“Every kid who ever picked up a baseball knows the name Babe Ruth. Even those who are not quite sure what records he held or what he did to achieve them know that the Babe was considered the best ever to play the game” (11). Growing up during the early 1900s in harsh neighborhoods of Baltimore, George Herman “Babe” Ruth Jr. had a rather rough childhood.  Babe was a very bad kid, his mom was always sick and his father was very distant because he was busy with work.  This made Babe feel neglected, causing him to act out and get put into St. Mary’s school for disobedient and abandoned boys.  Babe was much less fortunate than other people and highly uneducated.  He often engaged in unhealthy habits such as alcohol consumption, lack of sleep, womanizing and excessive eating.  Despite these flaws, he possessed a keen eye for the sport of baseball.  Because of his talents, Babe is baseball’s most iconic legend and made the sport as popular as it is today.  Not only did he change the way the game is played, he brought in the most fans the sport had ever seen and was a well-known philanthropist. While his actions off the field are impressive and inspiring, they would be completely unknown had it not been for his extraordinary success as a major league baseball player. 

Setting multiple records in several different areas of baseball, it is evident that Babe was the most talented player of his era.  When Jack Dunn, owner of the Baltimore Orioles, came to see what Babe could do for the first time, the St. Mary athletic director told him, “’Ruth can hit,’ Brother Matthias said, never one to elaborate. ‘Can he pitch?’ Dunn persisted.  After all, Dunn was in the market for a pitcher.  ‘Sure,’ Brother Matthias replied vaguely. ‘He can do anything’” (17). This definitely proved to be true throughout his career. He came into the league as a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox.  Finishing his career with an impressive 94-46 record as a pitcher, Babe also played 2,241 games as an outfielder and notched 32 games as a first baseman.   Not only could babe pitch and play the field, which is almost unheard of, he was also one of the best hitters to ever take the field.  With 714 homeruns and 2,213 runs batted in, he deservedly earned his reputation as one of the best at the plate.   In 1924, Babe was honored for his impressive 46 home runs with an American League Batting Title. Before Babe became popular, baseball was played more as a strategy based game.  Players would score their runs mainly by hit-and-run plays or stealing bases.  Slugging percentages were significantly lower before he started putting up huge offensive numbers.  His hitting style became very popular, which was a factor to the changing focus of baseball to using more offensive strategies. After awhile, the total number of stolen bases decreased slightly while home runs increased. His extraordinary abilities as a baseball player brought him recognition and fame. He became a celebrity and people started paying attention to his life off the field.

Babe had become extremely famous to the point where he was considered a star.  Attendances at games during this time were higher than ever before. “…There was an explosion of interest in 1920, and the Babe was the main cause of it.  The Yankees, who had always played second fiddle to the New York Giants as the Polo Grounds, outdrew their landlords that year and became the first major-league team to draw over a million customers in a season” (121).

Fans still came to the games despite Babe’s hotheaded temper, which earned him a major-league record of getting suspended four times.  It wasn’t rare for him to get in an argument with the umpires, which made watching Babe’s games all the more memorable.  Everywhere people went, they were reminded about him, “The Babe”, “The Bambino”, and “The Sultan of Swat” were some of his common nicknames. “…Even in those days before television, everyone recognized him wherever he went.  Whatever he did was headline news” (179). Not only did people care about what he was contributing to the sports world, but also they were interested in the events of his personal life.  This was one of the first times that an athletic figure had become prominent throughout all media rather than just in sports.  Most everyone was treating Babe as a celebrity, especially when news spread about him cheating on his wife, Helen, “…Players’ off-field behavior was beginning to gain more newspaper attention, and Ruth’s affair with Claire was so open” (138).  While his off-the field lifestyle was perhaps a bit raunchy at times, he donated a significant amount of time and money on worthy causes, and community outreach.

Aside from his contentious side, Babe was very giving and has made major impacts on the lives on many in the name of baseball.  Although he spent much of his salary on frivolous items, he never batted an eye when it came to giving back.  “His generosity was as big as his swing at the plate. Babe gave freely to orphanages and hospitals, and he rarely turned down requests for donations, especially for causes that helped underprivileged kids” (104).  He also took up collections to rebuild St. Mary’s, the same school he had attended as a child, when it was tragically destroyed in a fire.  Acts like these are what made him a significant figure during the twenties and even still today.  Many fans were let down when Hank Aaron and Barry Bonds broke his record for most career home runs.  Even though it is a great achievement for both players, Babe admirers just didn’t want to accept that anyone could break his record.  This shows how loyal people are to the great Babe Ruth who even said, “records are made to be broken”. “Babe Ruth was so many different things to so many people, it’s impossible to summarize his life. For the Babe, baseball was not just a game but a way of life, and he lived to the fullest” (188-189). Babe’s somewhat unusual combination of lifestyles can be directly related to his tough childhood. These experiences are what fueled him to better as many people’s lives as he could. His sympathy gave people a reason to love him and see him as a hero not only to baseball fans but also to everyone. 

Growing up in the slums of Baltimore and having an exceptionally unfortunate childhood was no match for George Herman Ruth Jr. His somewhat unusual combination of lifestyles can be directly related to his tough childhood. These experiences are what fueled him to better as many people’s lives as he could. His sympathy gave people a reason to love him and see him as a hero not only to baseball fans but also to everyone.  He was gifted with a great talent and love for baseball, which he took to the extreme. Through his talent alone, Babe rose to be the most memorable player of the game. He changed the face of baseball forever while influencing many people with his larger-than-life personality. Babe will always be remembered in the hearts of many as an important figure in American Culture and the considerable effects that he has on the country’s favorite pastime, the great sport of baseball.