1920, he hit 54 homers and batted .376. To put that in perspective, that was more than most entire teams hit per season.

The Curse of the Bambino

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Meanwhile, Boston began “the Curse of the Bambino” era, which was an 86-year-drought between World Series wins that some superstitious fans attributed to the trade.

The House That Ruth Built

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In 1921, Babe Ruth homered 59 times and batted .378 for New York. By 1923, the squad moved to the new Yankee Stadium, which came to be known as “The House That Ruth Built.” Fittingly, the Bambino hit the first home run there, and finished the year with a career-high .393 batting average and 41 home runs. For the third straight season, the Yankees faced the Giants in the final, but this time Ruth led his team to their first World Series title.

Another World Series Win

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In 1927, the Yankees lineup was known as Murderer’s Row because of their hitting skills. They managed 110 wins on their way to another World Series triumph with a sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

All-Star

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When the Yankees adopted the regular use of jersey numbers in 1929, Babe Ruth wore number 3. Though his play was declining, he was still a star. In 1933, he participated in the first ever All-Star Game.

But, on September 30th, 1934, he played his last game at Yankee Stadium. After surpassing his personal goal of 700 home runs, he finished his career with the Boston Braves and announced his retirement on June 2nd, 1935.

Last Work with the MLB

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When the Baseball Hall of Fame opened the next year, Babe Ruth was one of the first five players inducted. His last work with the MLB was a first-base coaching job with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

In his last years, Ruth focused on charitable efforts. In 1946, he was stricken with cancer, and finally passed away on August 16th, 1948, from pneumonia.

Ruth’s legacy is unparalleled: From his numerous records, to his extroverted personality, Babe Ruth is widely considered the best baseball player in history.