George Herman Ruth eclipsed the game, still regarded as baseball's pinnacle. He became one of the most well-known Americans ever living thanks to his career, both on and off the field.

Ruth’s Personal Life

On February 6, 1895, George Herman Ruth, Jr. was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He was raised in Pigtown, a rough area for working-class people, where his father operated a saloon. George's parents sent him to St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys when he was young because he was getting into so much trouble.

George acquired a strong work ethic at the reform school. He was taught trades like carpentry and shirt-making. Brother Matthias, one of the school's monks, encouraged George to take baseball. George had natural talent. George improved greatly as a pitcher, batter, and fielder with the assistance of Brother Matthias.

The monks persuaded the owner of the Baltimore Orioles to come to see George play baseball when he developed such skill. At 19, George signed his first professional baseball deal after impressing the owner. Since George was so young, the seasoned Orioles players began referring to him as "Babe," and the moniker stuck.

His Career

When George Ruth was 19, minor league recruiter Jack Dunn noticed him. Jack hired George for $600 to throw for the Baltimore Orioles because he liked how he did it. George was overjoyed to receive payment for playing the game he adored.

Numerous rumors surround George Ruth's origin of the moniker "Babe." The most well-known is that George Ruth was one of Dunn's "babes," which was subsequently abbreviated to "Babe," when he showed up for practice because Dunn frequently brought in new players.

Although Jack Dunn was successful in locating talented baseball players, he was also incurring losses. On July 10, 1914, Dunn sold Ruth to the Boston Red Sox after just five months with the Orioles. Ruth didn't get to play much in the beginning, despite being in the major leagues today. Ruth was even assigned to the lower league Grays for a few months to play.

During her first season in Boston, Ruth met and fell in love with the young waitress Helen Woodford, who worked at a nearby coffee shop. In October 1914, the two got hitched.

Ruth returned to the Red Sox in 1915 and started pitching. Ruth's pitching improved over the following few seasons, going from excellent to exceptional. Ruth threw his 29th shutout inning in a World Series in 1918. For 43 years, that record was held.

Ruth's insistence on spending more time hitting and less time pitching in 1919 caused a change in the status quo. Ruth hit 29 home runs in the campaign, breaking the previous record.

When it was revealed in 1920 that the New York Yankees had acquired Ruth for a stunning $125,000, many people were shocked (more than twice the amount ever paid for a player).

Ruth was a member of the 1927 squad, widely regarded as the greatest baseball squad ever. He set a record of 60 home runs in a season that year, which remained for 34 years.