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Babe Ruth

Courtesy Library of Congress

Babe Ruth’s name generally elicits thoughts of prodigious slugging and overwhelming offensive production unmatched by any other player in baseball history. Ruth dominated his era from an offensive standpoint more than anyone else who ever played the game. En route to establishing himself as baseball’s all-time home run king—a distinction he held for more than half a century—Ruth became the first player to surpass 30, 40, 50, and 60 home runs in one season. He also became the first player to reach the 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, and 700 career home run plateaus. Ruth set numerous other records along the way, including single-season marks for most runs scored, most walks, and highest slugging percentage, and career marks for most walks and highest slugging percentage. Most people also tend to associate Ruth with the New York Yankees, the team he played for when he set all those records. However, prior to joining the Yankees in 1920, Ruth spent six years in Boston, establishing himself during that time as arguably the best left-handed pitcher in baseball. Working almost exclusively as a starting pitcher from 1915 to 1917, Ruth posted an overall record of 65–33, while leading all American League hurlers in ERA, complete games, and shutouts once each. Only the “Bambino’s” unprecedented slugging ability prompted the Red Sox to convert him into an outfielder, thereby preventing him from going down as one of the greatest left-handed pitchers ever to perform in the junior circuit. And only the lack of foresight displayed by Red Sox ownership likely prevented Ruth from creating the same dynasty in Boston that he eventually fashioned in New York. Still, Ruth managed to lead the Red Sox to three American League pennants and three world championships during his relatively brief stay in Beantown, earning him a prominent place in these rankings.

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, on February 6, 1895, George Herman Ruth proved to be completely incorrigible while growing up on the streets of Baltimore, spending much of his time in St. Mary’s Industrial School for repeatedly running afoul of the law. Raised primarily by his father, a saloon-keeper who frequently took to beating him, Ruth entered St. Mary’s at an early age after his parents grew increasingly weary of trying to keep him out of trouble. It was at the boys’ home that the gangly and awkward-looking young man learned to harness his great energy and play baseball. Convinced that Ruth had the ability to eventually succeed at the major-league level, Brother Gilbert—the institution’s athletic director—released him in 1912 so that he could pitch for the Baltimore Orioles of the International League, after first persuading Baltimore’s owner-manager Jack Dunn to become the 17-year-old’s guardian. The nickname “Babe” soon became affixed to the rambunctious teenager, who spent the next two years pitching for the Orioles before the Red Sox purchased his contract in 1914. The 19-year-old left-hander made his major-league debut with the team later that year, appearing in four games and winning two of his three decisions. Ruth became a regular member of Boston’s starting rotation the following year, compiling a record of 18–8 and an outstanding 2.44 earned run average for the eventual world champions.

Ruth developed into arguably the best left-handed pitcher in baseball in 1916, winning 23 games, completing 23 of his 40 starts, throwing 324 innings, and leading the league with a 1.75 ERA and 9 shutouts. With the Red Sox winning the American League pennant, Ruth subsequently helped them defeat Brooklyn in the World Series by allowing just one run and six hits during a 14-inning, 2–1 complete-game victory in his only start. Ruth had another sensational season in 1917, posting a 2.01 ERA and a league-leading 35 complete games. However, the Babe began to demonstrate over the course of that 1917 campaign that he also handled himself quite well in the batter’s box, compiling a .325 batting average in his 123 at-bats.

The Red Sox subsequently decided to expand Ruth’s role as a hitter the following year, reducing his number of mound appearances and placing him in the outfield on those days he didn’t pitch. Ruth responded by excelling in both areas. In addition to winning 13 of his 20 decisions and compiling an outstanding 2.22 ERA, he batted .300 and led the league with 11 home runs, even though he totaled only 317 official plate appearances. Ruth then helped the Red Sox capture their third World Series in four seasons by defeating Chicago twice in the Fall Classic, en route to extending his consecutive scoreless innings streak in World Series play to 29 ⅔ innings—a mark that stood for 43 years. Although Ruth continued to pitch sporadically in 1919, he spent most of his time in the outfield, batting .322 and leading the American League with 29 home runs, 114 runs batted in, 103 runs scored, a .456 on-base percentage, and a .657 slugging percentage. Ruth’s 29 homers established a new major-league record.

Ruth’s extraordinary slugging and charismatic personality made him baseball’s most popular and recognizable figure, prompting him to demand that Red Sox owner Harry Frazee double his salary to $40,000. However, Frazee, a theatrical producer with many outstanding debts, refused to meet his disgruntled outfielder’s demands. More concerned with financing a Broadway show called No, No, Nanette, Frazee changed the landscape of baseball forever when he sold Ruth to the New York Yankees for $100,000 in December of 1919.

While it subsequently took the Red Sox another 86 years to win a World Series, Ruth helped the Yankees create baseball’s greatest dynasty. Along the way, the “Sultan of Swat” established several records, some of which have yet to be broken. Ruth retired as Major League Baseball’s all-time leader in home runs (714) and runs batted in (2,220). He scored 2,174 runs, batted .342, amassed 2,873 hits, walked 2,062 times, and compiled a .474 on-base percentage. Ruth’s .690 career slugging percentage remains the highest in baseball history. He surpassed 50 homers on four occasions, with his 60 home runs in 1927 remaining the highest single-season total in major-league history for 34 years. Ruth led the Yankees to seven pennants and four world championships, with his incredible offensive production and larger-than-life personality making him the most recognizable figure in American sports history.

Yet, Ruth’s rise to fame began in Boston, and the game’s greatest slugger always retained a soft spot in his heart for pitching. Describing years later the feeling he got whenever he took the mound, Ruth stated in Giants of Baseball, “As soon as I got out there I felt a strange relationship with the pitcher’s mound. It was as if I’d been born out there. Pitching just felt like the most natural thing in the world. Striking out batters was easy.”

Meanwhile, legendary manager Leo Durocher, who served as a backup infielder on the Yankees in 1928 and 1929, later said, “There’s no question about it, Babe Ruth was the greatest instinctive baseball player who ever lived. He was a great hitter, and he would have been a great pitcher.”

Courtesy Library of Congress

Red Sox Career Highlights

Best Season

Even though Ruth pitched brilliantly in 1917 as well, winning 24 games, compiling a 2.01 ERA, throwing 326 innings, and tossing a league-leading 35 complete games, he had his best season on the mound one year earlier. In addition to going 23–12 with 23 complete games and 324 innings pitched in 1916, Ruth led all AL hurlers with a 1.75 ERA and nine shutouts, with the latter mark remaining a league record for lefties until Ron Guidry matched it in 1978. At one point during the season, Ruth tossed 24 consecutive scoreless innings. He also didn’t allow the opposition a single home run all year.

After being moved to the outfield prior to the start of the 1919 campaign, Ruth had easily his finest offensive season in Boston, batting .322 and leading the league with 29 home runs, 114 RBIs, 103 runs scored, 284 total bases, a .456 on-base percentage, and a .657 slugging percentage. He also managed to post a record of 9–5 in his 17 mound appearances.

Yet, a strong case could be made that Ruth had his finest all-around season for the Red Sox in 1918. Completing 18 of his 19 starts on the mound, Ruth went 13–7 with a 2.22 ERA. He also played the field in 72 games, concluding the campaign with 66 RBIs, 50 runs scored, 11 triples, 26 doubles, a .300 batting average, a .411 on-base percentage, and a league-leading .555 slugging percentage and 11 home runs.

Memorable Moments/Greatest Performances

During a 4–2 win over the St. Louis Browns on July 21, 1915, Ruth put on display for all to see his tremendous all-around ability. In addition to allowing only five hits and two unearned runs to the Browns, Ruth went four for four, with a home run, two doubles, and three RBIs.

Ruth experienced considerable success in his head-to-head matchups with Washington Senators pitching great Walter Johnson, posting six victories against him before suffering his first defeat. On August 15, 1916, Ruth improved his record to 3–0 against the “Big Train” by outdueling him 1–0 in 13 innings. The following year, on May 7, Ruth again outpitched Johnson, allowing just two singles during a 1–0 Red Sox victory over the Senators. The Babe also knocked in the game’s only run with an eighth-inning sacrifice fly.

A little over two months later, on July 11, 1917, Ruth defeated the Detroit Tigers by a score of 1–0, with only Donie Bush’s eighth-inning infield single preventing him from tossing a no-hitter. Ruth, who finished the contest by striking out Bobby Veach, Sam Crawford, and Ty Cobb in the bottom of the ninth inning, later called this game his greatest thrill.

Ruth had his greatest day at the plate for the Red Sox on September 5, 1919, going 5 for 6 with a homer, double, four RBIs, and three runs scored during a 15–7 win over the Athletics. Two weeks later, on September 20, he helped the Red Sox celebrate “Babe Ruth Day” at Fenway Park by hitting his 27th home run of the year. The blow tied him with Ned Williamson (1884) for the most home runs in a season in major-league history.

Ruth’s extraordinary pitching performances in the 1916 and 1918 World Series also rank among his greatest achievements as a member of the Red Sox. On October 9, 1916, Ruth began his streak of 29 ⅔ consecutive scoreless innings in postseason play by keeping the Brooklyn Robins off the scoreboard over the final 13 frames of a 14-inning, 2–1 Red Sox victory in Game 2 of the Fall Classic. After allowing an inside-the-park home run in the first inning, Ruth surrendered only five more hits, going the distance in his lone start in the series. He continued his exceptional pitching in the 1918 series, winning both his starts against the Chicago Cubs, compiling a 1.06 ERA, tossing a complete-game shutout, and allowing just 13 hits in 17 innings of work. In his three World Series starts with the Red Sox, Ruth compiled a record of 3–0 and a miniscule 0.87 ERA. He threw two complete games and surrendered only 19 hits in 31 innings of work.

Notable Achievements

• Won more than 20 games twice

• Compiled ERA below 2.00 once (1.75 in 1916)

• Completed more than 20 games twice, surpassing the 30 mark once (35 in 1917)

• Threw more than 300 innings twice

• Led all AL pitchers in ERA once; complete games once; shutouts once; and starts once

• Set World Series record that stood for 43 years by throwing 29 ⅔ consecutive scoreless innings

• Ranks among Red Sox all-time leaders in ERA (5th); winning percentage (5th); complete games (8th); and shutouts (10th)

• Hit more than 20 home runs once (29 in 1919)

• Knocked in more than 100 runs once (114 in 1919)

• Scored more than 100 runs once (103 in 1919)

• Batted over .300 four times

• Finished in double-digits in triples twice

• Drew more than 100 bases on balls once (101 in 1919)

• Compiled on-base percentage in excess of .400 twice

• Posted slugging percentage in excess of .600 once (.657 in 1919)

• Led AL in home runs twice; RBIs once; runs scored once; total bases once; on-base percentage once; and slugging percentage twice

• Set new major-league record with 29 home runs in 1919

• Member of Major League Baseball’s All-Century Team

• First on Sporting News’s 1999 list of Baseball’s 100 Greatest Players

• Three-time AL champion

• Three-time world champion

• Elected to Baseball Hall of Fame by members of BBWAA in 1936