Babe Ruths original name was George Herman Ruth Jr.. He was born February 6, 1895, and was born in a small room in his grandfathers house, in Baltimore Maryland. His parents were Kate Ruth and George Ruth. Babe had seven siblings, but only one other, Mamie, lived through infancy.
In 1902, when George was seven, his father sent him to St. Mary’s Industrial School for Boys, or orphanage. His father sent him their because he was getting into trouble with other boys, in the bad neighborhood that they lived in, and his family was bankrupt. He was introduced to baseball by Brother Matthias Boutlier. He was a great player, but often scoffed the other boys. Babe mostly played catcher until one day he tried pitching. He was also in the band and drama club.
In 1913, when George was nineteen a coach, Jack Dunn, came to one of his games and recognized his talent. On February 14, 1914 Jack Dunn signed Babe to the Baltimore Orioles Minor League team. He was earning $250 dollars a month. On the team is when he got his nickname “Babe.”
On July 7, 1914 Dunn offered to trade Ruth, along with Ernie Shore and Ben Egan, to Connie Mack of the Philadelphia Athletics. Dunn asked $10,000 for the trio, but Mack refused the offer. The Cincinnati Reds, who had an agreement with the Orioles, also passed on Ruth. Instead, the team elected to take George Twombley and Claud Derrick. Two days later, on July 9, Dunn sold the trio to Joe Lannin and the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox won the World Series that year and 1918. As a pitcher he had 94 wins and 46 losses.
Shortly after his season Babe Ruth proposed to Hellen Woodford. She was a waitress whom Babe met in Boston. They were married in Ellicott City, Maryland, on October 17, 1914.
On December 26, 1919 Babe was sold to the Yankees. He was sold and played for a salary of $100,000. In the next seventeen seasons the Yankees finished fourth or better four times.
In 1923 Babe Ruth won the American League Most Valuable Player Award.
Born near Athens, Georgia, United States, she met Ruth in 1923, a year after her husband Frank Hodgson died, leaving her with a daughter, Julia. Ruth was still married to Helen Woodford. Woodford died in a house fire in January 1929, and Ruth and Hodgson married that April 17.
It was October 1, 1932, when the Yankees met the Cubs at Wrigley Field for Game 3 of the World Series. The Yankees had won the first two games. When Babe hit the shot that he had called, the count had been 2-2. The ball was hit 436 feet away from home plate where Babe was standing and it was the 15th homerun that had been hit during that World Series.
Babe Ruth was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1936. Four other players were elected in. They were the first five players elected into the Hall of Fame.
On August 16, Babe Ruth died at age 53 due to pneumonia. An autopsy showed the cancer Ruth died from that began in the nose and mouth and spread widely throughout his body after. His body lay in repose in Yankee Stadium. His funeral was two days later at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York. Ruth was then buried in the Cemetery of the Gate of Heaven in Hawthorne, New York. At his death, the New York Times called Babe Ruth, “a figure unprecedented in American life.”
