Babe Ruth

George Herman Ruth, (b. February 6, 1895, d. August 16, 1948), better known as Babe Ruth, also commonly known by the nicknames The Bambino and The Sultan of Swat, was an American baseball player and United States national icon. He was one of the first five players elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame and he was the first player to hit over 30, 40 and 50 home runs in one season. His record of 60 home runs in the 1927 season stood for 34 years until it was broken by Roger Maris in 1961. He also was a member of the original American League All-Star team in 1933. In 1998, The Sporting News named Ruth as Number One in its list of "Baseball's 100 Greatest Players."

Death

Shortly after he had attended the Yankee Stadium anniversary event, Ruth was again back in the hospital. By now he knew it was cancer even if no one had told him, which apparently no one had since his cancer was diagnosed back in 1946. He received hundreds of well-wishing letters daily, many requesting autographs and photos, and with his wife Claire's help, made sure he answered every one. He was still able to walk and get out even nearing his end, and on July 26, 1948, he attended the premiere of the film about his life, The Babe Ruth Story, which starred William Bendix (ironically, Bendix had been a Yankee bat boy in the early 1920's). Feeling very ill while watching the film, Ruth left well before the film was finished.

Related Topics:
Hospital - Cancer - 1946 - Letters - Autograph - Photos - July - 1948 - Film - William Bendix

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Ruth returned to the hospital, and this time he would never leave. The cancer had eaten away at his body (cachexia) leaving him with an emaciated appearance, and he was barely able to speak. Only a few visitors were allowed to see him, one of whom was the then National League President and future Commissioner of Baseball, Ford Frick. Frick had been a good friend of Ruth's since Ruth's early days as a Yankee and the ghostwriter for various articles supposedly written by Ruth. In Ruth's last days, scores of reporters hovered around the hospital, almost anticipating the end. On August 16, the day after Frick's visit, Babe Ruth died at 8:01 p.m. at the age of 53. His body lay in state in Yankee Stadium for two days; more than 200,000 people filed past the casket. Three days later 6,500 mourners crammed into the area around St. Patrick's Cathedral for his funeral. Tens of thousands more lined the streets as his funeral cortege drove by. The outpouring of grief from so many thousands of Americans was in marked contrast to the few dozen people who would later attend the services for his great rival Ty Cobb in 1961. Ruth was buried in the Cemetery of the Gate of Heaven in Hawthorne, New York (about 25 miles North of New York City.) His wife Claire was buried next to him upon her death in 1976.

Related Topics:
Hospital - Cancer - Cachexia - National League - Commissioner of Baseball - Ford Frick - Ghostwriter - Reporter - August 16 - Yankee Stadium - Casket - St. Patrick's Cathedral - Funeral - Americans - 1961 - Cemetery of the Gate of Heaven - Hawthorne - New York - New York City - 1976

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Ruth's birthplace has been preserved as a combination Babe Ruth museum and Baltimore Orioles museum, and is just a short walk from Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

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