Babe Ruth, wearing his No. 3 uniform, receives a standing ovation as
he comes out of the Cleveland Indians’ dugout to take a bow at
Yankee Stadium in the Bronx on June 13, 1948.
On June 2, 1935, Babe Ruth, one of the greatest players in the history of
baseball, ended his Major League playing career after 22 seasons, 10
World Series and 714 home runs. The following year, Ruth, a larger-than-
life figure whose name became synonymous with baseball, was one of
the first five players inducted into the sport’s hall of fame.
George Herman Ruth was born February 6, 1895, into a poor family in
Baltimore. As a child, he was sent to St. Mary’s Industrial School for
Boys, a school run by Roman Catholic brothers, where he learned to
play baseball and was a standout athlete. At 19, Ruth was signed by
the Baltimore Orioles, then a Boston Red Sox minor league team. Ruth’s
fellow teammates and the media began referring to him as team owner
Jack Dunn’s newest “babe,” a nickname that stuck.
Ruth would later acquire other nicknames, including “The Sultan of Swat”
and “The Bambino.”
George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr.
(February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948)
