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George Herman “Babe” Ruth |
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He was born with the name George Herman Ruth, Jr. on February 6, 1895, in Baltimore, Maryland. But he is better known as "Babe." He earned this nickname for being so young when he became a professional baseball player. Before getting his big break, Ruth had a rough childhood. He liked to get in trouble and was sent to reform school several times. At school, he discovered the game of baseball. He played on his school's team and signed his first contract at the age of 19. Ruth started out playing with a minor league team in 1914, but soon joined the Boston Red Sox as a pitcher. In the major leagues, he won 94 and lost 46 games as pitcher. He may have been a good pitcher, but he was an even better hitter. Ruth really showed the world his power at bat during the 1918 season. That year he hit 11 home runs. Two years later, Ruth's contract was sold to the New York Yankees. He was such a strong hitter that he was nicknamed the "Sultan of Swat." While with the Yankees, Ruth kept hitting home runs and wowing the fans. He set a record of 60 home runs in a season in 1927. This record stood for more than 20 years. Ruth was let go from the Yankees in 1934. He played for the Boston Braves in 1935 before leaving the sport. During his career, Ruth hit 714 home runs—another record. It took until 1974 for anyone to pass this number. He was one of the first players elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936. He died from cancer on August 16, 1948, in New York. |