Guide Note

Babe Ruth was a pitcher and outfielder who played for 16 seasons for the New York Yankees and six seasons for the Boston Red Sox. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936, the first year of the institution's existence.

Fast Facts

1. Born: February 6, 1895
2. Died: August 16, 1948
3. Sold to New York Yankees by Boston Red Sox in 1919
4. Held career home run record of 714 until broken by Hank Aaron in 1974

Born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1895 to a family of tavern-keepers, Ruth spent his early childhood in Catholic orphanage and rarely saw his parents. At 19, Ruth signed a contract with the Baltimore Orioles, then a Boston Red Sox minor-league affiliate. Ruth's initial success was as the star pitcher for the Red Sox, and he helped the team win the World Series in 1916 and 1918. In 1919 Red Sox owner Harry Frazee sold Ruth to the New York Yankees for $100,000. Over the next 16 seasons, Ruth became the most dominant and feared hitter in the game. He hit over 40 home runs eleven times, hitting 59 home runs in 1921 and then breaking his own record by hitting 60 home runs in 1927; he had over 100 RBIs in 12 different seasons; and his final career batting average was a staggering .342. He was the central part of the New York Yankees "Murderer's Row", a lineup of sluggers which included Lou Gehrig and Tony Lazzeri.